Evidence-Based Practices in Special Education: Enhancing Outcomes for Students with Disabilities

Teachers are dedicated to ensuring their students' academic progress. Utilizing evidence-based practices and strategies is crucial for achieving this goal. In limited instructional time, effective approaches to instruction, including practices and strategies, support the diverse needs of all learners.

What are Evidence-Based Practices?

Evidence-based practices (EBPs) are instructional strategies or interventions proven effective through rigorous, peer-reviewed research. These practices meet specific standards of rigor and reproducibility, ensuring that they reliably produce positive student outcomes. EBPs are grounded in proven methodologies that lead to measurable progress.

Why are EBPs Important in Special Education?

EBPs provide a reliable framework that significantly enhances student outcomes, ensures accountability, and maximizes resource utilization. By implementing EBPs, educators can:

Improve Student Outcomes: EBPs enhance academic, social, and behavioral outcomes for students with disabilities.
Ensure Accountability: Using EBPs demonstrates a commitment to scientifically validated interventions that align with legal and ethical obligations.
Maximize Resources: Schools and districts allocate resources more efficiently, confident that the practices they support will likely succeed.
Enhance Professional Development: Training teachers in EBPs equips them with the latest, most effective teaching strategies.
Build Trust: When educators use EBPs, they demonstrate a commitment to providing the best possible education, fostering trust with families and stakeholders.

Key Evidence-Based Practices in Special Education

1. Explicit Instruction

Explicit Instruction is a structured, systematic, and effective methodology for teaching academic skills. This approach involves clear, direct instruction of concepts to ensure students understand each step before moving on, improving comprehension and retention.

Example: A teacher might use explicit instruction to teach multiplication by first demonstrating how to multiply two numbers, then guiding students through several practice problems, and finally having students solve multiplication problems independently.
Unique Learning System Integration: Teaching is done in a direct, structured way with clear instructions. Students know how to succeed from the beginning, receiving ongoing feedback and practice opportunities. Routines are established for teachers to provide explicit instruction, building on consistency and setting high expectations. The system's spiraling scope and sequence include routines with explicit instruction, modeling, practice, review, and extension plans.

2. Differentiated Instruction

Differentiated Instruction (DI) customizes instruction to meet students' diverse needs, recognizing that students learn in different ways and at different paces. DI ensures that all students can effectively access the curriculum, promoting inclusivity and understanding in the classroom.

Example: In a reading lesson, a teacher might provide advanced reading materials for advanced readers, offer audiobooks for auditory learners, and use graphic organizers to help visual learners better understand the content.
Unique Learning System Integration: Lesson plans provide differentiated learning experiences for students at various levels. Learners at higher levels benefit from greater independence, while those at lower levels may require picture support and other accommodations.

3. Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS)

PBIS is a proactive approach that helps establish the behavioral supports needed for students to achieve social, emotional, and academic success. By promoting and reinforcing positive behaviors, fewer disciplinary issues are likely, creating a positive school environment.

Example: A school might implement a reward system where students earn points for good behavior, which they can exchange for privileges or small prizes.

4. Response to Intervention (RTI)

RTI is a multi-tier approach to identifying and supporting students with learning and behavior needs. It provides early, systematic assistance to struggling children, effectively preventing long-term academic failure by addressing issues promptly and with impact.

Example: A student struggling with reading might receive additional small-group instruction (Tier 2) after initial classroom instruction (Tier 1) and, if necessary, intensive one-on-one tutoring (Tier 3).

5. Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

UDL is a framework based on scientific insights into how humans learn, aiming to improve and optimize teaching and learning for all. The framework ensures that all students have equal opportunities by providing multiple means of representation, expression, and engagement.

Example: A teacher might present information in multiple formats, such as text, audio, and video, and allow students to demonstrate their understanding through various methods, such as writing, drawing, or verbal presentations.

6. Peer-Mediated Instruction and Interventions (PMII)

Peer-Mediated Instruction and Interventions involve peers collaborating to support their classmates' academic and social learning. This practice promotes learning and socialization by leveraging peer relationships and creating a collaborative and supportive learning environment.

