D1: Domain-Based Decision Making Flashcards
What is data-based decision making?
The collection of formal and informal information to help a student.
4 Components of formal/informal data?
- Background data collection, techniques, and problem identification level
- Screening level
- Progress monitoring & RTI level
- Formal assessment level (special ed evaluation)
5 needs that data are used for?
- Identify the problem and plan interventions
- Increase or decrease levels of intervention
- Help determine whether interventions are related to positive student outcomes (effectiveness)
- Plan individualized instruction and strategic long-term educational planning
Background data collection, techniques, and problem identification
- Helps define the problem
- Broken down into 3 parts:
1. Collection & analysis of vital background information (informal data)
2. Interview and interview techniques
3. Observational techniques
Collection and analysis of informal data include:
- Student files and records
- Staff interviews/comments about the student
- Medical records/reports
- Review of previous interventions
- Developmental history
3 types of student interviewing
- Structured interviews
- Unstructures interviews
- Semi-structured interviews
Structured interviews
- Standardized/formal
- Same questions are given to each child
- Pros: high validity/reliability, responses can be directly compared with other kid’s responses, indicated the presence or absence of a problem not level of functioning
- Cons: interviewer is unable to modify questions to the student’s needs, must follow strict format and administration
Unstructured interviews
- Conversational style can help put the student at ease
- Less structure you put on the child, the more they share
- Pros: can be adapted to the needs of the student
- Cons: kid’s response can be difficult to interpret bc they can’t be compared with norms as seen in structured interviews
Semi-structured interviews
- Combine the best features of both structured and unstructured interviews
- They allow for flexibility and follow-up questions
7 Observational Techniques
- Whole-interval recording: behavior is only recorded when it occurs the entire time interval. (Good for continuous behaviors/behaviors occurring in short duration)
- Frequency or event recording: record the number of behaviors that occurred during a specific period
- Duraction recording: the lenght of time the specific behavior lasts
- Latency recording: time between onset of stimulus or signal that initiates a specific behavior
- Time-sampling interval recording: select a time period for observation, divide the period into a number of equal intervals, and record whether or not behavior occurs. Effective when beginning/end of behaviors are difficult to determine or when only a brief period is available for observation.
- Partial-interval recording: behavior is scored if it occurs during any part of the time interval. Multiple episodes of behavior in a single item interval are counted as one score or mark. Effective when behaviors occur at a low rate or inconsistent durations.
- Momentary time sampling: behavior is scored as present or absent only during the moment that a timed interval begins. This is the least biased estimate of behavior as it actually occurs.
6 componants of assessment and problem analysis
- Universal screening
- Universal Screening Measures
- Progress monitoring & RTI level
- Best practices in deciding what to assess
- Best practices in analyzing variability of progress-monitoring data
- Best practices for making decisions based on RTI data
Universal Screening
- Broadly implemented
- Assesses all children within a class, grade, school, etc. on academic, behavioral, social or emotional indicators of success
Purpose of universal screening
Broad: helps determine whether modifications are needed in core curriculum, instruction, or general education environment
Narrow: to guide decisions about additional or intensive instruction for those specific students who may require instructional support beyond what’s already provided at a broad level.
Universal screening measures
- Curriculum-based measures (CBM): typically reliable but must be used only if they align with local norms, benchmarks, and standards. EX: reading fluency measures
- Fluency-based indicators of skills are common universal screeners. Such screeners include initial-sound fluency, letter-naming fluency, phoneme segmentation, nonsense-word fluency, and oral-reading fluency
- Cognitive Assessment Test (CogAT): cognitive measure, but it’s group administered and can be employed as a screener.
- State educational agencies employ formal group-administered tests that are given to students every year to monitor student growth in reading, writing, and math.
- System to Enhance Educational Performance (STEEP): when used, CBMs must be conducted several times a year in reading, math and writing to identify students in need of additional support
Benefits/liabilites of universal screeners
Benefits: cost-effective, time efficient, & easy to administer
Liabilities: chance of misclassifying students when using screening tools. Least dangerous assumption: err on the side of caution and classify a kid even if they end up not needing services as opposed to missing a kid who needed help.