The use of evidence-based practice (EBP) is considered key to supporting favorable academic, social, emotional, and behavioral outcomes in education and related fields. Although specific research-based practices are progressively more frequently practiced by teachers and other school-based professionals, scholars and practitioners—particularly those from minoritized communities—call attention to the narrow, and often exclusionary nature, of the evidence on which such practices are based.

In this Equity by Design brief, we first compare conceptualizations of EBP and their limitations. We then challenge common misconceptions about research-based practice to propose an approach to EBP that leverages critical engagement with scholarship and centers community, family, and student voice. We end with key elements of socially-just EBP to advance effective prevention, intervention, and systems of support in schools.