We used meta-analysis to examine the criterion validity of four scoring procedures used in curriculum-based measurement of written language. A total of 22 articles representing 21 studies (N = 21) met the inclusion criteria. Results indicated that two scoring procedures, correct word sequences and correct minus incorrect sequences, have acceptable criterion validity with commercially developed and state- or locally developed criterion assessments. Results indicated trends for scoring procedures at each grade level. Implications for researchers and practitioners are discussed.

Vocabulary knowledge is vital for students' success in school and beyond. However, students with disabilities and others who consistently score below their peers on various measures of vocabulary knowledge have difficulties in secondary-level content area courses. Because many students with disabilities are now educated primarily in general education classrooms, their teachers report needing more professional development on instructional strategies to support this population. Using a multiple-baseline design, we tested the efficacy of a multimedia, multicomponent professional development package in which middle school science teachers in inclusive classrooms promoted science vocabulary knowledge. The professional development package improved the quality of the teachers' use of evidence-based vocabulary practices and increased the amount of time they spent explicitly teaching vocabulary in their classes.

Improving inclusive middle school science teachers’ vocabulary instruction is a critical step toward helping those professionals support the learning needs of all students. In this Institute of Education Sciences (IES)–funded project, inclusive science teachers received professional development using elements of a multimedia-based approach called the Content Acquisition Podcast Professional Development (CAP-PD) intervention process. In this article, the authors discuss the three iterative pilot studies conducted as a part of this project and how each contributed to its development. Drawing on a theoretical framework that considers the characteristics of effective professional development, CAP-PD has three elements: (a) use of instructional videos that highlight the steps of practices and embed modeling videos to demonstrate practice, (b) preproduced instructional materials that support the implementation of evidence-based practices, and (c) feedback for teachers using data outputs from a classroom observation tool developed as a part of this project. Across studies, teachers who engaged in the CAP-PD process made important gains in terms of how much time they spent delivering evidence-based vocabulary instruction and the number of different practices implemented with fidelity. Future research should address questions of the lasting impact of this process on student learning and how to adapt the CAP-PD to help teachers do more than improve their vocabulary instruction.

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High-quality, effective vocabulary instruction is essential for supporting all students’ academic success, and it is particularly important for students with disabilities. Teacher preparation programs are faced with the challenge of not only training preservice teachers to provide effective vocabulary instruction across grades and content areas, but also to prepare them to teach students with disabilities. This randomized control trial included 200 preservice teachers. We tested the effects that a combination of multimedia instruction and performance feedback on evidence-based practices for effective vocabulary instruction had on participants’ knowledge and application of those practices. Compared with participants who received traditional lecture and text-based instruction and subjective feedback, we found that the group that received multimedia instruction and performance feedback implemented more of the practices, more frequently and for a longer duration. Implications for research and teacher preparation are discussed.

General and special education teachers need to have an understanding of effective practices for providing vocabulary instruction to students with and without disabilities across grade levels and content areas. Preservice teachers in this study ( N = 121) received training in evidence-based practices for vocabulary instruction via a series of three training modules. They then completed one of two practice conditions—creating a multimedia product to teach a vocabulary word or completing a non-multimedia learning task during class. The two practice conditions resulted in similar gains on the knowledge measure, but the group that created the multimedia product significantly outperformed the group that completed the non-multimedia task in a demonstration of instruction. Implications for teacher education are discussed.

There are multiple pathways for students with and without disabilities to learn new vocabulary terms. However, the number of empirically tested and validated multimedia options is surprisingly limited. In this study, researchers tested a commercially available app (InferCabulary) to evaluate the impact on vocabulary performance of fifth-grade students with and without disabilities. A key practice that can take many forms while maintaining its core characteristics is explicit instruction. Therefore, researchers paired the functionality of the app with explicit instruction to evaluate its impact on student learning. Based on a counterbalanced design across 6 alternating weeks accessing the app or teacher-led business-as-usual instruction, students scored higher on weeks when they used the app plus explicit instruction to learn new terms. Implications for future research are included.

This article describes a tool that can be used in teacher education called Content Acquisition Podcasts (CAPs). CAPs are short multimedia vignettes designed to teach targeted, specific concepts. They are developed in accordance with design principles that are intended to reduce learners' cognitive load (Mayer, 2009). CAPs are simple to create and can be made with readily-available software; this accessibility and their flexible design makes them extremely versatile. They can easily be incorporated into flipped or blended classes. In this article, the authors explain how CAPs are created, describe three ways to integrate CAPs into teacher education and professional development, and explore how CAPs can begin to address the challenges of preparing teachers for a complex working environment.