Publications

This handbook describes the methods used by the Home Visiting Evidence of Effectiveness (HomVEE) review to review existing research and report the findings. It is designed for use by researchers, policymakers, and other stakeholders. For the first time since its inception, HomVEE has substantially revised several procedures and standards for its review. HomVEE consulted with methodological experts and other federal evidence reviews to refine and update the procedures and standards in this document. These changes bring HomVEE generally into alignment with procedures and standards for other federally sponsored systematic evidence reviews, and they address critical topics in the evolution of the home visiting field. HomVEE will apply these procedures and standards beginning with the 2021 annual review.

This document describes the original process and standards HomVEE used to review research from impact studies. (In 2020, HomVEE released its Handbook of Procedures and Standards: Version 2.0; those updated procedures and standards are available elsewhere on this page.)

This Federal Register notice, published in 2020, details clarifications and updates that HomVEE proposed to its procedures and standards. The notice preceded publication of the HomVEE Version 2 handbook, where final procedures and standards are now documented.

This Federal Register notice, published in 2020, details definitions, rules, and procedures to guide how HomVEE handles home visiting model versions (commonly referred to in the home visiting research literature as adaptations and enhancements) in the review. The notice was released in advance of publishing the final HomVEE Version 2 handbook, where final definitions, rules, and procedures are now documented.

HomVEE systematically reviews the research on early childhood home visiting models that serve pregnant women or families with children up to kindergarten entry. It determines which models have enough rigorous evidence to be considered evidence-based according to criteria defined by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). This 3-page fact sheet describes how HomVEE evaluates home visiting programs and provides stakeholders with an overview of how evidence-based home visiting models are identified through a four step evaluation process.

This paper is focused on attrition and the HomVEE attrition standard in particular. The paper begins by defining attrition and explaining why the bias that attrition introduces into randomized controlled trials can be problematic when interpreting research results. HomVEE uses an attrition standard adapted from the Department of Education’s What Works Clearinghouse (WWC), another systematic evidence review. HomVEE’s population of interest includes pregnant women, and families with children age birth to kindergarten entry; the population is different than the school-age children whose test scores were the basis of the attrition standard for the WWC. This paper describes findings testing the sensitivity of the assumptions underlying the HomVEE standard using data about parents and young children. Note: This publication displays the attrition boundary from the HomVEE Version 1 Handbook. Please consult the latest handbook for the current HomVEE attrition boundary.

A randomized controlled trial (RCT) offers a highly credible way to evaluate the effect of a program. But a strong design can be offset by weaknesses in planning or execution. One common problem that weakens the conclusions of RCTs is attrition, or missing data. This brief describes what attrition is, why it matters, and how it factors into the study ratings in the HomVEE review. Note: This publication displays the attrition boundary from the HomVEE Version 1 Handbook. Please consult the latest handbook for the current HomVEE attrition boundary.