General and special educators often do not have the needed knowledge and skills or collaborative opportunities to implement coordinated, evidence-based instruction within a multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) framework. As such, the authors used a randomized control design to examine the impact of Project Coordinate (PC), a professional development approach incorporating online content modules and lesson study, on fourth-grade general and special education teachers’ knowledge, collaborative planning, and instructional practice in reading. The authors used multilevel modeling, analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), and multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) analyses to examine differences in teacher knowledge, changes in the frequency of tiered instruction, teachers’ perceptions of collaborative planning, changes in treatment teachers’ use of evidence-based practices (EBPs), and effective implementation of EBPs. Results showed that PC teachers did not make significant gains in knowledge; however, these teachers did make significant gains on collaborative and instructional practice though findings are complex. The authors discuss the implications of findings for future research and practice.
BenedictA. E.BrownellM. T.BettiniE.SohnH. (2021). Learning together: Teacher’s evolving understanding of coordinated word study instruction within an RTI approach. Teacher Education and Special Education, 44(2), 134–159. https://doi.org/10.1177/0888406420930686
2.
BenedictA. E.ParkY.BrownellM. T.KielyM. T. (2013). Using lesson study to align elementary literacy instruction within the RTI framework. Teaching Exceptional Children, 45(5), 22–30. https://doi.org/10.1177/004005991304500503
3.
BenedictA. E.WilliamsJ.BrownellM. T.ChapmanL.SweersA.SohnH. (2023). Using lesson study to change teacher knowledge and practice: The role of knowledge sources in teacher change. Teaching and Teacher Education, 122, 103591. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2022.103951
4.
BrownellM. T.KielyM. T.HaagerD. A.BoardmanA. G.CorbettN.AlginaJ.UrbachJ.DingleM. D. (2017). Literacy learning cohorts: Content-focused approach to improving special education teachers’ reading instruction. Exceptional Children, 83(2), 143–164. https://doi.org/10.1177/0014402916671517
5.
BurnsM.PetersR.NoellG. (2008). Using performance feedback to enhance implementation fidelity of the problem-solving team process. Journal of School Psychology, 46, 537–550. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsp.2008.04.001
6.
CastilloJ. M.MarchA. L.TanS. Y.StockslagerK. M.BrundageA. (2016a) Relationships between ongoing professional development and educators’ beliefs relative to Response to Intervention. Journal of Applied School Psychology, 32, 287–312. https://doi.org/10.1080/15377903.2016.1207736
7.
CastilloJ. M.MarchA. L.TanS. Y.StockslagerK. M.BrundageA.McCulloughM.SabnisS. (2016b). Relationships between ongoing professional development and educators’ perceived skills relative to RTI. Psychology in the Schools, 53, 893–910. https://doi.org/10.1002/pits.21954
8.
CastilloJ. M.ScheelN. L.WolgemuthJ. R.LatimerJ. D.GreenS. M. (2022). A scoping review of the literature on professional learning for MTSS. Journal of School Psychology, 92, 166–187. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsp.2022.03.010
9.
CastilloJ. M.WolgemuthJ. R.McKennaM.HiteR.LatimerJ. D. (2024). A qualitative synthesis of research on professional learning for multi-tiered systems of support. Teacher Education and Special Education, 47(3), 203–224. https://doi.org/10.1177/08884064231226254
10.
ChoiJ. H.MeisenheimerJ. M.McCartA. B.SailorW. (2017). Improving learning for all students through equity-based inclusive reform practices: Effectiveness of a fully integrated schoolwide model on student reading and math achievement. Remedial and Special Education, 38(1), 28–41. https://doi.org/10.1177/0741932516644054
11.
CohenJ.CohenP. (1983). Applied multiple regression/correlation analysis for the behavioral sciences (2nd ed.). Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
12.
DedeC.KetelhutD.WhitehouseP.BreitL.McCloskeyE. M. (2009). A research agenda for online teacher professional development. Journal of Teacher Education, 60(1), 8–19. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022487108327554
13.
