Gary A. Troia, PhD, CCC-SLP
Michigan State University
Keynote Address, CEEDAR Institute
October 6, 2014
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What exactly is an evidence-based practice
(EBP) or intervention (EBI)?
− Particular educational (e.g., instructional) principles,
approaches, programs, methods, and activities
informed by a relevant body of research
− The conscientious, explicit, and judicious use of
current best evidence in making decisions about the
education of individual students (Sackett et al., 1996)
− Evidence for the efficacy and effectiveness (anticipated
outcomes in real-world contexts) of a practice or
intervention comes from clear, consistent, and
convincing research evidence
− The utility of a practice or intervention is closely
scrutinized: Is it warranted in light of generalizability,
feasibility, costs, and benefits?
Best available
research evidence
Practice-based
professional
expertise
System capacity
• Fidelity of
implementation through
PD & curriculum design
• Effective leadership
• Coordination and
integration
EBPs (or SRBIs)—
methods,
programs, and
procedures within
& across domains
Student and family
characteristics,
values, &
preferences
American Psychological Association, 2005;
Sackett et al., 2000
Meta-analyses
Systematic
Reviews
Greenhalgh, 1997; Hoagwood & Johnson, 2003;
Robey & Schultz, 1998
Scaling/Effectiveness
Studies
Efficacy Studies (Laboratory
& Field RCTs)
Exploratory Studies (Descriptive Studies,
Single-Case Research, Quasi-Experiments,
Design Studies)
Expert Opinion
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Practices based on other kinds of information may
not correctly identify the “active ingredients”
associated with positive outcomes
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Teaching lore
Testimonial and anecdotes from case studies
Professional writers’ wisdom
Advocacy by publishers and authors of materials
EBPs help anchor professional knowledge and
decision-making
◦ Determining if something runs counter to evidence or falls
outside established EBPs
◦ Differentiate essential, non-negotiable programmatic
elements from less essential ones
◦ Adapt EBPs for unique learners and learning situations
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Persistent large achievement gaps for non-white,
poor, and non-English dominant children in all
academic areas require a sea change in education
Practice
Teach grammar rules using a unit approach or
textbook
Give lots of feedback on errors in writing
conventions on students’ papers
Spend most of the time allocated to writing
instruction on independent writing activities
Focus mostly on transcription activities
(spelling, handwriting) in the early grades
Use good and bad examples of writing to
highlight salient characteristics
EBP?
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Lack of professional knowledge?
Limited teacher professional development
and support to use EBPs with fidelity?
Individual differences in teachers’ values,
beliefs, and attitudes toward instruction and
their competencies?
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A majority of teachers lacks a sufficient level of
knowledge about language necessary for
designing meaningful literacy lessons and
providing effective feedback to students
(Bos et al., 2001; Brady, Gillis, Smith, Lavalette, Liss-Bronstein, Lowe, North, Russo, & Wilder, 2009; Cheesman, McGuire,
Shankweiler, & Coyne, 2009; Cunningham, Perry, Stanovich, & Stanovich, 2004; Cunningham, Zibulsky, Stanovich, &
Stanovich, 2009;Joshi, Binks, Hougen, et al. 2009; Moats, 1994; McCutchen & Berninger, 1999; McCutchen, Green, Abbott,
& Sanders, 2009; McCutchen, Abbott, et al., 2002; Parr, Glasswell, Aikman, 2007; Parr & Timperley, 2005; Spear-Swerling &
Brucker, 2003; Spencer, Schuele, Guillot, & Lee 2008; Washburn et al., 2011)
◦ Teachers find it challenging to segment words into constituent
phonemes, count the number of phonemes in a word, and
classify words as irregular (Carroll, Gillon, & McNeill, 2013;
Cunningham et al., 2004)
◦ Teachers lack sufficient understanding of basic principles of
morphology, orthography, and grammar (Cajkler & Hislam,
2002; Harper & Rennie, 2009; Myhill, Jones, & Watson, 2013)
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In the domain of writing, teachers in a national K12 survey report that their pre-service coursework
and experiences were inadequate; secondary
teachers report feeling less prepared (70%) than
elementary teachers (30%) (Gilbert & Graham,
2010)
In-service professional development opportunities
and teacher-initiated efforts for writing still
considered inadequate by half of all teachers
surveyed
Troia & Maddox (2004) found that middle school
teachers faced competing PD priorities, inadequate
administrative support for collaborative planning
and instruction, and limited writing curriculum
choices
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Teachers’ confidence in their ability to help their students succeed
exerts a direct influence on their classroom routines and, consequently,
their students’ motivation and success (Anderson, Greene, & Loewen,
1988; Ross, Cousins, & Gaddalla, 1996; Tschannen-Moran, Hoy, & Hoy,
1998)
Teachers’ assumptions about how students learn and what are the best
ways to teach affect the instructional materials they select and the
procedures they implement (Cunningham & Fitzgerald, 1996; Harste,
Woodward, & Burke, 1984; Fitzgerald, 1993, 1999; Schommer, 1994)
Observations have affirmed that what teachers elect to teach and how
they go about teaching it are shaped largely by their theoretical
orientation and perceived competence (Baumann & Ivey, 1997; DeFord,
