School Psychology Forum
Volume 1 Issue 2
Volume 1, Issue 2 (May 2007 )
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Using School-Wide Data Systems to Make Decisions Efficiently and Effectively
Abstract: Recent legislation and public attention has created an intense focus on accountability in schools. School psychologists and other school personnel can capitalize on this momentum to revise assessment and intervention practices and expand their focus from individual student to school-wide systems of data collection and support. In this article we present a guide to identify potential sources of school-wide data, implement efficient and feasible data systems, increase the trustworthiness and usability of data, and use data for relevant decision making. We conclude with an example that illustrates how a school may effectively use school-wide data to make decisions.
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Important Considerations in the Selection of Progress-Monitoring Measures for Classroom Behaviors
Abstract: The 2001 No Child Left Behind Act reestablished the necessity of interventions and measures that are scientifically based, which means that these interventions and measures produce reliable and valid knowledge. However, few suggestions have been provided with regard to what measures are best suited for progress monitoring. This is particularly true in the realm of nonacademic classroom behaviors. The identification of appropriate progress-monitoring measures is made especially difficult by the fact that such measures must be both technically adequate and feasible for applied usage. In this article a framework is presented to aid in the selection of appropriate assessment measures for monitoring the progress of classroom behaviors. It is argued that the selection process must involve a balance between concerns related to the appropriate measurement of behavior (e.g., scope of assessment, psychometric properties of assessment measures) and concerns related to feasibility and ac
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Interpretations of Curriculum-Based Measurement Outcomes: Standard Error and Confidence Intervals
Abstract: Curriculum-based measurement (CBM) is a set of procedures uniquely suited to inform problem solving and response-to-intervention (RTI) evaluations. The prominence, use, and emphasis on CBM are likely to increase in the coming years because of the recent changes in federal law (No Child Left Behind and the 2004 reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act [IDEA]) along with the advent and growing popularity of RTI models (i.e., multitiered and dual discrepancy). As a result of these changes in legislation, it is likely that CBM data will be used more often to guide high-stakes decisions, such as those related to diagnosis and eligibility determination. School psychologists must remain ever vigilant leaders in schools to guide assessment and evaluation practices. That includes implementation and advocacy for valid uses and interpretations of measurement outcomes. The authors promote a perspective and methodology for school psychologists to reference the co
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Using Baseline Logic to Maximize the Value of Educational Interventions
Abstract: The growing emphasis on evidence-based practice places a premium on the development of high quality academic and social behavior interventions. Likewise, there is increasing pressure to be accountable for the services provided to students, highlighting the importance of monitoring the effectiveness of interventions employed. As the importance of intervention outcome data increases, it is essential not only to document whether academic or social behavior changes have occurred but also if the intervention in question was responsible for those substantiated changes. This is best accomplished by employing a defensible intervention methodology within the framework of a single subject research design. This article examines the basis of the experimental reasoning behind single subject methodology (i.e., baseline logic) as well as the importance of using defensible intervention methodologies in the context of response-to-intervention models. Four designs are reviewed that have direct
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