SpedPro

Meadows Center post doc

By JohnL on Jul. 28, 2008.

Postdoctoral Fellowship on Reading Disabilities and Response To Intervention

The Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk and the Department of Special Education at the University of Texas are seeking applications for two qualified candidates interested in participating in a two-year, IES-funded postdoctoral training program designed to promote the conduct of methodologically-rigorous research on reading disabilities and response to intervention. Training for fellows will begin in August, 2008 or August, 2009, depending upon the applicant’s schedule, and involve (a) mentored professional development, independent writing, and grant development; (b) immersion in large-scale, federally-funded applied education research drawing from multiple disciplines (e.g., educational psychology, special education); and (c) didactic research training. Fellows will have an opportunity to assume a leadership role on at least one large-scale research project directed by the Training Director. Within this role, they will have an opportunity to (a) assist in the conceptualization and management of existing and follow-up research, (b) apply methodological and data analytic approaches in addressing research questions, and (c) supervise data collection/ management/ analysis and implementation efforts. In addition, they will be encouraged to establish unique and independent strands of research culminating in the solicitation of future grant funding. At the conclusion of their experience, fellows will be exceptionally well poised to assume roles in institutes of higher education, research centers, and training programs that have as their priority advancing the scientific basis of educational programs.

Qualified applicants will have obtained a degree in educational psychology, special education, or a related field by August, 2008. Applications will be reviewed starting July 1, 2008 and remain open until both positions are filled. Those with a background in reading disabilities, methodology, school-based intervention delivery, family-school partnerships, or response-to-intervention (RtI) are strongly encouraged to apply. Applicants should have a basic understanding of research design and analysis for randomized group designs and educational and psychological measurement. The following application materials are required: (a) a cover letter describing professional research interests, research experience, methodological and statistical training, and professional development and research goals to be pursued during the fellowship; (b) a complete vita; and (c) two letters of recommendation (at least one from a faculty advisor or mentor). Application materials should be submitted to Dr. Sharon Vaughn, Director, Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk, University of Texas, Austin, Texas, 78712, or electronically to Kshumake @ mail.utexas.edu.

The Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk is an interdisciplinary Center of Excellence that promotes and supports a vibrant grant-active culture in the College of Education and across University of Texas. The Center is a highly prolific research entity that pursues and secures competitive funding with a high rate of success. It is closely affiliated with the Departments of Special Education and Educational Psychology, which offer master’s and doctoral programs and coursework in Quantitative and Psychometric Methods; School Psychology and Counseling Psychology (both APA-accredited); Cognition, Learning, and Instruction; and Cultural Studies and Development.

Post-docs at Vanderbilt

By JohnL on Jul. 26, 2008.

Vanderbilt University is inviting applications for post-doctoral fellows in the two year Postdoctoral Intervention Research Program in Special Education. Fellows will work closely with a faculty advisor in the Department of Special Education matched to their interests in intervention research and with Karen Harris, Project Director. The special education faculty at VU are nationally recognized as leaders in intervention research in special education (see http://peabody.vanderbilt.edu/Microsites/Academic_Department/Special_Education.xml for more information). Fellows are sought across the areas of Early Childhood, High Incidence (EBD/LD/ADHD and other struggling learners) and Severe Disabilities. Participating advisors include: Donald Compton, Stephen Elliott, Doug Fuchs, Lynn Fuchs, Steve Graham, Karen Harris, Mary Louise Hemmeter, Ann Kaiser, Craig Kennedy, Kathleen Lane, Joseph Wehby, Mark Wolery, and Paul Yoder. Fellows will be prepared to make a difference in intervention research though (1) intensive mentoring by appropriate faculty members and the Project Director, (2) additional rigorous training in research methods and the science of learning beyond that received in their doctoral programs and tailored to their individual interests in intervention research, (3) concentrated experiences in one or more currently funded intervention research programs, (4) participation in an Intervention Research Reading Group that will allow intense study of critical works on intervention research, and (5) experience in writing IES research proposals, writing for publication, and presenting at research conferences. Upon completing this postdoctorate, fellows will have begun to build a programmatic line of research that will have significant impact on practice and the field of special education.

