Evidence-Based Assessment in Special Education Research: Advancing the Use of Evidence in Assessment Tools and Empirical Processes

Abstract

Evidence-based assessment (EBA) requires that investigators employ scientific theories and research findings to guide decisions about what domains to measure, how and when to measure them, and how to make decisions and interpret results. To implement EBA, investigators need high-quality assessment tools along with evidence-based processes. We advance EBA in three sections in this article. First, we describe an empirically grounded framework, the Operations Triad Model (OTM), to inform EBA decision-making in the articulation of relevant educational theory. Originally designed for interpreting mental health assessments, we describe features of the OTM that facilitate its fusion with educational theory, namely its falsifiability. In turn, we cite evidence to support the OTM's ability to inform hypothesis generation and testing, study design, instrument selection, and measurement validation. Second, we describe quality indicators for interpreting psychometric data about measurement tools, which informs both the development and selection of measures and the process of measurement validation. Third, we apply the OTM and EBA to research in special education in two contexts: (a) empirical research for causal explanation and (b) implementation science research. We provide open data resources to advance measurement validation and conclude with future directions for research.

A scoping review of theories, models and frameworks used or proposed to evaluate knowledge mobilization strategies

“…2011 [ 57 ] Levels of use scale (Hall and Hord, 2015) Brown and Rogers 2014 [ 69 ] Operations triad model Participatory action research cycle Talbott et al. 2023[ 70 ] Bennett et al. 2016 [ 68 ] Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) (Deming, 1986) Sargeant et al.…”

A Study on Developmental Strategies for Improving the Quality of Secondary Special Education for Students with Disabilities

“…It is a widely acknowledged premise that the efficacy of special education programs markedly influences the educational trajectories of students with disabilities (Talbott et al, 2023). Comprehensive training through robust programs positively correlates with enhanced transitional outcomes post-graduation (Kohler et al, 2016;Rivera, McMahon, & Keys, 2014;Shaffer & Thomas-Brown, 2015).…”