Is the three-term contingency trial a predictor of effective instruction?

Two experiments are reported which test the effect of increased three-term contingency trials on students' correct and incorrect math responses. Experiment 1 included two junior high school students in need of special instruction in mathematics while in Experiment 2 two other students with similar instructional needs from the same classroom were studied. In the first experiment the increased rate of presentation (3 times the baseline rate) was done without regard to whether the antecedent teacher presentations to the student were presented vocally or in written form; in the second experiment, the rates of presentation were systematically rotated across written and vocal presentations. The dependent variables were rate per minute of correct and incorrect responses of students (vocal or written). The experiments used designs incorporating features of the multiple baseline (Students A and B) and reversal (Students B, C, and D). The data showed that increasing the number of three-term trials increased correct rates while incorrect rates remained relatively low. The second experiment replicated these findings with two other students and found that the treatment effect occurred independently with vocal and written antecedents when each was isolated. The results warrant further research to test whether or not rates of presentation of three-term contingency trials are predictors of effective instruction.     

Considerations for evaluating universal screening assessments

Universal screening is a critical prerequisite to providing early school-based prevention and intervention services for students at risk for or with academic, behavioral, or emotional difficulties. Although use of academic and behavioral screening has become more prevalent, criteria for making informed decisions about appropriate screening tools are not readily available to those who work in educational settings. The purpose of this article is to (a) highlight several considerations about the appropriateness, technical adequacy, and usability of academic or behavioral screeners and (b) provide a general assessment of the current state of science pertaining to universal screening. The article concludes with considerations for policy and practice. The framework presented may be useful in guiding those interested in evaluating, selecting, and researching school-based universal screening assessments.     

Effects of reducing attentional demands on performance of reading comprehension tests by third graders

The researchers examined the effects of reducing attentional demands on reading comprehension test scores. Third grade students (N=939) completed two forms (T & S) of the Stanford 9 Reading Comprehension Test (54 items, 50 min.) in the spring of 1999. Form T (state-mandated) was administered following standardized procedures in one session. Form S (alternate) was administered in multiple, divided-time sessions, that is, the total test time and items were divided in halves and thirds per session to lessen attentional demands. A repeated-measure analysis of variance yielded significant effects for average and low readers. A resource match explanation and a metacognitive explanation are offered for the results, and educational implications are discussed.     

Trends in optimization models of sales force management

In the last half-century, significant advances have been made in directing sales force behavior with the use of optimization and decision models. The present paper both presents the current state-of-the art in sales force decision modeling, and also discusses key issues and trends in contemporary modeling of relevance to sales force researchers. The paper begins by exploring critical concepts regarding the estimation of the sales response function, and then discusses critical problems of endogeneity, heterogeneity, and temporal variation that are faced by modelers in this task. Modern approaches to dealing with these issues are presented. We then discuss areas of importance concerning finding model solutions, including closed form versus simulation, and optimization versus heuristic solutions. The paper next moves to areas of practical importance where models can help, including call planning, sales force size, territory allocation, and compensation design. Finally, we discuss trends that will likely impact on sales force modeling in coming years, including the use of big data and data mining, the possible breakdown of rationality, the rise of the Internet and social media, and the potential of agent-based modeling.