Example: A peer tutoring program where older students help younger students with their homework or class projects.

7. Self-Regulation Strategies

Self-Regulation Strategies teach students to manage their behavior and learning. These strategies enable students to take control of their actions and learning processes.

Example: A student might use a self-monitoring checklist to keep track of their progress on a long-term project, setting goals and reflecting on their achievements.
Unique Learning System Integration: Writing lesson plans follow six progressive stages, starting by activating background knowledge, discussing a pre-writing strategy, modeling a strategy, memorizing the strategy, providing independent practice, and supporting regulation through life skills and transition lessons. Specific units on conflict and transition activities focus on self-care, attitude, and other life skills needed for lifelong success.

8. Assistive Technology (AT)

Assistive Technology includes any device or software that helps students with disabilities to access the curriculum, enhancing learning opportunities and accessibility.

Example: Common examples of AT in special education classrooms include speech-to-text software for students with writing difficulties, screen readers for visually impaired students, and specialized communication devices for non-verbal students.

Additional Practices and Strategies

Systematic Instruction

Systematic instruction involves a carefully planned sequence of instruction to optimize performance for all students. An example is offering instructional sessions with one or more trials to teach a desired skill, driving student growth.

Unique Learning System Integration: Lesson plans are based on a spiraling scope and sequence to equip teachers to introduce, reinforce, and support students in applying concepts or skills. The system enables students to apply skills across contexts to make meaningful connections.

Interactive Read Aloud

In interactive read-alouds, teachers read aloud from a selected text, pausing occasionally for meaningful conversation. Educators engage in explicit instructional practices during the discussion, including modeling comprehension strategies, providing vocabulary instruction, scaffolding skills for comprehension, and giving corrective feedback.

Unique Learning System Integration: Instructional routines for read-alouds save educators time with explicit, pre-made routines and questions. These routines provide practices for teachers to use before, during, and after the read-aloud to activate prior knowledge, promote comprehension with scaffolded questioning, discuss vocabulary, and promote student choice, improving learner engagement and building stronger connections.

Questioning

Asking questions allows teachers to check for understanding, stimulate recall, activate prior knowledge, promote comprehension, and build critical thinking skills. As learning progresses, students answer questions, improving engagement and building stronger connections to learning.

Unique Learning System Integration: Specific questions are included for teachers to activate studentsâ prior knowledge, promote comprehension, and build critical thinking. Active participation scripts give teachers examples of how to ask questions while providing single choices, errorless choices, and correct response choices.

Opportunities for Practice

Providing students chances to practice what theyâve learned allows them to apply skills being taught and those previously learned. Ample practice in different formats allows students of varying ability levels to demonstrate their knowledge and improves engagement.

Read also: What is Project-Based Learning?

Unique Learning System Integration: Suggested unit pacing provides multiple opportunities to practice a lesson or activity per month. The solution is based on a cross-unit structure where students practice skills month over month and year over year using new situations to promote carryover and generalization, building strong learning connections, promoting generalization across subject areas, fostering independence, and achieving meaningful outcomes.

Grouping Strategies

Students can practice in whole-group, small-group, or one-on-one settings. In whole-group settings, educators can teach a topic or model a new concept, or students can have a discussion. In small groups, students can work with each other or the teacher. In one-on-one settings, students learn individually from a teacher, often receiving specially designed instruction (SDI).

Unique Learning System Integration: Whole-, small-, and one-on-one grouping is used to introduce and practice skills. Individual student needs are addressed with one-on-one instruction to practice skills, give assessments, and differentiate materials. The system's inclusive instruction means many activities can be used in general education settings.

Prompting

Prompting uses gesture, verbal, visual, or physical assistance to help a student learn a new skill or behavior or to direct a student to the correct answer.

Unique Learning System Integration: Lesson plans provide specific prompt suggestions throughout instructional routines. Active participation scripts include prompting level suggestions with a goal of decreasing prompts over time. Built-in supports, such as visual prompts in assessments, remain consistent throughout.

