IES Staff
Sarah Brasiel
Education Research Analyst
NCSER
About
Sarah Brasiel joined IES in 2016 and is a Program Officer over many NCSER funded grants in the following three research topics: (1) Reading, Writing, and Language Development; (2) Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM); and (2) Technology for Special Education. Dr. Brasiel is also the Program Officer for NCSER funded Research Grants Focused on NAEP Process Data for Learners with Disabilities program. Most recently she is also serving as Program Officer for some NCER funded research grants in the STEM Education and Education Technology topic areas. Dr. Brasiel is a Contract Officer Representative (COR) and for close to 10 years she has managed contracts that serve three Centers at IES (NCEE, NCER, and NSCER). Her prior research focused on improving middle school teachers' pedagogical content knowledge about integers and using randomized control trials and quasi-experiments to evaluate the effects of inquiry mathematics and science curriculum and instruction, mathematics educational technology, and reading interventions. She also conducted research to understand students’ computational thinking during coding experiences through the use of educational data mining approaches. Prior to joining IES, she was a researcher for two IES Regional Educational Laboratories (REL Mid-Atlantic 2007–2010 and REL Southwest 2010–2013). She received her Ph.D. in mathematics education from the University of Texas at Austin. Prior to graduate school, she was a special education and general education teacher for 18 years, teaching upper elementary, middle, and high school students. She has also taught college algebra and graduate courses in research methods.
Associated IES Content
Grant
Development of a Narrative Language and Reading Comprehension Program for Emergent Bilinguals With or At Risk for Reading Disabilities
The purpose of this project is to develop and test the promise of a narrative language and reading comprehension intervention called Guided, Explicit, Teaching of Oral and Written Narratives to Improve Narrative Text Comprehension (GET ON IT!) for emergent bilinguals with or at risk for reading disabilities (EBs with RD) in grades 2-4. GET ON IT will provide a unique extension of an existing narrative language intervention called Supporting Knowledge in Language and Literacy (SKILL), which w...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324A240204
AI-Augmented Learning for Individuals with Disabilities
IES has partnered with the National Science Foundation (NSF) in a new funding initiative to encourage scientists to focus on research and development of AI-driven innovations to radically improve human learning and education. This initiative is the National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Research Institutes—Accelerating Research, Transforming Society, and Growing the American Workforce solicitation. NCSER plans to support research under Theme 6 Track B—AI-Augmented Learning for Individuals with Di
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics
The Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) topic supports research that contributes to improved outcomes in STEM content areas for learners with or at risk for disabilities from kindergarten through postsecondary education.
Reading, Writing, and Language
The Reading, Writing, and Language Development (Reading/Language) topic supports research that improves reading, writing, and language skills of students with or at risk for disabilities from kindergarten through Grade 12.
Accelerating the Academic Achievement of Students with Learning Disabilities Research Initiative
The Accelerating the Academic Achievement of Students with Learning Disabilities Research Initiative (A3 Initiative) is intended to support research to develop and evaluate interventions (e.g., instructional approaches, curricula, technology) to accelerate the academic achievement of students with or at risk for learning disabilities in grades 3 through 8.
Technology for Special Education
The Technology for Special Education (Technology) topic supports research on education technology tools that are designed to improve outcomes for learners with or at risk for disabilities from kindergarten through postsecondary education.
Researcher-Practitioner Partnerships in Education Research
The Researcher-Practitioner Partnerships in Education Research (Research Partnerships) topic supports partnerships composed of research institutions and state or local education agencies that have identified an education issue or problem of high priority for the education agency
Evaluation of State and Local Education Programs and Policies
The Evaluation of State and Local Education Programs and Policies (State/Local Evaluation) topic supports the evaluation of fully-developed programs and policies implemented by state and local education agencies to determine whether they produce a beneficial impact on student education outcomes relative to a counterfactual when they are implemented under routine conditions in authentic education settings.
Low-Cost, Short-Duration Evaluation of Special Education Interventions
The Low-Cost, Short-Duration Evaluation of Special Education Interventions (Low-Cost Evaluation) grant program supports rigorous evaluations of special education interventions (broadly defined as practices, programs, and policies) that state or local education agencies expect to produce meaningful improvements in student education outcomes within a short period of time of a year or less.
Research Grants Focused on NAEP Process Data for Learners with Disabilities
In FY 2021, IES began the Using Longitudinal Data to Support State Policymaking grant program (Using Data for Policymaking) to expand State agencies' use of their State Longitudinal Data Systems* (SLDS) for generating evidence in support of education policy decisions.
Grant
Project i-SMART: Intervention to Support Mindset and Reading Together
The purpose of this project is to develop and evaluate an intensive, supplemental reading intervention (i-SMART) that embeds growth mindset supports to improve reading and motivational outcomes for students with significant reading difficulties (RD) in the middle grades (Grades 4-5), including those with learning disabilities (LD). Reading interventions for students in middle grades yield smaller effects than those in primary grades. One possible reason why existing reading interventions sho...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324A230242
Grant
Exploring Extended Time Eligibility and Use to Inform Equitable and Appropriate Practices
The primary purpose of this project is to explore the use of extra time accommodations during mathematics testing for students with disabilities. Extended time for testing has repeatedly been identified as one of the most common accommodations offered to students with disabilities. Although well intentioned, such frequent provision of extended time is concerning given that existing empirical work has demonstrated extended time provision to have only a very weak positive effect on test scores...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324A240095
Grant
Disentangling Intervention Practices Aligned With Motivational, Agentic, and Self Theories (MAST): An Integrative Meta-Analysis and Scoping Review
The purpose of this project is to conduct a systematic investigation of interventions for students with disabilities in kindergarten to 12th grade (K-12) that target the constructs in motivational, agentic, and self theories (MAST). Motivation theories seek to understand what drives humans to work towards particular goals. Agentic theories hold the view that humans are active contributors to, or agents of, their own behavior. Self theories focus on how humans view themselves, which shapes th...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324A240162
Grant
Examining the Efficacy of Integrating Anxiety Management Practices with Reading Intervention for Students with Reading Disabilities
The purpose of this project is to evaluate the efficacy of a reading intervention that embeds anxiety management instruction, Reading and Anxiety Management (RANX), for upper elementary students with reading difficulties. Evidence suggests that non-academic factors, such as anxiety, may play a role in limiting reading outcomes for upper elementary students. Further, greater anxiety has been associated with poorer academic performance, and anxiety has been associated bi-directionally with res...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324A240137
Grant
A Randomized Controlled Trial to Assess the Efficacy of the NumberShire Level K Gaming Intervention for Improving Math Outcomes for Students With or At Risk for Mathematics Learning Disabilities
The purpose of this project is to test the efficacy of the NumberShire Level K (NSK) gaming intervention-previously developed through IES funding-for students with or at risk for mathematics learning disabilities (MLD). NSK is a supplemental technology-based tool to allow educators to intervene early and strategically to accelerate early math learning and prevent more costly remediation of math difficulties in the later grades for students with or at risk for MLD. In this study, researchers ...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324A240173
Grant
Analysis of NAEP Mathematics Process, Outcome, and Survey Data to Understand Test-Taking Behavior and Mathematics Performance of Learners with Disabilities
This study will use NAEP grade 8 mathematics assessment process data to understand the action and time sequences of key features in test-taking behavior for learners with and without disabilities, and how the test-taking behavior reflected through these key features relates to student outcomes. Although any performance or process differences found between learners may be due to true differences in test takers' mathematics problem solving, it is possible that the content and design of certain...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324P230002
Grant
Special Education Placement Based on Assessment Practices for Spanish-Speaking English Language Learners Struggling With Reading Comprehension
The purpose of this project is to explore the associations among language comprehension (LC) skills in both Spanish and English, the processes involved in English reading comprehension (RC), and special education (SPED) placement decisions for elementary school students from Spanish-speaking homes. For the growing population of U.S. students from homes in which a language other than English is used-whether formally identified as English learners (ELs) or not-reliance on English-only language...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324A230154
Grant
A Longitudinal Investigation of Predictors and Outcomes of Specific Learning Disabilities Identification
The purpose of this study is to improve understanding of the factors related to specific learning disabilities (SLD) identification and student academic outcomes. Students with SLD represent the largest group of students receiving special education and related services in the United States. However, few studies have examined the SLD identification process and its implications for improving outcomes for students at significant risk for SLD. Presently, there is very little evidence for the eff...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324A230138
Grant
Varied Practice Reading for Middle School Students With or At Risk for Reading Disabilities
