Generalizability (G) theory was used with a sample of 37 third-grade students to assess the variability in words correct per minute (WCPM) scores caused by student skill and pas sage variability. Reliability-like coefficients and the SEM based on a specific number of assess ments using different combinations of passages demonstrated how manipulating probe vari ability could reduce measurement error. Results showed that 81 % of the variance was due to student skill, 10% was due to passage or probe variability, and 9% was due to unac counted sources of error. Reliability-like coeffi cients ranged from .81 to .99, and SEMs ranged from 18 to 4 WCPM depending on the number of probes given. When passage vari ability was controlled, SEMs were decreased and ranged from 12 to 4 WCPM. Results indi cated that WCPM scores yield high reliability- like coefficients but also have a large SEM that can be reduced by administering multiple alternate passages. Discussion focuses on con ducting research designed to identify more equivalent passages in order to reduce erro neous relative and absolute decisions.
The success of Response-to-Intervention (RTI) and similar models of service delivery is dependent on educators being able to apply effective and efficient remedial procedures. In the process of implementing problem-solving RTI models, school psychologists have an opportunity to contribute to and enhance the quality of our remedial-procedure evidence base. In this article, we describe and analyze how the broad-scale implementation of RTI may allow school psychologists to collaborate with others to apply, develop, adopt, and adapt contextually valid remedial and research design procedures. To capitalize on this opportunity, graduate training in school psychology must be enhanced to focus on the application of repeated measures design in applied settings using more precise and sensitive measurement and evaluation procedures. Such strategies should prevent us from advocating for procedures that cannot be applied in educational contexts and/or are ineffective. This will also encourage comparative effectiveness studies that can be used to determine which procedures remedy problems the quickest. C 2013 Wiley Periodicals. Inc.
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