1985; Fisher & Hiebert, 1990; Pressley, Wharton-McDonald, Rankin,
Mistretta, & Yokoi, 1996; Sosniak & Stodolsky, 1993; Turner, 1995)
Troia, Lin, Cohen, and Monroe (2011) found that teachers with higher
levels of perceived teaching competence for writing generally enacted
more key practices across the dimensions of classroom management,
student engagement, and instructional tactics, and adapted their
instruction more for struggling writers, while teachers with lower levels
of teaching efficacy used a smaller repertoire of practices across these
same dimensions and made fewer adaptations
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CCSS—Writing cover four main areas:
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Text types and purposes
Production and distribution of writing
Research to build and present knowledge
Range of writing
CCCS—Language cover three main areas:
◦ Conventions of standard English
◦ Knowledge of language
◦ Vocabulary acquisition and use
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W-1: Write arguments
W-2: Write informative/explanatory texts
W-3: Write narratives
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Students learn to
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◦ Write in different genres and subgenres
◦ Include key elements appropriate for each genre
◦ Apply appropriate techniques in different genres
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W-4: Compose organized and coherent texts
appropriate for task, purpose, and audience
W-5: Engage in a writing process
W-6: Use technology in writing
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Students learn to
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◦ Structure and organize writing depending on genre,
purpose, and audience
◦ Use a writing process (e.g., plan, draft, revise, edit) to
strengthen writing
◦ Use technology resources in the production and
distribution of writing
◦ Give and receive feedback, collaborate with others while
writing
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W-7: Conduct research projects
W-8: Gather information from multiple sources
and integrate into writing
W-9: Draw evidence from text to support
writing
Students learn to
◦ Research and communicate understanding through a
range of shorter and longer projects
◦ Determine appropriate sources, summarize important
information, and include in writing appropriately
◦ Read narrative or informational text, determine
important information, and include in writing to
support analysis, reflection, and research
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W-10: Write routinely
◦ Extended time frames
 Allow time for process
◦ Shorter time frames
 A day or two
 No process or abbreviated process
◦ Range of tasks, purposes, and audiences
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Students learn to
◦ Develop writing endurance
◦ Modify process based on the purpose and task
◦ Write a range of texts for different purposes and
audiences
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L-1: Grammar and usage
L-2: Capitalization, punctuation, and spelling
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Students learn to
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Print letters
Use different parts of speech in sentences
Produce different sentence types and structures
Spell words
Apply conventional capitalization and punctuation
rules in writing
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L-3: Apply knowledge of language
purposefully
Students learn to
◦ Vary sentences and words depending on genre,
purpose, and audience
◦ Choose words and sentences to enhance style
◦ Apply style manual guidelines
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L-6: Use a range of vocabulary
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Students learn to
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Include academic vocabulary in their writing
Include domain-specific vocabulary in their writing
Use precise words
Include words that signify relationships among
ideas
Formatting with columns and marginal
glosses/include citations for source
materials/assist others without direction and
exhibit leadership in writing community
Heading and subheadings, captions for
illustrations/pick from multiple source materials
from array to plan/independent explicit writing
goals with self-evaluation
Basic elements of feature article/revise for
clear definitions and accurate facts; edit for
capitalization of proper nouns and spelling of
topic-related vocabulary/cooperative with
peers and provide some helpful advice
Use audio, pictorial, and text-based
source materials on same topic;
KWLH+ to summarize source material
Use computer with speech recognition
and synthesis to complete all phases
of assignment
Have students identify and select from
several areas of expertise; use
conferencing to give effort feedback
Write informative/explanatory texts in which
they introduce a topic, use facts, definitions, and illustrations to
develop points, and provide a concluding statement or section.
Recall information from experiences or gather information from
provided sources to answer a question.
With guidance and support from adults and peers, focus on a topic
and strengthen writing as needed by revising and editing.
Planning organizer, topic source
materials, revising/editing checklist,
sample feature articles written by
students
Plan & revise/edit in small groups (crowd-source)
Topic-focused spelling vocabulary list with preinstruction
Collaborative goal setting
Multiple passes at revising/editing
Completed planning organizer
Peer evaluation of revising/editing changes
Rubric with key genre elements (adjusted for
individual student goals and expectations)