Jean Louise M. Smith

Planning, Evaluating and Improving Tiers of Support in Beginning Reading.

cators accountable for increasing student achievement more than they have at any previous time (Guilfoyle, 2006). Substantial and reliable increases in student achievement do not happen overnight, however, but are the result of systematic and focused efforts. The business world uses the term kaizen for this concept of making small improvements every day that lead to large improvement over time (Varian, 2007; see box, “What Is the Origin of the Word Kaizen?”). Despite differences in the organization, structure, and purposes of the worlds of business and education, this idea of kaizen, or continuous improvement, is still critical to success for educators. To use the concept of kaizen in the world of education, educators need to understand how to use data to make educational decisions.

An Examination of the Efficacy of a Multitiered Intervention on Early Reading Outcomes for First Grade Students at Risk for Reading Difficulties

This article presents findings of an efficacy trial examining the effect of a multitiered instruction and intervention model on first grade at-risk students’ reading outcomes. Schools (N = 16) were randomly assigned to the treatment or control condition. In the fall of Grade 1, students were assigned to an instructional tier on the basis of Stanford Achievement Test–10th Edition scores (31st percentile and above = Tier 1; from the 10th to the 30th percentile = Tier 2). In both conditions, students identified as at risk (i.e., Tier 2; n = 267) received 90 min of whole group instruction (Tier 1) and an additional 30 min of daily small group intervention (Tier 2). In the treatment condition, teachers were trained to enhance core reading instruction by making instruction more explicit and increasing practice opportunities for students in Tier 1. In addition, at-risk readers were provided an additional 30-min daily small group intervention with content that was highly aligned with the Tier 1 core reading program. Results indicate significant, positive effects of the intervention on students’ decoding and first semester fluent reading and potentially positive effects on reading comprehension and total reading achievement.

Classification Accuracy of EasyCBM First-Grade Mathematics Measures: Findings and Implications for the Field.

The results from a year-long study to investigate the technical features of easyCBM mathematics screening measures for first grade are presented. Measures were designed based on the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Curriculum Focal Point standards, which for Grade 1 include (a) Number and Operations and Algebra, (b) Number and Operations, and (c) Geometry (2006). A sample of 145 students was assessed at the beginning, middle, and end of the school year. Reliability of the measures was adequate, and concurrent and predictive validity results—with the TerraNova 3—were moderate. Receiver operating curve analyses, based on mathematics difficulty below the 25th and 40th percentile, indicated adequate classification accuracy. We examine results from the study in the context of linking assessment to instructional decision making.

Evaluating the Effects of a Systemic Intervention on First-Grade Teachers’ Explicit Reading Instruction:

This article examines the efficacy of a multitiered systemic reading intervention for increasing the intensity and quality of explicit literacy instruction that teachers provide in first-grade classrooms. Schools (j = 16) were randomly assigned to the treatment or comparison condition. In both conditions, teachers (i = 42) provided 90 min of Tier I reading instruction to first-grade students (n = 883). In the treatment condition, Tier I classroom teachers were trained to enhance their core reading instruction by making instruction more explicit and intensive through standardized protocols and ongoing coaching support. At-risk treatment students (n = 240) also received an additional 30 min of Tier II supplemental reading intervention that was highly aligned with Tier I instruction. The focus of this study is on the Tier I portion of the multitiered intervention and the impact of the Tier I Enhancing Core Reading Instruction intervention on teacher practices. Results indicate positive effects of the Tier I intervention on the quality of explicit instruction and the frequency and accuracy of group practice opportunities provided to students.

Including English Learners in a Multitiered Approach to Early Reading Instruction and Intervention.

This article reviews the research on and provides a framework for integrating assessment and early reading instruction in a unified tiered approach that includes English language learners (ELLs). The authors begin with a review of the research for implementing the guiding principles of the tiered framework with ELLs, including (a) screening and progress monitoring for ELLs, (b) delivering explicit and systematic reading instruction for ELLs, and (c) structuring reading instruction within a multitiered approach.

Using Regression Discontinuity to Test the Impact of a Tier 2 Reading Intervention in First Grade.

