An Investigation of the Validity of Quality Indicators for Group Comparison Research in Special Education

• In Event: 33.080 - Poster Session 6
  In Poster Session: 33.080-8 - Special Education Research SIG: Assessment, Collaboration, and Educational Placement

Abstract

When determining whether a practice is evidence-based, special education scholars often use sets of methodological quality indicators to identify, and exclude from consideration, studies of unacceptable quality. However, few quality indicators have been empirically validated. Using Gersten et al.’s (2005) essential quality indicators for group experimental studies in special education, we examined the relation of individual quality indicators and overall study quality to study effects, and whether effects of acceptable and unacceptable quality studies differed among studies. We found that few quality indicators predicted study effects, and studies of acceptable quality reported significantly higher effects than unacceptable quality studies in mathematics, whereas overall study quality was not related to study effects in reading.

Authors

• Danielle Nicole Dupuis, CAREI - University of Minnesota

• Asha K. Jitendra, University of Minnesota

• Bryan G Cook, University of Hawaii - Manoa