Chapter 6 Utilizing Evidence-Based Practice in Teacher Preparation

Developing and Sustaining a Research Agenda in Special Education Teacher Education

“…P-12 teachers, school leaders, and students consistently rated programs favorably and offered useful suggestions for improvement. Two of the early clinical experiences have been sustained for over 20 years even though no original faculty remain at the college (Maheady, Smith, & Jabot, 2013; Maheady, Magiera, & Simmons, 2016).…”

“…One research series (i.e., six, published single-case studies) showed that Numbered Heads Together (NHT), a cooperative learning structure, consistently increased student active engagement during group instruction and improved academic quiz performance by one to two letter grades over traditional hand-raising practices in elementary (Maheady, Mallette, Harper, & Sacca, 1991) and secondary (Maheady, Michielli-Pendl, Mallette, & Harper, 2002; McMillen et al, 2016) classrooms. Another research line (i.e., three published and two under review) found that a series of opaque jars used to randomize group contingency components (target behaviors, criteria, students, and/or consequences) improved homework completion and accuracy among students with and without disabilities (Ferneza, Jabot, & Maheady, 2013), increased student participation during group lessons (Maheady, Smith, & Jabot, 2013), and reduced high rates of disruptive behavior in an inclusive classroom (Maheady & Jabot, 2011).…”

Building and Sustaining School-University Partnerships in Rural Settings: One Approach for Improving Special Education Service Delivery

“…Fredonia had a few things working in its favor when implementing the funded project. First, the institution had a long and positive history of collaborative relationships with P-12 schools that included (a) development, implementation, and evaluation of a highly structured, developmentally sequenced series of required early field experiences; (b) conduct of joint research projects and professional development activities; and (c) use of data to make decisions about candidate and pupil progress (Maheady, Smith, & Jabot, 2013;Magiera & Geraci, 2014). Core clinical experiences were developed and refined collaboratively with school partners, required coursework was co-taught by university and school partners, and some faculty focused on the direct measurement of teaching practice and pupil learning (Maheady et al, 2007;Mallette, Maheady, & Harper, 1999).…”

“…Coaching activities were semi-scripted and followed an "I do, we do, you do" coaching cycle. All research projects identified educationally important problems (e.g., active participation in class, increased academic productivity, reduction of disruptive behavior); selected practices with empirical support; implemented them with integrity; measured outcomes directly, frequently, and reliably; used rigorous single-case research designs (e.g., A-B-A-B, multiple baseline, alternating treat-ments); and included social validity assessments (Maheady et al, 2013). These collaborative research projects were useful for addressing important P-12 problems, replicating intervention effects, disseminating EBPs, and building credibility with school partners.…”

The Role of Practice and Feedback for Developing Teacher Candidate’s Opportunities to Respond Expertise

“…Many teacher preparation programs (TPPs) report introducing evidence-based practices within coursework, yet research has shown that candidates do not receive the type of practice and feedback required for skill acquisition (Grossman, Compton, Igra, Ronfeldt, Shahan, & Williamson, 2009; Janssen, Grossman, & Westbroek, 2015). In addition, recent research has demonstrated the limitations of teacher preparation on candidates’ capacity to plan and implement evidence-based practices with fidelity upon completion of their programs (Maheady, Smith, & Jabot, 2013; Scheeler, Budin, & Markelz, 2016). To bridge the gap between university-based classroom learning and applied teaching, many scholars advocate for increased time in practicum settings or practice-based teaching opportunities (Ball & Forzani, 2009; Leko, Brownell, Sindelar, & Kiely, 2015; National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education [NCATE], 2010).…”