The Division for Early Childhood (DEC) of the Council for Exceptional Children

The Division for Early Childhood of the Council for Exceptional Children www.dec-sped.orgThe Division for Early Childhood of the Council for Exceptional Children www.dec-sped.org

Evidence-Based Practices in Early Childhood: How Professional

Organizations Promote Research-Policy-Practice Connections

Dale Walker, PhDDEC Research Chairperson

OSEP/NECTAC Early Childhood Conference December 2008


The Division for Early Childhood (DEC) The Division for Early Childhood (DEC) of the Council for Exceptional Childrenof the Council for Exceptional Children

• International Membership International Membership Organization (over 4,000)Organization (over 4,000)

• Birth through 8 years with disabilities and other special needs, their families and professionals

• Promotes policies and advances evidence-based practices


How DEC and CEC Define How DEC and CEC Define Evidence-Based Practices?Evidence-Based Practices?

DEC Evidence-based PracticesDEC Evidence-based Practices Integration of Best Available Research withIntegration of Best Available Research with

Professional and family wisdom & experienceProfessional and family wisdom & experience Consumer valuesConsumer values ConsensusConsensus

CEC Definition of Evidence-based PracticesCEC Definition of Evidence-based Practices Is a strategy or intervention designed for use by Is a strategy or intervention designed for use by

special educators and intended to support the special educators and intended to support the education of individuals with exceptional learning education of individuals with exceptional learning needsneeds


Criteria for What Constitutes Evidence? Fields of Special Education including Early Fields of Special Education including Early

Childhood Special Education/EC have not Childhood Special Education/EC have not determined criteria for evidence-based determined criteria for evidence-based practicepractice

There is not consensus as to the type of There is not consensus as to the type of scientific information that is acceptable as scientific information that is acceptable as evidence evidence


DEC Recommended PracticesDEC Recommended Practices

Resource designed to Resource designed to bridge the gap betweenbridge the gap betweenresearch and practice, research and practice, offering guidance to offering guidance to parents and professionals. parents and professionals.

Set of practices designed to inform Set of practices designed to inform decisions about services. Best available decisions about services. Best available research evidence supporting practices research evidence supporting practices determined through consensus used to determined through consensus used to identify practices. identify practices.


Investigators/AuthorsInvestigators/Authors

Barbara SmithBarbara Smith University of Colorado – DenverUniversity of Colorado – Denver

David Sexton and Marcia LobmanDavid Sexton and Marcia Lobman LSU Health Sciences CenterLSU Health Sciences Center

Mary McLeanMary McLean University Of Wisconsin – MilwaukeeUniversity Of Wisconsin – Milwaukee

Susan SandallSusan Sandall University of WashingtonUniversity of Washington

Mary Louise HemmeterMary Louise Hemmeter Vanderbilt UniversityVanderbilt University


History of Recommended History of Recommended PracticesPractices

1990-19981990-1998DEC Task Force on RP 1991/1993 DEC Task Force on RP 1991/1993 Focus Groups of stakeholdersFocus Groups of stakeholders Support from OSEP for synthesis of research Support from OSEP for synthesis of research and knowledge of EI/ECSE practicesand knowledge of EI/ECSE practices Coding ResearchCoding Research Synthesis of practicesSynthesis of practices Field ValidationField Validation


How were Practices Derived and Criteria to Determine “Evidence”?

Extensive review of scientific literature on effective practices

Second source: Knowledge and experience Original research report Birth to 5 children with disabilities Process of validation guided by:

Theoretical base for practice Methodological integrity Consensus in literature Evidence that desired outcomes were produced Evidence of social validity


Identifying Identifying Research-Based PracticesResearch-Based Practices Identify Published Research Identify Published Research

48 Journals Across Disciplines48 Journals Across Disciplines 1,019 Articles For Coding; 82% had at least one RP1,019 Articles For Coding; 82% had at least one RP

Focus Groups by Topical Area (e.g., Focus Groups by Topical Area (e.g., assessment)assessment)

Focus Groups by Role (e.g., family, practitioner, Focus Groups by Role (e.g., family, practitioner, administrator)administrator)

Coded to:Coded to: determine technical adequacydetermine technical adequacy identify practicesidentify practices


The ResultsThe Results

1,019 Articles Reviewed1,019 Articles Reviewed 843 (82%) Had at Least One 843 (82%) Had at Least One

Recommended PracticeRecommended Practice Articles by MethodologyArticles by Methodology

Quantitative – 454 (54%)Quantitative – 454 (54%) Single Subject – 179 (21%)Single Subject – 179 (21%) Qualitative – 74 (9%)Qualitative – 74 (9%) Mixed Method – 13 (2%)Mixed Method – 13 (2%) Descriptive/Survey – 123 (15%)Descriptive/Survey – 123 (15%)


Number of Journal Articles Number of Journal Articles Supporting Each StrandSupporting Each Strand Child-Focused – 390Child-Focused – 390 Family-Based – 218Family-Based – 218 Policies, Procedures & Systems Change – Policies, Procedures & Systems Change –

106106 Assessment – 104Assessment – 104 Personnel Preparation – 93Personnel Preparation – 93 Technology Applications – 30Technology Applications – 30 Interdisciplinary Models - 28Interdisciplinary Models - 28


Synthesize And Synthesize And Categorize PracticesCategorize Practices Integrate literature based practices and Integrate literature based practices and

stakeholder focus group informationstakeholder focus group information Evaluated for evidence using criteria:Evaluated for evidence using criteria:

Design, sample, setting, measures, duration, Design, sample, setting, measures, duration, fidelity, findings and the RP supportedfidelity, findings and the RP supported

Which practices have research evidence to Which practices have research evidence to support?support?

