The effectiveness of Tier 2 interventions may depend on the variability of student skills within an intervention group. We investigated the effect of pretest variability within intervention groups ...using data from a large-scale study of ROOTS, a Tier 2 kindergarten mathematics intervention. Our research questions were as follows: Does mathematics pretest variability within ROOTS groups predict student gains from the intervention, and is this relationship moderated by (a) intervention group size (two- vs. five-student groups), (b) quality of explicit instruction, or (c) group-level initial skill? We found that ROOTS groups with greater pretest variability on a closely aligned mathematics measure experienced smaller gains from the intervention. This association was more impactful in larger intervention groups (i.e., five-student groups compared with two-student groups) and in groups with higher quality of explicit instruction. We unpack these findings and conclude with recommendations for practice and future research.
Universal screening is a critical component of school-based prevention systems. Screening data enable educators to target students for supplemental intervention, align resources to meet needs, and ...identify students who may be at risk for learning disabilities. One major requirement of the screening process is that all students are included to gain an accurate picture of school performance. It is therefore surprising that few evaluations of screening systems have focused on English language measures and their use with English learners. In this article, we aim to evaluate common screening thresholds, 54 across Grades k–3, to determine the extent to which they may differ between English learners and English proficient students. Results indicate that many thresholds are consistent between groups with some exceptions in kindergarten. We discuss implications for screening assessment and decision making but suggest that similar cut scores across groups do not imply similar intervention strategies.
This study explored whether initial skill moderated outcomes of Promoting Algebra Readiness, a Tier 2 sixth-grade mathematics intervention targeting conceptual and procedural knowledge of fractions. ...The study analyzed data from a quasi-experimental pilot study in which at-risk students (N = 198) from Oregon middle schools were assigned to the treatment or control condition at the school level. Proximal and distal measures of math proficiency were collected in the fall (pretest) and spring (post-test). Analyses examined initial student achievement as a moderator of mathematics outcomes. Results indicated that intervention outcomes were not moderated by initial skill. Implications for tiered mathematics instruction and future mathematics intervention research are discussed.
Using a randomized controlled trial, we examined the effect of a fractions intervention for students experiencing mathematical difficulties in Grade 5. Students who were eligible for the study (n = ...205) were randomly assigned to intervention and comparison conditions, blocked by teacher. The intervention used systematic, explicit instruction and relied on linear representations (e.g., Cuisenaire Rods and number lines) to demonstrate key fractions concepts. Enhancing students’ mathematical explanations was also a focus. Results indicated that intervention students significantly outperformed students from the comparison condition on measures of fractions proficiency and understanding (g = 0.66–0.78), number line estimation (g = 0.80–1.08), fractions procedures (g = 1.07), and explanation tasks (g = 0.68–1.23). Findings suggest that interventions designed to include explicit instruction, along with consistent use of the number line and opportunities to explain reasoning, can promote students’ proficiency and understanding of fractions.
We replicated a study of a kindergarten mathematics intervention, ROOTS, delivered in the context of a research-based core program. We randomly assigned 62 classrooms to treatment (ROOTS) or a ...business-as-usual control. All classrooms implemented the research-based core program (Early Learning in Mathematics). Participants included 163 treatment students and 145 control students nested within classrooms. Key differences between the current replication study and the original study included geographical region, instructional context, and student initial skill. In contrast to the significant positive effects (Hedges’s g values of .30 to .38) found in the original study, no significant differences were found between the treatment and control conditions in this study (Hedges’s g values of –.09 to .12) Pretest skills did not moderate treatment effects. We discuss these results’ implications for replication research and evaluating intervention efficacy.
One commonly used strategy used in attempts to decrease racial disproportionality in school discipline across the country is sharing data with school administrators that discipline disparities are a ...problem in their schools with the assumption that it will increase attention to equity and improve outcomes. The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of providing monthly disciplinary equity reports to school administrators in 35 schools on levels of (a) disciplinary equity report viewing, (b) disciplinary equity, and (c) inclusion of disciplinary equity into school improvement plan goals. We used a small, double-blind randomized controlled trial in which half of the schools were randomly assigned to receive either monthly disciplinary equity reports or monthly general discipline reports. Results showed that schools receiving the equity reports had significantly increased rates of viewing equity reports but no meaningful change in disciplinary equity or equity goal setting.
We report a randomized, wait-list controlled trial assessing the effects of school-wide positive behavior support (SWPBS). An effectiveness analysis was conducted with elementary schools in Hawaii ...and Illinois where training and technical assistance in SWPBS was provided by regular state personnel over a 3-year period. Results document that the training and technical assistance were functionally related to improved implementation of universal-level SWPBS practices. Improved use of SWPBS was functionally related to improvements in the perceived safety of the school setting and the proportion of third graders meeting or exceeding state reading assessment standards. Results also document that levels of office discipline referrals were comparatively low, but the absence of experimental control for this variable precludes inference about the impact of SWPBS. Implications for future research directions are offered.
In this overview of implementation science and implementation fidelity in the field of learning disabilities, authors provide a brief summary of current research related to implementation science ...followed by an introduction of the articles in this special series. Authors emphasize the relationship between the effectiveness of interventions and the difficulty of their implementation, highlighting the importance of considering both when adopting new interventions in the field of learning disabilities. The authors then turn their attention to the need for implementation science and implementation fidelity to be considered at all stages of research from program or intervention development to efficacy and effectiveness trials through large-scale implementation in real-world settings. An overview of active implementation frameworks as proposed by the National Implementation Research Network as well as a discussion on the importance of research–practice partnerships when implementing programs and interventions in the field of learning disabilities are also included.
States are increasingly recommending that districts and schools use multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) to improve reading outcomes for all students. States have also suggested MTSS is a viable ...service delivery model in response to new state legislation to screen, identify, and treat students with word-level reading disability (i.e., dyslexia). One model of MTSS that utilizes Enhanced Core Reading Instruction (ECRI MTSS), has demonstrated significant increases in students’ early acquisition of foundational reading skills (Smith et al., 2016). The purpose of this study was to conduct a conceptual replication of the Smith’s (2016) original impact study. In a cluster-randomized controlled trial, 44 schools were randomly assigned to the ECRI MTSS treatment or a business-as-usual (BAU) MTSS control condition. Across conditions, 754 students were assigned to receive Tier 2 intervention in addition to Tier 1 instruction. Impact data indicate moderate to strong effects on student decoding, word reading, and fluency skills for students in the ECRI MTSS schools. Results suggest that schools can use ECRI MTSS to improve foundational reading skills for struggling early readers, including students with or at risk for word-level reading disabilities (i.e., dyslexia).
Oregon’s Effective Behavioral and Instructional Support Systems (EBISS) initiative was implemented in 25 school districts. The initiative trained and coached district leaders and teachers in the use ...of the EBISS model through the lens of implementation science. The EBISS model integrates school-wide positive behavior intervention and supports (SWPBIS) and the schoolwide reading model (SWRM) to improve schools for all students and to reduce the number of students at risk of learning difficulties. Proximal outcomes included gains in the number of building-level SWPBIS and SWRM implementation teams and the activities of those teams. Distal outcomes included statistically significant gains in oral reading fluency (ORF) in first and third grades and marginally significant decreases in the percentage of students in the intensive category for reading in second and fourth grades. These findings suggest that to optimize improvements in teacher and student outcomes, a rigorous system of professional development and coaching appears necessary.
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