Lindy Crawford

The Role of Assessment in a Response to Intervention Model

This article discusses the role of assessment in a response-to-intervention model. Although assessment represents only 1 component in a response-to-intervention model, a well-articulated assessment system is critical in providing teachers with reliable data that are easily interpreted and used to make instructional decisions. Three components of an effective assessment system are discussed: (a) a system for assessment in a response-to-intervention model, including an agreed-upon definition of student success at each tier of support; (b) use of valid and reliable measures of student performance; and (c) graphing of student progress data as opposed to their point-in-time performance data. Examples are provided for each of these components along with tables and graphs illustrating major points.

Middle School Teachers' Assignment of Test Accommodations

Twenty middle school special education teachers from five states were interviewed in order to gain insight into their understanding of accommodation practices. Interview questions solicited information about teachers understanding of test accommodations, the decision-making process they employed when choosing accommodations, and their reasons for assignment of specific accommodations to individual students. Interviews revealed a general lack of knowledge about the theoretical and empirical basis for making accommodation assignment decisions. Drawing on information gained from these interviews as well as previous research on teachers and test accommodations, a list of professional development considerations is shared. Considerations are intended to provide a partial solution toward reducing the gap between research and practice in the appropriate assignment of test accommodations.

Effects of an Online Mathematics Curriculum for English Language Learners.

This study measured the effects of an online supplementary mathematics curriculum designed for middle school English language learners who speak Spanish as a first language. A randomized experiment measured the achievement differences between middle school English language learners who used the Web-based HELP Math (Help with English Language Proficiency) curriculum and students who used other technology-based programs. Three hundred and ninety-six students participated. Both groups made statistically significant gains from pretest to posttest within their respective curricula, but no main effect was found between the two groups. Post hoc analyses revealed that students with higher levels of English proficiency, who participated in the comparison condition, performed significantly better than students in the HELP Math condition, while students with lower levels of English proficiency performed better in the HELP Math program (although these differences were not statistically significant). Findings are interpreted with caution due to the truncated length of the intervention.

Evaluating Quantitative Reasoning Strategies for Comparing Fractions: A Tool for Teachers

Meaningful inclusion of quantitative reasoning into mathematics instruction requires meaningful ways to evaluate it. Few formative assessments exist to evaluate the strategies students use when reasoning mathematically. The Framework for Evaluating Quantitative Reasoning Strategies presented in this article provides teachers with categories for evaluating types of quantitative reasoning strategies students use for problems in the mathematical domain of number and operations. Numerous examples of the types of strategies students use for comparing fractions and how to evaluate the complexity of these strategies are provided. Included are research-based instructional recommendations for moving students toward a deeper conceptual understanding of fractions as numbers.

Effects of Technology in Mathematics on Achievement, Motivation, and Attitude: A Meta-Analysis:

Several studies show that using technology as an intervention tool in mathematics influences student outcomes, motivation to learn, and attitude about learning. However, no meta-analysis exists that examines all three of these characteristics combined along with several facets of the interventions. Understanding how motivation and attitude changes and influences student learning when technology is involved is essential in effectively using technology to enhance mathematical achievement. The current study uses a systematic review process to determine the effects of technology use on student achievement, motivation, and attitude. Different aspects of the intervention are examined (type of intervention, type of treatment, duration of the intervention, mathematical content area, and context of the learning environment). Results from 24 articles (4,522 subjects) indicate a significant overall impact of technology on student achievement, motivation, and attitudes; however, results vary based on the different aspect of the intervention examined.