DesimoneL. M. (2009). Improving impact studies of teachers’ professional development: Toward better conceptualizations and measures. Educational Researcher, 38(3), 181–199. https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X08331140
14.
DoewesA.KurdhiN.SaxenaA. (2023, July). Evaluating quadratic weighted kappa as the standard performance metric for automated essay scoring. In FengM.KäserT.TalukdarP. (Eds.), Proceedings of the16th International Conference on Educational Data Mining, EDM 2023 (pp. 103–113). International Educational Data Mining Society (IEDMS).
15.
DriskellJ. E.SalasE.DriskellT. (2018). Foundations of teamwork and collaboration. American Psychologist, 73(4), 334–348. https://doi.org/10.1037/amp0000241
16.
GerstenR.DiminoJ.JayanthiM.KimJ. S.SantoroL. E. (2010). Teacher study group: Impact of the professional development model on reading instruction and student outcomes in first grade classrooms. American Educational Research Journal, 47(3), 694–739. https://doi.org/10.3102/0002831209361208
17.
GoodwinA. P.AhnS. (2013). A meta-analysis of morphological interventions in English: Effects on literacy outcomes for school-age children. Scientific Studies of Reading, 17(4), 257–285. https://doi.org/10.1080/10888438.2012.689791
18.
GriffinC. C.KilgoreK. L.WinnJ. A.Otis-WilbornA. (2008). First-year special educators’ relationships with their general education colleagues. Teacher Education Quarterly, 35(1), 141–157. https://www.jstor.org/stable/23479035
19.
HarnB. A. (2017). Making RTI effective by coordinating the system of instructional supports. Perspectives on Language and Literacy, 43(4), 15–18.
20.
HarnB. A.ChardD. J.BiancarosaG.Kame’enuiE. J. (2011). Coordinating instructional supports to accelerate at-risk first-grade readers’ performance: An essential mechanism for effective RTI. The Elementary School Journal, 112(2), 332–355. https://doi.org/10.1086/661997
JacobF.JohnS.GwanyD. M. (2020). Teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge and students’ academic achievement: A theoretical overview. Journal of Global Research in Education and Social Science, 14(2), 14–44.
23.
KowalskiS. M.TaylorJ. A.AskinasK. M.WangQ.ZhangQ.MaddixW. P.TiptonE. (2020). Examining factors contributing to variation in effect size estimates of teacher outcomes from studies of science teacher professional development. Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness, 13(3), 430–458. https://doi.org/10.1080/19345747.2020.1726538
24.
LandisJ. R.KochG. G. (1977). The measurement of observer agreement for categorical data. Biometrics, 33(1), 159–174. https://doi.org/10.2307/2529310
25.
LangloisS. (2020). Collective competence: Moving from individual to collaborative expertise. Perspectives on Medical Education, 9(2), 71–73. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40037-020-00575-3
26.
LaveJ.WengerE. (1991). Situated learning: Legitimate peripheral participation. Cambridge University Press.
27.
LeonardK. M.CoyneM. D.OldhamA. C.BurnsD.GillisM. B. (2019). Implementing MTSS in beginning reading: Tools and systems to support schools and teachers. Learning Disabilities Research & Practice, 34(2), 110–117. https://doi.org/10.1111/ldrp.12192
28.
LewisC.PerryR. (2014). Lesson study with mathematical resources: A sustainable model for locally-led teacher professional learning. Mathematics Teacher Education and Development, 16(1), 22–42. https://doi.org/10.3316/aeipt.205652
29.
LewisC.PerryR. (2017). Lesson study to scale up research-based knowledge: A randomized, controlled trial of fractions learning. Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, 48(3), 261–299. https://doi.org/10.5951/jresematheduc.48.3.0261
30.
MarchA. L.CastilloJ. M.BatscheG. M.KincaidD. (2016). Relationship between systems coaching and problem-solving implementation fidelity in a response-to-intervention model. Journal of Applied School Psychology, 32(2), 147–177. https://doi.org/10.1080/15377903.2016.1165326
31.
