Edward OConnor, Ph.D. Midwest Instructional Leadership Council Elizabeth Witter Freeman, Ph.D. Monona Grove School District Monona, WI Bradley C. Niebling,

Edward O’Connor, Ph.D.Midwest Instructional Leadership Council

Elizabeth Witter Freeman, Ph.D.Monona Grove School District Monona, WI

Bradley C. Niebling, Ph.D.Midwest Instructional Leadership Council

3/3/10(c) Midwest Instructional Leadership Council 1

Research-to-Practice Gap Scientist-Practitioner Model Problem-solving Model Applied

◦Problem Identification◦Problem Analysis◦Intervention Design

Call to the Field

3/3/10 2(c) Midwest Instructional Leadership Council

• This paper has the following objectives:– To briefly summarize the professional

discussion regarding "research-practice" problems

– To discussion the limitations of the scientist-practitioner model to reduce the “research-to-practice gap”

– To initiate discussions of a new, alternate role structure for school psychologists• One that better addresses research-practice

problems• One that will call upon the development of a new

school psychologist “role”


General agreement of existence of gap Lack of agreement as to whether the gap is

considered problematic◦ PITs special issue (May, 2005)

Gap as delay◦ Reading ◦ Problem Solving◦ RtI


The proposed remedy to reduce this gap seemed to be to train professionals to be

Scientist-Practitioners


1949 - Boulder Conference on Graduate Education in Clinical Psychology (Raimy, 1950)

1954 – APA’s Thayer Conference on School Psychology

1984 - Barlow, Hayes and Nelson articulated a "Scientist-Practitioner" model to serve as a framework for the training of school psychologists.


Model of training and education◦ adhere to scientific methods, procedures, and

research in their day-to-day practice.◦ clinicians are to

use scientific methodology in their practice-decision; to work with clients using scientifically valid

methods, tools, and techniques; to inform their clients of scientifically-based findings

and approaches to their problems; and to conduct practice-based research


Scientist-practitioner remains elusive◦ Production of research from former school

psychology graduate students is lacking (Gelso, 2006)

◦ The Use of research- and evidence-based practices in schools falls short of ambitions set 60 years ago (Broekkamp& Van Hout-Wolters, 2007; Riley-Tillman et. al, 2005).

Research-to-practice gap continues to be identified as a major problem in the field


There is a need to re-examine the scientist-practitioner model and ways to reduce the

research-practice gap



A framework to guide study and discussion of the research-to-practice gap

Provides a framework to organize the discussion

Promotes “scientific” thinking Addresses the need to prioritize and clarify

critical elements of the “problem” Provides a foundation for systems level

research



• Problem: Gap between research and practice.– Defined as: the delay or latency between the

emergence of compelling and substantial research evidence regarding effective instructional practices and the widespread use and application of those practices by educators.

– Evidence examples:• RtI – 27 years

– Deno &Merkin, 1977– IDEA 2004

• Effective Reading Instruction (DI) – 24 years– 1977 “Project Follow Through” evaluated – Reading First (NCLB 2001)



Need to generate possible “root-causes” or “keystone” circumstances that serve to create and sustain the problem.

Our initial thinking…◦ Top-down View◦ Missing Perspectives◦ Unrealistic Model◦ Lacking Infrastructure


• Expressed implicitly in the language used (“research to practice”)

• Mechanisms applied to generating and evaluating research

• Lack of true collegial opportunities offered to practitioners

• Solutions for “practice” to change and lessen the gap

• Professional training and conferences highlights academicians


Practitioner perspective often absent from discussion on research-to-practice gap

Practitioners and action-research is under published◦ Psychology in the Schools (2005) issue devoted to

the research-to-practice gap finds that twenty-eight of thirty authors are affiliated with university or other research institutions

Pre-service practitioners


Boulder placed the burden of this model on the practitioner

Is it viable for practitioners to “do it all”, especially in this age of increased accountability, economic cutbacks, and underfunding?

Present status indicates that it is too great of an expectation


Two distinctly different settings Lacking opportunities for collaboration

◦ Participant recruitment◦ Practical training of graduate students


Quantifying baseline explicitly elusive Lack of available research- and/or evidence-

based interventions matched to identified needs

Given persistence of problem, existing efforts and ideas to solve the problem, and case examples, we need to move forward


1. Develop a framework2. Recognition and pursuit of developing the

role of "hyphen”3. Improved communication and

collaboration4. Changes in research5. Changes in practice


Scientists, Practitioners, and “Hyphens” Hyphen roles

◦ Support change◦ Listen and learn◦ Translate◦ Train and Coach◦ Advocate◦ Evaluate

Communication and collaboration



Communication and CollaborationCommunication and Collaboration

PractitionerPractitioner

Support

Change

Support

Change

Train and C

oachT

rain and C

oach

Translate

Translate

Evaluate

Evaluate

Listen and Learn

Listen and Learn

Advocate

Advocate

Communication and CollaborationCommunication and Collaboration

ScientistScientist

Current Approximations We Have Observed


Monona Grove/University of Wisconsin-Madison◦ School Psychology Students

Assist with Benchmark Assessments Participate in District Trainings Assist in Delivery of Trainings Gain Access to Schools for Conducting Research

◦ Faculty University and District Faculty Collaboration

High quality learning experiences Coordination of objectives

Teaching Objectives Research Objectives Continuous Improvement Activities


Southern Wisconsin Problem Solving Consortium◦ Space and structure for joint learning◦ Efficient delivery option for “best-practices”◦ Opportunity to share resources◦ Structure for political action◦ Opportunity for expanding University – District

Partnerships


Coordination of Professional Development◦ Conference◦ Direct District Support◦ Information dissemination

Research Funding Research Production Support for University – District

Collaboration


Do we need hyphens? If yes, then

◦ are the correct components in place in the proposed framework? What needs to be added? Removed? Changed?

◦ are the components correctly operationalized?


To succeed, the work conditions around the effort must included: ◦ Leadership for change◦ A framework for implementation◦ Infrastructure in place to promote communication ◦ Credibility in both settings to facilitate the communication◦ Time and resources available to organize and maintain

the conversation ◦ Change in cultural beliefs and new traditions among

individuals working in practice and those in research that include positive perceptions of each other

In short, we believe the gap between research and practice will diminish when there are professionals with the skills to build the bridge….a Research-Practice Broker


Help build the new model◦ Infrastructure◦ Communication◦ Norms◦ Structures, routines


Presenter Information Web Information

Ed O’Connor◦ [email protected]

Elizabeth Freeman◦ [email protected]

Brad Niebling◦ [email protected]◦ Twitter name: bniebling◦ Skype name: bniebling◦ Blog:

http://alignguy.blogspot.com/

Midwest Instructional Leadership Council◦ http://www.milcleaders.o

rg/ Discussion Boards

(coming soon) Wiki

◦ Potentially coming soon◦ Send us your links and

contact information and we’ll post them


mailto:[email protected]





http://www.milcleaders.org/

http://www.milcleaders.org/

IDEA 2004 – RtI and ESEA/NCLB in 2001 - Reading First

Deno, S. L. and Merkin, P. K. (1977) Database program modification: A manual. Reston, VA: Council for Exceptional Children

Preventing Reading Difficulties in Young Children (National Research Council 1998) and/or National Reading Panel (2000)


Edward OConnor, Ph.D. Midwest Instructional Leadership Council Elizabeth Witter Freeman, Ph.D. Monona Grove School District Monona, WI Bradley C. Niebling,

Documents

researchpractice gap

practicebased research

use of research

practice gap practitioners

substantial research

systems level research

elusive production of

scientist practitioner