SCHOOL-BASED CLASSIFICATION AND PREVENTION OF READING DISABILITIES

Florida State University, Tallahassee FL

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

Two multi-year studies will be carried out in this project. The focus of the first study is prediction and[unreadable] prevention of reading disability. To what extent can a kindergarten assessment be used to identify[unreadable] individuals at risk for developing reading disability? What is the optimal combination of predictors for doing[unreadable] so? This specific aim will be addressed by means of a longitudinal study of two cohorts of kindergarten[unreadable] children, totaling 720 in all, who will be administered measures of emergent literacy and whose growth in[unreadable] reading and reading-related skills will be measured. To examine the role of effectiveness of early reading[unreadable] instruction in preventing the occurrence of reading disability or at least minimizing the severity with which it is[unreadable] expressed, a program for providing tier 1 support for teachers will be provided to half of the participating[unreadable] classrooms. The psychometric characteristics of measures of growth will be examined, and compared to the[unreadable] psychometric characteristics of measures of status. The relation between reliability and number of[unreadable] measurement points for measures of growth will be examined. Whether measures of growth make[unreadable] contributions to prediction of reading that are independent of measures of status will be assessed by using[unreadable] both kinds of measures in a predictive validity study. In a second study, the fundamental assumption of[unreadable] response to instruction (RTI) models that observing response to effective instruction is required for accurate[unreadable] identification will be tested by two manipulations in an RTI model. In the first manipulation, a traditional RTI[unreadable] model will be compared to two versions of a proactive model in which assignment to levels of intervention is[unreadable] done immediately on the basis of an initial assessment instead of waiting to observe inadequate response to[unreadable] instruction. In the second manipulation, provision of additional support will be based on either achievement[unreadable] level alone, or on a combination of achievement level and rate of growth, to determine whether measures of[unreadable] growth provide useful information that is not provided by measures of achievement level. Finally, to the[unreadable] extent that observing response to effective instruction is required for accurate identification of individuals who[unreadable] need intervention, the outcome of an RTI model (i.e., who ultimately is provided tier one, two, or three levels[unreadable] of support) should not be predictable on the basis of a screening battery administered prior to beginning the[unreadable] RTI study. This prediction will be tested by attempting to predict the outcome of RTI study two from scores[unreadable] on a screening battery.