James Ysseldyke

University of Minnesota Twin Cities | UMN · Department of Educational Psychology

Within multitiered systems of support, assessment practices that limit the amount of time students miss instruction should be prioritized. At the same time, decisions about student response to intervention need to be based upon technically adequate data. We evaluated the impact of data collection frequency and trend estimation method on the magnitu...

A national survey of graduating students (N=232) and current practitioners (N=195) was conducted to assess their perceptions about their training for the many roles school psychologists are expected to perform. General findings indicate that, in most areas, students' and practitioners' ratings did not differ; both groups perceived the quality of th...

Computer adaptive assessments were used to monitor the academic status and growth of students with emotional behavior disorders (EBD) in reading (N = 321) and math (N = 322) in a regional service center serving 56 school districts. A cohort sequential model was used to compare that performance to the status and growth of a national user base of mor...

The authors examined the extent to which classroom teachers in naturalistic settings used a Goal-Setting Tool to set instructional goals for struggling students, the kinds of goals they set, their progress monitoring practices with and without goals, and the extent to which students gain more when a goal-setting tool is used. The goal-setting tool...

Federal regulations indicate that the achievement gap must be closed between subgroups, including the gap between special education and non-special education students. We explored the ways in which achievement trends are influenced by three methods of reporting (cross-sectional, cohort–static, and cohort–dynamic). We also investigated (a) the ways...

The impact and feasibility of using student perceptions of the classroom teaching environment as an instructional feedback tool were explored. Thirty-one teachers serving 797 middle school students collected data twice across 3 weeks using the Responsive Environmental Assessment for Classroom Teaching (REACT). Researchers randomly assigned half of...

A computer simulation program was developed for the purpose of studying the processes diagnostic personnel in the schools engage in when making psychoeducational decisions about students. Initially, the program collected demographic data on 159 participants and assessed their knowledge base in assessment. Bogus referral information for one of sixte...

Faced with increasing numbers of mildly handicapped students, schools are implementing a variety of instructional arrangements to serve them. This study examined the extent to which different instructional grouping arrangements are used for different categories of mildly handicapped students in different instructional settings and the extent to whi...

Computational fluency is an important aspect of math proficiency. Despite widely held beliefs about the differential difficulty of single-digit multiplication math facts, little empirical work has examined this issue. The current study analyzed the number of repetitions needed to master multiplication math facts. Data from 15,402 3rd, 4th, and 5th...

The increasing diversity of the U.S. population has resulted in increased concerns about the psychological assessment of students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. To date, little empirical research supports recommendations in test selection and interpretation, such as those presented in the Culture-Language Interpretative Mat...

Responsiveness-to-intervention (RTI) is the front-running candidate to replace current practice in diagnosing learning disabilities, but researchers have identified several questions about implementation. Specific questions include: Are there validated intervention models? Are there adequately trained personnel? What leadership is needed? When does...

In 2005, to address concerns about students who might fall in the gap between the regular assessment and the alternate assessment based on alternate achievement standards (AA-AAS), the U.S. Department of Education announced that states could develop alternate assessments based on modified achievement standards (AA-MAS). This article reports empiric...

The current study used a randomized controlled trial to compare the effects of a practice-based intervention and a mnemonic strategy intervention on the retention and application of single-digit multiplication facts with 90 third- and fourth-grade students with math difficulties. Changes in retention and application were assessed separately using o...

The authors' purpose was to determine the effects of computer-based practice and conceptual interventions on computational fluency and word-problem solving of fourth- and fifth-grade students with mathematics difficulties. A randomized pretest-posttest control group design found that students assigned to the computer-based practice intervention gro...

Methodological rigor in intervention research is important for documenting evidence-based practices and has been a recent focus in legislation, including the No Child Left Behind Act. The current study examined the methodological rigor of intervention research in four school psychology journals since the 1960s. Intervention research has increased i...