Abstract  Multitiered systems of reading instruction and intervention, including response to intervention, are widely used in early reading by schools to provide more intense services to students who need them. Research using randomized controlled trials has compared innovative Tier 2 interventions to business-as-usual Tier 2 approaches and established a number of important components that compose effective Tier 2 interventions in early reading. The purpose of this study was to test the impact of a Tier 2 intervention with Tier 2 compared to Tier 1 instruction alone using regression discontinuity. A cut score was used to assign first-grade students at risk for reading difficulties to Tier 2 intervention plus Tier 1 instruction. Students who missed the cut score in the control group received Tier 1 instruction only. Students in the treatment group, just below the cut score, made greater gains on the SAT10 total score and the individual subtests than students just above the cut score. Outcomes were not significant on oral reading fluency.

Using Explicit and Systematic Instruction to Support Working Memory

T EA C H IN G E xc ep ti on al C hi ld re n , V ol . 48 , N o. 6 , pp . 27 5 – 28 1. C op yr ig ht 2 01 6 T he A ut ho r( s) . D O I: 1 0. 11 77 /0 04 00 59 91 66 50 63 3 Charlotte is a third grader at Evergreen Elementary who has working-memory difficulties that interfere with her learning beyond those challenges associated with her reading disability. These difficulties, although present every day, are almost unnoticeable as a persistent learning need that requires additional teacher support. Yet, Charlotte’s difficulty processing multiple pieces of information at the same time impedes her ability to effectively engage, attend, and make important connections required for advancing her learning. Ms. Oratio, the special education teacher at Evergreen, has been noticing that Charlotte has difficulty following multistep directions, even when she appears to pay attention and understand the task. For example, by the time Charlotte gets to the second step of a mathematics word problem, she has forgotten what to do next. Although Charlotte seems to be trying her best, Ms. Oratio frequently needs to redirect Charlotte to get “back on track” during independent seatwork because she has a tendency to be off task while others are fully engaged. Ms. Oratio has also noticed that Charlotte needs extra time and greater support than her peers to make connections with what she has previously learned; without it, important relationships among concepts don’t seem to “stick” and Charlotte gets easily confused. Because Charlotte is unable to effectively self-regulate all that her brain simultaneously processes, her working-memory difficulties pose a particular threat to her academic success.

Evaluating Passage and Order Effects of Oral Reading Fluency Passages in Second Grade: A Partial Replication:

Progress monitoring has been adopted as an integral part of multi-tiered support systems. Oral reading fluency (ORF) is the most established assessment for progress-monitoring purposes. To generate valid trend lines or slopes, ORF passages must be of equivalent difficulty. Recently, however, evidence indicates that ORF passages are not equivalent, potentially hindering our ability to generate valid student trend lines for decision making. This study examines passage and order effects on the estimation of ORF scores using a set of second-grade passages. A single group with counterbalancing design was employed to randomly assign 156 second-grade students to three different orders of passages. Scores from the passages were examined using growth curve modeling and empirical Bayes estimates. Results indicate that passage effects were substantial, but order effects were small but significant. The impact of passage and order effects on research design, equating methods, and measure development is considered.

A Guide for Evaluating the Mathematics Programs Used by Special Education Teachers

A primary aim of mathematics programs is to accelerate the achievement of all students, including students with or at risk for learning disabilities (LD) in mathematics. Yet research suggests that many programs fail to incorporate the instructional design and delivery principles that have been validated to meet the learning needs of students with or at risk for LD in mathematics. This article provides special education teachers with a practical guide for assessing and evaluating the extent to which mathematics programs contain validated principles of explicit mathematics instruction. An example illustrates how teachers can apply the evaluation guide and use the results to address potential instructional shortfalls of mathematics programs.

Using Read-Alouds to Help Struggling Readers Access and Comprehend Complex, Informational Text.

T EA C H IN G E xc ep ti on al C hi ld re n , V ol . 48 , N o. 6 , pp . 28 2 – 29 2. C op yr ig ht 2 01 6 T he A ut ho r( s) . D O I: 1 0. 11 77 /0 04 00 59 91 66 50 63 4 Mr. Alexander’s students will be starting a science unit in their firstgrade general education class on insects (known in first-grade playground nomenclature as “bugs”). To help his students prepare for the unit, Mr. Alexander selects an informational text from the core reading program’s booklist to help preteach vocabulary and familiarize students with key concepts they will encounter during the unit. Mr. Alexander knows the text might be difficult for many of his students to read and understand, and he isn’t highly confident about how to use complex, informational text with struggling readers. He does know, however, that using the informational text will provide valuable exposure to content and comprehension strategy practice for his students. By selecting this text from the core reading program’s booklist, he aligns his instruction with the content his students will encounter in the general education classroom.