ies.ed.gov Connecting Research, Policy and Practice 1 Jacquelyn A. Buckley Ph.D., Katie Taylor, Ph.D., & Amy Sussman, Ph.D. Program Officers National Center for Special Education Research FY 2017 Special Education Research Grants Competition (CFDA A)

ies.ed.gov 2 Organizational Structure of IES 2 National Board for Education Sciences Standards & Review Office Office of the Director National Center for Education Evaluation National Center for Education Statistics National Center for Education Research (NCER) National Center for Special Education Research (NCSER)

ies.ed.gov 3 Missions of the Research Centers NCSER – Sponsors a rigorous and comprehensive program of special education research designed to expand the knowledge and understanding of infants, toddlers, and students with or at risk for disabilities from birth through high school NCER – Supports rigorous research that addresses the nation’s most pressing education needs, from early childhood to adult education 3

ies.ed.gov 4 Objectives of the Research Grant Programs Develop or identify education interventions (practices, programs, policies, and approaches) – that enhance academic achievement – that can be widely deployed Identify what does not work and thereby encourage innovation and further research Understand the processes that underlie the effectiveness of education interventions and the variation in their effectiveness 4

ies.ed.gov 5 NCSER’s Primary Grants Program A Special Education Research Grants In 2017, this program focuses specifically on teachers and other instructional personnel responsible for educating students with or at risk for disabilities. NCSER is focusing this particular competition due to: – A limited budget for FY 2017 – A critical need for additional research in this area 5

ies.ed.gov 6 General Requirements: Teacher and Student Sample Teachers and other instructional personnel responsible for educating students with or at risk for disabilities can include: – For infants, toddlers, and preschoolers: early intervention specialists, teachers, school or center-based staff, family child care providers, related services personnel, or other (para)professionals who provide education or early intervention services for children with or at risk for disabilities – For K-12: teachers and other instructional personnel (e.g., paraprofessionals) who provide instruction to students with or at risk for disabilities

ies.ed.gov 7 General Requirements: Teacher and Student Sample As always for NCSER grants, if you plan to focus on teachers of students at risk for a disability, present evidence of an association between risk factors in your proposed student sample and the specific disabilities that the students are at risk for developing. Across all topics, you may study teachers and instructional personnel who serve students with and without disabilities in the same classroom.

ies.ed.gov 8 General Requirements: Teacher Outcomes Knowledge: factual information, concepts, theories, and principles AND/OR Skills: behaviors that facilitate student learning

ies.ed.gov 9 General Requirements: Teacher Outcomes Teachers and/or other instructional personnel must be the target of your study! Proposals to study only teachers’ ability to implement a specific student-level intervention or curriculum, where teachers deliver the intervention but are not themselves a target of the research study, will be non-responsive to the RFA.

ies.ed.gov 10 General Requirements: Student Outcomes Student education outcomes should: – align with your theory of change – be directly or indirectly impacted by changes in teacher and/or instructional personnel knowledge and skills – include both proximal and distal outcomes (when possible)

ies.ed.gov 11 General Requirements: Student Outcomes Age/GradeOutcome Infants and toddlers Developmental outcomes Preschool Developmental outcomes School readiness Kindergarten – Grade 12 Achievement in core academic content (reading, writing, mathematics, science), Social skills and behaviors that support education and post-school success Functional outcomes that improve educational results and transitions to employment, independent living, and postsecondary education

ies.ed.gov 12 General Requirements: Authentic Education Setting For infants and toddlers: – Homes – Child care – Natural settings for early intervention services For preschoolers: – Homes – Child care – Preschool programs – Natural settings for early childhood special education services For K-12: – Schools and alternative school settings – School systems – Homes (provided the intervention is school-based) – Settings that deliver supplemental education services – Settings that deliver direct student services – Career and Technical Education Centers affiliated with schools or school systems

ies.ed.gov 13 General Requirements: Research Topics and Goals In 2017, the Special Education Research Grants program maintains its topic and goal structure. As in past years, your application must be directed to 1 of 11 research topics and 1 of 5 research goals. NCSER is restricting the focus within each topic and goal to research on teachers and other instructional personnel. 13

ies.ed.gov 14 Research Topics Autism Spectrum Disorders Cognition and Student Learning in Special Education Early Intervention and Early Learning in Special Education Families of Children with Disabilities Mathematics and Science Education Professional Development for Teachers and Other Instructional Personnel Reading, Writing, and Language Development Social and Behavioral Outcomes to Support Learning Special Education Policy, Finance, and Systems Technology for Special Education Transition Outcomes for Secondary Students with Disabilities 14

ies.ed.gov 15 Research Goals 1.Exploration 2.Development & Innovation 3.Efficacy & Replication 4.Effectiveness 5.Measurement 15

ies.ed.gov 16 Exploration Goal Identify malleable factors associated with teacher and/or other instructional personnel outcomes and corresponding student outcomes Identify factors and conditions that may mediate or moderate these relationships Possible methodological approaches – Primary data collection and analyses – Secondary data analyses – Meta-analyses – Combination of the above *Goal 1 projects can focus on pre-service teachers 16 Malleable factors: things that can be changed by the education system to improve teacher outcomes and subsequent student outcomes.