The assessment of ecological factors that affect individual men- tal health or academic functioning is an important component of educational and psychological consultation. Researchers and practitioners have conceptualized such ecological or environmental factors in a variety of ways and from a broad range of perspectives. In this article we identi...

A three-level variance decomposition analysis was used to examine The sources of variability in implementation of a technology-enhanced progress monitoring system within each year of a 2-year study using a randomizedcontrolled design. We show that results of technology-enhanced progress monitoring are not necessarily a measure of student achievemen...

Technology-enhanced formative evaluation (TEFE) could enhance student achievement while diminishing the burden of formative evaluation for educators. The current study examined data from 360 randomly selected schools that either used a TEFE program for 1 year to 4 years 11 months, for 5 or more years, or not at all. Analyses of covariance found a s...

Technical adequacy and information/cost return were examined for four early reading measures: the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS), STAR Early Literacy (SEL), Group Reading Assessment and Diagnostic Evaluation (GRADE), and the Texas Primary Reading Inventory (TPRI). All four assessments were administered to the same studen...

Eighty school psychology programs offering training at the doctoral level were contacted with a request for lists of authors, titles, and abstracts of dissertations completed between the years 2000 and 2007. Titles and abstracts from 1119 dissertations were reviewed to assess the interests and experiences of new researchers and practitioners in sch...

Minority overrepresentation refers to the recurrent finding that many more minority students are being served in special education programs for the mildly handicapped than would be expected based solely upon their representation in the general school population. Such findings have frequently touched off heated and seemingly endless debates in the p...

School psychology training and practice have been substantially influenced by a series of documents referred to as Blueprints. The second edition of the Blueprint directly led to the development of training standards for school psychology that addressed several domains of practice. Both preceding and simultaneous to the Blueprint series were severa...

The number of students enrolled in alternative settings for youth at risk of school failure has increased significantly in recent years. Students with disabilities, primarily students with emotional/behavioral disabilities and learning disabilities, are included in the population of students who are being educated in these settings. This article pr...

This article has no abstract.

The federal mandate for use of evidence-based practice in schools focuses attention on the frequently discussed research-to-practice gap in education. The current study examined the frequency with which evidence-based practices are engaged in the education of pupils with disabilities. In sum, 174 special education teachers and 333 school psychologi...

The Supplemental Educational Services (SES) provision of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 creates an opportunity for eligible students to receive free effective academic support services outside of the regular school day. The SES provision is relatively new and little information is currently known about the efficacy of such services. The autho...

Many students with disabilities are provided accommodations to enable their participation in statewide assessment programs; however, there is concern that accommodations may invalidate test results. For test administrations to be considered valid for all student groups, there must be comparable measurement across groups. This can ensure that decisi...

We explored how a progress monitoring and instructional management system can be used to help educators differentiate instruction and meet the wide-ranging learning needs of their increasingly diverse classrooms. We compared classrooms in 24 states that used a curriculum-based progress monitoring and instructional management system, Accelerated Mat...

The topic we are addressing in this session is improving teaching and learning. We are talking about improving teaching and learning. I assume our focus is on improving teaching and learning for those students who are resistant to instruction and for whom we need to intensify our instructional efforts. These students are present in all of our class...

This descriptive study examined school professionals' perspectives of the effects of high-stakes assessment for students with and without disabilities. Participants were 249 general education teachers, special education teachers, and school psychologists from 99 schools across 19 states that have required high school exit exams. Participants comple...

With contributions from recognized leaders in the field of reading interventions, this book examines what has been learned from research to help struggling readers in grades K-6. Focusing on strategies that have been proven effective, the authors help educators meet the demands placed on them to ensure that all students are making good progress tow...

School psychologists and other educational professionals are faced with increasingly demanding data collection needs. There is increasing pressure to engage in data-driven decision-making for the purpose of making eligibility, instructional planning, program evaluation, and accountability decisions. For example, school psychologists are expected to...