Students with or at risk for reading disabilities in Grades 6-8 need both literacy intervention and support for learning in the text-based content areas of science and social studies. However, middle schools struggle to offer intervention time during the day, and typically expose students to less complex text than is expected for achieving grade-level performance. Therefore, the research team will create a semester-long Tier 2 intervention, Varied Practice Reading (VPR), based on statistical...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324A220269
Grant
Efficacy of Zearn Math
Zearn Math has shown promise for improving student mathematics achievement, but its efficacy has not yet been established through a rigorous, well-powered evaluation. Researchers at the non-profit RAND Corporation (RAND) will evaluate the efficacy of Zearn Math for improving student mathematics outcomes in grades 3 to 5. The study will employ a randomized controlled trial, complemented by studies of implementation and cost. RAND will conduct this evaluation independently of Zearn, the non-pr...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305A230170
Grant
The Development and Pilot Testing of an Intensive Tier 3 Reading Intervention in the Early Grades
The purpose of this grant is to iteratively develop and pilot test an intensive Tier 3 reading intervention for use with students in kindergarten through second grade (K-2) in the early stages of reading development. Research provides clear direction on effective Tier 2 reading interventions in the early grades, but few studies demonstrate impact with students who require more intense intervention. The Tier 3 intervention will be for students who do not respond adequately to core and supplem...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324A210296
Grant
Project LISTO: A Longitudinal Investigation of Reading Risk for Adolescent Newcomer English Learners
The purpose of this project is to explore English reading risk among adolescent newcomer English learners (ELs) across their first 2 years of enrollment in U.S. middle schools. A newcomer EL is defined as a student who initially enrolls in a U.S. school without completing a prior year of instruction in a U.S. school and is classified as limited English proficient at school entry. Few studies have examined reading risk with this population and existing risk models may not be useful due to the...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324A220038
Grant
Reading Mastery Project (RMP)
This research will investigate the efficacy of Reading Mastery on first graders' reading achievement, reading disability (RD) identification, and risk of RD. Reading Mastery has been used in schools since the 1970s and the 2008 Signature Edition is still widely used today. Despite the many publications that reference this comprehensive reading intervention, its efficacy has not yet been rigorously tested. This study seeks to fill this gap in research by examining the intervention's efficacy,...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324A220267
Grant
Effectiveness Replication of Enhanced Core Reading Instruction (ECRI)
The goal of this project is to conduct a replication study of Enhanced Core Reading Instruction (ECRI), a comprehensive approach to early reading instruction and intervention for students from kindergarten through second grade. ECRI has been implemented in thousands of schools across the U.S., and prior efficacy studies have shown beneficial impacts on broad measures of students' reading outcomes. However, the impact of ECRI has not been evaluated under routine implementation conditions. The...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324R210009
Grant
The Self-Determined Learning Model of Instruction for Reading (SDLMI-R): Improving Outcomes of Upper Elementary Students with or At-Risk for Reading Disability
The purpose of this project is to develop and test the Self-Determined Learning Model of Instruction for Reading (SDLMI-R) to increase self-determination and reading achievement among 4th and 5th graders with or at-risk for reading disability (RD). This newly developed program will adapt the research-based SDLMI (https://selfdetermination.ku.edu/), originally designed to support secondary students in transition planning, to address a critical need for self-determination interventions for upp...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324A210204
Grant
Multi-Year Middle School Intensive Reading Intervention for Students with or At-Risk for Reading Disabilities.
There are few multi-year studies examining the effect of intensive reading programs for middle school students with or at-risk for reading disabilities (SWRD). Those that exist have shown that without multiple years of intensive reading, students appear to stagnate or regress in their reading levels. Therefore, this project will conduct a two-year intensive reading intervention in grades 6 and 7 using the Adolescent Multi-Component-Intensive Training-Program (AiU). Researchers will conduct a...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324A210074
Grant
Math and Reading Acquisition Co-Adaptive System (MARACAS)
In this project, the research team will iteratively develop and study MARACAS (Math and Reading Acquisition Co-Adaptive System), a set of individualized reading supports for students embedded within an adaptive mathematics learning system (MATHia) and associated teacher application (LiveLab). Teachers face significant barriers in supporting the needs of middle school students with reading difficulties (RD) when learning to solve mathematics problems. To address this need, MARACAS will be dev...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324A210289
Grant
Effectiveness of Leveled Literacy Intervention Intermediate for Third and Fourth Grade Students with Reading Difficulties or Disabilities
The project aims to test the efficacy of the Leveled Literacy Intervention (LLI) Intermediate in third and fourth grade. Researchers will conduct a randomized control trial to examine: (a) the efficacy of LLI Intermediate for third grade students with reading difficulties or disabilities relative to a business-as-usual comparison group, (b) the efficacy of an intensive implementation of LLI Intermediate over 2 years (3rd and 4th grade), (c) short- and long-term outcomes to determine whether ...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324A210021
Grant
Rethinking Accessibility Using NAEP Process Data: Exploring Universal Design and Accommodations
Current knowledge about the use of accessibility features (AFs)-consisting of accommodations available only to students with disabilities (SWD) and universal design (UD) elements available to all students-is largely limited to information on students' interaction with mostly paper-and-pencil tests. Little is known about whether SWDs use the AFs available to them; what features or combination of features they use; the extent of use if they do use the features; and whether certain item, studen...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324P210002
Grant
A Randomized Trial of the Connect-IT Intervention in Middle School Students With or At Risk for Reading Disabilities
A large direct contributor to comprehension problems in middle school students with or at risk for reading disabilities is pervasive difficulty in making inferences necessary for understanding what is read. Because literacy attainments in middle school are highly predictive of postsecondary success, middle school provides a later developmental window within which to intervene for struggling adolescent readers. Consequently, a technology-based inference-making intervention, Connect-IT-Compute...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324A200101
Grant
Implementing Fraction Intervention Classwide to Address Mathematics Learning Disabilities in Inclusive Classrooms
To date, the efficacy of the Inclusive Fraction Intervention identified by IES for replication has been evaluated only when delivered in small groups by research staff tutors to students identified with or at-risk for mathematics learning disabilities (MLD). The purpose of this proposed efficacy replication is to assess the efficacy of the Inclusive Fraction Intervention on the same population in a different setting (classwide in inclusive general education, not small-group pullout) by diffe...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324R200003
Grant
Development of an Intervention to Improve Reading Efficiency for Students With or At Risk for Word-Reading Disability
This project will develop an intervention to address a significant problem for students with word-level reading disability (WLRD; i.e., specific learning disability in basic reading, dyslexia): reading words and text with automaticity. There is evidence that (a) poor reading fluency is a consistent and persistent characteristic of WLRD across written languages, and (b) word- or text-reading fluency skills are particularly resistant to intervention. The intervention will address previously un...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324A200209
Grant
Writing in Students With Language-Based Learning Disabilities (WILLD)
Students with language-based learning disabilities (LLD) have poor writing outcomes, especially with word and sentence level writing skills that negatively impact discourse level writing. Thus, direct strategy-based instruction for word and sentence level writing skills is just as important as discourse level writing instruction. The purpose of this project is to develop an intervention that targets word, sentence, and discourse level writing skills in students with language-based learning d...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324A200046
Grant
The Role of Algebraic Reasoning Within Additive and Multiplicative Multi-Step Problem Solving for Students With Mathematics Difficulty (Project RAAMPS)
The purpose of this initial efficacy study is to assess whether algebraic reasoning instruction, conducted within the context of word-problem intervention, leads to increases word-problem performance on one- and multi-step word problems. Research indicates students with mathematics difficulty (MD) demonstrate lower performance on setting up and solving word problems compared to peers without MD. The use of schemas has been shown to be an effective method of word-problem instruction for stude...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324A200176
Grant
Iterative Replication of Read Well in First Grade
The goal of this project is to systematically replicate Read Well to investigate its impact on first grade children with reading difficulties. Read Well's impact was previously studied with positive outcomes indicated for letter names and sounds and word reading development in kindergarten. Despite these promising findings, there is a need for additional research to address unanswered questions and better understand the conditions under which the intervention is effective and for whom. As su...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324R200014
Grant
ROOTS Replication: A Systematic Replication of a Tier 2 Kindergarten Mathematics Intervention
The purpose of this project is twofold. The primary purpose is to conduct a replication study of a kindergarten mathematics intervention (ROOTS) for students at risk for mathematics learning disabilities (MLD) across school types and student populations intentionally selected to differ from previous efficacy studies. A secondary purpose of the project will be to investigate the relationship between intervention onset and student outcomes.