ies.ed.gov 17 Development & Innovation Goal Develop an innovative intervention OR improve existing education interventions AND collect data on its usability, feasibility, and fidelity of implementation in authentic education settings AND collect pilot data on teacher and student outcomes 17 Interventions: wide range of professional development activities, technology tools, and practices, programs, and policies implemented at the teacher, school, district, state, or federal level to improve teacher and/or instructional personnel outcomes and subsequent student education outcomes

ies.ed.gov 18 Theory of Change Target population of teachers and/or other instructional personnel Intervention Component 1 Component 2 Component 3 Teacher and/or other instructional personnel outcomes Student education outcomes

ies.ed.gov 19 Efficacy & Replication Goal Evaluate the efficacy of a fully developed intervention for improving teacher and/or instructional personnel outcomes and student education outcomes under routine or ideal conditions OR Generate additional evidence for an efficacious intervention by directly replicating or varying the original conditions OR Gather follow-up data examining the longer term effects of an efficacious intervention OR Analyze retrospective (historical) secondary data to test the efficacy of an intervention implemented in the past 19

ies.ed.gov 20 Efficacy & Replication Goal Replication studies can replicate an intervention that previously showed beneficial impacts for teachers and/or instructional personnel only, as long as the current study measures both teacher and student education outcomes Efficacy follow-up studies can: – Follow teachers and/or instructional personnel who took part in the original study in later years, when they are not receiving the intervention – Follow students who were taught by teachers and/or other instructional personnel targeted in the original study *Note: The original intervention must have targeted teachers and/or other instructional personnel and shown a beneficial impact on teachers and/or instructional personnel and students in a previous efficacy study 20

ies.ed.gov 21 Research Design Designs for Efficacy/Replication projects can include: – Randomized controlled trials Sequential, Multiple Assignment, Randomized Trials (SMARTs) can be used to evaluate an adaptive treatment – Regression discontinuity designs – Single-case experimental designs – Quasi-experimental designs (when randomization is not possible)

ies.ed.gov 22 Effectiveness Goal Evaluate whether a fully developed intervention that has evidence of efficacy and produces beneficial impacts on teacher and/or instructional personnel outcomes and subsequent student outcomes when implemented under routine conditions through an independent evaluation Prior to submitting an effectiveness proposal, at least one efficacy study of the intervention with beneficial and practical impacts on teacher and student outcomes must have been completed 22

ies.ed.gov 23 Effectiveness Goal You may propose an Effectiveness Follow-up study to determine the long-term impacts of an intervention for teachers and/or instructional personnel who showed beneficial results during a previous Effectiveness study You may not propose a Retrospective study under the Effectiveness goal The requirements and recommendations for the Research Plan are the same as those for Efficacy/Replication except single- case experimental designs are not allowed as your primary research design in an Effectiveness study 23

ies.ed.gov 24 Measurement Goal Development of new assessments or refinement of existing assessments, and the validation of these assessments OR Validation of existing assessments for specific purposes, contexts, and populations You must link the measure to teacher and/or instructional personnel outcomes and subsequent student outcomes 24

ies.ed.gov 25 What is the research question? All applications to the Special Education Research Grants program, regardless of topic and goal, must focus on teachers and other instructional personnel. Who are the focal teachers and/or other instructional personnel? What are the outcomes of interest? For Infants, toddlers, and preschool children: early intervention (EI) specialists, teachers, school or center- based staff, family child care providers, related services personnel, or other (para)professionals who provide education or EI services. For K-12: does not include related services personnel. Must be responsible for educating students with or at risk for disabilities. For students: education outcomes that are directly or indirectly impacted by changes in teacher and/or instructional personnel outcomes. For teachers and/or instructional personnel: knowledge and/or skills that help them improve student outcomes. Can include pre-service teachers in Goal 1, exploration projects only. Note: The Institute will NOT accept applications that propose only to study teachers’ ability to implement a specific student-level intervention or curriculum where teachers deliver the intervention but are not themselves the target of the intervention.

