Gains have been made over the last two decades in how to identify evidence-based practices for students with disabilities, but less progress has been made in ensuring that these interventions are used by classroom teachers. Although it is not the only area that needs to be addressed to bridge this research-to-practice gap, providing high-quality…

This synthesis examined the effects of spelling interventions on spelling outcomes for students with disabilities in Grades 6 through 12. Thirteen single-case design studies were identified for inclusion in the review. No studies used a treatment/comparison design. The most common types of interventions involved systematic study strategies, such…

The identification of evidence-based practices continues to provoke issues of disagreement across multiple fields. One area of contention is the role of single-subject design (SSD) research in providing scientific evidence. The debate about SSD's utility centers on three issues: sample size, effect size, and serial dependence. One potential…

In this introduction to the applicaton of meta-analysis as a quantitative synthesis technique, several alternative approaches to research synthesis are described. Their advantages and disadvantages, as compared to those of the techniques of meta-analysis. Decisions that must be faced by the prospective user of meta-analysis are described.…

The paper reviews objections to meta-analysis in psychotherapy. It is suggested that claims to inclusiveness and objectivity are not supported by the evidence, and that for most purposes the simplistic scoring systems of meta-analysis are not only useless, but may be counterproductive. (Author/CL)

Using 52 previous reviews of the early intervention efficacy literature, the article demonstrates the value of systematically considering previous reviews before initiating a new review. The authors suggest that tabulations of conclusions of reviews serve as hypotheses to be confirmed or rejected by objective synthesis methods. (Author/DB)

The need for research synthesis is explored as well as the benefits of meta-analysis, particularly those related to understanding and explanation. The problems with traditional review methods are discussed, with special relevance to their failure to resolve problems. Finally, the findings from several meta-analyses are summarized and contrasted…

Analysis of 326 studies of early intervention efficacy indicated significant positive benefits for most children but little evidence to support some common beliefs (such as the superiority of very early intervention or the necessity for parental involvement). Application of the steps in the scientific method are recommended for such large scale…

The paper discusses problems resulting from the substitution of meta-analysis for qualitative reviewing of special education research, employing H. Cooper's framework for assessing integrative research review and using illustrations from research on class placement and mainstreaming. (Author/CL)

The authors cite problems but regard meta-analysis as an improvement over traditional methods of research integration. Advantages are increased objectivity, freedom from arbitrary levels of statistical significance, and potential to relate an array of independent variables to effect size. Disadvantages include questionable reliability of ratings…

The synthesis of 35 single-subject nonaversive treatments of classroom behavior problems indicated that reinforcement and feedback are highly effective as a remedy across a variety of behaviors, settings, and administrative arrangements. (Author/DB)

The first of 10 papers providing a state of the art of research synthesis in special education, the introduction/overview stresses the importance of applying scientific techniques and standards to the evaluation and summarization of substantive research findings. (DB)

The paper proposes a statistical methodology for synthesizing single-subject research in special education. A regression model that can be used to generate effect sizes for both changes in slope and changes in level occuring as a result of the treatment intervention is outlined. (Author/DB)

The synthesis of 18 single subject research studies on early intervention for socially withdrawn children indicated that reinforcement and measurement of targeted socially interactive behaviors showed the largest effects, with some treatment (such as unreinforced modeling of behavior) showing little effect. There was little evidence for skill…

This article is the first of a 2-part synthesis of an international seminar on the classification of children with disabilities. It synthesizes 6 papers that address broad questions relating to disability classification and categorization, cross-national comparisons on disability in education, the World Health Organization's "International…