This article describes the usefulness of a scientific approach to improving knowledge and practice in special education. Of four approaches to knowledge (superstition, folklore, craft, and science), craft and science are supported and implications for special education drawn including the need to bridge the gulf between research knowledge and…

Discusses the alternative roles and responsibilities that researchers might assume to bridge the gap between special education research and practice. Addresses why some research-based practices fail and the roles of researchers as collaborators, facilitators and coaches, interpreters of culture and dynamics of the school, and critics. (Author/CR)

A study that investigated perceptions of 31 kindergarten teachers found there were statistically significant differences between teachers' views of the desirability of implementing practices to enhance the outcomes of children with disabilities as they transition to kindergarten and the feasibility of such implementation. Portfolios were viewed as…

This meta-analysis offers decision-makers research-based guidance for intervening with adolescent struggling readers. The authors outline major implications for practice: (1) Adolescence is not too late to intervene. Interventions do benefit older students; (2) Older students with reading difficulties benefit from interventions focused at both the…

This article reviews sustainability of research-based practices and the extent to which it is reasonable to assume that educators can or should sustain practices over time. Facilitators for sustainability are discussed and include teacher input and a feeling of collaboration, sensitivity, and responsiveness between the researcher and the…

This article analyzes factors related to bringing research-validated practices to scale to enable implementation of responsiveness-to- intervention models in special education. Key components of effective literacy programs are discussed, along with findings from reading intervention research. The need for professional collaboration among…

This meta-analysis looked at outcomes of school-based interventions aimed at enhancing the self-concept of students with learning disabilities, specifically effect sizes in relation to students' self-concepts prior to the intervention. Results indicated that only students with documented low self-concept benefited significantly from intervention.…

Three years after seven teachers had participated in an intensive year-long professional development experience in three multilevel reading practices (partner reading, collaborative strategic reading, and making words), all but one teacher sustained one or more of the practices at a high rate, as determined by classroom observation and interviews.…

At last, a truly helpful, practical guide for K-4 teachers who want to ensure that their approach to teaching young English language learners is based on research and grounded in proven classroom practices. The authors of ASCD's best-selling book "Research-Based Methods of Reading Instruction, Grades K-3" explain how you can help the English…

This article summarizes the critical findings of recent research syntheses concerning intervention with students who have learning disabilities. The syntheses examined research on higher-order processing and problem- solving, reading comprehension, written expression, and grouping practices associated with improved outcomes in reading. Principles…