ies.ed.gov 26 FY 2017 Maximum Award Amounts Research GoalMaximum Grant Duration Maximum Grant Award Exploration Secondary data analysis only: 2 years $600,000 Primary data collection & analysis: 4 years $1,400,000 Development & Innovation4 years$1,400,000 Efficacy & Replication Efficacy & Replication: 4 years$3,300,000 Follow-up: 3 years$1,100,000 Retrospective: 3 years$700,000 Effectiveness Effectiveness: 5 years$3,800,000 Follow-up: 3 years$1,400,000 Measurement4 years$1,400,000

ies.ed.gov 27 Letter of Intent Due Date (iesreview.ed.gov) Application Package Posted (Grants.gov) Application Deadline (Grants.gov) Start Dates May 5, 2016 August 4, :30:00 PM DC Time July 1, 2017 to Sept 1, 2017 Important Dates 27

ies.ed.gov 28 Example Goal 1 Project Aligned with 2017 Focus Secondary data analysis to determine the potential impact of quantity and content of pre-service and in- service teacher training experiences on student outcomes. Suggestions for best practices for preparing teachers to teach students with disabilities =558 =558

ies.ed.gov 29 Example Goal 2 Project Aligned with 2017 Focus Development and testing of a professional development program that addresses the knowledge, skills, and beliefs that teachers need to improve outcomes for students with ADHD Professional development includes: – Activities to enhance knowledge of ADHD research & interventions – Opportunities to implement interventions and receive feedback – Supports for data-based decision making – Individualized problem-solving discussions about barriers to intervening with students with ADHD

ies.ed.gov 30 Example Goal 3 Project Aligned with 2017 Focus Randomized controlled trial to determine the efficacy of a professional development program to improve teachers’ use of embedded instruction and outcomes of preschool children with disabilities Comparison of two types of coaching within the program: on-site coaching versus web-based self coaching Professional development includes : – Workshops with demonstrations and opportunities to practice – Teacher implementation guides and materials – A multi-media website with in-depth information on embedded instruction – Coaching

ies.ed.gov 31 Example Goal 5 Project Aligned with 2017 Focus Development and validation of a special education teacher observation measure designed to evaluate and improve instructional practice delivered to students with disabilities The observation measure will assess common features of sound instructional practice and teachers’ implementation of evidence-based instructional practices appropriate for students with disabilities

ies.ed.gov 32 Commonly Asked Questions Can I propose to do any laboratory research? – Yes, a limited amount of laboratory research can also be done under Goals 1, 2, and 5; however, you may not propose to conduct 100% of your research in the laboratory. Can I propose to develop and/or test a student-level intervention? – No, applications under Goals 2, 3, and 4, must propose to develop and/or evaluate interventions that directly target teachers and/or other instructional personnel. Can I resubmit a previous application that was not funded? – Yes, however, you must alter the previous application so that the focus is on teachers and instructional personnel. In addition, you must describe the changes in Appendix A at the end of the project narrative.

ies.ed.gov 33 Commonly Asked Questions Can I focus on pre-service teachers? – Yes, NCSER will support exploratory (i.e., Goal 1) research involving pre-service teachers under any topic. Can I focus on related services personnel (e.g., speech-language pathologists, audiologists, interpreters, school psychologists, counselors, physical therapists, occupational therapists, social workers) who serve students K-12? – No, research focused on related services personnel for students in K- 12 will not be accepted. You can propose research focused on related services personnel for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. Can parents and students be considered other instructional personnel? – No, other instructional personnel include (para)professionals who are responsible for educating students with or at risk for disabilities.

ies.ed.gov 34 Finding Application Packages FY 2017 Application Packages are available on

ies.ed.gov 35

ies.ed.gov 36 Review Application Requirements  Request for Applications  Currently available at  Application Package  Currently available at 36

ies.ed.gov 37 Peer Review Process Applications are reviewed for compliance and responsiveness to the RFA Applications that are compliant and responsive are assigned to a review panel Two or three panel members conduct a primary review of each application At panel meeting, the most competitive applications are reviewed by full panel 37

ies.ed.gov 38 Notification Process 38 All applicants will receive notification that the following information is available via the Applicant Notification System (ANS): Status of the application Reviewer summary statements If you are not granted an award the first time, plan on resubmitting, and talk to your Program Officer

ies.ed.gov 39 Resources for Researchers Visit links for faculty and researchers on IES website Review past webinars and participate in webinars for the FY 2017 competitions Sign up for the IES Newsflash! 39

ies.ed.gov 40

ies.ed.gov 41

ies.ed.gov 42

ies.ed.gov 43 When Writing a Grant Application Read the Request for Applications carefully – Look at abstracts of funded projects – Take part in IES webinars – Discuss your research idea with a program officer – a synopsis and schedule a time for a call – short questions 43

ies.ed.gov 44 Helpfulness of the Program Officer Contact Program Officers early in the process and share your research questions and theory of change to: – Determine whether your aims fit within the 2017 focus on teachers and/or other instructional personnel – Ensure you are submitting to the correct competition, topic, and goal – Springboard further discussion Don’t be afraid to contact us!

ies.ed.gov 45 For More Information Jacquelyn Buckley Katie Taylor Amy Sussman 45