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324R200005
Grant
Effect of a 9-Month Soft Skills and Work-Based Employment Training Program in Improving Transition Students' Success: A Randomized Controlled Trial Study
The purpose of this study is to test the relative efficacy of Project SEARCH (a widely used transition program with internships) alone compared to Project SEARCH plus Assistive Soft Skills and Employment Training (ASSET)and Employment Preparation and Skills Support (EPASS) for improving work-related social skills, job readiness, and employment outcomes of transition-age high school students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). In Michigan, 81% of individuals with IDD...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324L190002
Grant
An Efficacy Study of the MathSpring Personalized Learning System That Responds to Student Affect
This purpose of this project was to evaluate the efficacy of MathSpring, an online intervention that provides individualized affective and strategic support to students as they solve math problems.
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305A190256
Grant
Multiplicative Reasoning: Developing an Intervention for Students with or At Risk for Mathematics Difficulties
The purpose of this project is to develop and pilot test a mathematics intervention focused on whole number multiplication and division for third grade students with or at risk for mathematics difficulties (MD). Students with MD have a limited understanding of many concepts taught in early school years, especially multiplicative reasoning that is essential to solve problems in challenging situations. Although the percentage of elementary students reaching proficient levels in mathematics has...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324A190101
Grant
Writing in Middle School Science and Social Studies: Exploring Instruction and Support for Students with Disabilities (Project Explore)
The purpose of this project is to explore relationships between teachers' use of evidence-based practices, teachers' experience with and attitudes about adapting instruction for students with disabilities, and students' writing outcomes. Although research has emphasized the need for improving content-area writing for adolescents, particularly those with disabilities, most prior research has relied on surveys to establish knowledge on this topic. This exploration project will involve direct o...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324A190028
Grant
Project DataWall: A Decision Support System for MTSS
The purpose of this project is to develop and pilot test a decision support system (DSS) that guides school teams in using data to implement an integrated multi-tiered system of support (MTSS) and improve outcomes for students with or at risk for a disability. Integrated MTSS is intended to provide both behavior and academic services; but despite the theoretical advantages of integrating these services, many schools struggle to implement MTSS at a high level of fidelity. This project will de...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324A190054
Grant
Collaborative Teacher Expertise in Evidence-Based Decision Making for Reading Intervention: Development of the EXPERT Training Program
The purpose of this project is to develop the EXPERT intervention, a professional development model for improving teachers' use of evidence-based decision making (EBDM) to effectively intensify interventions for students with reading disabilities (RD) in grades 3-5. Specific learning disabilities (SLD) are the most common disabilities in K-12 education, with RD being the most common form of SLD. Students with RD need intensive, individualized interventions in order to make measurable gains i...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324A190126
Grant
Examining the Efficacy of a Content Area Reading Comprehension Intervention for Students With Disabilities
The purpose of this study is to test the efficacy of the reading comprehension intervention, PACT-Promoting Adolescents' Comprehension of Text, for middle school learnerswith disabilities. PACT has demonstrated efficacy for improving outcomes for students without disabilities, but has not been rigorously evaluated for learners with disabilities. Data from the prior efficacy study do suggest the intervention is promising for learners with disabilities. Many adolescents with disabilities do no...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324A190072
Grant
Meta-Analyses of Variables Related to Instruction in Augmentative and Alternative Communication Implementation
The purpose of this project is to conduct a comprehensive meta-analysis to determine whether augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) is associated with improved outcomes (e.g., behavior and communication) for individuals with intellectual/developmental disabilities (IDD). Although AAC is widely used in educational settings, it is unclear for whom and under what conditions it is most effective. This project aims to address this gap by conducting a meta-analysis to explore relationshi...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324A180110
Grant
Evaluating a State-Level Initiative to Implement Supplemental Academic and Behavior Interventions in an Integrated Multi-Tiered System of Supports
Many states are enacting statewide initiatives to implement multi-tiered systems of supports (MTSS) and integrate existing behavior support models within academic MTSS. However, limited research has been conducted to determine the effects of providing more intensive support within an integrated academic and behavioral MTSS framework. Researchers at the University of Oregon are partnering with the Michigan Department of Education's Office of Special Education (MDE/OSE) to address this researc...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324L180014
Grant
Evaluation of the Apply and Communicate for Transition Now (ACTNow) Tool for Shared Interagency Collaboration for Secondary Students with Disabilities
The goal of this project is to evaluate the efficacy of the Apply and Communicate for Transition Now (ACTNow) tool for improving the self-determination skills of high school students with disabilities. The ACTNow tool is designed to support the transition process and improve students' self-determination skills through improved self-awareness and self-knowledge. Self-awareness and self-knowledge are critical skills for students with disabilities who are transitioning to employment and into th...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324L180011
Grant
The Impact of Internal Coaching on Providers' Use of Family Guided Routines Based Intervention (FGRBI) in Part C Early Intervention
The purpose of this project is to evaluate a professional development program centered on internal coaching (i.e., peer coaching) on the use of Family Guided Routines Based Intervention (FGRBI) by early intervention providers. FGRBI is used in providing services for Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) throughout the state of Iowa. Early intervention providers train and support the child's caregiver (e.g., parent) in implementing evidence-based practices with thei...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324L180013
Grant
Cohesive Integration of Behavior Support within a Process of Data-Based Intervention Intensification
The goal of this project is to build and optimize an adaptive intervention within a multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS) model to improve elementary school students' academic and behavior outcomes. The overall adaptive intervention will consist of various combinations of academic (reading or math) and behavior (self-regulation) strategies designed to improve academic engagement and learning. Behavior problems and academic problems often co-occur, as learning difficulties may lead to frustr...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324N180018
Grant
Exploring Writing Instruction Delivered by Teachers Providing Services to Students with Disabilities
The purpose of this project is to explore the extent to which effective writing instruction practices are used by special education and general education teachers who teach writing to students with disabilities in Grade 4, and to examine the relationships between effective writing instruction practices and student writing outcomes. The project will also examine whether teacher-level factors (e.g., expertise for teaching students with disabilities) moderate these relationships and whether the...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324A180137
Grant
An Efficacy Trial to Evaluate Supporting Paraprofessionals by Advancing Reading Intervention Knowledge and Skill (SPARK)
This project will evaluate the efficacy of two models of professional development (PD) designed to enhance paraprofessionals' knowledge and skills related to delivering an early reading intervention to elementary school students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). The first model, a traditional reading-focused PD (T-PD), will use a training model developed through a prior IES-funded Development and Innovation grant. The second model, enhanced reading-focused PD (E-PD), go...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324A190240
Grant
Development of a Game-Supported Intervention to Improve Learning and Study Strategies among At-Risk Students
The purpose of this project is to develop and pilot test a computer-assisted behavior intervention, Athemos, for middle school students with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Many adolescents with ADHD experience high rates of disciplinary actions, academic failure, and grade retentions. Although research has identified evidence-based behavior management strategies, there are barriers to implementing these strategies in secondary schools, including low student motivation and k...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324A180219
