Statistical reform: Evidence‐based practice,meta‐analyses,and single subject designs

Evidence‐based practice approaches to interventions has come of age and promises to provide a new standard of excellence for school psychologists. This article describes several definitions of evidence‐based practice and the problems associated with traditional statistical analyses that rely on rejection of the null hypothesis for the establishment of invention effectiveness. Meta‐analysis as an approach to ascertain EBPs is reviewed along with the inherent difficulties associated with single subject design research such as autocorrelations. Four meta‐analytic approaches are reviewed which include Percentage of Nonoverlapping Data points (PND), the Busk and Serlin: Assumption models, ITSACORR, and Hierarchical Linear Modeling (HLM). HLM is offered as the most promising approach for the analysis for single subject designs. Monte Carlo simulations are modeled with varying degrees of autocorrelations, differing numbers of data points, and simulated effects sizes to show that HLM is an acceptable approach for controlling the risk of Type I errors. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Psychol Schs 44: 483–493, 2007.     

Promoting Student Engagement Through Evidence-Based Action Research With Teachers

We present findings from a group-randomized teacher action research intervention to promote academic engagement and achievement among elementary school students. Eighteen teachers from 3 elementary schools were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 groups. Intervention teachers studied evidence-based instructional practices that cultivate academic engagement and conducted an action research project to implement selected practices in their classrooms. Control teachers participated in a self-study group and read about evidence-based practices to promote student engagement. Teachers in the action research group reported using more group-based instruction than self-study teachers. Students with initial low engagement and low reading grades demonstrated greater gains in these outcomes in action research classrooms than self-study classrooms. Implications for teacher development and the promotion of student academic outcomes are discussed.     

Real lessons from imaginary teachers

The piece that follows had its first hearing as part of a symposium at the 1990 annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association in Boston. Sigrun Gudmundsdottir and Grace Grant were at the podium, presenting their two narrative accounts of one schoolteacher’s practice. The schoolteacher was present as well, through the medium of a 10‐minute video presentation of her perspective as a research participant. My task as discussant was to bring the three different accounts of one teacher’s practice together, partially reconcile their differences, and thereby teach us all something about the possibilities and limitations of qualitative research on teaching.

At this early point in her academic career, Sigrun Gudmundsdottir showed a good deal of professional courage. She invited us to re‐examine critically her doctoral research project, something that few of her peers would have agreed to do. Her stance, it seemed to me, was ‘Let’s see what more we can learn about good teaching through a critical, public examination of this work’. Sigrun’s stance remains a worthy model for all of us today.     

International Communication

Jim Richstad and Michael Anderson, Crisis in International News: Policies and Prospects (New York: Columbia University Press, 1981--- $28.50/12.50)

Amadou-Mahtar M'Bow, Building the Future: Unesco and the Solidarity of Nations (Paris: Unesco, 1981 ---price not given, paper)

Voices of Freedom: A World Conference of Independent News Media (Edward R. Murrow Center of Public Diplomacy, Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University, Medford, Mass. 02155---$4.50, paper)

Edward W. Ploman and L. Clark Hamilton, Copyright: Intellectual Property in the Information Age (London and Boston: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1980---$35.00)

Marxism and the Mass Media: Towards a Basic Bibliography Nos. 6-7 (International Mass Media Research Center, 173 av de la dhuys, 93710 Bagnolet, France or International General, P.O. Box 350, New York, N.Y. 10013---£3.50/$7.50, paper)     

Format Preferences of Performing Arts Students

This research examines performing art students' preferences for accessing various types of information, factors in their selection process, and their opinions on what the library should purchase. A Performing Arts Library at a large public university created a two-page paper survey, which was completed by 182 students studying music, dance, and/or theater. Results indicated that these students preferred print books and scores, as well as electronic access to journals and audio. There was an approximate split for physical and virtual reference and video materials. The data also suggests that, while students support the trend of more electronic access, they want librarians to continue to acquire a mixture of electronic and traditional resources.     

Using the Text Structures of Information Books to Teach Writing in the Primary Grades

Teaching children in the primary grades the text structures and features used by authors of information text has been shown to improve comprehension of information texts and provide the scaffolding and support these children need in order to write their own information texts. As teachers implement the English Language Arts Common Core State Standards (CCSS), they will need support and training on how to meet these increased curricular demands. In this article, we describe how children’s information books can be used as exemplars of well-structured text models to teach young students how to write selected discourse patterns required in the CCSS. As children in the primary grades learn to recognize and use well-structured example information texts as models for their own writing, they will be better prepared to deal with less well-structured, more complex text examples in their reading and writing in the years to come.     

History of mathematics: illuminating understanding of school mathematics concepts for prospective mathematics teachers

The use of the history of mathematics in teaching has long been considered a tool for enriching students’ mathematical learning. However, in the USA few, if any, research efforts have investigated how the study of history of mathematics contributes to a person's mathematical knowledge for teaching. In this article, I present the results of research conducted over four semesters in which I sought to characterize what prospective mathematics teachers (PMTs) understand about the topics that they will be called upon to teach in the future and how that teaching might include an historical component. In particular, I focus on how the study and application of the history of solving quadratic equations illuminates what PMTs know (or do not know) about this essential secondary school algebraic topic. Additionally, I discuss how the results signal important considerations for mathematics teacher preparation programs with regard to connecting PMTs' mathematical and pedagogical knowledge, and their ability to engage in historical perspectives to improve their own and their future students' understanding of solving quadratic equations.     

Working on What Works: working with teachers to improve classroom behaviour and relationships

The Working on What Works (WOWW) approach, which is based upon Solution-focused Brief Therapy, was implemented in a mainstream primary classroom over a 10-week period. The focus was on improving behaviour and relationships in class. Results demonstrated an improvement in teacher ratings for targets set by the class teacher compared with baseline. Pupils also set, and rated themselves on class targets. Observation of pupils, and their class-ratings, demonstrated a positive impact for these targets. Longer term follow-up suggested that this positive impact was maintained. It is concluded that WOWW had a positive impact on behaviour and relationships within this classroom.