We examined the extent to which use of a technology-enhanced con- tinuous progress monitoring system would enhance the results of math instruc- tion, examined variability in teacher implementation of the program, and com- pared math results in classrooms in which teachers did and did not use the system. Classrooms were randomly assigned to within-s...

Although testing accommodations are commonly provided to students with disabilities within large-scale testing programs, research findings on how well accommodations allow for comparable measurement of student knowledge and skill remain inconclusive. The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which 1 commonly held belief about testing a...

Many positive and negative consequences of high-stakes testing for students with disabilities are alleged. Yet, there is little evidence on actual consequences. Both anecdotal and empirical evidence were reviewed with regard to increased participation in assessment, raised expectations, provision of appropriate assessment accommodations, alignment...

A curriculum-based instructional management system was used to enhance the mathematics instruction of 3rd through 6th grade Title I and non-Title I students. Improvements in math achievement for Title I students who were and were not participants in this curriculum enhancement were also compared. Title I students who participated in the instruction...

The effect of a self-directed mathematics program on the math achievement of students who are gifted and talented (GT) was evaluated. An instructional management system, Accelerated Math (Advantage Learning Systems, 1998a), was used to assign instruction, monitor student progress, and provide teachers with the information they needed to differentia...

The effect of a self-directed mathematics program on the math achievement of students who are gifted and talented (GT) was evaluated. An instructional management system, Accelerated Math (Advantage Learning Systems, 1998a), was used to assign instruction, monitor student progress, and provide teachers with the information they needed to differentia...

When investigators document the consequences of high stakes assessments for students with disabilities, many negative consequences are cited. Both empirical and anecdotal evidence for positive consequences of large-scale high-stakes assessments for students with disabilities were examined for this study. Multiple methodologies were used to gather d...

More than two-thirds of students living in U.S. low-income urban areas have not demonstrated basic levels of math achievement. Teachers are confronted with a difficult task of meeting the needs of an increasingly academically diverse population of urban students. There is a well-confirmed knowledge base on effective instruction, but teachers need m...

The authors examined the effects of implementing an instructional system that automates application of evidence-based components of effective instruction on student mathematics achievement and on classroom behaviors known to be related to overall student achievement outcomes. A treatment group of 157 4th- and 5th-grade students used the interventio...

State education agencies are now required to report on the educational performance and progress of all students, including students with disabilities. States are beginning to report trends, and to compare trends in performance of students with and without disabilities. We com- pare the effects of different methods of analyzing trends to illustrate...

In this fourth edition of one of the most successful volumes in school psychology, the shifting paradigm toward services guided by problem solving and evaluated by the achievement of positive outcomes is increasingly apparent. In this chapter, we describe and contrast different paradigms for the design and delivery of school psychological services,...

The timely revision of this best-selling guide offers specific tactics to effectively and meaningfully include students with disabilities in assessment systems.

In recent years, concerns about the math achievement of U.S. students have been highlighted in the popular press, journal articles, major conference presentations, and official U.S. Department of Education (1998) reports. School personnel have responded to the issue of low math achievement by a) writing or rewriting standards, b) “ratcheting up” cu...

We investigated the kinds of instructional and assessment accommodations students with disabilities receive, and the extent to which instructional accommodations match assessment accommodations. Most students who had IEPs in specific content areas received instructional accommodations in those areas, and there were no differences by disability type...

The CEC Research Award recognizes researchers for the significant contributions they have made to special education. We believe that the members of this distinguished group have much to share with our readers. We have invited each of them to contribute an article, addressing their perspectives on special education research and practices. Jim Ysseld...

One of the most prevalent and controversial accommodations for students with disabilities is an audio presentation of written test material, the "read-aloud" accommodation. This study used test administration data from the Missouri Assessment Program to examine effects of using the read-aloud accommodation on the characteristics of multiple-choice...

This study reports empirical data on the use of various test accommodations for students with disabilities participating in the Missouri Assessment Program. The findings indicate that three accommodations, extended time, small-group administration, and read-aloud, account for nearly all of the students using an accommodation. The results also demon...

