Evidence-Based Practices In Special Education Research Articles

Administrative and leadership requirements for implementing evidence-based practices in special education programs: the perspective of special education teachers

Administrative and leadership requirements are crucial to the application of evidence-based practices (EBPs) in special education. Therefore, the current study aimed to assess the availability of administrative and leadership requirements for applying EBPs in special education programs from the teachers’ perspective, as well as determine the differences in their availability depending on the variables of disability category (intellectual disability (ID), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and learning disabilities (LDs)) and school stage (e.g., primary or middle school). The sample included 243 special education teachers working in the city of Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. A questionnaire on the administrative and leadership requirements for implementing EBPs in special education programs (prepared by the researchers) was used to collect data. The results revealed the availability (which ranged from moderate to high) of administrative and leadership requirements for implementing EBPs. Moreover, there were differences in the availability of administrative and leadership requirements according to students’ disability category; these differences were in favor of the learning disability group. However, there were no differences according to the academic stage. We recommend conducting further research on administrative and leadership requirements using different methods.

An Innovative Framework Suggested for Use in the Systematic Review of Evidence-Based Practices in Special Education

Kanıta dayalı uygulamalar, yüksek nitelikte ve nicelikte çalışılmış bilimsel araştırmalarda ulaşılması hedeflenen amaçlarda olumlu etkileri gösterilmiş uygulamalar olarak tanımlanabilir. Özel gereksinimli bireyler ve ilgili tüm paydaşlara yönelik planlanan hizmet süreçlerinde kanıta dayalı uygulamaların yaşama geçirilmesi, bu bireylerin gelişimlerinin, bağımsızlaşabilmelerinin hızlandırılması ve bu amaçla yapılan yatırımlar ile kaynakların verimli kullanılması açısından öncelikli olarak ele alınmalıdır. Günümüzde kanıta dayalı uygulamaların nitelik göstergeleri konusunda araştırmacılara, uygulayıcılara ve kurumlara amaçları doğrultusunda rehberlik edecek çeşitli araştırma sonuçları, yönergeler, raporlar bulunmaktadır. Bu çalışmada Goldstein, Lackey ve Schneiser (2014) tarafından tasarlanan sistematik alanyazın derlemeleri için hem grup deneysel hem de tek denekli deneysel desenlerle tasarlanan araştırmaların nitelik derecelendirmesine olanak sağlayan bir çerçeve tanıtılmıştır. Çalışmada bu çerçeve kapsamında sunulan nitelik derecelendirme aracı ile elde edilen sonuçların daha net bir şekilde ortaya konulabilmesi amacıyla önerilen tablolaştırılmış gösterimine ilişkin bir örnek sunulmuştur. Bu çalışma ile tanıtılan çerçeve, özel eğitim alanında kanıta dayalı uygulamaların belirlenmesi sürecinde, alanda yürütülen deneysel araştırmaların sistematik derlemesini yapacak olan araştırmacılar tarafından kullanılabilir.

Improving Student Attitudes Toward Autistic Individuals: A Systematic Review.

There is an increasing number of autistic students being educated alongside their neurotypical peers. However, placing a student in the general education setting is not sufficient for meaningful inclusion. Historically, autistic students have had fewer friendships, been less accepted, and experienced stigmatization. Interventions to increase peer attitudes toward autism have emerged as a method for creating more inclusive environments. The purpose of this literature review was to describe the interventions to improve peer attitudes toward autism, review the quality of the research, and determine the effectiveness of interventions. Specifically, this review aimed to answer the following questions: (1) what are participant characteristics and components of interventions designed to improve attitudes toward autistic individuals? (2) What is the methodological quality of interventions designed to improve attitudes toward autistic individuals, as measured by Council for Exceptional Children standards for evidence-based practices in special education (2014) criteria? (3) What is the effectiveness of interventions to improve attitudes toward autistic individuals? A total of 13 studies were located through a systematic search. Included studies were coded for study characteristics, participant characteristics, intervention, and outcomes. Across the studies, there were a total of 2097 participants. All studies included contact (either direct, indirect, or peer-mediation) and most included an education component (k = 10). Findings indicated that interventions are effective at improving attitudes toward autism, but further research is required to determine their overall impact.

Federal Leadership Perspectives and Role on the Era of Access, Accountability, and Evidence-Based Practices in Special Education

This article is part of a case study of federal leadership in special education from the perspective of those who served in the roles of Assistant Secretaries of the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services and Directors of the Office of Special Education Programs or their equivalents in the former U.S. Office of Education and later U.S. Department of Education. This case study covers the time period from the George W. Bush administration and lasting through the first 4 years of President Barack Obama’s administration (2000–2012). During this time, government intervention in education reached its zenith with the passage of No Child Left Behind in 2001 and the reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004. The participants detailed their (a) career and appointment, (b) vision for educating students with disabilities, (c) theory of change, (d) politics and financial constraints, (e) advocacy, and (f) views of the past, present, and future.