McMasterK. L.BakerK.DoneganR.HughM.SargentK. (2021). Professional development to support teachers’ implementation of intensive reading intervention: A systematic review. Remedial and Special Education, 42(5), 329–342. https://doi.org/10.1177/0741932520934099
32.
Mutch-JonesK.PuttickG.MinnerD. (2012). Lesson study for accessible science: Building expertise to improve practice in inclusive science classrooms. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 49(8), 1012–1034. https://doi.org/10.1002/tea.21034
33.
NelsonG.CookS. C.ZarateK.PowellS.MagginD.DrakeK.KissA.FordJ.SunL.EspinasD. R. (2022). A systematic review of meta-analyses in special education: Exploring the evidence base for high-leverage practices. Remedial and Special Education, 43(5), 344–358. https://doi.org/10.1177/07419325211063491
34.
O’ConnorR. E. (2007). Teaching word recognition: Effective strategies for students with learning difficulties. The Guilford Press.
35.
PiagetJ. (1954). The construction of reality in the child. Basic Books.
36.
PritschetL.PowellD.HorneZ. (2016). Marginally significant effects as evidence for hypotheses: Changing attitudes over four decades. Psychological Science, 27(7), 1036–1042. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797616645672
37.
PuaD. J.PeytonD. J.BrownellM. T.ContesseV. A.JonesN. D. (2021). Preservice observation in special education: A validation study. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 54(1), 6–19. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022219420920382
38.
RaykovT.MarcoulidesG. (2011). Introduction to psychometric theory. Routledge.
39.
RubyS. F.Crosby-CooperT.VanderwoodM. L. (2011). Fidelity of problem solving in everyday practice: Typical training may miss the mark. Journal of Educational and Psychological Consultation, 21(3), 233–258. https://doi.org/10.1080/10474412.2011.598017
40.
SalasE.ReyesD. L.McDanielS. H. (2018). The science of teamwork: Progress, reflections, and road ahead. American Psychologist, 73(4), 593–600. https://doi.org/10.1037/amp0000334
41.
SchipperT.GoeiS. L.de VriesS.van VeenK. (2017). Professional growth in adaptive teaching competence as a result of lesson study. Teaching and Teacher Education, 68, 289–303. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2017.09.015
42.
StevensE. A.VaughnS. (2021). Using paraphrasing and text structure instruction to support main idea generation. Teaching Exceptional Children, 53(4), 300–308. https://doi.org/10.1177/0040059920958738
43.
StevensE. A.VaughnS.SwansonE.ScammaccaN. (2020). Examining the effects of a tier 2 reading comprehension intervention aligned to tier 1 instruction for fourth-grade struggling readers. Exceptional Children, 86(4), 430–448. https://doi.org/10.1177/0014402919893710
44.
StuartS.RinaldiC.Higgins-AverillO. (2011). Agents of change: Voices of teachers on response to intervention. International Journal of Whole Schooling, 7(2), 53–73. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ939060.pdf
45.
ViechtbauerW.SmitsL.KotzD.BudeL.SpigtM.SerroyenJ.CrutzenR. (2015). A simple formula for the calculation of sample size in pilot studies. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology, 68(11), 1375–1379. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclinepi.2015.04.014
46.
VygotskyL. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Harvard University Press.
47.
WillemsI.Van den BosscheP. (2019). Lesson study effectiveness for teachers’ professional learning: A best evidence synthesis. International Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies, 8(4), 257–271. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJLLS-04-2019-0031
48.
YoungsP.JonesN.LowM. (2011). How beginning special and general education elementary teachers negotiate role expectations and access professional resources. Teachers College Record, 113(7), 1506–1540. https://doi.org/10.1177/016146811111300704
Supplementary Material
Please find the following supplemental material available below.
For Open Access articles published under a Creative Commons License, all supplemental material carries the same license as the article it is associated with.
For non-Open Access articles published, all supplemental material carries a non-exclusive license, and permission requests for re-use of supplemental material or any part of supplemental material shall be sent directly to the copyright owner as specified in the copyright notice associated with the article.