Grant
Betty's Mind: A Theory of Mind and Social Reasoning Intervention for Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders Based on a Learning by Teaching Approach
The purpose of the project is to develop a technology-based intervention to improve theory of mind (ToM) reasoning among adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). ToM refers to the ability to ascribe mental states, such as beliefs, desires, goals, and emotions to other people and to understand that these mental states can be different from one's own. Many students with ASD have difficulty with ToM reasoning, especially in the context of social situations. However, there are limited re...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324A180171
Grant
Supporting Teachers' Implementation of Data-Based Instruction in Early Writing: An Efficacy Study
The purpose of this study is to examine the efficacy of Data-Based Instruction: Tools, Learning and Collaborative Support (DBI-TLC), aimed at improving teachers' use of data to promote positive outcomes for children with intensive early writing needs. Although writing is critical to students' success in school and afterwards, little is known about effective ways to support teachers in improving outcomes of students who experience significant writing difficulties. Data-based instruction (DBI)...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324A170101
Grant
Keys to Writing Smarter: An Online Writing Workbench for Students with High-Incidence Disabilities
The purpose of this project is to develop and pilot test a technology-based professional learning system to support teachers in providing more effective writing instruction to seventh- and eighth-grade students with high-incidence disabilities (e.g., learning disabilities, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, emotional and behavioral disorders, dyslexia). Students who graduate from high school without the writing skills required for college success or gainful employment are at a disadva...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324A170043
Grant
TIPS EdTech: Developing Professional Development and Online Applications to Support Team-Initiated Problem Solving (TIPS) within Multi-Tiered Support Systems
The purpose of this study is to develop the Team Initiated Problem Solving (TIPS) EdTech suite of tools, which includes TIPS Online Training and TIPS Meeting Application (TIPS MApp), and test their promise for improving the efficiency and impact of school teams' data-based decision making. There is rapid growth in the amount of data available to school teams, but many school teams are not effective in their use of data to support students. Although there is evidence of efficacy for the TIPS ...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324A170052
Grant
Project Coordinate: Increasing Coordinated Use of Evidence-Based Practices for Improving Word Study in an RTI Framework for Teams of 4th Grade Teachers
The purpose of this study is to develop Project Coordinate, a professional development program and set of tools designed to improve general and special education teachers' ability to plan for and enact coordinated, evidence-based tiered reading instruction (i.e., in multisyllabic word decoding, morphological awareness, contextual analysis, and summarization). Project Coordinate uses online content modules and a lesson study process to improve teacher knowledge and practice. In addition to su...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324A170135
Grant
Developing a Technology-Based Early Language Comprehension Intervention (TELCI)
This project developed the Technology-Based Early Language Comprehension Intervention (TELCI) for first- and second-grade students with or at risk for disabilities who experience reading comprehension difficulties. According to the 2013 National Assessment of Educational Progress, approximately a third of fourth-grade students struggle in the area of reading comprehension, making it crucial to address these difficulties in earlier grades. A disproportionate number of students with reading co...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324A160064
Grant
Developing a Fraction Sense Intervention for Students with or at Risk for Mathematics Difficulties
This project aims to develop a fraction sense intervention for middle school students with or at risk for mathematics difficulties. Many middle-school students struggle to develop a basic understanding of fractions. Fractions are not only foundational for learning algebra, but facility with fractions also affects daily life functioning (e.g., managing personal finances). Unfortunately, many students fail to develop these foundational skills, which can lead to negative educational, vocational...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324A160127
Grant
Vocabulary CHAAOS: Creating Habits that Accelerate Academic Language of Students
The purpose of this project is to develop an intervention to improve the academic language of adolescents with disabilities in Grades 6 8. Results from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (2013) indicate that adolescents with disabilities have poor reading comprehension. More research is needed on how to develop the academic language of adolescents with disabilities. This project seeks to fill this gap by developing three sets (one per grade) of a 12-week intervention with vocabu...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324A160019
Grant
Goal Guide: A Web-Based Application to Improve Goal Self-Management for Students with Autism
The purpose of this project is to develop a web application, Goal Guide, which enables students with mild to moderate Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) to effectively set goals in various life domains (e.g., academic and behavioral outcomes in school, personal behavior, life skills). Research has shown that goal-setting plays a role in reducing the need for support, increasing the likelihood of goal attainment, and enhancing self-determination and task performance; however, further research an...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324A160298
Grant
A Multi-Site Randomized Controlled Trial to Assess the Efficacy of the NumberShire Level 1 Gaming Intervention for Improving Math Outcomes for Students With or At Risk for Math Learning Disabilities
The purpose of this study is to determine the efficacy of the NumberShire Level 1 gaming intervention, aimed at improving mathematics achievement for first-grade students with or at risk for mathematics learning disabilities. Intervention to strategically accelerate math learning in early elementary school can help prevent costly remediation in later grades. According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (2013), 45% of all fourth-grade students with disabilities scored below th...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324A160125
Grant
An Intervention to Provide Youth with Visual Impairments with Strategies to Access Graphical Information in Math Word Problems
This study planned to develop a technology-based intervention to support students with visual impairments in locating key information in math word problems that include graphics. Prior research has shown that students with visual impairment face challenges when working with graphical material and can miss important information resulting in errors in their problem solving. More research is needed on the efficacy of instruction and technology tools to teach students with visual impairments to ...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324A160154
Grant
Project Connect-IT (Connecting Text by Inference and Technology): Development of a Text-Integration Intervention for Middle School Students with Comprehension Difficulties
The purpose of this study is to design and test a technology-based intervention aimed at improving how middle school students with reading disabilities make inferences while reading. Results from the National Assessment of Educational Progress indicate that students with disabilities continue to perform at the basic level with little change in comparison to their typically developing peers in the past few administrations of this assessment. There is preliminary evidence that improvements in ...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324A170150
Grant
Efficacy Study of the Universally Designed Science Notebook: An Intervention to Support All Students' Elementary School Science Learning
The purpose of this study is to test the efficacy of the intervention, Universally Designed for Learning Science Notebook (UDSN), aimed at increasing fourth-grade students' science content knowledge. This study will be a replication study that builds on the results of a prior efficacy trial, but will cover a broader range of science content and have a larger sample. Eighty-two percent of fourth-grade students with disabilities performed at or below the basic level on the most recent science ...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324A160008
Grant
A Randomized Control Trial of a Tier 2 First Grade Mathematics Intervention
The purpose of this study was to test the efficacy of a first-grade mathematics intervention called Fusion, aimed at developing understanding of whole numbers for students at risk for mathematics learning disabilities. According to results from the National Assessment of Educational Progress, only 42% of fourth graders performed at or above the proficient level in mathematics. Students who perform poorly in mathematics early in school are at risk for continuing to struggle in mathematics thr...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324A160046
Grant
Project AIM: Algebra-readiness Intervention Modules for Middle School Students with Mathematics Difficulties
