Functional Assessments and Interventions for Academic Problems

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Functional Assessments and Interventions for
Academic Problems

• George H. Noell, Ph.D.
• Louisiana State University

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Fundamental Assumptions The Critical Nature of
Academic Assessment

• Chronic failure and the negative feedback it
  engenders is an undesirable developmental
  condition for any child.
• Chronic academic failure can set the occasion for
  problematic behaviors, negative affective states,
  and a negative self-perception.

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Fundamentals 2

• Chronic academic failure can exacerbate other
  developmental, emotional, and behavioral
  concerns.
• Professionals working with children often assume
  that academic failure is the result of emotional
  or behavioral concerns.

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Fundamentals 3

• Learning and academic performance are central
  expectations of children in schools. Successful
  intervention should help children meet these
  expectations.
• Herman
• the common backwards perception

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What is functional assessment of academic
concerns?

• Conceptually systematic
• Examines how change in teaching results in change
  in learning
• (as described in this workshop only)

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How is it different from traditional functional
assessment?

• Focused on adaptive behavior from the outset,
  rather than problem behavior.
• Is equally concerned with things that can improve
  current functioning as it is with things
  contributing to problems

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How is it similar to traditional functional
assessment?

• Assessment is ideographic.
• Low level of inference
• Focused on person environment interactions
• Focused on treatment, intervention, or teaching
  over diagnosis

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Core Principles

• Be conservative
• No unneeded conclusions
• Insist on data / be serious
• (NASA, FAA, IRS, nursing)
• 2. Be about the individual, not groups
•  

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Core Principles 2

• 3. Be focused on behavior
• Avoid global summaries
• Avoid dead persons behavior
• Focus on behaviors that lead to success
• 4. Do more, talk less
•  
• 5. Follow a consistent procedure

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An Alternate Big 3 for Academic Assessment

• Educational Context
• Students skills
• Response to intervention

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I. Educational Context

• What are the demands?
• What are the expectations (standards)?
• How is the student being taught (A-B-C)
• What is the current functioning of peers

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II. Students Skills

• What is performance under typical conditions?
• What is performance under optimal conditions?
• What component skills does the student possess?

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III. Students Response to Intervention

• What antecedents lead to improved learning?
• What consequences lead to improved learning?
• What combination leads to improved learning?

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Functional Academic AssessmentStage I Referral

• 1. What demands that are problematic?
• 2. What are the expectations?
• 3. What does the student do?
• 4. How does the student's performance compare to
  peers?
• 5. How can we measure this concern?

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Stage II Screening

• How does the student perform when observed
  directly?
• How do the students' peers perform when observed?
• 3. How does the student perform under
  "optimized" conditions?

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Stage III Identifying Instructional Targets

• What component skills does the student lack?
• 2. Can the student integrate his/her skills to
  complete the task?

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Stage IV Instructional Analysis

• How will learning be measured?
• What antecedents lead to correct responding?
• 3. What consequences lead to sustained and
  increasing learning?

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Stage I Referral

• What are the problematic demands?
• Presented directions, time limits, etc.
• Materials
• What are the expectations?
• Current Are they objective
• What are meaningful expectations?
• Peers, district/state standards, mastery,
  published standards

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Stage I Referral

• What does the student do?
• Products (caution), interviews, keep it simple
• How does he/she compare to peers?
• Just impression at this stage
• What is a meaningful and adequate way to measure
  concern?
• CBM, curricular materials, etc.

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Stage II Screening

• Observe in the classroom.
• See lesson delivery, work habits, ecology
• Benchmark or baseline under know condition
• Consider reactivity

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Stage II Screening

• How do peers perform.
• Place referral in context general level of
  instruction and functioning
• Student under optimized conditions
• 1-on-1, quiet setting w/ strong incentives
• Determine skill in the absence of interference

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Screening Outcomes
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Screening Outcomes 2
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Stage III Identifying Instructional Targets

• What component skill does the student lack?
• Break the skill down (task analysis)
• Identify means of assessment
• Identify standards
• Conduct assessment
• Evaluate data

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Stage III Outcomes

• Student lacks one or more component skills
  these will be our targets
• Student possess all the skills focus will be on
  skill integration

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Potential Task Analyses for Mathematics

• Addition Facts
• Read the problem
• Identify the answer
• Write the answer
• Exercise

• Word Problems
• Read the problem
• Identify the question
• Identify the data
• Write the necessary numerical statement
• Solve for unknowns

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Stage IV Instructional Analysis

• How will learning be measured?
• What antecedents will lead to correct responding?
• Must lead to correct responding
• Multiple effective means
• Brainstorm and test

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Stage IV IA 2

• What consequences lead to sustained and
  increasing learning?
• Instructional
• Timing, error correct consequences
• Shorten delay self-grading, tutoring, CAI
• Motivational
• Learning is work
• people do things for reasons

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Stage V Intervention Design

• How is the student being taught?
• Time
• Active responding
• Materials
• Antecedents
• Feedback/consequences

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Stage V ID 2

• Can current instruction be adapted to meet the
  students needs?
• Will an additional or alternate from of teaching
  be needed?
• Is a short term survival strategy needed?

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Stage VI Intervention Implementation

• What training materials are needed?
• How will progress be monitored?
• What data (permanent products)
• Goals
• Who evaluates and when

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Design of Progress Montioring
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Implementation 2

• Document assure implementation
• Statutory or discretionary
• IDEA, 504, pre-referral
• Document Implementation products?
• Follow-up support implementation
• Plan for it
• Be data-based transparent
• Incorporate a wider circle of accountability

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Progress Monitoring

• Measuring outcomes
• Products
• Observations (low practicality)
• Self-montoring