Early identification of learning difficulties is a critical component of the Response to Intervention (RtI) model. In kindergarten, the screening of foundational reading skills can provide a data-based guideline for identifying students requiring a more intensive response-based intervention before starting elementary school. This study examines the classification accuracy and best predictors of a set of Spanish curriculum-based measures administered during kindergarten. The study’s sample included 189 students tested in the fall, winter, and spring. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was conducted. The composite score of the curriculum-based measurement (CBM) revealed area under the ROC curve (AUC) values of 0.83, 0.97, and 0.94 in the fall, winter, and spring, respectively. Phonemic awareness and letter-sound knowledge were the only isolated measures that demonstrated excellent AUC values throughout kindergarten. Logistic regression models showed that, when entered simultaneously, all measures were significant predictors of reading risk at some moment of the school year.
The main objective of this study was to examine the effectiveness of an intervention implemented by elementary school teachers within the context of the Response to Intervention (RtI) model. For this purpose, a Tier 2 or secondary intervention was implemented by Spanish-speaking teachers in grades K-3 after receiving training to implement RtI components with fidelity. A total of 1,923 at-risk students were assigned to treatment (in reading, n = 542; in math, n = 483) or control (in reading, n = 406; in math, n = 492). Teachers were provided with a support system that included two web-based training programs for reading (i.e., Letra program) and math (i.e., Primate program). Implementation fidelity was analyzed using direct observations and self-reports. All students were assessed three times during the academic year. A hierarchical linear growth modeling was conducted, and differences in the growth rate of reading and math performance were analyzed between at-risk students who have received the intervention and those who have not received it. Children at-risk in the intervention condition appeared to benefit more than at-risk children in the control condition. Moreover, findings indicate that the earlier the intervention, the greater the percentage of students who leave the situation of risk of learning difficulties in reading and math.
The main purpose of this study was to validate the curriculum-based measure Indicadores de Progreso de Aprendizaje en Matemáticas (IPAM [Indicators of Basic Early Math Skills]) in a local, Spanish-speaking context. This tool has been designed to identify first-grade students at risk for mathematics learning disabilities. The IPAM includes five measures (i.e., quantity discrimination, multi-digit computation, missing number, single-digit computation, and place value), which were analyzed as single measures and as part of a composite measure. In this study, 176 first graders were administered the curriculum-based measurement IPAM at the beginning, middle, and end of the school year. The results showed that the composite measure of the IPAM was the best indicator of risk status. Reliability and concurrent and predictive validity results were adequate. Furthermore, receiver operating curve analysis and hierarchical linear model supported the capacity of the IPAM to correctly identify students’ risk status and growth rate during first grade.
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