Validating the Recognizing Excellence in Learning and Teaching (RELATE) Tool for Special Education Classrooms: A Pilot Study

• In Event: Roundtable Session 50
  In Roundtable Session: Advancing the Science of Classroom Observation: New Applications and Directions From the Field

Abstract

Purpose: This study examined the reliability and validity of the Recognizing Excellence in Learning and TEaching (RELATE) Tool for Special Education Classroom Observation. Specifically, factor structure, descriptive and psychometric properties of the RELATE tool were examined as part of this study.

Perspective/Theoretical Framework: Approximately half of students identified as having an emotional and/or behavior disorder (EBD) spend more than 80% of their school day in the special education classroom (U.S. D. O. E., 2015). Examining the quality of teaching and learning in these classrooms is challenging; multiple adults, students of varying abilities and levels, and a range of behaviors create a unique classroom structure not accounted for in existing classroom evaluation instruments (Crowe, Rivers, Bertoli, Under Review). To address this need, the RELATE Tool for Special Education Classroom Observation was created using an iterative mixed methods approach (Seidman, 2012) to support the ecological validity measure. The RELATE Tool includes three components hypothesized to maximize the learning potential for the students in special education classrooms: Teacher-Paraeducator Interactions, Accommodations, and Prevention. Teacher-Paraeducator Interactions describe interactions between educators (teachers and paraeducators) that reflect unity of purpose and clear instructional and classroom management strategies. Accommodations describe interactions between students and educators that identify, acknowledge, and accommodate individual learning needs and goals. Prevention describes interactions between students and educators that promote a physically and psychologically safe learning environment.

Method: This study is based on video data from 50 K-12 special education classrooms serving primarily students with EBD across 6 school districts in the Northeastern United States. Classrooms were recorded over 3 occasions for a length of 30-45 minutes per recording session. Videos were later spliced into ten minute segments that were viewed by certified RELATE scorers (masters-level students) and scored using the RELATE Tool.

Data Sources: The majority of the participating teachers were female (90%) with an average of 11 years of teaching experience. Classrooms included an average of 8.9 students with an average of 2.2 paraprofessionals. See Table 3.1 for descriptive data on classrooms. The RELATE Tool for Special Education Classroom Observation is for use by trained observers who rate interactions between teachers, students, and paraeducators on 3 components on a 4-point scale.

Results: Video footage is presently being scored alongside researcher field notes, classroom profiles and supplementary data from teachers. Results to date suggest promising associations between constructs and reasonable inter-rater reliability. Final psychometric results will be disseminated at the 2016 conference.

Scholarly Significance: In the age of accountability, classroom observation tools are valuable in determining the quality of student learning environments (Pianta & Hamre, 2009; Ross et al., 2004). Researchers have found that students with EBD in self-contained settings make little progress academically and behaviorally (Lane et al., 2005; Siperstein, Wiley, & Forness, 2011). As much needed research continues in this area to determine causes and possible solutions, the RELATE tool provides a measure of the unique classroom environment in restrictive settings and could open doors for future research with this population.

Authors

• Tia Navelene Barnes, Yale University

• Christina Cipriano Crowe, University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth

• Lisa Flynn, Yale University

• Susan E. Rivers, Yale University