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Despite some recent improvements, the academic achievement of American students remains below that of those in most industrialized nations, and the gap between African American and Hispanic students and White students remains substantial. For many years, the main policy response has been to emphasize accountability, and No Child Left Behind has added further to this trend. There is much controversy about the effects of accountability systems, but they have had little impact on the core technology of teaching: Instruction, curriculum, and school organization. This paper argues that genuine reform in American education depends on a movement toward evidence-based practice, using the findings of rigorous research to guide educational practices and policies. No Child Left Behind gives a rhetorical boost to this concept, exhorting educators to use programs and practices “based on scientifically-based research. ” In practice, however, programs that particularly emphasize research-based practice, such as Reading First, have instead supported programs and practices (such as traditional basal reading textbooks) that have never been evaluated, while ignoring well-evaluated programs. The same is true of the earlier Comprehensive School Reform program, which was intended for “proven, comprehensive ” programs but has instead primarily supported unresearched programs. Despite these false starts, the evidence-based policy movement remains the best hope fo