Students who demonstrate persistent mathematics difficulties and whose performance is severely below grade level require "intensive intervention". Intensive intervention is an individualized approach to instruction that is more demanding and concentrated than Tier 2 intervention efforts. We present the elements of intensive intervention…

Students who demonstrate persistent mathematics difficulties and whose performance is severely below grade level require "intensive intervention". Intensive intervention is an individualized approach to instruction that is more demanding and concentrated than Tier 2 intervention efforts. We present the elements of intensive intervention…

In this article, the authors present two models of intensive instruction for students with and without disabilities who are having difficulties with Response to Intervention (RTI) currently in practice (Tier 1: general instruction that all students receive in mainstream classrooms, and Tier 2: programs often involving small group instruction). The…

This article describes the Taxonomy of Intervention Intensity, which articulates seven principles for evaluating and building intervention intensity based upon research. The Taxonomy's seven dimensions of intensity are strength, dosage, alignment, attention to transfer, comprehensiveness, behavioral support, and individualization (see Table 1). In…

The purpose of this article is to describe the Taxonomy of Intervention Intensity, which articulates 7 dimensions for evaluating and building intervention intensity. We explain the Taxonomy's dimensions of intensity. In explaining the Taxonomy, we rely on a case study to illustrate how the Taxonomy can systematize the process by which special…

Special education is under fire from within and without. Full inclusionists and detracking advocates want to abolish all "separatist" special education settings and "unjust" disability categories, tests, and placements; politicians and school administrators deplore special education's high costs. However, mainstreaming efficacy…

Computer application of Curriculum-Based Measurement is presented as a methodology capable of linking student performance and instructional decision making. A case study with a fifth grade learning-disabled student and mathematics illustrates how CBM with computerized feedback systems can be used to systematically implement effective teaching…

Special education teachers (N=22) monitored the mathematics progress of 42 students (grades 2-8) with mild to moderate disabilities (mostly learning disabilities) for 20 weeks using curriculum-based measurement (CBM). Evaluation of instructional adjustments based on individual CBM results found that students whose instruction had been individually…

This article provides an overview of identification of appropriate testing accommodations for students with learning disabilities (LD). First it defines the concept of testing accommodations and review research on test accommodations commonly used with students with LD. Next it examines the validity and fairness in accommodations, as well as the…

This meta-analysis investigates the effects on achievement of type of graphing paper employed in displaying student performance data collected over time. Ongoing curriculum-based measurement systems employing Data-Based Program Development (DBPD) provide a data source of 16 controlled studies with 17 effect sizes. A total of 3,494 subjects…

Curriculum-based measurement (CBM) bridges traditional psychometric and classroom-based observational assessment paradigms to forge an innovative approach to measurement, with several advantages over traditional and other forms of classroom assessment. This article provides a framework for extending CBM in two ways. First, the authors explain how…

Reviews the research on instructional adaptations in mathematics used by general educators with students having learning disabilities. After a summary of levels and types of instructional adaptation, the article reviews methods for extending adaptation strategies and studies of teachers' planning methods and associated learning outcomes for…

While the aptitude treatment interaction (ATI) approach to educational measurement emphasizes establishing salient learner characteristics, systematic formative evaluation provides ongoing evaluation for instructional program modification. Systematic formative evaluation appears more tenable than ATI for developing individualized instructional…

An inductive assessment model for developing individualized instructional programs for special needs students is reviewed, followed by a discussion of how computer programs can help teachers solve logistical and technical problems of inductive assessment models and how expert systems can provide instructional advice. Expert systems for…