The purpose of this study is to test the efficacy of Tier II Algebra-readiness Intervention Modules (Project AIM) designed to improve mathematics achievement for sixth- and seventh-grade students with difficulties in mathematics. Student success in Algebra I has been linked to greater ability to be successful at the post-secondary level and to garner higher-wage jobs. There is a critical need to ensure middle school students with mathematics difficulties are better prepared for Algebra I. Ho...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324A160042
Grant
Implementing an emergent literacy program for students with intellectual disabilities and autism in general education classrooms
This project planned to evaluate the efficacy of the Early Literacy Skills Builder for increasing the literacy skills of students with severe intellectual disabilities or autism spectrum disorder (ASD) when it is implemented in small group contexts in general education classrooms. Literacy outcomes for students with intellectual disabilities or ASD have been typically poor. In addition, their instruction has often been provided in settings outside of the general education classrooms and away...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324A150021
Grant
Developing Enhanced Assessment Tools for Capturing Students' Procedural Skills and Conceptual Understanding in Math
The goals of this grant were to develop, test, and refine a set of assessment tools for measuring the conceptual understanding and procedural math skills of middle school students with math difficulties (MD). Traditional measurement methods for assessing problem solving do not effectively capture what students with MD know and are able to do in mathematics. Despite best efforts on word problem-solving items, many are still unsure of what test items are asking. Test formats also do little to ...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324A150035
Grant
Idea Detectives: Individualized Intervention in Reading Comprehension and Word Reading based on Best Evidence from Cognitive Science
The intended aim of this project was to apply advances in cognitive science in text processing to further the development of an intensive and research-based reading intervention, Idea Detectives, for students in grades 2 and 3 at risk for or identified as having serious reading difficulties or disabilities (RD). In the absence of quality intervention, students with reading difficulties in the primary grades are likely to maintain these deficits throughout school. To address this need, many s...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324A150171
Grant
Developing Connections Between Word Problems and Mathematical Equations to Promote Word-Problem Performance Among Students with Mathematics Difficulty
The purpose of this efficacy study was to assess whether equation-solving instruction, conducted within the context of word-problem tutoring, led to improved word-problem solving outcomes. Word-problem proficiency is necessary to demonstrate successful mathematics performance. Many students, however, are inadequately prepared to solve word problems, and this is especially true for students with or at risk for mathematics difficulty (MD). Students with or at risk for MD demonstrate significan...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324A150078
Grant
Science Learning Difficulties: Patterns and Predictions in a Nationally Representative Cohort
The intended purpose of this project was to analyze nationally representative and longitudinal data to identify factors associated with or predictive of elementary and middle school students experiencing difficulties in learning science. Some groups of elementary and middle school students are far more likely to experience low science achievement, although the factors leading to this greater risk are poorly understood. Students with disabilities, low-income students, and English language lea...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324A150126
Grant
Testing the Efficacy of Reading RULES: A Tier 1 and Tier 2 Intervention for First-Grade Children with Decoding and Comprehension Difficulties
The purpose of this project is to evaluate the efficacy of Reading RULES for first-grade students who are at risk for serious reading difficulties and disabilities in both word reading and comprehension. Students who do not learn to read adequately in the early grades typically have persistent reading difficulties. Potential persistent reading problems may be prevented or their severity reduced if they are addressed aggressively and early. Reading RULES combines whole-class and intensive sma...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324A180221
Grant
Improving Reading and Mathematics Outcomes for Students with Learning Disabilities: Next Generation Intensive Interventions
The purpose of this project was to develop and evaluate the efficacy of intensive interventions for students with and at high risk for reading and math disabilities. Over the last two decades, strides have been made in the development of reading and mathematics instruction to improve student achievement. Yet there is a wide and persistent achievement gap between students with disabilities and their peers without disabilities, and some students show limited or no progress despite receiving se...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324D130003
Grant
Project Intensity: The Development of a Supplemental Literacy Program Designed to Provide Extensive Practice with Multiple-Criteria Text for Students with Intellectual Disabilities
The purpose of this project was to develop a reading program that will supplement current reading instruction and increase the intensity of instruction for students with intellectual disabilities. Many students with intellectual disabilities fail to achieve minimal literacy skills. Intervention techniques effective for struggling readers can also improve literacy outcomes for students with intellectual disabilities. Students with intellectual disabilities, however, need more intensive instru...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324A130102
Grant
The Solutions Project: Teaching Students with Moderate/Severe Intellectual Disability to Solve Mathematical Problems
The purpose of this project was to develop materials for teaching mathematical problem solving to students with moderate and severe intellectual disabilities. The goal was to combine methods used to teach problem solving to students with high-incidence disabilities and evidence-based practices for teaching mathematics to students with moderate/severe intellectual disabilities. Students with significant cognitive impairments often have difficulty participating in key aspects of the mathematic...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324A130001
Grant
Decision Rule Research Project: Curriculum-Based Measurement in Reading
Curriculum-based measurement (CBM) is frequently used to estimate the rate of individual student progress and evaluate instructional effects. CBM resources provide teachers with guidelines and decision rules for interpreting CBM scores and making instructional and placement decisions based on the data. However, these guidelines and rules have little information about their technical adequacy, indicating that potentially high-stakes decisions could be made with little support for the reliabil...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324A130161
Grant
Investigating the Technical Adequacy of Progress Monitoring Measures for Kindergarten Students at Risk for Reading Disabilities
The research team proposed to investigate the technical adequacy of six existing early literacy measures and validate their use for monitoring the reading progress of kindergarten students at risk for reading disabilities. Progress monitoring is recommended for students who are considered at risk for reading disabilities. While progress monitoring measures are readily available and frequently used in early elementary school, little research has been conducted on which reading monitoring meas...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324A150270
Grant
Passport to Literacy: Examining the Effectiveness of the Voyager Passport Intervention for Fourth-grade Students with or at High Risk for Reading Disabilities
The intended purpose of this project was to evaluate the Voyager Passport intervention with fourth grade children with or at high risk for reading disabilities to determine whether it improves reading outcomes. Despite its wide use, Voyager Passport had never been rigorously evaluated. Many students who enter fourth grade, particularly those with disabilities, struggle significantly with reading. Students who enter the upper grades as poor readers continue to struggle throughout their school...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324A150269
Grant
KinderTEK: Teaching Early Knowledge of Whole Number Concepts Through Technology
Results from the latest NAEP (2009) indicate that only about 40% of 4th graders were deemed at or above proficient in mathematics. Significant differences in student knowledge can be reliably measured at school entry on concepts from counting and number knowledge to more complex understandings of quantities, operations, and problem solving. Longitudinal research suggests that students who perform poorly at the end of kindergarten are likely to continue to perform poorly in mathematics throug...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324A110286
Grant
An Intervention to Improve the Comprehension of Primary-grade At-risk Students by Providing Text Structure Instruction Embedded in Social Studies Content
Students with reading disabilities may demonstrate comprehension problems for a number of reasons, including a lack of skill in relevant cognitive strategies such as the use of text structure. Readers without knowledge of text structure often do not approach text with any plan of action. Research suggests that identifying and using text structure can be an important tool for organizing reading and writing.