Presents a response to "School Psychology from an Instructional Perspective: Solving Big, Not Little Problems" (this issue). The author supports Shapiro's arguments but worries much about the barriers that would have to be overcome to enable such a paradigm shift to occur. (GCP)

State policies on the participation of students with disabilities in district or state assessments, and the accommodations available in those assessments, continue to change rapidly. Examination of participation and accommodation policies of all states revealed that in mast states the individualized Education Program team is central in decision mak...

This monograph reviews issues in research on the effects of using accommodations for students with disabilities who are included in educational assessments, particularly state and district assessments. Following an introductory overview, a section provides background on the need for good research on accommodations. The paper then defines commonly u...

This study examined the effects of a reading accommodation on the performance of students on a reading comprehension test. In total, 17 general education students and 15 special education students in grades 3-5 participated. Each student took two equivalent forms of the California Achievement Tests (CAT/5), Comprehension Survey. One form was admini...

This report summarizes 48 states' current policies on the participation of students with disabilities in large-scale assessments and the accommodations noted in state policies as available for those students. In developing the summary, changes in state assessment policies were also checked. Charts in the report provide information on presentation a...

The Resource Teachers Learning and Behaviour (RTLB) program is a unique special education development in New Zealand. The aim of this program is the creation of a nation‐wide network of more than 700 RTLB operating as itinerant consulting teachers providing support in inclusive classrooms. The principles underlying the program are described and an...

This report summarizes the present and past status of students with disabilities in educational assessment and accountability systems, and highlights the critical emerging issues to be addressed. Issues include participation in accountability systems, graduation requirements, data management, accommodations, alternate assessments, reporting, and in...

Decisions about scheduling classroom activities and routines are often based upon beliefs about when students are most able to learn. There is little research available to base these beliefs on. We investigated student academic responding time as a function of time of day for 122 students with and without disabilities in 10 schools in urban and sub...

The reauthorized Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires that states have alternate assessments in place by the year 2000 Personnel in departments of education are working on the development of alternate assessments that are to be used in accounting for the performance and progress of students with disabilities who do not partic...

Addresses issues in the inclusion of students with disabilities in educational assessments. Distinguishes between accountability and assessment and describes a framework of educational accountability with domains, indicators, and sources of information. Also considered are alternative assessments and accommodations and public reporting on the acade...

Highlights specific questions, concerns, and challenges faced by educators, parents, and students concerning assessment, accountability, accommodations, and alternate assessment. Examples of state assessment-accommodation policies are provided and reasons for providing test accommodations, requirements of Individualized Education Programs, eligibil...

Education reform initiatives throughout the entire educational system have focused attention on outcomes and quantifiable data. With increasing frequency, the data needed to monitor and evaluate reform initiatives are being drawn from large-scale state and national data collection programs. Although sufficient national level school completion outco...

This report discusses the findings of a study that analyzed 115 public reports from state accountability offices and state special education offices to investigate how students with disabilities are doing academically and nonacademically. A framework developed by the National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO) was used to organize results. Analy...

In the mid 1990s, the National Center on Educational Outcomes worked with stakeholder groups to establish a set of criteria for use in large-scale assessments. The criteria addressed issues of the participation of students with disabilities in the assessments, assessment accommodations, and the reporting of results for students with disabilities. T...

This report describes how the National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO) Framework for Educational Accountability, which specifies outcomes and indicators for six developmental levels (ages three and six, grades four, eight, and twelve, and post-school), can be used to implement parts of the National Association of State Directors of Special Ed...

Based on the findings of a 1998 conference on the new assessment and accountability requirements in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), this report discusses critical issues that surround the assessment provisions included in the 1997 IDEA amendments and contains recommendations related to state and district-wide assessments and...

This report discusses findings from a study that examined the inclusiveness of state standards for students with disabilities. Specifically, the study investigated the extent to which individuals who know students with disabilities were involved in the development process, the extent to which students with disabilities were identified as being a ta...