Qualifications: Applicants should have a doctoral degree in special education or related area. Assistant professors as well as recent doctoral graduates are encouraged to apply.

Applicants should send a letter of application indicating their areas of interest in intervention research and relevant work, CV, and a list of references to Karen Harris (Karen.Harris @ Vanderbilt.edu). U.S. citizenship or permanent residency required. Start dates are flexible, beginning August, 2008. Applications will be reviewed as received. Vanderbilt University is an Affirmative Action, Equal Opportunity Employer. Members of under-represented minority groups are strongly encouraged to apply.

ICDR meetings

By JohnL on Jul. 17, 2008.

Update: Check the Web site for changes in the schedule. The Interagency Committee on Disability Research (ICDR) will be holding what it calls “stakeholder meetings” on Tuesday, 5 August 2008 and Wednesday, 13 August 2008. Interested parties can can participate in person, by telephone or via Web cast. The meetings will be conducted in Arlington (VA, US).

The purpose of this event is to allow individuals with disabilities and their representatives (family members, organizations, service providers, disability and rehabilitation research and policy groups, advocacy organizations with specialized disability knowledge) the opportunity to suggest specific ways to improve future disability and rehabilitation research to benefit individuals with disabilities. We are also interested in hearing from individuals concerning how well the existing federal research programs are responding to the changing needs of individuals with disabilities. These comments can cover a wide range of research areas, including, but not limited to:

• Employment of people with disabilities
• Community integration and continuum of care
• Health disparities
• Access to assistive technology and universal design
• Transition of youth to employment and independent living
• Availability of accessible housing, transportation and recreation

As the list reveals, this is not about special education, but the topics (e.g., transition) may be of interest to some special educators. Link to the ICDR Web site .

Cambridge Center post-doc

By admin on Jun. 17, 2008.

Post Doctoral Position Available at the Cambridge Center

The Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies is looking for a Post Doctoral Fellow (Post Doc) to assist with grant supported research starting August 16, 2008. The Post Doc will work with Philip N. Chase, Incoming Executive Director of the Cambridge Center on an evaluation project involving a Web-enabled middle school mathematics curriculum.
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Missouri research position

By Janine Stichter on Jun. 2, 2008.

University of Missouri

Assistant Research Professor – Behavioral Disorders

The Department of Special Education, University of Missouri is seeking applicants for a grant funded Assistant Research Professor position within the Center for Effective Practices in Behavioral Disorders at the High School Level. The successful applicant will be responsible for overseeing day to day research activities among research school sites in Columbia and St. Louis schools. Twelve month salary will be commensurate with experience ($55,000- $64,000) with a stat date of August 1, 2008. The successful applicant will be eligible for annual renewal up to five years contingent on satisfactory job performance and continued federal funding.
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DR early career research award

By JohnL on May. 27, 2008.

Call for Nominations: 2009 Distinguished Early Career Research Award
       
Division for Research, Council for Exceptional Children

In recognition of the critical role of research to both current practice in and the future of the field of Special Education, the Division for Research seeks nominations for the Distinguished Early Career Research Award.  This award recognizes individuals who have made outstanding scientific contributions in special education, in basic and/or applied research, within the first 10 years following receipt of the doctoral degree.  Nominations are sought across all areas of Special Education as well as all forms of research methodology.  For the award, to be presented at the 2009 CEC Annual Convention, nominations of individuals who received their doctoral degrees in 1999 or later are sought.  The award, co sponsored by the Donald D. Hammill Foundation, includes $1000 presented at the 2009 DR reception at the CEC Annual Convention and an invited presentation at CEC the following year. Previous recipients of this award include: Michael Wehmeyer, Ron Nelson, Patricia Mathes, Rollanda O’Connor, Batya Elbaum, Terrance Scott, Kathleen Lane, Frank Symons, Bryan Cook, and Michael Coyne. Further information on previous recipients can be found at http://www.cecdr.org/.
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Research funds in perspective

By JohnL on Apr. 19, 2008.

