Brittany L. Hott

Intervention in School and Clinic: An Analysis of 25 Years of Guidance for Practitioners

Decreasing the well-documented research-to-practice gap in special education is thought to partially depend on practitioner access to quality evidence-based interventions. Practitioner journals are one such resource for obtaining this information. The current study is a systematic review of articles published over the last 25 years (1990–2014) in a prominent special education practitioner journal, Intervention in School and Clinic. Findings from review of 925 articles showed that 64% focused specifically on information related to students with learning disabilities (LD) or other mild disabilities. Forty-three percent of articles focused on educational practices based on intervention research for students with LD or other mild disabilities. Another 32% focused on information relevant for teachers of these students including strategies for managing other non-instructional teaching responsibilities, practices in general education settings, and changes in special education law and policy. Overall, this journal provides a wide range of resources for teachers of students with LD.

Are History Textbooks More “Considerate” After 20 Years?

Features of eighth-grade history textbooks were examined through replication of a 20-year-old study that investigated “considerateness” of textbooks. Considerate texts provide clear, coherent information and include features that promote students’ comprehension, such as explicit use of organizational structures, a range of question types dispersed within and at the end of chapters, and highlighted new vocabulary. Conversely, inconsiderate texts can impede student learning because comprehension is influenced by coherence and clarity between and among new vocabulary, sentences, paragraphs, and passages at macro and micro levels throughout texts’ chapters. Results of this study indicate areas where today’s texts are more clear and coherent than those 20 years ago, and areas where improvements within textbooks are still needed. Implications for practice are discussed.

Synthesis of Research Symposium at CLD’s 35th International Conference on Learning Disabilities: Must Reads for 2012–2013

The Council for Learning Disabilities’ Research Committee hosted a “Must Read” session at the 35th Annual International Conference in which they discussed influential articles published between August 1, 2012, and July 31, 2013. Articles were selected in six areas relevant to learning disabilities research and practice: response to intervention, reading assessment, math assessment, reading instruction, math instruction, and research methods. The six articles presented by the panel are summarized and explained with respect to why they are considered a “Must Read.”

Practitioner Perceptions of Algebra Strategy and Intervention Use to Support Students With Mathematics Difficulty or Disability in Rural Texas

Students with mathematics difficulties and disabilities require evidence-based instructional strategies and interventions to improve their mathematical performance. Dissemination of these practices to teachers in rural settings presents specific challenges, including lack of Internet access, few discretionary resources, and geographic isolation. This mixed-method study explored rural Texas teachers’ perceptions of their algebra content knowledge; their comfort with strategies, interventions, and resources; and professional development experiences related to students with mathematics difficulties and disabilities. Findings suggest that teachers are unfamiliar with or do not regularly implement evidence-based strategies and report regular use of strategies such as learning styles that have a limited evidence base. A discussion of findings includes suggestions for professional development tailored to the needs of rural Texas algebra teachers.

Translating Intervention Research for Students With Mild Disabilities to Practice: A Systematic Journal Analysis:

Gains have been made over the last two decades in how to identify evidence-based practices for students with disabilities, but less progress has been made in ensuring that these interventions are used by classroom teachers. Although it is not the only area that needs to be addressed to bridge this research-to-practice gap, providing high-quality information about effective interventions in a format that is easy for teachers to understand is an important piece of a much larger implementation science puzzle. The current study analyzed a wide range of prominent special education practitioner journals to develop a comprehensive picture of the extent to which research is translated to practice for teachers who work with students with mild disabilities (learning disabilities, emotional/behavioral disorders, autism-Level 1 [A-L1]). Results from the analysis of 3,245 articles showed that across journals, fewer than 30% of articles translated intervention research findings to practice, with over half targeting academics.

Write On: Improving Persuasive Writing Using the POW+TREE Strategy

Joseph is a fourth-grade student with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) who receives the majority of his instruction in the general education setting. During writing instruction, Joseph often disrupts his peers, kicks trash cans, talks out of turn, and insists that writing is “simply too difficult.” As a result, Joseph has been moved from his general education classroom to the behavioral unit. This behavioral unit is a self-contained classroom for students whose behavior causes disruptions for all students and for whom teachers have recommended a student would be best served by receiving one-on-one attention for a particular block. Joseph’s general education teacher, Mrs. Alston, is concerned. She has trouble motivating Joseph to complete his assignments. She worries that Joseph’s behaviors are interfering with his learning and recognizes that something must be done to help Joseph work independently, meet his writing goals, and continue to access the general education writing curriculum. Mrs. Alston noticed that Joseph is fascinated by scientific concepts and enjoys science instruction. He becomes attentive during his science class and raises his hand to answer questions, contributes to class discussion, and maintains above-average grades. Mrs. Alston is interested in pairing Joseph’s interest in science with his area of academic struggle, writing.