Current educational reform efforts seek to ensure accountability for educational results for all of our nation's students and, thus, there is increasing interest in the extent to which current large-scale assessment practices and programs include students with disabilities. Developing accurate procedures for reporting on the participation of studen...

A major missing piece in the current debate about school choice is the impact of these policies on students with disabilities. In this article, findings from 6 years of research on implications of school choice for students with disabilities are synthesized. We used multiple methodologies to conduct a set of 12 quantitative and qualitative studies....

Although increasing the high school graduation rate is now a national goal, requirements for graduation are not set at the national level. And, although the goal is said to include students in special education programs, what high school graduation means for these students is not clear. We collected documentation from state departments of education...

Over a decade ago, Algozzine, Christenson and Ysseldyke (1982) presented data that indicated a very high percentage of referred students were determined eligible for special education. Assessment and decision making practices have changed significantly over the past 10 years. For example, there is a greater reliance on pre-referral practices, probl...

This article summarizes lessons learned from a formative evaluation of one attempt to implement inclusion of students with mild to moderate mental impairment (MMMI) in general classes in a suburban middle school. We compared the process and outcomes of this attempt with intentions of key players, results of school-change research, and consideration...

Highlights research on the participation of students with disabilities in statewide assessments and explores the participation and reporting issues that emerge when considering the inclusion of students with disabilities in large-scale accountability systems and assessments. Recommendations for local-level decision makers for participation and repo...

This report summarizes states' current policies on the participation of students with disabilities in large-scale assessment and the accommodations available for these students. Among the generalizations from these summaries are (1) state participation and accommodation policies change frequently; (2) for participation decisions, state policies oft...

This report describes how assessments are scored and results are reported in the inclusive assessment and accountability systems in Maryland and Kentucky. Specific topics include: (1) how school performance is reported to the public; (2) what components go into the reported performance of schools; (3) how scores are obtained for students in the reg...

This report examines issues concerning the provision of accommodations for students with disabilities participating in state and district assessments. The report considers what an accommodation is, what kinds of accommodations are available, who should make the decision regarding accommodations, when accommodations should be used, and how accommoda...

This report examines issues concerning the participation of students with disabilities in state and district assessments and offers principles and recommendations for increasing their participation. This report suggests that 85 percent of students with disabilities could participate either in the regular assessments or by using accommodations and t...

This book sets the stage for competency domains by reviewing the context in which school psychological services are delivered and how school psychologists are educated. The book focuses initially on the altered social, political, and economic context for education and the practice of psychology in schools. The book then analyzes the ways in which s...

School psychologists who are savvy about State and Federal reform policies benefit in two ways: (a) they have an enhanced potential to actively participate in school reform, and (b) they are better able to facilitate the inclusion of students with special needs in the many programs that result from education reform. In this article, we present an o...

Teachers and other school personnel are constantly challenged to demonstrate that their instruction and/or interventions are appropriate and effective. This is often difficult to do because the connections between the theory and research they learned before entering the classroom or professional practice and the day-to-day activities they engage in...

With a national reform agenda that includes all american students and federal legislation barring job discrimination against individuals with disabilities, concerns have mounted about how to accurately assess persons with disabilities. including these individuals in the assessment process often requires the modification of tests and testing procedu...

Educational policymakers are moving away from examining the process of education to examining its results. In response to this change in focus, the National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO) has developed a school completion model of outcomes and indicators of these outcomes. This model contains eight domains (i.e., content areas). The purpose...

Public school choice is among the strategies identified by national policymakers for improving education by the year 2000 and beyond. Despite the popularity of choice as an educational reform alternative, little is known about how choice operates nationally and what effects it may have in particular areas of the country with particular groups of st...

The purpose of this study was to analyze similarities and differences in how students with disabilities are identified in national databases. National data collection programs in the U.S. Departments of Education, Commerce, Labor, Justice, and Health and Human Services, as well as databases from the National Science Foundation, the American Council...