Exploring Organizational Differences in Perceptions of Implementation Climate and Leadership in Schools: A Mixed Methods Study of Autism EBP Implementation

Public programs have been charged with implementation of evidence-based practices (EBPs) to improve outcomes for children with autism. However, research indicates that scale-up of EBPs poses challenges. This study identifies perceived variables linked to effective statewide scale-up of EBPs in special education by exploring implementation climate and leadership across special education organization types (e.g., schools, districts, and regional consortiums). A simultaneous QUAL + QUAN mixed methods design was employed with the primary function of convergence and triangulation. Data were drawn from focus groups with 30 special educators and a statewide survey completed by 656 school personnel in one U.S. state. In general, perceptions of implementation climate and leadership are weak in special education organizations, with strengths at regional levels focused on special education and increased challenges at the school and district levels. Implications for practice and future research are identified.

A Systematic Review of Second Step Social-Emotional Skills Program in Middle Schools

In this systematic review, we evaluated the quality and rigor of the current evidence base for the Second Step social-emotional learning program in middle schools. Eleven studies were coded using the Council for Exceptional Children Standards for Evidence-Based Practices in Special Education with an 80% weighted criterion. We determined five studies met the weighted 80% criteria and one study demonstrated a positive effect as defined by Council for Exceptional Children. The other four studies demonstrated neutral/mixed results, and we therefore classified Second Step for middle schools in the mixed evidence category. We discuss the strengths of evaluated studies and future directions for research.

Assessment of strategy instruction and self-regulation in reading comprehension: A review of the literature

Strategy instruction is a common instructional method for teaching academic skills, particularly reading comprehension, and it is commonly combined with self-regulation components (e.g., goal setting, self-monitoring). Previous meta-analyses and reviews have examined the effectiveness of strategy instruction on reading comprehension, but have not examined how reading comprehension is assessed, an area of need considering that reading comprehension assessments are not created equal. In this systematic review, sixteen articles were examined to determine the methods for assessing reading comprehension, self-regulation, reading motivation/attitudes, and social validity. In addition, the Council for Exceptional Children’s Standards for Evidence-Based Practices in Special Education were applied to all included studies. Limitations and recommendation for future researchers are presented and disussed.

INFLUENCE OF CONTEXT RELATED FACTORS ON SAUDI SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHERS’ UNDERSTANDING OF EVIDENCE, EVIDENCE-BASED, AND EVIDENCE BASED PRACTICES

The complexity of special education and the variability among students Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) require special education teachers to make a concerted effort to provide validated supports that contribute to their students’ learning outcomes. Among the most important considerations for teachers is the use of teaching practices supported as effective by evidence. There is a broad consensus that the use of Evidence Based Practices (EBPs) can lead to significant improvements for students with ASD and their families. The research to practice gap is widely recognised in special education in relation to the selection and implementation of EBPs, with several studies finding that teachers used unsupported teaching practices as frequently as those supported by empirical evidence. Thus, in order to utilise EBPs, teachers must first understand what EBPs mean and how a particular practice comes to be evidence-based. Aligning with this emphasis and the increasing introduction of EBPs in special education globally, this study explored special education teachers’ understanding of evidence, evidence-based, and EBPs in one centre of autism in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). In this study, a qualitative approach was used. Within this approach, a single case study design was adopted. The data were collected from six special education teachers of students with ASD using interviews. The findings revealed that teachers referred to their own individual experiences or the experiences of other teachers as evidence. In addition, they referred to their superiors’ advice as being evidence-based and the perceived EBPs as technical tools handed to them by the Centre. This indicated that teachers’ understanding of evidence-based, and EBPs was constructed based on the culture of the Centre. The findings of this study suggest several courses of action for future research, and policymakers and teacher education. Keywords: autism, Evidence Based Practices (EBPs), special education teachers, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Evidence-Based Practices in Special Education: A Reflection on the Philosophy, Research and Teaching

Some researchers have taken evidence-based practices (EBPs) as the main solution for enhancing the learning outcomes of students with disabilities. The manner in which the application of EBPs assumes teaching strategies to be aligned with students’ learning problems or disability situations betrays a mechanical approach to dealing with issues of students with disabilities. Post/positivism and scientific methods are underpinning threads supporting these developments. Yet, the complexity of teaching practice tends to be overlooked and scientific methods overextended. In this background, this article reviews the philosophy of science so that a more complete and historical understanding of science is represented, which is helpful in facilitating the discipline to draw attention to the limitations of current discussions about EBPs. Subsequently, we raise three ways to elucidate the research and teaching practices. First, ontological, epistemological and methodological diversities should be practiced to interrogate issues related to EBPs. Second, alternative methodologies should be encouraged to counter the environmental and systematic barriers compromising students’ learning difficulties. Last, a problem-solving approach should be used to compete with a mechanistic approach in responding to students' learning difficulties.

