Enhancing On-Task Behavior in Fourth-Grade Students Using a Modified Color Wheel System

A comparative analysis of massed vs. distributed practice on basic math fact fluency growth rates

“…As such, this study can be conceptualized as an extension study for both research lines. Yet while extension studies are necessary to establish external and contextual validity of empirically established procedures, few such studies are prioritized for publication (Bondin, Skinner, Parkhurst, Wood, & Snyder, 2010). Secondly, using fully experimental methods promotes the internal validity of pairing the spacing effect to explicit timing, but deriving these findings within a highly naturalistic school setting promotes external validity of our findings for other applicable settings (i.e., contextual validity).…”

Emerging Opportunities for School Psychologists to Enhance Our Remediation Procedure Evidence Base as We Apply Response to Intervention

“…Establishing an intervention's internal and external validity is critical to convincing educators that the procedure may help them remedy a student's academic skill deficit(s), but it is not sufficient. We will use the term contextual validit y herein to refer to evidence that serves to enhance educators’ confidence that they can apply a remedial procedure (e.g., they possess or can obtain the skills and resources needed to apply the procedure) and sustain the application of this procedure, given presenting contextual variables (Blondin, Skinner, Parkhurst, Wood, & Snyder, ; Foster & Skinner, ; Skinner & Skinner, ). Some examples of common threats to contextual validity include the time, materials, and training needed to learn, develop, implement, and sustain prevention/remediation activities (Foster & Skinner, ).…”

“…Negative side effects associated with internally and externally valid remedial procedures represent another class of threats to contextual validity (Blondin et al, ; Foster & Skinner, ; Ringeisen et al, ). Within the context of their schools and classrooms, educators may have concerns over the impact of remedial procedures on other activities (Detrich et al, ; Kazdin, ; Kratochwill & Shernoff, ; Shriver, ; Skinner & Skinner, ).…”

“…For example, a review of four major school psychology journals shows that only 8% to 11% of the articles involved the empirical evaluation of interventions (Bliss, Skinner, Hautau, & Carroll, ). Additionally, many journals have editorial policies that prioritize the publication of articles establishing the internal validity of novel strategies and/or procedures (i.e., demonstrating a novel intervention‐caused change), as opposed to establishing the external and/or contextual validity of procedures (e.g., demonstrating how the procedures can be adapted and applied in another classroom or with another teacher who wants to target additional behaviors yet still be effective; see Blondin et al, ) that have already been shown to cause learning (Detrich et al, ). Because establishing external and contextual validity frequently requires numerous replication and extension studies, relatively few remedial procedures have evidence of all three types of validity (Skinner & Skinner, ).…”

Classroom Management in Self-Contained Classrooms for Children with Autism: Extending Research on the Color Wheel System

“…For each class, results showed meaningful reductions in inappropriate vocalizations after the CWS was applied. Blondin, Skinner, Parkhurst, Wood, and Snyder (2012) evaluated a modified CWS system that included a fourth set of blue rules designed for collaborative learning activities (i.e., quiet voices, talk about work only, ask three before me, hands and feet to self, follow directions) and found increases in on-task behavior in a fourth-grade classroom.…”