This research is part of a study on scaling-up middle school science curriculum units in a large, diverse public school system. Chemistry That Applies (CTA), a guided inquiry unit based on conceptual change theory and highly rated according to the Project 2061 Curriculum Analysis, was implemented in five middle schools matched demographically with five comparison schools (N = 2,282 students). Eighth grade CTA students outscored their peers overall and when data were disaggregated, with small to medium effect sizes. Of particular interest are students with disabilities in general education science classrooms (n = 202 students with complete assessment records). Those who used CTA significantly outscored their comparison peers on the posttest, with a small to medium effect size.
Transition services and interagency service coordination for youth with disabilities have increased significantly during the past 10 years. The development of these services has necessitated the creation of new human services professional roles. One emerging role is that of transition specialist. Competencies for this new role of transition specialist have not been validated. This study was conducted to identify and validate competencies for transition specialist practitioners. Practitioners across the United States from the fields of vocational special education, special education, and vocational rehabilitation identified competencies believed essential to providing effective transition services. “Knowledge of agencies and systems change” was the highest-rated competency.
An analysis was conducted of the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) research evidence base on the effectiveness of replicable education interventions. Most interventions were found to have little or no support from technically adequate research studies, and intervention effect sizes were of questionable magnitude to meet education policy goals. These findings painted a dim picture of the evidence base on education interventions and indicated a need for new approaches, including a reexamination of federal reliance on experimental impact research as the basis for gauging intervention effectiveness.
The editor is Juliana M. Taymans. Debi C. Basu served as the contracting officer's representative. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the positions or policies of the National Institute for Literacy. No official endorsement by the National Institute for Literacy of any product, commodity, or enterprise in this publication is intended or should be inferred.For quality assurance purposes, drafts of all publications commissioned by the National Institute for Literacy are subjected to a rigorous external peer review process by independent experts. This review process seeks to ensure that each report is impartial and objective and that the findings are supported by scientific research.The National Institute for Literacy, a Federal government agency, is a catalyst for advancing a comprehensive literacy agenda. The Institute bridges policy, research and practice to prompt action and deepen public understanding of literacy as a national asset.
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