Paraprofessionals’ Perceived Skills and Needs in Supporting Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder

There is a research-to-practice gap in the identification and use of evidence-based practices in special education. One way to better understand the persistent gap between research and practice and to inform professional development efforts is through gaining an understanding of teacher and paraprofessional perceptions. We conducted a survey study to identify paraprofessionals’ perceived skills and needs regarding categories of practices aligning with evidence-based practices for students with autism spectrum disorder. A total of 768 paraprofessionals completed the survey. We used descriptive statistics, one-way analyses of variance (ANOVAs), post hoc analyses, and chi-square tests to analyze paraprofessionals’ responses. Paraprofessionals reported a range of responses and several of their responses differed significantly in relation to their experience and the population of students they supported. Findings suggest there is a need to individualize professional development based on both classroom and paraprofessional training needs. Future research is needed to determine how paraprofessionals’ perceptions align with their practice.

A Meta-Analysis of Video Modeling Interventions to Enhance Job Skills of Autistic Adolescents and Adults.

Autistic transition-aged youth and young adults face many societal barriers to competitive integrated employment (CIE). Existing evidence-based practices (EBPs) for autistic individuals, such as video modeling (VM), may be a viable on-the-job training method to enhance employment experiences and outcomes for this population. The purpose of this meta-analysis was to synthesize VM studies to teach job skills for autistic individuals. We applied the Council for Exceptional Children's (CEC) Standards for Evidence-Based Practices in Special Education to evaluate the methodological rigor of included studies using a weighted coding scheme. We further evaluated methodologically sound studies by calculating an omnibus Tau-U effect size. Twenty articles met our inclusion criteria, and 11 of those studies were classified as methodologically sound according to the CEC's criteria. Results indicate that VM is an EBP to improve job skills of autistic individuals. The overall effect size for methodologically sound studies was strong (0.91), but most studies occurred in contrived or school-based employment settings rather than CIE settings in the local labor market. Employers, transition professionals, and related service providers can consider VM a viable method to teach job skills to autistic employees. However, additional research conducted in CIE settings is needed to better understand the effects of VM in contexts where autistic employees earn regular wages. Why was this study done?: Autistic adolescents and adults often experience barriers obtaining employment in their local communities. They may also benefit from on-the-job supports for successful employment. Video modeling is one intervention technique that has been used to teach a variety of skills to autistic individuals. Video modeling involves creating short video clips that show the person how to do specific skills or tasks. We wanted to learn about how video modeling has been used to teach job skills to autistic employees.What was the purpose of this study?: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the quality of research studies that used video modeling to teach job skills to autistic employees. Understanding how video modeling interventions can be used in employment settings may help autistic employees have more positive work experiences.What did the researchers do?: The researchers analyzed the video modeling research studies with autistic participants aged 14 years or older. We evaluated the quality of each study, type of employment setting, type of job skill, and how much the job skills improved. We used a criteria established by a professional organization, the Council for Exceptional Children, to evaluate the quality of the research studies.What were the results of the study?: We analyzed 20 research studies and found that video modeling was an overall effective intervention to teach job skills to autistic adolescents and adults. However, most of the studies focused on general job tasks rather than employment-related social skills. In addition, most of the studies were conducted in employment settings where the autistic employees did not earn regular wages, such as school settings or internships. We encourage future researchers to study how video modeling can be used to promote competitive integrated employment in community settings.What do these findings add to what was already known?: Prior research studies have used video modeling to teach skills such as academic, play, and social skills to autistic children and youth. This study showed us that video modeling is an effective intervention to teach job skills to autistic adolescents and adults.What are the potential weaknesses of the study?: There are disagreements about how to evaluate the quality of research studies in the field of special education. We used a popular criterion by the Council for Exceptional Children organization, but our results may be different from other researchers. We also did not find a large number of studies, so some of our findings should be considered with caution.How will these findings help autistic adults now or in the future?: These findings demonstrate that video modeling is an effective on-the-job training method for autistic employees. Autistic adults can use video modeling at work to learn new job skills. Employers, job coaches, and secondary transition professionals could use brief videos to support autistic employees.

