SPCE 475

IRIS Module
Evidence-Based Practices (Part 1):
Identifying and Selecting a Practice or Program

Name: Jett McClaskey

1. Define an evidence-based practice.

- Evidence-based practices (EBP’s) are skills, techniques, and strategies that have been
proven to work through experimental research studies or studies conducted in the
field.
- These are put into place to overall improve the student’s quality of instruction that
they receive. The practices have been proven to work, but it is extremely difficult to
select an EBP.

2. List at least three benefits of implementing an EBP.

- Shown to have positive effects on student outcomes

- There have been multiple studies have been conducted to prove the benefits so there
is an increase of accountability
- These practices led to overall student improvement
- Greater likelihood of being responsive to learners' needs within the classroom
- Less wasted time and resources

3. List three areas that an education professional needs to think about when selecting an
EBP. Discuss some considerations for each.

a. STUDENTS AND SETTING

- Need to take into account the unique needs of the students/families that you are
working with.
- Every practice will work differently with different settings
- Make sure the practice addresses skills that are useful in benefiting the student
- Make sure that the data shown t prove the successfulness of the practice has data from
your student's age groups/disability / exc.

b. RESOURCES
- Time, cost, training!!!!!
- Ask yourself if you have to adjust your schedule
- What materials will you need??? What is included with the program??

c. EVIDENCE LEVEL
- Choosing practice with the strongest evidence
- Investigate the data and consult a number of trusted sources
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- Become familiar with the way each organization rates the practice

4. Briefly describe the process you can use if you cannot find an EBP that matches your
students and your resources.

- If there is not a suitable EBP for your student or maybe you just haven’t found the
right one that meets your criteria; that’s okay! You can do the following
a. Select the practice that BEST meets the criteria and be aware you may not get the
same results
b. Review the organizations and federally funded centers and agencies
c. Review the research literature yourself!

When you perform a literature search, you first need to identify the skill or behavior you want to
address. Some great places to start would be:
a. Google scholar
b. Library database
c. Professional journals
d. Federally funded centers (US Department of Education)

5. Imagine that you are a kindergarten teacher. One of your students has behavior issues. A
colleague has recommended The Incredible Years program, and another has
recommended First Step to Success.
• Using more than one source, complete the EBP Comparison Worksheet.
Worksheet below
• Based on the information on your worksheet, choose the program you wish to
use.
• Justify your response
A. I would choose the Incredible Years Program. Although it is more expensive than the
other program that was recommended, I love everything it offers. It has been found to
have positive effects on external behavior, emotional and internal behavior, social
outcomes, and other areas of their academic performance. I think that this program would
be very useful too be trained in and have the tools to be able to aid the student. I love that
there are lessons in the program that can be given one-on-one with the student or even
integrated within another lesson to the whole class.

EBP Comparison Worksheet

Practice/Program 1 Practice/Program 2 Practice/Program 3

Name of INCREDIBLE FIRST STEP TO

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practice/program YEARS PROGRAM SUCCESS

https://
incredibleyears.com/ https://
Source of information about/incredible-years- crimesolutions.ojp.gov/
series/program- ratedprograms/296#pd
previews/
- Training
programs
for children, - Identify
parents, and children
teachers with
- Focusing on antisocialn
building behavior
Practice/program social and and
description emotional introduce
skills strategies to
prevent
- Lessons can these
be delivered challenging
to children behaviors in
referred or schools
an entire
classroom
Student population
(e.g., grade level,
disability type, - Kindergartn
urban/rural, ELL, Age: 0-12 with ers
income level) for challenging behaviors - 5-8 age
wise
which this practice/
program has been
shown to be effective

Setting (e.g., general

- Can be
education class, given one
resource class) in on one
- Home and
which this practice/ - Or can be
schools
given to a
program has been whole
shown to be effective classroom
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Total per-child` costs

range from
Resources: Cost of
$1,164- $3,003 - $500 per
practice/ program These depend on which student
components of the
program is utilized.

- during home based

programing, the coach
Resources: Time Program consists of
conducts six weekly
needed for 20-30 minutes lessons
home visits and works
- these happen 2 or 3
implementing with the student
times a week
On average, this
program lasts 3 months

- There
should be
two leaders
in the group
should have
their Master
degree or
higher
Resources: Training - Depending
on the type
required to implement
of training - Training is
and maintain the you want to required
practice or program receive, it
will be
different
number of
days
- Ranging
from one to
three days
of training
needed
What kinds of
supports or materials
are required? Are they - Included - Included
included or will they materials materials
require additional
resources (i.e., time,
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money).

For over 30 years,

numerous randomized
control group studies
have been conducted
on all of these
programs both by the
developer and also by
independent
researchers in several
different countries.
These studies can be
viewed in our Research
Library. Of note, is a
recent publication
showing a 10-year
follow up of families
of children with
conduct problems who
were treated with the
parent program. Two-
Level of evidence that
thirds of the children
the practice or were in the normal
program is effective range on standardized
measures and none
were in jail or
detention. 23% had
engaged in major
delinquent acts, 46%
reported some drug
use, and 18% had some
criminal justice
involvement. Factors
predicting negative
outcomes in
adolescence
(delinquent acts) were
immediate post
treatment levels of
observed mother-child
coercion. This suggests
continuing treatment
until coercion is
reduced sufficiently.
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or comments