Project Activities
The research team will develop and pilot test the professional development model in four phases. During Phase 1, researchers will iteratively develop and refine the SIS-C Supports Planning Process, teacher's manual, and online fidelity of implementation system based on a review of existing literature and focus groups with potential end users. In Phase 2, single-case design studies will be conducted to obtain data on the feasibility and usability of the model. In Phase 3, a within-subjects design study will be conducted to determine whether teachers can implement the SIS-C Supports Planning Process with fidelity. In the final stage, the research team will pilot test the revised model in a randomized controlled trial to evaluate its promise for improving teachers' knowledge, skills, and use of supplementary aids and services, as well as students' academic outcomes and access to the general curriculum.
Structured Abstract
Setting
The research will take place in elementary schools in Kansas, Illinois, and North Carolina.
Sample
During Year 1, approximately 35 school-based professionals (i.e., special and general education teachers and related services providers), family members, and students will participate in the iterative development process. Approximately 12 and 18 teacher-student dyads will participate in Years 2 and 3, respectively. For the Year 4 pilot study, the sample will include approximately 54 teachers and their students with
Intervention
The project will result in a professional development model that includes the SIS-C Supports Planning Process, an associatedteacher's manual, and an online fidelity of implementation system. The SIS-C Supports Planning Process involves the following four steps: (1) interpreting SIS-C assessment data and identifying students' support needs, (2) identifying specific supplementary aids and services that will enhance students' learning and participation in the general education curriculum, (3) implementing the identified aids and services, and (4) evaluating the impact of the aids and services on learning and participation outcomes. The teachers' manual will provide teachers with resources to implement the four steps of the SIS-C Supports Planning Process, such as procedures for using SIS-C data, case studies, and an implementation checklist. The online fidelity of implementation system will allow teachers to track their own implementation of the four steps and collect data on the impact of the supplementary aids and services on student outcomes. It will also allow outside reviewers to document teachers' fidelity of implementing the SIS-C Supports Planning Process and the use of supplementary aids and services. Teachers will implement the SIS-C Supports Planning Process for approximately 2 to 3 weeks at the beginning of the school year and engage in ongoing evaluation of the implementation of the process and the use of supplementary aids and services throughout the year.
Research design and methods
Research activities will occur in four phases. In Phase 1 (Year 1), the research team will iteratively develop the SIS-C Supports Planning Process, teacher's manual, and online fidelity of implementation system by reviewing existing literature and gathering feedback through focus groups. The first round of focus groups will be conducted separately with school-based professionals (i.e., special and general education teachers and related services providers) and family members/students to provide feedback on a draft of the model components. The components will be revised based on feedback and focus groups re-convened to provide feedback on the revised components. In Phase 2 (Year 2), multiple-baseline single-case design studies will be conducted with teacher-student dyads to gather data on the feasibility and usability of the intervention and inform further revisions to the intervention for Phase 3. In Phase 3 (Year 3), the research team will examine whether teachers can implement the SIS-C Supports Planning Process with fidelity using a within-subjects design. In Phase 4 (Year 4), a randomized controlled trial will be conducted with teacher/student dyads to assess the promise of the model for improving (1) teachers' knowledge, skills, and use of supplementary aids and services in the general education classroom and (2) students' access to the general education curriculum and academic achievement.
Control condition
For the Year 4 pilot study, teacher-student dyads in the control condition will continue with business-as-usual instruction and services (e.g., supplementary aids and services as defined in their Individualized Education Program).
Key measures
: Teacher knowledge and skill outcomes will be measured using a researcher-developed survey of SIS-C knowledge, skills, and use and observational data collected on classroom ecology and teacher behavior using the MainStream Version of the Code for Instructional Structure and Student Academic Response (MS-CISSAR) data collection system. Student outcomes related to access and participation in the general education curriculum will be measured with the Access CISSAR, an add-on module to the MS-CISSAR. The Access CISSAR includes coding to help assess whether a student is engaged in a task linked to a general education standard, a grade-level standard, and/or an IEP goal, as well as what accommodations, adaptations, and augmentations are in place. Students' academic achievement will be measured using data from classroom curriculum-based measures and Goal Attainment Scaling (GAS) to determine progress toward meeting goals established by teachers. Fidelity of implementation data will be collected by independent observers using the online fidelity of implementation system developed in the current project. Teachers will also provide information on the feasibility, usability, and acceptability of the model through group and individual interviews, and a measure of social validity developed specifically for this project but based on the Treatment Acceptability Rating Form-Revised (TARF-R).
Data analytic strategy
During the development of the model, focus groups and interviews will be transcribed and coded to identify common themes in content, concerns, and recommendations. Quantitative data from surveys will be analyzed descriptively. Single-case design data from Year 2 will be analyzed through visual analysis. The research team will analyze data from the Year 3 within-subjects design study using repeated measures multivariate analysis of variance. Data from the Year 4 pilot study will be analyzed using multilevel modeling to determine whether the professional development model shows promise for improving teacher and student outcomes.
People and institutions involved
IES program contact(s)
Products and publications
Products: This project will result in a fully developed SIS-C Supports Planning Process, teacher's manual, and online fidelity of implementation system; peer-reviewed publications; and presentations.
Related projects
Supplemental information
Previous Principal Investigator: Thompson, James
Co-Principal Investigators: Shogren, Karrie; Thompson, James; Walker, Virginia
Questions about this project?
To answer additional questions about this project or provide feedback, please contact the program officer.
