RUNNING HEAD: Research Article Analysis

Research Article Analysis

Anna Luangkhot

University of Manitoba
 Research Article Analysis #

Article reference: Purpose of the study:

Brock, M. E., & Carter, E. W. (2015). Efficacy
of Teachers Training Paraprofessionals to
Implement Peer Support Arrangements.
Exceptional Children, 82(3), 354-371.
The purpose of this study was to look at how increased
training of paraprofessionals can help students in the
classroom by increasing peer support.

Summarize the method in your own words. Draw a figurative representation.

This single-case study of four special education teachers

training four paraprofessionals to help increase peer
support and interaction in the classroom.

List the outcomes in point form, underlining five key Write two questions you have about the research.
words.
1.! This study was done with paraprofessionals
Despite having a relative short time to train working with one individual student, would these
paraprofessionals, it is possible for them to help students methods also work with paraprofessionals working
and classrooms to build a more effective learning with more than one student?
environment for all.
-! All paraprofessionals stated that it was not 2.! What personality factors in paraprofessionals are
difficult to implement peer support key to successful outcomes?
arrangements.
-! This study shows that support arrangements by
paraprofessionals can improve students with
severe disabilities.
-! Teacher educators must ensure their special
education programs stress training and
supervision of paraprofessionals.
-! Any strategy used by a paraprofessional to
support a student, should be in addition to
primary instruction and should also be
supervised by qualified teachers.
 Research Article Analysis #

-! Paraprofessional interactions were recorded

(verbal and nonverbal) as well as consistent
academic engagement.

Implications for change project

This study was published in 2015 at a time where inclusion was not a new idea. Unlike studies previous to it, the role of
paraprofessionals and how they may contribute to the increase of peer support and interaction. Although this study was
done with students with severe disabilities, these skills can help to increase social engagements with students without
severe disabilities but who may have difficulty forming positive social relationships.
 Research Article Analysis #

Article reference: Purpose of the study:

Wills, H., Kamps, D., Fleming, K., & Hansen,
B. (2016). Student and Teacher Outcomes of
the Class-Wide Function-Related Intervention
Team Efficacy Trial. Exceptional Children,
83(1), 58-76.
The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of the
Class-Wide Function-related Intervention Teams (CW-
FIT), on the on-task and disruptive behavior of elementary
students with or at risk for emotional behavior disorders.
This is done by using CW-FIT as a multicomponent
intervention.

Summarize the method in your own words. Draw a figurative representation.

313 (76 girls, 237 boys) students were assigned to an

experimental and control group. Teachers were recruited
in August and at-risk students were screened by test
project staff. Schools only participated for one year.
Project staff provided teachers with instruction about how
to use procedures, and coaches helped them implement
the program.

Several interventions were presented to students

including such things as rewards, and methods to self-
regulate.

List the outcomes in point form, underlining five key Write two questions you have about the research.
words.

1.! Why did the number of boys outnumber the girls

-Teachers expressed overall satisfaction with the CW-FIT by so much?
intervention. Teachers stated that they thought the 2.! What component of CW-FIT had the most impact
training, modeling by a coach in their classroom, and on students?
regular feedback were help in promoting their ability to
implement the intervention.
-Students expressed that they liked the CW-FIT
intervention citing a better learning environment, the
opportunity to earn rewards, improvement in self-
monitoring skills and the increased in the enjoyment of
lessons.
-high-risk students increased their time on task and
decreased their disruptive behavior. Disruptive behaviors
decreased during CW-FIT.

Implications for change project

This current study touches on many points that relate to my project situation. Students with disruptive behaviors not only
often struggle themselves, but often times become a distraction to their classmates. The implementation of CW-FIT
 Research Article Analysis #

seems to have benefitted not only individual students, but entire classrooms. Teachers can often feel overwhelmed,
however, these teachers say they found it easy to implement and saw a good return on their efforts.
Article reference: Purpose of the study:

Tindal, G., Nese, J. F., Farley, D., Saven, J. The purpose of this study was to examine the reading
L., & Elliott, S. N. (2015). Documenting achievement
Research Article Analysis growth
# of elementary students with
disabilities using two models:
Reading Achievement and Growth for 1 – Transition matrix model
Students Taking Alternate Assessments. 2- Multilevel linear growth model
Exceptional Children, 82(3), 321-336

Summarize the method in your own words. Draw a figurative representation.

A blue print vertical alignment of standards for the

elementary students grades 3 through 5, and middle
school grades 6 through 8, was used to develop
appropriate items, creation of materials and
protocols.

Students were asked to complete 10 tasks, each

with five associated items: decoding, word
recognition and vocabulary, fluency, reading to
perform a task, general understanding of literary
texts, and text content and structure, and
interpretation.

List the outcomes in point form, underlining five Write two questions you have about the research.
key words.