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324A110095
Grant
Solve It!—Grades 5–6: Improving Math Problem Solving for Students with Learning
Students with disabilities perform significantly lower in mathematics than their non-disabled peers. Math problem solving is particularly challenging for students with disabilities as instruction generally does not provide the kind of modeling and skill building necessary to become an efficient math problem solver. The purpose of this project is to modify Solve It!, a mathematics problem-solving intervention for students with learning disabilities. Solve It! intends to teach students how to ...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324A110009
Grant
Development of Strategic and Interactive Writing Instruction (SIWI) for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students
Students who are deaf or hard of hearing have demonstrated little progress in literacy over the years. It is common for students who are deaf or hard of hearing to graduate high school writing and reading at an elementary level. Deaf or hard of hearing students may exhibit substantial difficulties with sentence-level writing skills, and their writing can have fewer words, more incomplete sentences, frequently omitted function words, and less complex structures compared to the writing of peer...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324A120085
Grant
A Randomized Control Trial of a Tier 2 Kindergarten Mathematics Intervention
Recently, students in the United States have demonstrated low levels of mathematics performance compared to national standards and the performance of students from other countries. Signs of potential low performance and risk for mathematics disabilities can appear early in students' schooling. Without intervention in early elementary school, these difficulties are likely to persist over time and become more challenging to remediate. One approach to improving mathematics achievement is to del...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324A120304
Grant
Project AIM: Algebra-readiness Intervention Modules for At-Risk Students
Success in algebra courses has been linked to greater success at the secondary and postsecondary levels and higher-wage jobs. Algebra competence, however, is a particular concern for students with or at risk for mathematics disabilities. These students are participating in general education mathematics courses in growing numbers and facing curriculum standards and graduation requirements that demand mastery of algebra. These students continue to demonstrate poor mathematics achievement that ...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324A120364
Grant
Development of a Game-based Integrated Learning and Assessment System to Target Whole Number Concepts (Project NumberShire)
Students who perform poorly in mathematics in the early elementary grades are likely to continue to perform poorly in mathematics in later grades. These findings indicate that a successful start in mathematics is critical to later mathematics achievement. The purpose of this project is to develop NumberShire-K, a browser-based, educational video game in which first-grade students learn and apply the mathematical concepts and skills of whole numbers. NumberShire-K will include research-based ...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324A120071
Grant
Reducing Special Education/Reading Risk for Urban Learners through An Oral Reading Fluency Intervention
According to the 2009 NAEP fourth-grade reading results, a large gap exists between urban students with disabilities and their national counterparts. In many urban settings, the large teacher-student ratios increase the likelihood that students with the poorest reading skills will not get the needed instruction to become proficient readers. The research team is proposing to develop a computer-based intervention specifically designed for students with disabilities in urban areas. The interve...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324A120103
Grant
BRIDGES: Teaching Reading Through U.S. History
Finding time to provide intensive reading instruction for students with disabilities and poor readers is more difficult in secondary schools than in elementary schools. Reading instruction in middle school is often eliminated in favor of tutoring support for passing courses. Educators can be faced with weighing the importance of content acquisition over reading skills for improving academic outcomes for these struggling students. This project will develop an intervention to address this dile...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324A120173
Grant
Promoting Algebra Readiness: Developing a Strategic Intervention On Rational Number Concepts (Project PAR)
Algebra competence is of particular concern for secondary students with disabilities who are participating in general education mathematics courses in growing numbers and facing curriculum standards and graduation requirements that demand mastery of algebra. The purpose of this project is to develop the curriculum Promoting Algebra Readiness for sixth-grade students with or at risk for learning disabilities in mathematics. Promoting Algebra Readiness will be designed to include instructional...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324A120115
Grant
AnimalWatch-VI Suite: A Comprehensive Program to Increase Access to Mathematics for Students with Visual Impairments
The impact of visual impairment is widely recognized to be particularly significant for mathematics learning as vision provides important access to information that supports the development of conceptual understanding in mathematics. Students with visual impairments consistently lack access to the mathematics curriculum and therefore show substantially lower achievement in mathematics and reduced participation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields. Helping students with...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324A120006
Grant
Reading Achievement Multi-component Program (RAMP-UP)
The purpose of this project was to examine the efficacy of two versions of a fully developed and empirically supported peer-mediated, multi-component remedial reading program designed specifically for adolescents with reading disabilities. Many adolescents with reading disabilities read 4 to 6 years below grade level, score poorly on reading assessments, and show severe deficits in word recognition, reading fluency, and comprehension. Questions exist regarding the most effective way to provi...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324A140003
Grant
Expanding Audio Access to Mathematics Expressions by Students with Visual Impairments via MathML
Mathematical expressions are used in instructional materials, test-preparation materials, and educational assessments. These expressions pose an accessibility challenge for students with visual impairments because the information is difficult to convey using the available technologies, such as recorded or human-read audio. Existing assistive technology that provides synthetic speech for electronic text does not improve the accessibility situation for math because the technology generally doe...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324A110355
Grant
Algebra Screening and Progress Monitoring
Proficiency in algebra is a critical building block for postsecondary education and higher wage jobs, as well as the nation's competitiveness in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Algebra competence is a particular concern for secondary students with disabilities, who are participating in general education mathematics courses in growing numbers and facing curriculum standards and graduation requirements that demand mastery of algebra. Empirical evidence suggests positive effe...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324A110262
Grant
Enhancing Reading Instruction for Children with Down Syndrome: A Behavioral Phenotypic Approach
Current methods of reading instruction have not been highly effective for children with Down syndrome. The purpose of this project is to improve reading outcomes for these children by developing an intervention that incorporates critical components of early reading (e.g., vocabulary, decoding skills, fluency) that have been adapted and modified to support the challenges with working and short-term memory, expressive language, and motivation often exhibited by children with Down syndrome.
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324A110162
Grant
Efficacy of the Interactive Strategies Approach-Extended as a Small Group Intervention for Intermediate Grade Struggling Readers
Instructional approaches for improving reading and writing skills of older students may address deficits in knowledge, vocabulary, comprehension, and basic reading skills. Often the approaches feature a standard treatment that does not differentiate instruction based on individual student needs. The research team proposes to investigate the efficacy of the Interactive Strategies Approach-Extended with third and fourth graders who have disabilities or are struggling readers. The interventio...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324A110053
Grant
Foundations of Mathematical Understanding: Developing a Strategic Intervention on Whole Number Concepts
The purpose of this project was to develop a core mathematics intervention for students in first grade who are at risk for mathematics difficulties and disabilities. The intervention, FUSION, is designed as a program for schools using a multi-tiered approach to instruction that provides increasingly intense levels of instruction based on the results of frequent progress monitoring of students. FUSION will be developed as a tier 2 program, most applicable in schools that rely on a response-to...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324A090341
Grant
Improving the Science Performance of Students with Learning Disabilities Through Strategic Note-taking
Secondary students with disabilities continue to receive science instruction in mainstream settings where the predominant mode of instruction involves students listening and taking notes. Despite increases in the number of students being included in regular education classes, most students with disabilities have difficulty in content areas such as science. Students with disabilities often lack the necessary note-taking skills (e.g., they typically record fewer total notes and fewer importan...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324A120409
Grant
Project Early Vocabulary Intervention
Early vocabulary development has long been recognized as being important to future reading success. Although there is some research on direct vocabulary instruction in early grades, there are few investigations of its effects on students identified as at risk for disabilities. The purpose of this project is to assess the efficacy of Early Vocabulary Intervention with kindergartners most at risk for language and learning disabilities. The intervention is designed to supplement classroom vocab...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324A110135
Grant
Test of Integrated Language and Literacy Skills Validation Research
This project is designed to complete validation research on the Test of Integrated Language and Literacy Skills for identifying whether a student has a primary language impairment or language-based learning disability and to develop profiles of students' language and literacy strengths and weaknesses. Unlike existing measures, the Test of Integrated Language and Literacy Skills will assess both spoken and written language, be curriculum related and inform instruction, be easy and efficient t...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324A100354
Grant
Assessing ASL Knowledge and its Relationship to Reading English in Deaf Children
Although there are many assessments for evaluating the language skills of hearing children, no comparable assessments of American Sign Language for educational use are currently available for deaf children, whose language input is often impoverished and inconsistent. The purpose of this project is to develop a test of sign language, the American Sign Language Assessment Instrument (ASLAI) modeled on tests for spoken language development and tests of reading achievement. The ASLAI is intended...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324A100176
Grant
First Grade Super-Readers: Intervention for the Prevention of Reading Comprehension and Decoding Difficulties in Young Children At-Risk for Reading Disabilities
First Grade Super Readers is intended to be an integrated, systematic reading intervention for first grade children who are at-risk of serious difficulties and disabilities in word reading and reading comprehension. This research team will develop First Grade Super Readers as a Tier 2 intervention within a Response-to-Intervention model to provide supplemental intervention to students who do not benefit sufficiently from quality classroom reading instruction.
