Nibblin’ Away in the Northeast: Spreading EBP in

P-12 Schools & Teacher Education

Larry Maheady, Ph. D. Exceptional Education Department

SUNY Buffalo Statemaheadlj@buffalostate.edu

April 25, 2014

A Presentation at the Annual Salon of the Wing Institute, Berkeley, California

It’s Been A Long Winter

It’s Been a Buffalo Winter!

Would the ocean be a lot deeper if sponges didn’t live

there?

Trying to Make a Difference

Collect practice-based evidence in local school systems Use summer “academies” to prepare teachers to use EBP Follow-up with “instructional coaching” Conduct research-to-practice studies in select classrooms Use outcome data for teacher evaluation purposes (i.e., observation

rubrics & growth in pupil learning) Created data-based case studies to use with GE pre-service

teachers to improve instructional decision-making skills 5 case studies created from research-to-practice studies

target 5 important educational outcomes (e.g., work completion and accuracy, active student engagement, and reduction of disruptive behavior)

used 5 different practices with empirical support (e.g., response cards, Class Wide Peer Tutoring, and group contingencies with randomized components)

Use a Jigsaw approach

Case study scenario Description of students, teachers, settings, & difficulties Description of baseline conditions using relevant descriptors

outlined by Lane et al Description of intervention conditions

Fidelity checklists When, where, and how intervention was used

Case study data sets Excel data sheets on whole class and individual pupil performance Presented in four phases & accompanied by data-related questions Students select two target students, graph data, answer “visual

inspection” questions and meet in “expert groups” to discuss findings

Case Study Components

Case Study

Settings PupilsPupil

Outcomes Intervention

Experimental Design

1

4th gr. math small, urban area, 88%

free & reduced

15 (8M,7F) 2IEP, 1

504; pass rate 41% to 47%

Pupil daily math quiz

scores; district-wide

measures

Response cards

A-B-A-B

26th gr.

science, small urban,69% free &

reduced

21 (14F,7M), 15 (His),

4 IEP, 3ELL

Daily, science quizzes;

cumulative assessment

Numbered Heads

Together

Alternating Treatments

Design

37th gr.

science, small rural, 53% free &

reduced

14 (9M,5F)100%

Caucasian

1 IEP

Homework completion

and accuracy

Mystery Motivator

GameA-B-A-B

43rd gr. ELA,

small suburban, 31% free &

reduced

22 (13M,9F),4 IEP, 2

504, 63% pass rate

Non-compliance, inappropriate touching, out-of-area

Three Jars Game

A-B-A-B

53rd gr. small urban, 72%

free & reduced

21 (12M,9F),

3IEP, 4 ELL

Weekly spelling test

scores

Juniper Gardens

Class Wide Peer Tutoring

A-B-A-B

Are homework completion and accuracy important pupil outcomes? Why or why not?

Are 80% completion and 62% accuracy acceptable outcomes?

What else can you say about class performance? (see visual inspection rules)

What will performance be like next week or month, if same practices are used?

In what ways did completion and accuracy change when MM Game started? (see VI rules)

Was the amount of change educationally important? Why or why not?

What decision(s) would you make about the use of intervention?

What happened to work completion & accuracy rates when MM Game was removed?

What decision(s) would you make regarding the use of the intervention?

What happened when intervention was put back?

What would you do next instructionally?

Still Nibbling Away

B. F. Skinner was asked, how behavioral educators could best promote and advocate for better teaching practice in our schools

He paused momentarily and said, “Well I guess we just keep nibbling.” Work in our small ways to promote good things we see Compliment teachers and school leaders for using

effective practice Recognize educators and psychologists who work

effectively with parents, teacher unions, and communities agencies

Advertise the success of professionals who use scientific evidence to improve their decision-making