Discussion: Evidence-Based Practices: How Do You Know They Are Working?

For this Discussion, you demonstrate the importance of collecting valid and reliable data when implementing strategies to ensure that students are succeeding and that appropriate modifications are being made to instruction to optimize student growth.

To prepare:

· Review the module’s Learning Resources. Reflect on the process of implementing evidence-based practices with fidelity.

· Review evidence-based interventions shared and stored in the toolkit for each topic addressed throughout the course.

· Research data-collection tools that align with the evidence-based practices you have identified in this course. Reflect on the tools you have used to track whether a new strategy is effective or not. Think about what needs to occur for educators to implement an evidence-based practice with fidelity.

A new teacher has started in the classroom next to yours. You notice at your team meetings that he brings many ideas for new strategies that he learned through his recent college program. He is often encouraging the team to try to implement new strategies, but never discusses how to track or monitor the strategies. During your time working with him, you have not seen him consistently use instructional delivery methods that include data-collection tools or progress-monitoring strategies.

What you would present to the team addressing the following topics:

· Discuss practices to implement evidence-based strategies with fidelity.

· Provide recommendations for progress-monitoring tools to collect data on evidence-based strategies.

· Explain the importance of modifying the strategy based on the data: What do you do if the strategy is not working? What do you do to keep the student moving forward if the strategy is working?

In addition, write a response sharing one evidence-based practice you have implemented with students. Explain where you learned about the strategy, how you implemented it with fidelity, and how you modified your practice based on the data. Please provide resources of websites, books, or apps and/or attach your own documents that you use to collect valid and reliable data.

Learning Resources

Note: To access this week‘s required library resources, please click on the link to the Course Readings List, found in the Course Materials section of your Syllabus.

Required Readings

Cook, B. G., & Odom, S. L. (2013). Evidence-based practices and implementation science in special education. Exceptional Children, 79(2), 135-144.

Hudson, R. F., Davis, C. A., Blum, G., Greenway, R., Hackett, J., Kidwell, J., … & Schulze, M. (2015). A Socio-Cultural Analysis of Practitioner Perspectives on Implementation of Evidence-Based Practice in Special Education. The Journal of Special Education, 50(1), 27-36.

Stahmer, A. C., Rieth, S., Lee, E., Reisinger, E. M., Mandell, D. S., & Connell, J. E. (2015). Training teachers to use evidence-based practices for autism: Examining procedural implementation fidelity. Psychology in the Schools, 52(2), 181-195.