1. Research and Evaluation to Support Learners with Disabilities

2. Our Agenda Overview of the Institute of Education Sciences at ED
Investments in rigorous special education research and developing capacity of others to lead this work
Conduct of the National Assessment of Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act
Listening session – Requesting feedback on this work!

3. Institute of Education Sciences U.S. Department of Education
RESEARCH
ED's mission is to promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access.

4. IES Infrastructure

5. Organizational Structure of IES Structure of IES
Science
(Standards & Review Staff)
National Board for Education Sciences
Office of the Director
National Center for Education Statistics
National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance
National Center for Education Research
National Center for Special Education Research

6. IES Grant Programs: Research Objectives
Develop or identify education interventions (practices, programs, policies, and approaches) that enhance education outcomes 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

7. Special Education Research Programs https://ies.ed.gov/ncser/research/

8. Research Training Grant Programs
84.324B: Research Training Programs in Special Education
Postdoctoral Research Training in Special Education and Early Intervention
Early Career Development and Mentoring
Methods Training Using Single-Case Designs
84.305B: Research Training Programs in the Education Sciences
Predoctoral Interdisciplinary Research Training Program in the Education Sciences
Postdoctoral Research Training in the Education Sciences
Methods Training Program for Education Researchers

9. Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) Research Network
Research Networks Focused on Critical Problems of Policy or Practice in Special Education: Multi-Tiered Systems of Support
One Network Lead
Four Research Teams
Enhancing Ci3T: Building Professional Capacity for High Fidelity Implementation to Support Students' Educational Outcomes (Project ENHANCE)
Cohesive Integration of Behavior Support within a Process of Data-Based Intervention Intensification
Evaluating the Impact of Integrated Behavior and Reading Multi-Tiered Systems of Support in Elementary Schools
Measuring Implementation of Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS): Integrated MTSS Fidelity Rubric (IMFR)

10. IES Topic Pages https://ies.ed.gov/topics/influences.asp

11. Topic Pages to date Social, Emotional, Behavioral Influences STEM
Early Childhood Education
Literacy
Postsecondary Education
Career and Technical Education
Education Technology
English Learners

12. NCSER Publications and Products

13. Search NCSER Project Abstracts

14. IES Newsflashes

15. Example Newsflash

16. Feedback from the Field
Technical Working Groups (TWGs)
Ad hoc group of experts on a particular topic work together to determine the state of the research and/or gaps in the research
Adult Literacy (October 2018)
Families of Children with Disabilities (October 2018)
Students with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders (November 2017)
Career and Technical Education (September 2017)
Writing Research at the Secondary Level (September 2016)
Requests for Public Comment
Public responses to specific questions are summarized and shared on website
Did the previous goal structure met the needs of the field? (2017)
What are the research and training needs of the field and how can the Research Centers improve their efforts to meet this need? (2014)

17. NCSER and OSEP NCSER research products used by practitioners/OSEP
OSEP input into research topics and initiatives

18. NCSER and NCEE What Works Clearinghouse (NCEE)
Evaluates evidence from NCSER-funded research
Evaluates evidence for interventions improving student outcomes
Disseminates evidence base through practice guides & intervention reports
Regional Educational Laboratories (NCEE)
NCSER-funded research is disseminated through the technical assistance provided by RELs
Large-Scale Evaluations (NCEE)
Conducts larger evaluations of interventions that have been developed and/or tested with NCSER funds

19. Examples of NCSER-Funded Early Childhood Research: Preface to the NCEE Preschool Study
Pyramid Model
Comprehensive, three-tiered framework that includes universal practices, secondary practices for children at risk for behavior problems, and intensive individualized practices for children with the most significant social skills deficits and persistent challenging behavior.
LEAP
A preschool inclusion model that can be embedded in existing programs and includes typically developing children learning to initiate communication with peers with autism, naturally occurring incidental teaching, and parent skills training.
Prevent-Teach-Reinforce for Young Children
A school-based team, including parents, sets individualized goals to reduce or replace inappropriate behaviors or improve academic outcomes, establish a strategy for measuring target behaviors, and develop an intervention plan.