The Council for Exceptional Children generated a graphic that allows one to see the relative US federal funding for research in various areas. It’s a pretty clear indication of the importance attached to addressing the improvement of education, no? I’ve linked a larger version of the file to the image at the right. It’s suitable for downloading.

To be sure, there are some funds in the NIH and NSF research budgets that go toward educational research. For example, some of the funds from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development fund research on Autism and Learning Disabilities. I do not know what proportion of those budgets are devoted to such educationally relevant topics, but I bet that it’s a small proportion.

OSERS Director of Research to Practice

By JohnL on Apr. 18, 2008.

Here’s a position announcement for someone to fill the duties of director of the research arm of the U.S. Department of Education Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services.

The following OSERS vacancy announcement(s): Supervisory Education Program Specialist, GS-1720-15 located in the Office of Special Education Programs, Research to Practice Division, closes on May 19, 2008 and is open to everyone.

If you are interested in obtaining a copy of the announcement or wish to apply, you must submit your application online through the OPM website which can be accessed through [this location]

We ask your assistance in the recruiting process by providing a copy of the announcement(s) to anyone you believe would be interested in and would be qualified for the position. Please note the above closing date of the vacancy announcement. Applications will not be accepted after that date.

How to read research

By JohnL on Feb. 21, 2008.

I sometimes note how much I’d like to help policy makers learn to discriminate between evidence- and bologna-based educational programs. Apparently, I’m not alone.

The US Coalition for Evidence-Based Policy, a non-profit promoting excellence in government, is offering a workshop for public-sector administrators on understanding research that should form the basis of public policy. Because I couldn’t find a page about the workshop on the Web site, I’m taking the unusual action of reprinting the Coalition’s announcement of the workshop.

How to Read Research Findings to Distinguish Evidence-Based Programs from Everything Else

Tools for Public Officials and Other Stakeholders to Become Independent Experts,

Offered by Recognized Leaders in Evidence-Based Reform

Washington DC, April 8, 2008

Evidence-based policy reform is an important new development in American government, requiring new skills of public officials, staff, and other stakeholders. Requirements for rigorous evaluation and the use of evidence-based programs now appear in Congressional legislation, Office and Management and Budget (OMB) guidance, and federal agency grant solicitations in many diverse areas of policy. These developments offer the potential to bring rapid, evidence-driven progress to areas such as education, employment and training, crime and justice, early childhood programs, substance abuse prevention, and international development assistance. Key precedents include medicine, where evidence-based policy has produced remarkable advances in human health over the past half-century; and welfare, where rigorous evaluations built actionable knowledge about “what works,” setting the stage for the successful, bipartisan welfare reforms of the 1980s and 90s.

Our workshop teaches the core skill needed to be an effective practitioner of evidence-based policy: The ability to read a study and readily assess whether it produced valid evidence of a program’s effectiveness.

This core skill is needed, for example, to –

• Distinguish the few programs in your policy area that are truly backed by valid evidence from everything else that claims to be, without having to rely on outside “experts” whose biases and capabilities are unknown;
• Sponsor a study that is capable of generating valid evidence about a program’s effectiveness; and
• Explain research results to key colleagues and stakeholders in a clear and persuasive way, so as to enlist them as partners in your efforts.

Acquiring this core skill is straightforward: A one-day workshop on key principles, followed by weekly “brown-bag” conference calls providing hands-on, coached experience in reviewing actual studies.

The workshop will take place on Tuesday, April 8, 2008 at the Coalition for Evidence-Based Policy from 9:00 to 4:00, with lunch provided. The weekly follow-up sessions will be held over a 12-week period, via 45-minute conference calls at the noon hour. In these sessions, participants will gain hands-on experience reviewing actual studies in a small-group setting facilitated by Coalition staff, with the goal of becoming independent experts. Participants are encouraged to suggest studies to review in these sessions.