Modeling

Modeling uses demonstration of a desired concept or behavior so learners can imitate it, leading to acquiring the skill or behavior.

Unique Learning System Integration: Lesson plans include built-in, explicit modeling guides throughout each instructional routine. Modeling opportunities are provided for reading, communication, writing, math conventions and reasoning, science, transition lessons, and more.

Fading Strategies

Fading strategies subtly reduce prompts over time, preventing prompt dependency and promoting skill-building and independence.

Unique Learning System Integration: Supports are included for students at different levels, and as learners become more independent, teachers can provide faded support and move students to a higher level. The system supports fading of auditory and visual cues.

Scaffolding

Using a scaffolding strategy, teachers distill concepts into chunks to present learners with more digestible information. Supports can be added during each chunk to help students grasp new material.

Unique Learning System Integration: Lesson plans and activities are based on a spiraling scope and sequence, with scaffolding built-in. Concepts are broken into manageable chunks so students achieve meaningful outcomes.

Reinforcement

Reinforcement applies a consequence following a learnerâs response or behavior, increasing the likelihood that a student will use the same response or skills in the future. It is an effective way of encouraging desired behaviors.

Unique Learning System Integration: Reinforcement is discussed in multiple locations throughout active participation guidelines. Auditory and visual reinforcement is embedded throughout instructional routines, including before, during, and after activities.

Corrective Feedback

Teachers engage in corrective feedback when they provide students with the exact steps and feedback needed after a task is completed. Corrective feedback helps learners succeed when they try again.

Unique Learning System Integration: Teachers are provided with phrasing and wording to use when students answer questions during practice and review. Auditory and visual feedback is provided for right and wrong answers.

Concrete, Visual, Abstract (CVA)

Educators can choose the CVA strategy for teaching math to promote studentsâ deep and sustainable understanding of math problem-solving. CVA empowers teachers and paraprofessionals to learn and use different methodologies, building studentsâ early and complex math thinking.

Unique Learning System Integration: Lesson plans support the CVA sequence of math instruction, providing specific examples of when teachers should use concrete and visual strategies. Materials have built-in, scaffolded, concrete examples in math.

Clarifying Expectations

Teachers can let students know exactly what behavior, work production, etc., is expected of them before instruction takes place and provide insight and feedback after instruction.

Unique Learning System Integration: The instructional sequence provides learners with precisely what is expected before and after the explicit portion of each lesson, making success more attainable.

Structured Inquiry

Educators lead students in the structured inquiry strategy as they work through learning together. Teachers provide the lesson, materials, and detailed instruction; then, the class completes the inquiry together.

Unique Learning System Integration: Lesson plans provide teachers with lessons, materials, and instructional routines, promoting communication and team building.

Success Through EBPs

John, a fifth-grade student with a learning disability, struggled with reading comprehension and fluency. Traditional teaching methods had not yielded substantial improvements. His school implemented Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies (PALS), an evidence-based practice designed to improve reading skills through structured peer tutoring. Within a few months of implementing PALS, John markedly improved his reading fluency and comprehension. He was able to read with greater confidence and significantly increased his engagement during reading activities.

Integrating High-Leverage Practices (HLPs)

Coupling HLPs and EBPs can be powerful when providing increasingly intensive instruction and intervention for students with disabilities and those who struggle.

Example: A third-grade teacher uses explicit instruction and Text Talk to help students understand what a vivid verb is and why it is important to use when writing. She then uses flexible grouping to model thinking about a vivid vocabulary word, providing positive feedback and explicit instruction to individual students as needed.

Challenges and Considerations

Despite widespread endorsement, EBPs are not without controversy. Critics argue that rigid adherence to research-based strategies may limit teacher autonomy or neglect the nuanced needs of individual students. Others raise concerns about access to professional development or training needed to implement EBPs with fidelity. It is important to critically evaluate and adapt EBPs, rather than treating them as one-size-fits-all solutions.

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