1. Institute of Education Sciences (IES)
Connecting Research,
Policy and Practice
The Role of Single-Case Research at the
Institute of Education Sciences (IES)
Sarah Brasiel, Ph.D., Program Officer National Center for Special Education Research
June 19, 2017
Madison, WI
ies.ed.gov

2. Organizational Structure of IES
National Board for Education Sciences
Standards & Review Office
Office of the Director
National Center for Education Evaluation
National Center for Education Statistics
National Center for Education Research
National Center for Special Education Research

3. Missions of the Research Centers
NCER
supports rigorous research that addresses the nation’s most pressing education needs, from early childhood to adult education
NCSER
sponsors a rigorous and comprehensive program of special education research designed to expand the knowledge and understanding of infants, toddlers, and students with or at risk for disabilities from birth through high school

4. IES Grant Programs: Research Objectives
Develop or identify education interventions (practices, programs, policies, and approaches)
that enhance academic achievement
that can be widely deployed
Identify what does not work and thereby encourage innovation and further research
Understand the processes that underlie the effectiveness of education interventions and the variation in their effectiveness

5. What kinds of research are we funding in NCSER?
FY2018 Funding Opportunities

6. RFA Research Goals Exploration Development & Innovation (NCER & NCSER)
Efficacy & Replication (NCSER only)
Effectiveness
Measurement
1) DEVELOPMENT GRANTS: Develop an innovative intervention (e.g., curriculum, instructional approach, program, or policy)
OR improve existing education interventions
AND collect data on its feasibility, usability, and fidelity of implementation in actual education settings
AND collect pilot data on student outcomes.
Single Case can be used during the iterative development process to get the Intervention “right” as well as in the pilot study required for each development grant to show it has promise.
2) Efficacy Grants: Evaluate whether or not a fully developed intervention is efficacious under limited or ideal conditions OR
Replicate an efficacious intervention varying the original conditions
Gather follow-up data examining the longer term effects of an intervention with demonstrated efficacy
Analyze retrospective (historical) secondary data to test an intervention implemented in the past
Single Case design can be used as the primary research design or as a complementary method.
to further understand the results of randomized controlled trials in efficacy studies.
For example, you could implement a complementary study using single-case designs to determine how manipulation of intervention components may affect outcomes for children who were nonresponsive to the intervention tested in the randomized controlled trial.

7. 2 Early Career Development & Mentoring 8 Post-doc Training
52 NCSER Grants Use SCD
1 Exploration
37 Development
2 Efficacy
2 Measurement
2 Early Career Development & Mentoring
8 Post-doc Training
FY17 Awards to be announced soon

8. Examples of Single-Case Design in NCSER Grants

9. USE of SCD in Exploration of Malleable Factors
Goal 1

10. Example 2016 Goal 1 Project
Gregory Fabiano, State University of New York (SUNY)
Comprehensive Meta-analysis of Malleable Factors to Support Youth with ADHD (Topic Area: Social and Behavioral)
Researchers are conducting a study to understand which intervention practices are associated with positive outcomes for students with ADHD.
Meta-analysis of School-based intervention treatment studies
The outcomes in this meta-analysis are the effect sizes for each eligible study.
The researchers calculate effect size estimates from single-case design studies

11. USE of SCD in Intervention Development
Goal 2
Development grants – use SCD in the iterative process of development, as well as in the pilot study required to show progress

12. Example 2016 Goal 2 Projects Thomas Keating, Eugene Research Institute
Goal Guide: A Web-Based Application to Improve Goal Self-Management for Students with Autism (Topic Area: Autism)
Researchers are developing a web application, Goal Guide, which enables students with mild to moderate Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) to effectively set goals in various life domains (e.g., academic and behavioral outcomes in school, personal behavior, life skills).
A multiple baseline SCD study is used with 6 high school students with ASD to understand the usability and feasibility of the intervention (Students randomly assigned to the order of starting the program.)
Data is analyzed using visual analysis, trend analysis, and effect sizes.

13. Example 2016 Goal 2 Project Peggy Hester, Old Dominion University
A Model of Professional Development that Focuses on the Centrality of Teacher-Child Interactions in the Learning, Behavior, and School Readiness of Preschool Children with Disabilities or At-Risk for Disabilities (Topic: Early Intervention)
Researchers are developing and piloting a model of professional development that focuses on the teacher-child interactions of preschool teachers and children with or at risk for disabilities in inclusive classrooms.
In Year 3, the intervention will be pilot tested using a single-case multiple baseline design across ABC strategies within each intervention component (i.e., simulations and cyber-coaching) to examine teacher and child outcomes.
Single-case design studies will be analyzed using visual analysis and calculation of effect sizes.

