Papers by Keith Smolkowski
Tobacco Control, 2000
Objective-Experimental evaluation of comprehensive community wide programme to prevent adolescent... more Objective-Experimental evaluation of comprehensive community wide programme to prevent adolescent tobacco use. Design-Eight pairs of small Oregon communities (population 1700 to 13 500) were randomly assigned to receive a school based prevention programme or the school based programme plus a community programme. EVects were assessed through five annual surveys (time 1-5) of seventh and ninth grade (ages 12-15 years) students. Intervention-The community programme included: (a) media advocacy, (b) youth anti-tobacco activities, (c) family communications about tobacco use, and (d) reduction of youth access to tobacco. Main outcome measure-The prevalence of self reported smoking and smokeless tobacco use in the week before assessment. Results-The community programme had significant eVects on the prevalence of weekly cigarette use at times 2 and 5 and the eVect approached significance at time 4. An eVect on the slope of prevalence across time points was evident only when time 2 data points were eliminated from the analysis. The intervention aVected the prevalence of smokeless tobacco among grade 9 boys at time 2. There were also significant eVects on the slope of alcohol use among ninth graders and the quadratic slope of marijuana for all students. Conclusion-The results suggest that comprehensive community wide interventions can improve on the preventive eVect of school based tobacco prevention programmes and that eVective tobacco prevention may prevent other substance use.
Psychology in the Schools, 2012
States are increasingly recommending that districts and schools use multi-tiered systems of suppo... more States are increasingly recommending that districts and schools use multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) to improve reading outcomes for all students. States have also suggested MTSS is a viable service delivery model in response to new state legislation to screen, identify, and treat students with word-level reading disability (i.e., dyslexia). One model of MTSS that utilizes Enhanced Core Reading Instruction (ECRI MTSS), has demonstrated significant increases in students’ early acquisition of foundational reading skills (Smith et al., 2016). The purpose of this study was to conduct a conceptual replication of the Smith’s (2016) original impact study. In a cluster-randomized controlled trial, 44 schools were randomly assigned to the ECRI MTSS treatment or a business-as-usual (BAU) MTSS control condition. Across conditions, 754 students were assigned to receive Tier 2 intervention in addition to Tier 1 instruction. Impact data indicate moderate to strong effects on student decodin...
School Psychology Review
Abstract This study examined the cost-effectiveness of a 50-lesson mathematics intervention progr... more Abstract This study examined the cost-effectiveness of a 50-lesson mathematics intervention program focused on whole number concepts for at-risk kindergarten students, ROOTS. The study utilized a randomized block design with 1,251 at-risk students within 138 classrooms randomly assigned to one of two active treatment conditions (small groups of either two or five students) or control condition. Proximal and distal measures were collected in the fall (pretest) and spring (posttest). The costs per group per effect size unit change varied from $216 to $736 depending on differing district scenarios and group size. The cost-effectiveness ratios per student varied from $267 to $3,201 depending on district scenario, group size, and the measure. Implications for conducting cost-effectiveness evaluations and public policy are discussed.
Assessment for Effective Intervention
A growing body of research suggests that the effects of core mathematics instruction on student m... more A growing body of research suggests that the effects of core mathematics instruction on student mathematics outcomes may not be uniform across different skill levels in mathematics. This study investigated the extent to which observed components of explicit mathematics instruction explained why students’ initial mathematics achievement was previously found to moderate the treatment impact of an empirically validated, core kindergarten mathematics program. Instructional components examined were as follows: (a) teacher demonstrations and explanations of mathematical concepts, (b) group and individual student practice opportunities, and (c) teacher-delivered academic feedback. Findings suggest that the rate in which teachers facilitated individual student practice opportunities during core mathematics instruction explained the program’s differential effectiveness. Implications in terms of differentiating practice opportunities for at-risk learners and utilizing classroom observation da...
Health values, 1993
A survey of sex-related situations that US adolescents characterized as problematic highlighted t... more A survey of sex-related situations that US adolescents characterized as problematic highlighted the association between alcohol use and high-risk behaviors. Respondents completed a Scale of Sexual Risk Taking Questionnaire and then made audio recordings in which they described past uncomfortable unpleasant sexual experiences. Of the 130 male and female adolescents surveyed (mean age 17 years) 80% had engaged in sexual intercourse. 57% reported alcohol use and 51% acknowledged drug use in association with intercourse. Problematic situations mentioned most frequently by female respondents included birth control pregnancy condom use violence unwanted advances use of alcohol and rape. Males most often cited condom use birth control acquisition of condoms non-use of condoms pregnancy concerns requests for condom use and alcohol use. Fewer than 25% of adolescents mentioned sexually transmitted diseases including acquired immunodeficiency syndrome as a concern. Alcohol use was significantl...