Students taking alternate assessments who received
more than 40% general education instruction scored
on average significantly higher at grade 3 and grew
significantly greater than those receiving less than
40% general education instruction.
1.! Would these same protocols work for writing
and math?
2.! How can we increase the amount of time
these students have in their classroom
receiving general instruction?

Students from economically disadvantaged

backgrounds performed higher than those from less
disadvantaged backgrounds.

Achievement growth can meaningfully be

documented on alternate assessments, and
multilevel growth models are likely more sensitive
than transition matrices.
 Research Article Analysis #

Implications for change project

Students who require taking alternate assessments can benefit from both the transitional matrix and
multilevel linear growth models. However, this study demonstrates that using a multilevel linear growth
model can have more of an impact on students. This, in combination with increasing general instruction time
can help students with their reading levels. Despite many teachers still employing the small group or
individual pull-out method, this demonstrates that having these students with their peers is of benefit to them.
 Research Article Analysis #

Article reference: Purpose of the study:

Algozzine, B., Wang, C., White, R., Cooke, N.,
Marr, M. B., Algozzine, K., . . . Duran, G. Z.
(2012). Effects of Multi-Tier Academic and
Behavior Instruction on Difficult-to-Teach
Students. Exceptional Children, 79(1), 45-64.
Summarize the method in your own words.
This study looks at the effects of 3-tiered comprehensive
reading and behavior interventions in 7 urban elementary
schools with a high prevalence of students considered
difficult to teach.
Draw a figurative representation.

Interventions were provided in schools enrolling more

children from ethnic minority backgrounds than other
schools in the district.

-! Supporting academic instruction – project’s tier

1 reading intervention.
-! Supporting behavior instruction
-! Fidelity and acceptability

The implemented a three-tiered reading and behavior

prevention model in schools enrolling large numbers of
students at risk for failure.

List the outcomes in point form, underlining five key Write two questions you have about the research.
words.

-! Provide high-quality academic and behavior 1.! Why were schools with high rates of minorities
instruction for all children and regularly verify chosen?
that is happening with fidelity. 2.! Would the results be similar in a more suburban
-! Provide focused and direct instruction in natural setting?
classrooms and groups, verify fidelity of
implementation, and continually monitor
progress when frequent and direct measurements
suggest that academic and social problems exist.
-! Educators need to know the effects of
implementing high-quality instruction on
achievement and behavior; focusing only on one
area of risk or the other or ignoring one outcome
or the other will be moving in the wrong
direction.

Implications for change project

This study demonstrates the need for high-quality instruction in order for students to thrive academically, and also to be
able to self-regulate to accomplish tasks. These ideas are not new but it is interesting how this study was done in school
with a high proportion of students from a variety of ethnic backgrounds. Students need to be continually monitored both
for behavioral issues and academic needs.
 Research Article Analysis #

Article reference: Purpose of the study:

Benner, G. J., Nelson, J. R., Sanders, E. A., & This study looks at the efficacy of primary-level, standard-
Ralston, N. C. (2012). Behavior Intervention for protocol behavior intervention for students with
externalizing behavioral disorders.
Students with Externalizing Behavior Problems:
Primary-Level Standard Protocol. Exceptional
Children, 78(2), 181-198.

Summarize the method in your own words. Draw a figurative representation.

Schools were randomly assigned to treatment or control

groups with K-3 students being screened for externalizing
behavior risk status. School staff received ongoing
training throughout the study by project staff.

Behavior intervention had five components: precision

request, assigning behavior intervention, reflective
period, debriefing process, classroom re-entry.

Project staff used the Stage Observation System (SOS) to

directly observe student behavior.

8 behaviors were observed: on task, talking, out-of-seat,

provoking, noise, aggression, tantrum, refusal

List the outcomes in point form, underlining five key Write two questions you have about the research.
words.

1.! What, if any, could home and family factors play a

- results of multilevel models showed that students with role?
externalizing behaviour in the treatment schools had 2.! How would results be in a different, less central
significantly lower levels of problem behaviour than school district?
those in the control (business as usual) schools.

The positive effects of the behavior intervention were

smaller in schools serving higher proportions of students
with low socioeconomic status and for students who had
higher baseline levels for externalizing behavior.

Implications for change project

The training of staff including principals, teachers, educational assistants, and others is of utmost importance, as
anything that has to do with behavioural changes must be done in a sense of changing school culture. So it is not just the
classroom teacher, and educational teacher who must be trained, but for sake of consistency and routine, all support
teachers such as physical educators, music and/or art teachers must be trained as well.
 Research Article Analysis #

Article reference: Purpose of the study:

Bryant, D. P., Bryant, B. R., Roberts, G., The purpose of this study was to determine effects of early
Vaughn, S., Pfannenstiel, K. H., Porterfield, J., numeracy tier 2 intervention on the performance of first-
grade students with mathematics difficulties.
& Gersten, R. (2011). Early Numeracy
Intervention Program for First-Grade Students
with Mathematics Difficulties. Exceptional
Children, 78(1), 7-23.