A Systematic Review of Frequency Building and Precision Teaching with School-Aged Children

This paper presents a systematic review of the literature that assessed the effectiveness of frequency building and precision teaching with school-aged children. The authors evaluated studies in accordance with the What Works Clearinghouse standards and the council for exceptional children standards for evidence-based practices in special education. A total of 11 studies examining the effectiveness of frequency building and precision teaching for 170 participants were included in this review. Additionally, effect sizes were calculated for eligible studies. Small to large effects were found for all included variables. Overall, results indicated that the combination of frequency building and precision teaching is an effective method for increasing a variety of academic skills with school-aged children. Limitations, recommendations for future research, and implications for practitioners are discussed.

Evidence-Based Interventions for Learners Who Are Deaf and/or Multilingual: A Systematic Quality Review.

Purpose Many educators and speech-language pathologists have difficulty providing effective interventions to the growing population of d/Deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) learners who use more than 1 language. The purpose of this review article was to identify evidence-based interventions for speech, language, and literacy used with DHH multilingual learners (DMLs), monolingual DHH learners, and hearing bilingual learners without hearing loss. Interventions used with these groups can inform the practice of professionals providing services to DMLs. Method This review article considered speech, language, and literacy interventions used with DHH and hearing bilingual learners from birth to 21 years of age. The following electronic databases were searched: Academic Search Complete/EBSCO (CINAHL, Education, ERIC), Linguistics & Language Behavior Abstracts, PsycINFO, and PubMed. Data describing article, participant, methodological, and intervention variables were extracted from studies. The methodological quality of studies was examined using the Council for Exceptional Children's (2014) standards for evidence-based practice in special education. Results A total of 144 studies were reviewed, describing over 9,370 learners aged 1.8-22.0 years. Two studies investigated DMLs, 76 investigated DHH learners, and 67 investigated hearing bilingual learners. A total of 146 different interventions were examined. Most studies reported positive effects. Only 17 studies met all quality indicators specified by the Council for Exceptional Children (2014): 7 examined DHH learners, and 10 examined hearing bilingual learners. There was insufficient evidence for any intervention to be considered an evidence-based intervention, although 6 could potentially contribute to evidence-based practice. Conclusions No evidence-based interventions for DMLs were identified. A small number of interventions examined in high-quality studies of DHH and hearing bilingual learners were identified, which may be appropriate for use with DMLs following further investigation. Supplemental Material https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.9108386.

Effects of the High-Probability Instructional Sequence in Children With Feeding Disorders: A Synthesis.

The high-probability (high-p) instructional sequence is an intervention commonly used to increase compliance in a variety of skill domains, including compliance with low-probability (low-p) mealtime demands in children with pediatric feeding disorders. However, the effects of the high-p sequence on feeding have varied across studies, a systematic synthesis of the literature to guide practice and further research is lacking, and whether the high-p sequence, as an intervention for feeding problems, meets current evidence-based practice standards in special education is unknown. First, we conducted a systematic multistep search, identified seven studies that met inclusion criteria, and synthesized participant and study characteristics. Then we compared the evidence with the 2014 Council for Exceptional Children (CEC): Standards for Evidence-Based Practices in Special Education. The results suggest that (a) the high-p sequence can improve compliance with low-p mealtime demands in young children with feeding disorders but that more research is needed to clarify relevant contexts and for whom the intervention is likely to be effective, (b) additional research should examine the effects of the high-p sequence on feeding in older children or adults with disabilities as more intrusive procedures based on escape extinction become inappropriate, and (c) the evidence falls short of meeting the CEC standards for an evidence-based practice. We conclude with preliminary practice guidelines.

A Systematic Review of the Evidence Base for Active Supervision in Pre-K–12 Settings

Active supervision is a proactive, low-intensity strategy to minimize challenging behaviors and increase desired behaviors. To examine the evidence base of this strategy, we applied the Council for Exceptional Children’s (CEC) Standards for Evidence-Based Practices in Special Education to the body of research exploring the impact of active supervision with Pre-K–12 students in traditional school settings. In this systematic literature review, we identified seven peer-reviewed, single-case design, treatment-outcome studies meeting inclusion criteria. All studies met a ≥80% weighted criterion of CEC’s quality indicators. These seven studies included 15 cases aggregated at the school, classroom, or grade level, collectively involving 1,686 participants. Three studies included three or more cases and demonstrated positive effects across primary dependent variables (with one study showing neutral effects on a secondary dependent variable). Based on available evidence and using CEC criteria, we determined active supervision to be a potentially evidence-based practice. We discuss implications, limitations, and future directions.