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324A100129
Grant
The Math Learning Companion: An Individualized Intervention for Students with Math Learning Disabilities
The purpose of this project is to develop and demonstrate the feasibility of the Math Learning Companion, a web-based mathematics intervention for sixth grade students struggling with mathematics. The research team will also conduct a pilot study to assess the promise of the intervention for improving student outcomes in a pre-test and post-test study design. The development of the Math Learning Companion is based on pedagogical principles for students with disabilities including explicit in...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324A090340
Grant
Project SAIL: Strategies for Academic Internet Learning
Comprehension of textbooks and other reading materials assigned in class is fundamental to success at the secondary level. More and more, these materials are being accessed online or through other digital media. Reading and learning online materials can pose a set of challenges for students. Skills and strategies that are important for reading traditional print materials are not necessarily the same skills needed for online reading and learning. Online materials may be particularly probl...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324A100322
Grant
Developing a Narrative Intervention
Oral language development provides the foundation for learning, reading, and academic success in early childhood. Children with language impairments (LI) and English language learners (ELLs) who are at-risk for oral language deficits are at a disadvantage in educational and social settings. The purpose of this project is to develop a robust program to foster oral language proficiency through instruction in story comprehension and storytelling (narration).
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324A100063
Grant
Developing Middle School Mathematics Progress Monitoring Measures
Continued poor performance in mathematics has indicated a need for more sensitive progress measures that can assist with the early identification of struggling students. Currently, there is a lack of high quality progress measures that are readily available, technically adequate, and aligned to appropriate content. More robust progress monitoring measures, independent of curriculum, could more objectively measure student progress on critical mathematics content. In addition, there is a need ...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324A100026
Grant
Reliability and Validity Evidence for Progress Measures in Reading
This research is designed to validate decision-making based on use of easyCBM, a free online curriculum-based benchmark and progress monitoring assessment system that documents early literacy acquisition. Developed in 2006, easyCBM currently has registered users from all 50 states using the system as part of their Response to Intervention (RtI) programming; yet the technical adequacy of the system has not yet been sufficiently studied.
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324A100014
Grant
Preventing School Dropout with Secondary Students: The Implementation of an Individualized Reading Intervention and Dropout Prevention Intervention
The purpose of this project is to test the efficacy of an individualized reading intervention (Reading Interventions for Adolescents; RIA) and a dropout prevention intervention (Check & Connect; C&C) separately and combined for secondary students with reading difficulties who are also at risk for dropping out of school. Despite improved knowledge about effective reading interventions for students in the younger grades, much less is known regarding effective interventions and reading instruct...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324A100022
Grant
Learning Progressions: Developing an Embedded Formative and Summative Assessment System to Assess and Improve Learning Outcomes for Elementary and Middle School Students with Learning Disabilities in Mathematics
This purpose of this project is to develop and validate a formative and summative classroom assessment system embedded with universal design principles for evaluating and promoting conceptual understanding of pre-algebra constructs for elementary and early middle school students with mathematics learning disabilities (MLD). The instruments will be designed to assess how students with MLD learn constructs important to number sense and operations for whole numbers and elementary fractions.
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324A100068
Grant
Dynamic Assessment to Predict First Graders' Mathematics Development
The aim of this project was to develop a dynamic assessment for early mathematics. One major purpose of educational assessment is screening, which is the practice of predicting which students are likely to perform poorly in school. With accurate screening, students at risk of poor outcomes can be identified to receive intervention early. Most commonly, screening is accomplished using traditional static tests, where examinees respond without examiner assistance. However, static tests reveal o...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324A090039
Grant
Using the International Classification of Function-Children & Youth to Guide Communication Instruction for Augmentative and Alternative Communication Users
There are few measurement tools or frameworks for profiling the communication skills and generating diagnostic profiles of children who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). These children are particularly difficult to assess because they do not use speech for expression but instead use a variety of non-speech behaviors and devices to communicate. Diagnostic frameworks would not only assist educators with accurately assessing the children's educational and developmental ne...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324A090028
Grant
Formative Assessment and Instrumentation Procedures for Reading
Progress monitoring measures, unlike summative assessments, allow for the depiction and analysis of student growth and are uniquely suited for the evaluation of students' response to instruction and intervention. Assessments that measure individual student growth and progress must not only be reliable and valid, but they must also allow for frequent measurement, be brief and easy to administer, and consist of a number of alternate forms so that the same test does not have to be used across r...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324A090038
Grant
Evaluating the Effectiveness of Reading Interventions for Students with Mild MR
This project evaluates the potential efficacy of theoretically motivated instructional reading programs for children with mild mental retardation. These programs are based upon increasingly convergent evidence that early reading difficulties are primarily due to two core linguistic deficits: phonological awareness and naming retrieval/access speed.
Federal funding program:
Award number:
H324K040007
Grant
Research on Accessible Reading Assessments
Learning to read and the demonstration of reading proficiency are cornerstones of educational success. This project addresses the question of whether current large-scale reading assessments result in a valid demonstration of reading proficiency for students who have disabilities that affect reading. The mission of the Center is to conduct a systematic program of research and development to make large-scale assessments of reading proficiency accessible to such students.
Federal funding program:
Award number:
H324F040002
Grant
Project LIBERATE (Literacy Instruction Based on Evidence through Research for Adjudicated Teens to Excel)
A significant portion of incarcerated students has severe educational, psychological, physiological, and social problems. One common characteristic of adjudicated students is academic deficits in reading. Because many adjudicated teens never return to formal school settings, evidence-based instruction in reading and other literacy skills is essential within the juvenile justice system. To address the need for effective, evidence-based literacy instruction in the juvenile justice system, rese...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324A080006
Grant
Spanish Screener for Language Impairment in Children (SSLIC)
English language learners represent approximately 9.6 percent of all children enrolled in public schools. Eighty percent of students who are English language learners speak Spanish as their native language and Spanish-speaking children represent the fastest growing population in the public schools. Current assessment instruments are inadequate for assessing Spanish speaking students and lead to inappropriate identification and placement of students in special education programs. To addres...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324A080024
Grant
Visualizing Science with Adapted Curriculum Enhancements (ACE)
Most children who are blind or visually impaired receive an education in the mainstream classroom. In science classrooms, students with significant visual impairments often have difficulty accessing the science curriculum. Most teachers have limited experience in incorporating instructional strategies that enable students with visual impairments to “observe” scientific information as presented in textual form or during a hands-on experiment. The researchers propose a professional develop...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324A080096
Grant
Math and Science Teaching that Promotes Clear Expectations and Real Learning across Years for Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities
Students with significant cognitive impairments often have difficulty participating in key aspects of the math and science learning processes. Many of these students have not had access to the general education curriculum. Recent education policy has encouraged instruction and assessment efforts to focus on grade level content for all students, including students with significant cognitive impairments. In order for these students to be evaluated on grade level content, new alternate assessm...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324A080014
Grant
Extending the Interactive Strategies Approach to Older Struggling Readers
The ability to read is critical to success in American schools. As struggling readers progress through school, their educational problems become more complicated because they are expected to acquire knowledge in all academic subject areas through independent reading. Older struggling readers fall increasingly below their peers in academic achievement, and may become disengaged and unmotivated. The purpose of this project is to develop and test a new approach to intervention with older strugg...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324A070223
Grant
Validating a Response to Intervention Multitiered Model for Primary Grade Students With Mathematics Difficulties
If children do not master basic math facts in early elementary school, they will be unable to move on to more advanced mathematics skills necessary for success in school and life. Intensive mathematics interventions implemented in early elementary school have the potential for preventing mathematics difficulties and improving long-term mathematics outcomes for all students, particularly for students with mathematics disabilities.