Summarize the method in your own words. Draw a figurative representation.

Screening and benchmark testing occurred in the fall,

winter and spring by 50 first grade teachers. These
teachers also received a 1-hr training session by two
intervention coordinators. They were provided with
materials for conducting the assessments with ‘prompt’
materials to ensure fidelity of test administration.

There were 11 units of instruction – each unity included 8

days of lessons.

Behavior management system: Math Ready: eyes on the

teacher, listening, ready to learn, mouth quiet (no off-task
talking), and hands on table. These were taught to
students at the beginning of the year and reviewed after
breaks such as winter and spring break.

The intervention provided multiple practice opportunities.

List the outcomes in point form, underlining five key Write two questions you have about the research.
words.

1.! What Tier 1 interventions were these students

- Findings revealed that students in the treatment exposed to?
condition outperformed comparison students by .5 of a 2.! How would you implement this in a multi-age
standard deviation and demonstrated statistically classroom?
significantly higher scores than comparison students.

-! There were no statistical differences between

groups on either of these measures on problem
solving, as predicted.
-! The percentage of treatment students compared
to comparison students who were no longer
eligible for Tier 2 intervention suggests that
interventions can potentially reduce the number
of students at risk for mathematics difficulties by
the end of first grade.

Implications for change project

 Research Article Analysis #

I like how using Math Ready seems relatively easy. Often time, I find that implementing a new routine can be difficult.
When broken down into simple steps, as Math Ready seems to be, it could be easier for students to grasp, understand,
and ultimately consistently adhere to.
 Research Article Analysis #

Article reference: Purpose of the study:

Garwood, J. D., & Vernon-Feagans, L. (2016).
Classroom Management Affects Literacy
Development of Students with Emotional and
Behavioral Disorders. Exceptional Children,
83(2), 123-142.
This study looks at the quality of classroom management
from kindergarten through third grade experienced by
children who were rated as exhibiting symptoms of
emotional and behavioral disorders in the classroom to
understand the effects in relationship to third-grade reading
performance.

Summarize the method in your own words. Draw a figurative representation.

This study was conducted with data from the FLP

(Family Life Project) children who had not been retained
more than once before third grade and who scored in the
borderline or abnormal range on a teacher-rated
emotional-behavioral screener. 235 students were
included in this study.

To measure students’ reading achievement, the

Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Achievement and The
Passage Comprehension were used.

To measure classroom quality and management, the

Classroom Assessment Scoring System was used.

List the outcomes in point form, underlining five key Write two questions you have about the research.
words.

1.! This study was done with low-income families

- Results indicated that higher-quality classroom
management in the first 4 years of school was
significantly related to higher scores on standardized
measures of reading achievement in third grade for boys
exhibiting EBD, but girls exhibiting EBD appeared
unaffected by the quality of teachers’ classroom
management during this same time.
and students. What would be results in a more
suburban area?
2.! Is it possible for students in the same class to
interpret good and bad classroom experiences
differently?

-! 12 students (5.10%) had a consistently low-

quality classroom management experience
-! 39 (16.60%) had a consistently high-quality
classroom management experience.
-! The only significant differences between boys
and girls were in the types of behaviors they
were exhibiting. Boys rated higher on
 Research Article Analysis #

externalizing behaviors, and girls were rated

higher on internalizing behaviors.

Implications for change project

Especially for new teachers, classroom management is often one of the most difficult parts of teaching. This study
demonstrates that it is especially crucial for early years teachers to have exceptional classroom management skills as this
can have a great impact on not only their social skills later, but academic achievement as well.
 Research Article Analysis #

Article reference: Purpose of the study:

Otaiba, S. A., Connor, C. M., Folsom, J. S., This study compares the efficacy of two response-to-
Wanzek, J., Greulich, L., Schatschneider, C., & intervention models – typical RTI and dynamic RTI.
Wagner, R. K. (2014). To Wait in Tier 1 or
Intervene Immediately. Exceptional Children,
81(1), 11-27.

Summarize the method in your own words. Draw a figurative representation.

34 first grade general education teachers agreed to

participate. This allowed project staff randomly assigned
children to conditions within the classroom.

Graduate students administered screening and pretest

measures to determine initial eligibility for Tiers 1-3.
Teacher ratings for several factors such as severity of
students’ reading difficulties relative to classmates and
four screeners of letter sound fluency, word ready
fluency, and word attack fluency were used to determine
initial eligibility.

Students who teachers reported that they had severe

reading difficulties and who scored below the 40th
percentile at the school level for all four screeners were
considered as initially eligible for Tier 3.