The Impact of Coaching on Teacher-Delivered Behavior-Specific Praise in Pre-K–12 Settings: A Systematic Review

In this systematic literature review, we examined the effects of coaching (e.g., written, emailed, visual, video, and self-monitored performance feedback; in vivo bug-in-ear prompting; combinations) teachers and other educators to increase their use of behavior-specific praise, a low-intensity teacher-delivered strategy previously determined to be a potentially evidence-based practice based on Council for Exceptional Children’s (CEC) Standards for Evidence-Based Practices in Special Education. Research has shown that traditional lecture-style short-duration professional development does not typically lead to lasting change in teacher behavior, but follow-up observations with continued support (e.g., school-wide professional development for all, small group support for some, individualized support for a few) are much more likely to produce desired outcomes. As such, we examined the evidence base for coaching educators to increase behavior-specific praise by applying CEC quality indicators and standards, and concluded that coaching educators to increase behavior-specific praise meets CEC guidelines to be considered an evidence-based practice. Educational implications, limitations, and future directions are presented.

Teacher-Delivered Strategies to Increase Students’ Opportunities to Respond: A Systematic Methodological Review

We conducted this systematic review to map the literature and classify the evidence-based status of teacher-directed strategies to increase students’ opportunities to respond (OTR) during whole-group instruction across the K-12 continuum. Specifically, we conducted this review to determine whether OTR could be classified as an evidence-based practice according to Council for Exceptional Children’s Standards for Evidence-Based Practices in Special Education. We examined the extent to which 21 included studies addressed quality indicators and evidence-based practice standards using a modified, weighted criterion for methodologically sound studies. Three studies met all eight quality indicators and 11 studies met or exceeded 80% of quality indicators following a weighted criterion to define methodologically sound studies. Results indicated teacher-directed OTR strategy of response cards in K-12 school settings to be a potentially evidence-based practice. Educational implications, limitations, and future directions are discussed.

A Meta-Analysis of Self-Regulated Strategy Development Reading Interventions to Improve the Reading Comprehension of Students With Disabilities

The purpose of the current meta-analysis was to investigate the effectiveness of self-regulated strategy development (SRSD) reading interventions for students with disabilities in school settings. We used the Council for Exceptional Children’s Standards for Evidence-Based Practices in Special Education (CEC-EBP) to evaluate experimental investigations that targeted reading comprehension using an SRSD reading intervention and included students with disabilities. Summary outcome measures presented in the analysis include the between-case standardized mean difference, percentage of non-overlapping data, and visual analysis. Although the results indicated SRSD to be generally effective, the small number of studies and the fact that only 2 studies met all of the CEC-EBP quality indicators prevent the strategy from presently being considered evidence based. We present limitations and implications for future research.

Interventions to Improve Fraction Skills for Students With Disabilities: A Meta-Analysis

Proficiency with fractions is one of the most significant predictors of later mathematics achievement. However, there are currently no meta-analyses that assess the literature base on fractions for students with or at risk for disabilities using quality indicators. We applied the 2014 Council for Exceptional Children Standards for Evidence-Based Practices in Special Education (CEC EBP) to 21 studies, both single-case and group designs, with instructionally based fraction interventions, published from 1986 to 2017. Ten of the included studies met all of the CEC EBP quality indicators, and effect sizes ranged from g = 0.42 to 11.51 across interventions. Publication bias was mixed but limited across the research base. Included studies examined the effects of anchored instruction, explicit instruction, graduated instruction, strategy instruction, and video modeling; explicit instruction was determined to be an evidence-based practice when applying the CEC EBP standards. We offer limitations and directions for future research in this area.

Systematic Review of High Probability Requests in K-12 Settings: Examining the Evidence Base

We conducted this systematic review to classify the evidence-base status for high-probability request sequence (HPRS) as a strategy to improve students’ behavioral outcomes in general and special education settings across the K-12 continuum. Specifically, the purpose of this review was to determine whether HPRS could be classified as an evidence-based practice according to Council for Exceptional Children’s Standards for Evidence-Based Practices in Special Education employing a modified, weighted coding scheme specifying methodologically sound studies as meeting 80% or more of components across quality indicators (QIs). Two of the 22 included studies met all QIs, and 16 studies met or exceeded our 80% weighted criterion. Based on this body of evidence, we classified HPRS in K-12 school settings as potentially evidence based. We offer a discussion of educational implications, limitations, and future directions.