20. The National Assessment of IDEA
Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA) calls for IES to conduct studies to assess IDEA implementation progress and effectiveness
IES’ National Center for Education Evaluation (NCEE) conducts rigorous studies of promising education programs and practices that are supported through federal funds

21. Designing and Conducting the National Assessment of IDEA
NCEE
OSEP
State and local leadership
Academic researchers TA&D Project Directors
National organizations
Office of Management and Budget
NCSER & NCER
Designing and Conducting the National Assessment of IDEA
Consulting with Federal and other stakeholders

22. Addressing Relevant and Useful Questions
What are the characteristics of children and youth with disabilities? What are their needs and outcomes over time?
How are state and local agencies implementing core aspects of special education and early intervention? How has this implementation changed over time?
Are there effective strategies and practices, particularly if commonly- implemented, that promote positive outcomes for children and youth with disabilities and those at-risk?

23. Current National Assessment Studies
Students’ needs and outcomes
National Longitudinal Transition Study 2012
Middle Grades Longitudinal Study of 2017–18
State and local implementation
State and Local Implementation of IDEA 2019
Effective strategies and practices
Multitiered systems of support
Behavior
Early reading
Inclusive preschool
Transition supports for students with disabilities (high school)

24. Impact Evaluation of Training in Multi-Tiered Systems of Support for Behavior (MTSS-B)
Motivation
Students’ early behavior - key to later success
Common strategy supported by OSEP’s TA&D centers and state leadership
Promise demonstrated by NCSER and OSEP-supported grantees
Address whether MTSS-B can be ‘scaled-up’ successfully
Training provider: Center for Social Behavior Supports (The Illinois-Midwest PBIS Network at the School Association for Special Education in DuPage, Illinois and the PBIS Regional Training and Technical Assistance Center at Sheppard Pratt in MD)
Upcoming milestones:
First report
Dissemination of findings

25. Impact Evaluation of Training in Multi-Tiered Systems of Support for Reading (MTSS-R)
Motivation
Students struggle to develop foundational reading skills
Common strategy supported by OSEP’s TA&D centers and state leadership
Promise demonstrated by NCSER-supported grantees
Addresses whether MTSS-R can be ‘scaled-up’ successfully
Training provider: University of Oregon Center on Teaching & Learning on
Enhanced Core Reading Instruction (ECRI) and, potentially, a 2nd training provider
Upcoming milestones:
Select second training provider
Impact report anticipated in 2024

26. Evaluation of Preschool Special Education Practices (EPSEP)
Motivation
Policy emphasis on educating young children in inclusive settings
Limited evidence on integration of evidence-based curriculum and targeted supports
Multi-tiered Pyramid Model promise demonstrated by NCSER-supported grantees
Test if this model, with strategies from LEAP and PTR-YC, can be implemented successfully
Training provider: Vanderbilt University, University of Denver, and University of South Florida
Upcoming milestones:
Recruit districts and inclusive preschool classrooms
Implementation in SY

27. Evaluation of Transition Supports for Youth with Disabilities
Motivation
Importance of transition supports in preparing youth for college and career
Expand evidence on promising strategies
Address impact of selected transition strategy(ies) at scale
Upcoming milestones
Contract award Fall 2019
Initially engage experts and stakeholders on transition strategies and study plans

28. IDEA State and Local Implementation Study 2019
Motivation
Previous implementation study conducted in 2009
Developments since then may have affected implementation
Provide updated national picture of state and local implementation
Upcoming milestones:
Administer surveys to states and nationally representative samples of school districts and schools beginning in Fall 2019

29. How You Can Contribute
Learn about studies in progress on our website!
Write NCEE Project Officers
Recommend experts & practitioners or serve on a technical working group
Submit a proposal for NCEE to study your program or training
Provide feedback on study plans
Sign-up to receive IES newsflashes when a report is released
Invite and/or attend a presentation on the findings

30. Listening Session
What other areas should be high priority? Particularly as NCEE expands its National Assessment portfolio?
What could we do to improve how this work is informed?
Are there better ways to communicate what we learn?
Any feedback on studies currently being conducted?
Any questions? Additional comments?

31. Follow Us on Social Media

32. NCSER Project Officers
Jacquelyn Buckley - Amy Sussman - Katie Taylor - Sarah Brasiel -

33. NCEE Project Officers Yumiko Sekino - Yumiko.Sekino@ed.gov
National Longitudinal Transition Study 2012
Multitiered systems of support in inclusive preschools
Evaluation of Transition Supports for Youth with Disabilities
Erica Johnson -
State and Local Implementation of IDEA 2019
Lauren Angelo -
Multitiered systems of support for Behavior
Multitiered systems of support for Early Reading

34. Thank you!