From Research to Practice: An Analysis of the Interaction between the Research Community

and Special Education Services

Ronnie DetrichRandy Keyworth

Jack StatesWing Institute

Issues of Culture and Evidence-based Practice

• Implementing evidence-based interventions in special education programs is a cultural practice.

• Currently, this practice is not well established within the culture of special education. Why Not?

• What is necessary and sufficient to support this practice? In an evidence-based culture it is necessary to have

evidence. Evidence alone is not sufficient. Relevant contingencies are necessary.

Cultural Practice

• Cultural practice is defined as the interlocking behavior of two or more persons that produce a specific outcome, i.e., implementing evidence-based interventions (Glenn, 1988). This outcome is generally not possible by individuals acting

alone.

• The behavior of each person is maintained by individual consequences.

• The cultural practice is maintained by the aggregate outcome of the behavior of the individuals.

Participants in the Cultural Practice

• Researchers

• Practitioners

• If we are to influence a cultural practice (implementing evidence-based interventions) then we need to understand the contingencies of the individuals who are interacting.

Efficacy Effectiveness

ImplementationMonitoring

Research to Practice

ResearchR

eplicabilityS

ustainability

Evidence-based Education

What works?

When does it work?

Is it working?How do we

make it work?

Practice

Contingencies on Researchers and Practitioners

Researchers Publication Promotion and tenure Funding cycles

Practitioners Legal Regulatory Policy Budget

Contingencies on Researchers

• Publication Original research Experimentally well controlled

• Promotion and Tenure High level of productivity: publication rates is one of the

primary measures.

• Funding Cycles Typically three year cycles.

Effects of Contingencies on Researchers

• Greater emphasis on efficacy than effectiveness. Journals and promotion and tenure rules place greater value

on original research. Effectiveness research is essentially replication research.

Short funding cycles encourage efficacy research. Typically efficacy requires less time and resources than

effectiveness research, resulting in higher rates of published research.

• Questions related to generality (external validity) are slow to be answered.

Efficacy Research(What Works?)

• Largely concerned with integrity of independent variable (internal validity). Research is often conducted in analog settings where all

relevant variables can be controlled. Studies conducted by well trained graduate students and

research assistants. Very close oversight to assure integrity. Funded by research grants.

Impact of Efficacy Research on Practitioners

• Often seen as: Irrelevant because of the analog nature of the work (“not the

real world”). Impractical because of the level of training required. Impossible because of the resources required.

• Researchers are engaged in behavior that is not always highly valued by practitioners in the culture.

Dissemination of Research and the Practitioner

• The contingencies associated with promotion and tenure encourage dissemination through professional journals.

• Studies published across a large number of journals make it difficult for practitioners to have breadth of knowledge in a particular area.

• There are no direct contingencies on researchers to make results available to practitioners. Interaction largely between researchers rather than

researchers and practitioners.

Dissemination of Research and the Practitioner

• What Works Clearinghouse and Campbell Collaboration are recent attempts to make evidence available to practitioners in usable form.

• Current limitations with clearinghouse approach Standards for quantity and quality of research.

It is necessary for practitioners to have data now or will use other criteria to determine interventions.

There is not always a large body of evidence. High quality data not always available. Must address issue between most rigorous evidence and best

available evidence.

Contingencies on Practitioners

• Practitioners responsible to provide educational services for all children (IDEA).

• Eligibility categories for special education are very broad and are not diagnostic categories. Researchers often narrow characteristics of students for the

purpose of research.As an example, Learning Disabilities includes a very broad range of

characteristics and is not particularly meaningful when developing an intervention for a specific student.

Students in special education programs often have co-morbid conditions which may limit effects of a particular intervention.

Data are not readily available for effective interventions for students with co-morbid conditions because researchers exclude these students from studies.

Contingencies on Practitioners

• An insufficient number of practitioners have necessary training to implement evidence-based interventions. Failure to have well trained, qualified staff will result in something

other than evidence-based interventions being implemented.

• Even if well trained, necessary resources may not be in place to support evidence-based interventions.

• An insufficient number of decision makers have necessary skills to evaluate research and translate research to practice.

Contingencies on Practitioners

• Evidence-based interventions may be more costly than categorical, “generic” services, i.e., early intensive behavioral interventions for children with autism, resulting in decisions to provide more costly services only following litigation.

• Evidence-based interventions may be seen as a fad and discounted without examination.

Do We Have the Necessary Conditions for Evidence-based Culture?

• Not yet.

• Interlocking contingencies between researchers and practitioners not readily apparent.

• Very little research on bridging research and practice (Schoenwald & Hoagwood, 2001; Ringeisen, Henderson, & Hoagwood, 2003).

Where to Start?

• Addressing motivation of practitioners to implement evidence-based interventions. No Child Left Behind

• Programmatic research related to“Goodness of fit” between an intervention and the setting in which it is to occur (one size does not fit all).

• Identify contingencies that promote sustainability.• Establish evidence-based interventions for assuring

treatment integrity and necessary levels of integrity to have an effect.

• Contingencies that support effectiveness research (funding, publication guidelines, etc.)

Where to Start?

• Pre-service training emphasizing evidence-based interventions.

• Multiple methods and multiple groups evaluating research with transparent standards.

• Distinguish between best evidence and best available evidence. Establish a continuum of rigor that reflects current

contingencies influencing practitioners.• Increase interaction between researchers and

practitioners.• And then…interlocking behavior for all.

Efficacy Effectiveness

ImplementationMonitoring

Research to Practice

ResearchR

eplicabilityS

ustainability

Evidence-based Education

What works?

When does it work?

Is it working?How do we

make it work?

Practice