14. Use of SCD IN Evaluating EFFICACY
Goal 3

15. Example 2012 Goal 3 Project
Howard Wills, University of Kansas Center for Research
A Multi-Site Efficacy Trial of the Class-wide Function-related Intervention Teams "CW-FIT": A Research to Practice Agency for Students With and At Risk for EBD (Topic: Social & Behavioral)
Researchers examined the impact of the “CW-FIT” intervention on outcomes measured at the teacher, class, and individual student levels for students diagnosed with or at risk for EBD in general and special education settings.
A multi-site randomized trial was used with teachers/classrooms within each school randomly assigned to treatment or comparison groups.
For the students who required the individualized program, single-case reversal and multiple baseline designs were used.
Data Analysis included visual analysis of the single-case studies

16. Use of SCD in Measurement Studies
Goal 5

17. Example of 2015 Goal 5 Project
Robert Volpe, Northeastern University
Development and Validation of a Web-Based System for Monitoring Social Behavior (Topic: Social and Behavioral)
Researchers are developing tools for progress monitoring of social behavior, particularly for use in monitoring the impact of Tier 2 and 3 school-based interventions targeting academic enablers (study skills, interpersonal skills, motivation, and academic engagement) and externalizing behavior (disruptive and oppositional behavior) for students in kindergarten through third grade.
Treatment sensitivity of the multi-item Direct Behavior Rating (DBR) scales will be investigated through a series of multiple-baseline single-case design intervention studies.
Visual analysis and non-overlap effect size techniques will be used to evaluate the multiple-baseline single-case design studies.

18. Other Funded Projects Using SCD

19. Search Funded Research Grants

20. SEARCH FUNDED RESEARCH GRANTS

21. Funding opportunities
FY2018

22. Identifying IES Funding Opportunities
Begin at the IES website (
Sign up for the IES Newsflash
All are announced in The Federal Register
Review current Requests for Applications (RFAs)
Contact relevant Program Officer(s) for the topic(s) of interest in the relevant Center

23. https://ies.ed.gov/ Funding Opportunities

25. Special Education Research Topics (84.324A) - NCSER
Autism Spectrum Disorders
Cognition and Student Learning in Special Education
Early Intervention and Early Learning in Special Education
Families of Children with Disabilities
Mathematics and Science Education
Professional Development for Teachers/Related Service Providers
Reading, Writing, and Language Development
Social and Behavioral Outcomes to Support Learning
Special Education Policy, Finance, and Systems
Technology for Special Education
Transition Outcomes for Secondary Students with Disabilities

26. Education Research Topics (84.305A) - NCER
Cognition and Student Learning
Early Learning Programs and Policies
Education Technology
Effective Teachers & Effective Teaching
English Learners
Improving Education Systems: Policies, Organization, Management, and Leadership
Mathematics and Science Education
Postsecondary and Adult Education
Reading and Writing
Social and Behavioral Context for Academic Learning

27. Research Training Programs in Special Education 84.324B
The Postdoctoral Training program
Funds programs at doctoral-granting institutions to further prepare researchers who have obtained their doctorate to become researchers capable of conducting high-quality, independent special education or early intervention research
The Early Career program
Provides support for an integrated research and career development plan for investigators in the early stages of their academic careers who have established an interest in special education research, with the ultimate aim of launching independent research careers focused on infants, toddlers, children, and youth with or at risk for disabilities.
The SMART Design Training program
Provides funding to a program to help current education researchers enhance their methodology and data analysis skills related to using SMART designs as part of rigorous and relevant research on adaptive interventions focused on children with or at risk for disabilities.

28. Low-Cost, Short-Duration Evaluation Grants
The Institute views Low-Cost Evaluation projects as a means to obtain rigorous evidence of impact that state and local agencies can use in making timely decisions regarding the scaling-up or revision of education interventions.
Low-Cost, Short-Duration Evaluation of Education Interventions– L
Low-Cost, Short-Duration Evaluation of Special Education Interventions– L
Project carried out by a partnership between a research institution and a state or local agency.
Evaluation uses a randomized controlled trial, regression discontinuity design, or a single case experimental design.
Evaluation relies on administrative data or other sources of secondary data

29. Partnerships and Collaborations Focused on Problems of Practice or Policy– 84.305H
Researcher Practitioner Partnerships in Education
New or Existing Partnership
Joint Activities to build or strengthen the partnership to carry out initial research, maintain a longer-term collaboration, and increase capacity to take part in and use research
Explore a problem or issue linked to student outcomes
Evaluation of State and Local Education Programs & Policies
Joint activities to carry out the proposed evaluation and to increase capacity to take part in and use research
Causal evaluation of an important agency program or policy intended to improve student outcomes

30. New Requests for Applications
The Research Networks Focused on Critical Problems of Policy and Practice in Special Education: Multi-Tiered Systems of Support
National Research and Development Centers
The Improving Education Outcomes for Disadvantaged Students in Choice Schools (can include students with or at risk for disabilities)
The Improving Rural Education
The Writing in Secondary Schools
The Exploring Science Teaching in Elementary School Classrooms

31. When you are ready to discuss your SCD grant …..
Contact the program officer that oversees the topic area of interest to you. The contact information is in the Request for Applications

32. Focus on SCD in Request for Applications
SCD Efforts at IES
What Works Clearinghouse SCD Study Design Standards (
Focus on SCD in Request for Applications

33. Conclusion
IES is committed to improving the national capacity for conducting high quality studies using SCD.
A number of projects addressing important questions are currently being funded using SCD.
There is a need for standards for SCD, which are still evolving
We need to continue to make progress in the use and reporting of SCD.
We expect to see high quality applications from you!