At a time of diminishing student performance and constrained education resources, it is critical that policy makers, educators, and parents make informed decisions about education interventions on the basis of sound science and thoughtful social influence. The Wing Institute, an independent and non-profit organization, was created to promote evidence-based education policies and practices to address these serious challenges facing education today.

The Wing Institute is named in memory of Ernie Wing, who championed evidenced-based education as an educator and child advocate. Ernie set the standards for professionalism, integrity, effectiveness, and caring as he helped thousands of children gain access to effective educational services.

The Wing Institute, an independent, non-profit organization, promotes evidence-based education policies and practices by facilitating:

• efficacy research (what works?)
  establishing promising interventions through rigorous, high quality research
  
  
• effectiveness research (when does it work?)
  identifying through research the minimum conditions for interventions to be successful (student characteristics, setting features, resource demands, social contingencies)
  
  
• implementation (how do we make it work?)
  addressing all relevant variables so an intervention will be successfully adopted in a particular setting
  
  
• monitoring (is it working?)
  establishing the effectiveness of interventions through on-going evaluation

In support of our mission, the Wing Institute offers services including:

The Evidence-based Education Knowledge Network
The Wing Institute operates an interactive “knowledge network” for education stakeholders interested in promoting evidence-based education (organizations, researchers, policy makers, administrators, school personnel, and consumers). Utilizing the latest information, communication, and organization management technologies, the knowledge network facilitates information sharing, communication, collaboration, and cooperation in support of evidence-based education programs, policies, and practices.

Information Clearinghouse
The Wing Institute Web site houses an online information clearinghouse, providing reviews of research, analysis of current issues, links to related organizations and activities, policy analyses, and resources for education stakeholders.

Professional Forums
The Wing Institute organizes, sponsors, and facilitates professional summits, seminars, and conferences to encourage dialogue, collaboration, and communication among researchers, decision makers, and educators.

Publications
The Wing Institute facilitates and disseminates journal articles, policy analyses, research reviews, books, newsletters, position papers, and tools related to application of evidence-based education to assist education decision makers.

Research
The Wing Institute supports, promotes, reviews, and completes research in education policies and practices.

Public Policy
The Wing Institute engages in general public policy activities such as analysis, research, development, and advocacy.

The institute's founders — Jack States, Randy Keyworth, and Ronnie Detrich — have over 100 years of cumulative, hands-on experience in research, design, and implementation of evidence-based education policies and practices in public and nonpublic schools, serving students with challenging educational and behavioral needs.

The team has extensive experience bringing “research- to-practice” in educational settings, covering a wide range of content areas (policy, systems, administration, education, behavior); education systems (state, school district, school, and classroom); and “stakeholders” (the public, government agencies, school administrators, education professionals, teachers, para-professionals, parents, and students).

Areas of expertise include implementation of evidence-based practices in:

• EDUCATION(general and special): effective teaching strategies; classroom management strategies and systems; curriculum design (individualized and group); teaching plans (individualized and group); classroom environment (social behavior, discipline, academic performance); school-wide interventions (social behavior, discipline, academic performance)
  
  
• SPECIFIC DISABILITIES & ISSUES: autism; advocacy, conflict resolution; learning disabilities; emotional disturbances; special education models; behavior analysis; data-guided teaching; direct instruction; early intervention; school-wide interventions; school discipline; staff development; full inclusion and mainstreaming
  
  
• APPLIED BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS: functional analysis; environmental assessments; public policy guidelines; prevention methods; program evaluation; crisis management techniques; class-wide interventions; school wide systems
  
  
• RESEARCH-TO-PRACTICE: consultation guidelines, philosophy, best practices; integration of public policy and services; quality assurance; social influence; problem solving; managing resistance; building consensus
  
  
• STAFF DEVELOPMENT: curriculum development; development of training materials; instructional design; workshops; coaching
  
  
• SCHOOL PERFORMANCE: school performance improvement systems; staff performance management; continuous improvement model in education; information systems for tracking school effectiveness; quality assurance; program reviews; resource management; safety management (student and staff)
  
  
• STAFF PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT: supervision; evaluation; team building; coaching; feedback systems; merit pay
  
  
• RESOURCE MANAGEMENT: financial resources; staff resources; community resources; financial analyses; fiscal accountability
  
  
• PUBLIC POLICY: student performance standards; school accountability; behavior analysis guidelines and protocols; education outcomes; school safety; school funding; federal and state special education law; No Child Left Behind (NCLB); Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)

The Wing Institute was founded in October 2004 as a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit operating foundation.