Our background: A nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, we’ve played a leadership role in advancing evidence-based reforms through our work with top Congressional and federal agency policymakers:

Our work with Congress and OMB helped create a new evidence-based home visitation program at HHS in the FY 08 Appropriations Act (Public Law 110-161).
We helped OMB develop new guidance for the federal agencies on What Constitutes Strong Evidence of a Program’s Effectiveness.
Our work with Congress has yielded important advances in Congressional support for rigorous – preferably randomized – evaluations in education, crime prevention, and other areas.
We’ve conducted previous workshops on evidence-based policy for OMB, the Departments of Education and Labor, the Congressionally-established Academic Competitiveness Council, and others.
We developed and manage one of the leading U.S. websites of evidence-based programs – Social Programs That Work (www.evidencebasedprograms.org).
A recent independent assessment of our work found we’ve been “instrumental in transforming a theoretical advocacy of evidence-based policy among certain [federal] agencies into an operational reality.”
Logistics and Cost

When: Tuesday, April 8, 2008, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., with lunch provided. 12 follow-up sessions via conference call each Tuesday thereafter, starting at noon.

Where: The April 8th session will be held at the Council for Excellence in Government (1301 K Street, NW, Suite 450 West, Washington DC 20005)

Who: Public officials and staff, policy analysts, program providers, and other stakeholders. A research background is not required.

Cost: $520 for the one-day workshop and 12 follow-up sessions. As a nonprofit organization, we price our workshops as inexpensively as we can to reach the widest possible audience.

Deadlines: The deadline for registration and payment is Tuesday, April 1st. Space is limited, and our previous workshops have filled up quickly.

How to register: Please register via our website at http://www.excelgov.org/userpreview.php?formid=389.

Payment Information: Credit card payments are preferred; we also accept checks (payable to the Council for Excellence in Government) and purchase orders. To process your payment, please contact David Anderson at (danderson@excelgov.org, 202-530-3284).

Questions?: Please contact David Anderson (danderson@excelgov.org, 202-530-3284).

Development of the workshop curriculum is funded through a grant from the William T. Grant Foundation.

JANE 4 sped?

By JohnL on Feb. 20, 2008.

Given the proliferation of professional journals in special education, it might seem difficult to determine appropriate places to publish one’s work. Of course, we surely don’t have as much difficulty as those in biological sciences, where journals focused on sub-sub-specialities exist. To help folks in those disciplines, perhaps a dose of artificial intelligence would be helpful.

In “Reducing the cost of facilitating peer review,” Peter Suber described and commented on a script that recommends journals that would be suitable outlets for one’s writings. Mr. Suber’s post, which appeared in Nature Network, referred to a Martijn J. Schuemie and Jan A. Kors’ “Jane: Suggesting Journals, Finding Experts” from Bioinformatics. Here’s a snippet from Mr. Steel:

Abstract: With an exponentially growing number of articles being published every year, scientists can use some help in determining which journal is most appropriate for publishing their results, and which other scientists can be called upon to review their work.

Jane (Journal/Author Name Estimator) is a freely available web-based application that, on the basis of a sample text (e.g., the title and abstract of a manuscript), can suggest journals and experts who have published similar articles.

I recall the advice of a writing professor with whom I studied as an undergraduate. He told me I should submit a piece of short fiction to a magazine and then, in preparation for receiving a rejection, address envelopes to other magazine editors where I would hope it would be published and stuff each envelope with a submission letter. I should then stack those envelopes in the order of my estimate of their magazines’ prestige. If it was rejected by one I was simply to put a copy of the ms. in the next envelope in the stack and mail it in the next day’s mail.

I also recall the sage comment of my colleague Mike E., who said something similar. He finished his recommendation with a maxim: “John, for every manuscript, there is a journal.”

More about JANE:
Mr. Schuemie and Mr. Kors’ original. “Jane: Suggesting Journals, Finding Experts”
Mr. Suber’s Reducing the cost of facilitating peer review
Savvy comment from Nature blog by Maxine Clarke (here) and an unsigned note here and >.