All students were individually assessed by trained

research staff in quiet areas near their classroom.

List the outcomes in point form, underlining five key Write two questions you have about the research.
words.

1.! Was there any notable difference in results from a

- analyses of standard score outcomes confirmed that
students in the dynamic condition who received Tier 2
and Tier 3 ended the study significantly higher reading
performances than students in the typical condition.
Immediately providing Tier 2 and 3 interventions to
students led to generally stronger reading outcomes by
the end of first grade.
higher socioeconomic neighbourhood versus lower
income neighbourhood?
2.! Are there issues related to how students are
assessed by the teacher, and perhaps placed in the
wrong Tier because of an inaccurate assessment?

Implications for change project

Providing students, the opportunity to move onto Tier 2 or 3, without waiting in Tier 1, can greatly benefit students.
However, teachers must be properly trained and proper resources, often, human resources must be made available for
both the student and teacher.
Research Article Analysis #
 Research Article Analysis #

Article reference: Purpose of the study:

Israel, M., Kamman, M. L., Mccray, E. D., & The intent of this study was to understand how new SET
Sindelar, P. T. (2014). Mentoring in Action. (special education teacher) mentoring occurred within a
program with a well-strucured new teacher evaluation
Exceptional Children, 81(1), 45-63 component.

Summarize the method in your own words. Draw a figurative representation.

16 new SETs and five district assigned mentors were

recruited.

The criteria in the districts evaluation summary:

-! Planning and preparing for student learning
-! Creating an environment for learning
-! Teaching and learning
-! Professionalism

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the new

SETs. The two research questions guiding this study were
as follows:
-! Within the context of a mentoring program with
a strong evaluation component, what types of
professional and emotional supports are
provided to the new SETs?
-! What is the relationship between professional
and emotional supports within this mentoring
program?

List the outcomes in point form, underlining five key Write two questions you have about the research.
words.

1.! Are any rules set forth in the etiquette between

- Evaluation was provided guidance for mentors’ teachers and mentors?
feedback. 2.! At which point does a teacher and mentor
- Emotional supports and professional supports were relationship not work and how do you start over?
interrelated, wherein emotional supports occurred within
the context of professional supports.
- Structured evaluation process provided guidance for the
mentors as they provided feedback to the new SETs
about their instructional practices.
- The majority of the new SETs did not indicate that the
mentors’ evaluative roles hindered the mentoring
experience.

Implications for change project

In order for teachers, including SETs, to be able to feel confident in their work, they must be given opportunities to be
evaluated in such a way that does not hinder their teaching. A mutual respect for both teacher and mentor must be
shown. Teachers must own their classroom but be open to sharing new, or better practices for their students. Mentors
must respect classroom teachers and perhaps give options in which the teacher can choose an option that they feel
comfortable with.
Research Article Analysis #
 Research Article Analysis #

Article reference: Purpose of the study:

Coyne, M. D., Simmons, D. C., Hagan-Burke, This study evaluated a model of delivery of a supplemental
S., Simmons, L. E., Kwok, O., Kim, M., . . . beginning reading intervention. Students identified as at a
risk for reading difficulties were assigned to one of two
Rawlinson, D. M. (2013). Adjusting Beginning versions of the early reading intervention.
Reading Intervention Based on Student
Performance: An Experimental Evaluation.
Exceptional Children, 80(1), 25-44.

Summarize the method in your own words. Draw a figurative representation.

Students identified as at a risk for reading difficulties

were assigned to one of two versions of the early reading
intervention.

Each student (N = 103) was assessed weekly to determine

curriculum mastery and identify instructional needs.
Based on this assessment, interventionists selected
instructional activities for students from a menu of
options.

126-lessons (4 units) that teaches phonologic, alphabetic,

decoding, spelling, and sentence-reading skills. Research
team members and interventionists used in-program
assessment data to make instructional adjustment
decisions about whether groups would repeat lessons or
move on.

List the outcomes in point form, underlining five key Write two questions you have about the research.
words.

1.! Were the evaluation methods used by teachers

- The experimental group outperformed the comparison
group on all post-test measures at the end of the year.
Follow-up analyses at the end of the next grade revealed
a continued advantage for these students.
Students in both condition groups made considerable
growth from pretest to post-test.
equal and fair across all schools in the study?
2.! Since the interventionists were supported by the
research staff, were appropriate decisions made for
individual students?

Substantially fewer students continue to perform below

the 15th percentile in the experimental condition
compared to the comparison condition.

Implications for change project

 Research Article Analysis #

The weekly analysis and evaluation of students seems to greatly help the teacher/interventionist move the student
forward, reassess how things are currently working and how to modify a program. It seems as though depending on how
many students are progressing below grade level, this may be a challenge. However, with enough support I believe that
the small group format as used here can be of benefit in any classroom.