Mary E. Little

Research Into Practice Through Professional Development

Bridging scientifically based theoretical approaches to quality instructional methods within classrooms in schools continues to be a challenge. Given the increasing demand for accountability, the implementation and evaluation of scientifically based interventions and strategies are necessary. This article describes the conceptual framework and the specific implementation activities that the state of Florida has used to ensure that quality, scientifically based instructional practices are implemented within classrooms and schools in Florida through a reconceptualized professional development model. The specific model and procedures that are described have been implemented and validated through the collaboration among professionals within the research community, the state department of education, and local staff developers, administrators, and teachers.

Comprehensive School Reform A Model Based on Student Learning

Incorporating research-based theoretical approaches into quality instructional practices within the classrooms of U.S. schools has been a challenge. Given the ever increasing mandates of accountability, this issue needs to be solved. This article describes a conceptual framework and the specific implementation activities that the state of Florida used to ensure that quality, research-based instructional practices were implemented within the schools in the state. Described are specific successful models and procedures that have been implemented and validated through collaboration among professionals within the research community, the state department of education, and local staff developers, administrators, and teachers.

Replicating the Impact of a Supplemental Beginning Reading Intervention: The Role of Instructional Context

Abstract The purpose of this varied replication study was to evaluate the effects of a supplemental reading intervention on the beginning reading performance of kindergarten students in a different geographical location and in a different instructional context from the initial randomized trial. A second purpose was to investigate whether students who received the intervention across both the initial and replication studies demonstrated similar learning outcomes. Kindergarten students (n = 162) identified as at risk of reading difficulty from 48 classrooms were assigned randomly at the classroom level either to a commercial program (i.e., Early Reading Intervention; Pearson/Scott Foresman, 2004) that included explicit/systematic instruction (experimental group) or school-designed typical practice intervention (comparison group). Both interventions were taught by classroom teachers for 30 min per day in small groups for approximately 100 sessions. Multilevel hierarchical linear analyses revealed no statistically significant differences between conditions on any measure. Combined analyses that included students from both the initial and replication studies suggested that differences in the impact of the intervention across studies were largely explained by mean differences in the comparison group students’ response to school-designed intervention.

Using Online Modules to Bridge Research to Practice in Classrooms

Although research identifies a plethora of evidence-based instructional practices, classroom teachers find research difficult to access and often of little relevance to classroom practice; therefore, they do not implement these practices. Bridging the gap between research and practice requires continued and mediated support as teachers translate and contextualize research through their lenses of prior knowledge, understandings, and impact on student results within their classrooms. This developmental process is both time consuming and unique. To address the need for contextualized support during the implementation process of evidenced-based instructional practices by teachers to determine impact of instruction, online modules have been developed, implemented, and researched using a beta testing process. The authors of this article describe the content of the online modules and mediated support, outline the specific research framework of beta testing procedures and instrumentation, describe the content and structure of the course, analyze the results from the pilot study, and describe the limitations and considerations for continued research.

Adjusting Beginning Reading Intervention Based on Student Performance: An Experimental Evaluation:

This experimental study evaluated a model in which the delivery of a supplemental beginning reading intervention was adjusted based on student performance. Kindergarten students identified as at risk for reading difficulties were assigned to one of two versions of the Early Reading Intervention (ERI; Pearson/Scott Foresman, 2004). Students assigned to the experimental condition received the intervention with systematic adjustments based on student performance. Students in the comparison condition received the same intervention without instructional modifications. The experimental group outperformed the comparison group on all posttest measures at the end of kindergarten. Follow-up analyses at the end of first grade revealed a continued advantage for the experimental group. Findings suggest that systematically adjusting intervention support in response to student performance may be feasible and efficacious.

The Effects of E-Mentoring on Beginning Teacher Competencies and Perceptions.

There is a critical need to mentor novice special education teachers to meet the current and projected teacher shortages. However, due to the various skill-levels of beginning special education teachers in schools and the small number of current special educators in each school who could serve as mentors, there is difficulty finding induction-level mentors that possess similar or the same teaching credentials or teaching assignments as mentees in the same schools or geographical regions. Electronic mentoring (e-mentoring) using technology initiates solutions as e-mentoring can provide synchronous and asynchronous mentoring opportunities which increase collaboration time and reduce feelings of isolation and increases efficacy among new teachers. The article presents the findings from research using a mixed methods design investigating novice special education teacher knowledge of professional competencies and the participant’s perceptions of effectiveness of induction-level mentoring through the pilot use of an electronic mentoring program.

Action Research and Response to Intervention: Bridging the Discourse Divide

Abstract The purpose of this article is to define and clarify the process of instructional problem-solving using assessment data within action research (AR) and Response to Intervention (RtI). Similarities between AR and RtI are defined and compared. Lastly, specific resources and examples of the instructional problem-solving process of AR within classrooms and schools to implement RtI are provided.

The Expanding Role of LEAs in Special Education Teacher Preparation: The View from a Local School District

Increasingly local school districts are implementing alternative certification (AC) programs to alleviate the shortage of special education teachers. We situate special education AC programs in the context of an earlier AC movement in regular education, discuss important differences between the two, and attempt to clarify the terminology. Following a review of published reports of AC programs based in universities, state education agencies, and local school districts, we report the Volusia County Alternative Add-On Certification Program (VCAAP), emphasizing the importance of IHE collaboration in the development and progress of the program. We conclude with a discussion of necessity and collaboration, the papers dominant themes, and suggest how the interplay of these themes can influence the future course of teacher education in special education.

Examining the Effects of Linking Student Performance and Progression in a Tier 2 Kindergarten Reading Intervention

Despite the emerging evidence base on response to intervention, there is limited research regarding how to effectively use progress-monitoring data to adjust instruction for students in Tier 2 intervention. In this study, we analyzed extant data from a series of randomized experimental studies of a kindergarten supplemental reading intervention to determine whether linking performance on formative assessments to curriculum progression improved kindergarten reading outcomes over standard implementation. We were interested in whether specific progression adjustments would enhance the effects of supplemental reading intervention. Growth-mixture modeling using data from kindergarteners (n = 136) whose intervention progression (e.g. repeat lessons, skip lessons) was adjusted every 4 weeks based on mastery data identified four latent classes characterized by unique profiles of curriculum progression adjustments. Multilevel analyses comparing the performance of students in the four classes with that of propensity matched groups whose intervention was not adjusted (n = 101) indicated positive effects of curriculum progression for (a) students whose formative assessment performance exceeded 90% and received early and sustained lesson acceleration and (b) students who initially performed below 70% on assessments and who repeated early lessons and progressed to conventional implementation. Effects of curriculum adjustments for the two smallest groups were less clear.

Collaboration among Educators for True Innovative Programming.

I within schools and classrooms today are increasingly complex. In a short period, educational reform has evolved from focusing on merely revising an instructional practice to totally reforming systemic procedures, policies, and practices (Cuban, 1989; Fullan 1991). Teachers need not only current knowledge of specific instructional research and strategies, but also the contextualized knowledge of applied learning. This need to bridge research into practice within schools continues to be a challenge for all educators. Additionally, despite the need for increased numbers of highly-skilled teachers with current knowledge and full certification in special education, enrollment in university courses with traditional delivery models is declining (FLDOE, 1998).