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324B070164
Grant
Integrated Literacy for Students with Moderate and Severe Disabilities
Despite significant interest and investment in literacy and reading research over the last decade, little is known about effective literacy interventions for students with moderate to severe intellectual disability. Providing effective instruction for this population of students is challenging because of their diverse skill levels in developmental (e.g., verbal and non-verbal) and academic (e.g., emerging literacy and advanced literacy) domains.
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324A070144
Grant
Improving Mathematics Performance of At Risk Students and Students with Learning Disabilities in Urban Middle Schools (MSM Project)
Students with disabilities tend to lag behind their peers in mathematics achievement. On the 2007 National Assessment of Educational Progress, 19 percent of students with disabilities in Grade 4, and 8 percent of students with disabilities in Grade 8 were at or above the proficient level in mathematics for their grade. A number of interventions have been developed to address the mathematics needs of students with disabilities, but relatively little high quality research has been conducted t...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324A070206
Grant
CopyCat: Learning Through Signing
A majority of deaf children of hearing parents remain significantly delayed in language development throughout their lives when compared to hearing children or deaf children of deaf parents. Due to these delays in language development, deaf children of hearing parents are at considerable risk for poor educational outcomes. The development and evaluation of effective interventions that will promote the development of language skills in deaf children of hearing parents are needed.
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324A070196
Grant
Instructional Effects on Achievement Growth of Children with Learning Difficulties in Mathematics
Students with disabilities tend to lag behind their peers in mathematics achievement. On the 2007 National Assessment of Educational Progress, 19 percent of students with disabilities in Grade 4, and 8 percent of students with disabilities in Grade 8 were proficient in mathematics for their grade. To date, relatively little research has been conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of specific interventions for improving mathematics achievement of students with mathematics disabilities or eve...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324A070270
Grant
The Universally Designed Science Notebook: An Intervention To Support Science Learning For Students With Disabilities
Students with disabilities tend to lag behind their peers in science achievement. For example, on the 2005 National Assessment of Educational Progress, 13 percent of students with disabilities in Grade 4 were proficient in science, and 4 percent were proficient in Grade 12. To date, very little rigorous research has been conducted to develop and evaluate science interventions for students with disabilities. This project will develop and conduct an initial evaluation of a universally desig...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324A070130
Grant
RAISE: Reading Accommodations and Interventions for Students with Emergent Literacy
The RAISE (Reading and Accommodations Interventions for Students with Emergent Literacy) research project is a partnership between the University of North Carolina - Charlotte, Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools (CMS), and LifeSpan Community Services (LS) to conduct scientifically based research to evaluate interventions to teach reading to students with moderate and severe mental retardation (MR) in grades K-3.
Federal funding program:
Award number:
H324K040004
Grant
Maximizing Literacy Learning among Children with Mild to Moderate Mental Retardation: Project Maximize
The purpose of the proposed research is to determine if what we know about teaching reading to children with reading difficulties applies to children who have mild to moderate mental retardation (MR). The researchers will also explore what levels of reading competence can be achieved when a long-term intervention is implemented.
Federal funding program:
Award number:
H324K040011
Grant
The Effects of School Climate and Supports on Mathematics Achievements for Students with Visual Impairments
The purpose of this project is to examine the effects of school climate, including policies and practices related to teacher supports, student supports, and support for family involvement, and other contextual and individual factors on mathematics achievement for elementary and middle school students with visual impairments. Students with visual impairments tend to lag behind their sighted peers in math achievement, and there are persistent questions about the best approaches for developing...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324K060009
Grant
Developing Accessible and Valid Reading Assessments: A Research Based Solution
Comprehension is the ultimate educational goal of reading. There are subcomponent skills to reading that are essential building blocks to mastery of reading comprehension. These are: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension strategies. Identifying subcomponent profiles of weaknesses and strengths is essential for developing individual interpretive, descriptive, and diagnostic reports for students with learning disabilities that affect reading. This project will des...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
H324F040001
Grant
Response-To-Intervention as an Approach to Preventing and Identifying Learning Disabilities in Reading
The purpose of this project is to address key measurement issues associated with the response-to-intervention (RTI) process: Who should enter the RTI process? How does one determine whether effective Tier 2 intervention has been conducted? What is a valid and practical method of monitoring responsiveness to Tier 2 instruction? What is a valid definition of 'nonresponsiveness' (i.e., reading disabled [RD])?
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324G060036
Grant
Project IVI: Intensifying Vocabulary Intervention for Kindergarten Students at Risk of Learning Disabilities
The purpose of Project IVI is to develop, refine, and evaluate vocabulary intervention strategies for kindergarten students at significant risk of learning disabilities. The research team will draw on validated principles of instructional design and delivery to intensify vocabulary instruction and to optimize its effectiveness with kindergarten students most at risk of learning disabilities.
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324L060026
Grant
An Intervention to Enhance Expository Test Comprehension Via Text Structure Instruction for Primary-Grade At-Risk Students
The purpose of this project is to develop and evaluate an intervention to improve the expository text comprehension of second-grade students at high risk for reading disabilities.
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324G060039
Grant
Multiple-Component Remediation for Struggling Middle School Readers
The purpose of this project is to evaluate the efficacy of two multiple component reading interventions for middle school students with reading disabilities. Both programs address multiple sources of dysfluent reading, impaired reading comprehension, decoding, reading rate, and comprehension problems. However, the programs differ in that one includes a fluency component and the other includes a comprehension intervention component.
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324G060005
Grant
Project ILIAD: Independent Lexical Instruction and Development
The purpose of Project ILIAD (Independent Lexical Instruction and Development) is to develop a comprehensive intervention program of vocabulary instruction that can be applied reliably and effectively in grades K-3. This research will compare a focus on vocabulary enhancement versus a focus on phonics as a means of preventing and intervening with children with and at-risk for delays in reading, language, and academic development. These 15-20 min daily interventions supplement on-going lite...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324L060023
Grant
Development of a Culturally-Based Language and Vocabulary Intervention for Elementary School Children with Language Impairments and Children who are at High Risk for Developing Learning Disabilities
The purpose of this study was to develop an intervention program that is more culturally relevant and improves the vocabulary, narrative, phonological awareness, and reading skills of children from different cultures and for children from low socioeconomic homes. Past research had demonstrated differential impacts for different groups of kids. In a clinical trial that assessed the potential efficacy of school-age language intervention programs, substantially fewer gains were found for childr...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R324L060012
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