Which practices are supported only by Which practices are supported only by Experience or Values?Experience or Values?


Field Validation of PracticesField Validation of Practices

Verification Among ExpertsVerification Among Experts Field ValidationField Validation

200 Family Members200 Family Members 400 Practitioners400 Practitioners 200 Administration/Higher Education200 Administration/Higher Education

Respond to:Respond to: The importance of the recommended practice The importance of the recommended practice Extent to which they see the practice (usage)Extent to which they see the practice (usage)


Recommended PracticesRecommended Practices

Assessment (46)Assessment (46) John Neisworth & Stephen BagnatoJohn Neisworth & Stephen Bagnato

Child-Focused Practices (27)Child-Focused Practices (27) Mark WoleryMark Wolery

Family-Based Practices(17)Family-Based Practices(17) Carol Trivette & Carl DunstCarol Trivette & Carl Dunst

Interdisciplinary Models (19) Interdisciplinary Models (19) Robin McWilliamRobin McWilliam

Technology Applications (22)Technology Applications (22) Kathleen StremelKathleen Stremel


Recommended PracticesRecommended Practices

Policies, Procedures, & Systems Change Policies, Procedures, & Systems Change (43)(43) Gloria Harbin & Christine SalisburyGloria Harbin & Christine Salisbury

Personnel Preparation (66)Personnel Preparation (66) Patricia Miller & Vicki StaytonPatricia Miller & Vicki Stayton


Why are Recommended Practices Why are Recommended Practices Important?Important?

Represents collective wisdomRepresents collective wisdom Identifies what practices workIdentifies what practices work Provides a framework to define qualityProvides a framework to define quality Supports positive outcomes Supports positive outcomes Applies to all settingsApplies to all settings


Assessment Practice ExampleAssessment Practice Example

A24.A24. Professionals assess not only Professionals assess not only immediate mastery of a skill, but also immediate mastery of a skill, but also whether the child can demonstrate the skill whether the child can demonstrate the skill consistently across other settings and with consistently across other settings and with other people. other people.


What does A24 look like?What does A24 look like?

The team assesses the The team assesses the child’s ability to walk in child’s ability to walk in the classroom, on the the classroom, on the playground, to and from playground, to and from the car the car

……and on the grassand on the grass


How does DEC work with Practitioners, Families, Policymakers and Researchers to understand and implement latest recommended practices? DEC RP supporting materials facilitate

professional development and dissemination: Guide for Practical Application in Early Intervention/ECSE

(Sandall, McLean & Smith, 2000) DEC recommended practices workbook (Hemmeter,

Smith, Sandall & Askew (2005) Series of published articles (e.g., Smith, Strain, Snyder,

Sandall, Mclean et al. 2002) DEC Recommended Practices Video National TA efforts related to Recommended Practices DEC sponsored journals publishing research and

innovative practices


Next Steps for identifying and Next Steps for identifying and implementing latest recommended implementing latest recommended practices..practices..

Two initiatives for DEC to provide field with Two initiatives for DEC to provide field with evidence-based practices:evidence-based practices: Long-termLong-term: DEC submitting a proposal to CEC : DEC submitting a proposal to CEC Evidence-Based Practice Project for classifying the Evidence-Based Practice Project for classifying the evidence base of identified early childhood special evidence base of identified early childhood special education practices generated from the DEC RP to education practices generated from the DEC RP to determine the quality of the evidence basedetermine the quality of the evidence base

Addressing Who it Works For? and Under What Addressing Who it Works For? and Under What Conditions? Conditions?


Next Steps.. Short Term

Short-termShort-term: Updating literature-base for : Updating literature-base for selected DEC RP using the criteria described in selected DEC RP using the criteria described in the 2005 the 2005 Exceptional ChildrenExceptional Children special issue for special issue for coding studies for evidencecoding studies for evidence Will be available to field and to support the DEC RP Will be available to field and to support the DEC RP

resource materials while more formal process is resource materials while more formal process is underway to establish the evidence-base for selected underway to establish the evidence-base for selected DEC RP DEC RP

Will be used to inform DEC efforts for the CEC Will be used to inform DEC efforts for the CEC Evidence-Based Practice ProjectEvidence-Based Practice Project

Research published in JEI, YEC & YEC Monographs, Research published in JEI, YEC & YEC Monographs, Exceptional Children, etcExceptional Children, etc


What are Needs? Suggestions?

What early childhood practices would you suggest should have an identified evidence base?

Would you use DEC RP more often in practice if evidence-base for practices were clearly specified?

Thank you

Documents

The Division for Early Childhood (DEC) of the Council for Exceptional Children