Comparing Regression Discontinuity and Multivariate Analyses of Variance

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to compare the results of a regression discontinuity design (RDD) with those of an experimental design of a tiered vocabulary intervention for children at risk for reading disability to determine RDD’s feasibility as a research methodology for this type of study. Researchers reanalyzed an archival dataset of a previous study that determined the effectiveness of the intervention through a randomized experiment. Results were comparable for the receptive outcome scores in direction, magnitude, and significance, although the magnitude of the treatment effect for the RDD was slightly higher. Results were also comparable for contextual outcome scores with respect to direction and magnitude. We present possible reasons for the different results between studies, limitations, and future research.

Using Regression Discontinuity to Estimate the Effects of a Tier-1 Research-Based Mathematics Program in Seventh Grade

“…Although previous studies have evaluated the impact of Tier-2 interventions using an RD design (e.g., Baker, Smolkowski, Chaparro, Smith, & Fien, 2015; Bryant, Bryant, Gersten, Scammacca, & Chavez, 2008; Bryant, Bryant, Gersten, Scammacca, Funk, et al, 2008), we found no previous studies using this design to evaluate the impact of a Tier-1 instruction to improve the mathematical performance for students with a wide range of mathematical proficiencies. RD designs have commonly been used to evaluate the effects of Tier-2 interventions when all students with special needs receive treatments, and the RD approach is used to detect effects of intervention even without the use of a control group (Ashworth & Pullen, 2015). In addition, studies have used student scores on specific measures as the cutoff to determine which students were at risk for academic failure and needed an additional tier of instruction or whether a more intensive secondary tier (received Tier 1 and Tier 2) would improve academic outcomes more so for students who received only Tier 1 (Baker et al, 2015).…”

“…The performance of these students was compared to similar students who received business-as-usual instruction. RD designs are quasi-experimental and permit strong causal inferences like those associated with randomized controlled trials for research in tiered instruction (Ashworth & Pullen, 2015; Lee & Lemieux, 2010). In special education, RD designs are appropriate in studying the effectiveness of interventions such as with MTSS studies when using a cutoff so that “the treatment effect observed visually around a cut-off value can also be extended in both directions from the cut-off value” (Ryoo & Pullen, 2017, p. 138).…”

Effects of Dialogic Reading Program on Later Reading Skills: Follow-Up Study

“…Okuduğunu anlamanın gerçekleşmesi için okuyucunun metindeki sözcükleri ve cümleleri anlaması ve bunları metnin geri kalanı ve kendi var olan bilgileri ile ilişkilendirmesi gerekmektedir (Lai, George, Benjamin, Schwanenflugel, & Kuhn, 2014;Sarı, 2015). Bu durum ise okuyucunun sözel dil becerileri ve sözcük bilgileri ile yakından ilişkilidir (Ashworth & Pullen, 2014;Cronin, 2014;Jalongo & Sobolak, 2011;Lowder, Choi, & Gordon, 2013;Prior, Goldina, Shany, Geva, & Katzir, 2014;Quinn, Wagner, Petscher, & Lopez, 2015;Shing, 2013). Çok sayıda çalışmada alıcı ve ifade edici dil becerileri yüksek olan çocukların okuduğunu anlamada daha başarılı oldukları bulunmuştur (Catts, Adlof, & Weismer, 2006;Dickinson & Tabors, 2001;Muter, Hulme, Snowling, & Stevenson, 2004;National Early Literacy Panel, 2008;Storch & Whitehurst, 2002).…”