Reading & Writing Quarterly
Abstract This study explores the effects of a Spanish vocabulary intervention on the literacy out... more Abstract This study explores the effects of a Spanish vocabulary intervention on the literacy outcomes of students at risk for vocabulary difficulties in Chile. We screened 2nd-grade students (N = 84) with a standardized Spanish vocabulary measure. We then randomly assigned students who scored below the 40th percentile (n = 30) to an intervention or control group. The intervention group received small-group vocabulary instruction 3 times per week. The comparison group received instruction on the same words from the teacher in the whole group. Results indicated significant large effects of the intervention on student vocabulary knowledge of taught words at posttest (g = 1.60) and 4 months later (g = 0.92). Effects were nonsignificant, though moderate, for reading comprehension (g = 0.50). Students in the intervention group were able to articulate significantly more complex sentences using the target words than students in the comparison group. We discuss implications for practice.
Bilingual Research Journal
We explore the potential of a computer-adaptive decoding game in Spanish to increase the decoding... more We explore the potential of a computer-adaptive decoding game in Spanish to increase the decoding skills and oral reading fluency in Spanish and English of bilingual students. Participants were 78 first-grade Spanishspeaking students attending bilingual programs in five classrooms in Texas. Classrooms were randomly assigned to the treatment (i.e., where students played Graphogame Spanish) for 16 weeks for ten minutes per day (n = 3) versus business as usual instruction (n = 2). Results indicate that students at some risk on Spanish pseudoword reading appeared to benefit the most from playing the game. Analysis of gains suggests a potentially small, but meaningful educational effect of the game on Spanish oral reading fluency and English pseudoword reading when taking Spanish decoding skills at pretest into account. Students indicated that they enjoyed playing the game, and that the game helped them improve their reading skills. Teachers perceived the game as an engaging tool for students to use during small-group instruction or during independent time in a Response-to-Intervention approach. We discuss our mixed results in the context of using computer-adaptive games to improve the academic outcomes of bilingual students.
Journal of school psychology, Jun 1, 2017
This article presents the results of an evaluation of Positive Family Support, an ecological fami... more This article presents the results of an evaluation of Positive Family Support, an ecological family intervention and treatment approach to parent supports and family management training developed from a history of basic and translational research. This effectiveness trial, with 41 public middle schools randomly assigned to intervention or control, examined student-, teacher-, and parent-reported outcomes, as well as math and reading scores and school attendance. Multilevel analyses suggested that for students at risk for behavior problems, immediate-intervention schools outperformed control schools on parent-reported negative school contacts for students at risk for behavior problems. Implementation, however, was hampered by several challenges, including school funding cuts, lack of staff time to provide parenting supports, and staff turnover. Given that preventive interventions are generally cost effective, it is critical that researchers continue their efforts to refine these inte...
The Journal of Technology and Teacher Education, 2016
Classroom management remains a challenge for many teachers. the approach and delivery of professi... more Classroom management remains a challenge for many teachers. the approach and delivery of professional development (Pd) in classroom management may determine how well teachers are able to apply evidence-based approaches in their classrooms. we use existing literature to identify the key features that make in-service Pd effective and present them as the defining features of a recently developed Pd program, Classroom Management in Action, which blends online technology, evidence-based practice in positive behavior support, video modeling, self-paced/step-by-step activities, and tools for aiding and measuring fidelity and behavioral outcomes. we report results from studies documenting the program's
Learning Disability Quarterly, 2015
This study examines the effect of 30 min of small group explicit instruction on reading outcomes ... more This study examines the effect of 30 min of small group explicit instruction on reading outcomes for first-grade Spanish-speaking English learners (ELs) at risk of reading difficulties. Participants were 78 ELs from seven schools who were receiving Spanish only, or Spanish and English, whole group reading instruction in first grade. Students were rank-ordered within schools and then randomly assigned to a treatment condition ( n = 39) or a comparison condition ( n = 39). Students in the treatment condition received instruction on transition elements that supported their transfer of skills from Spanish to English. Students in the comparison condition received Business as Usual instruction from a variety of commercially available programs. Findings indicated that ELs in both conditions made significant gains from pretest to posttest on all reading outcomes even though instruction in the treatment condition focused significantly more on higher order skills (i.e., vocabulary, comprehens...
The journal of applied research on children : informing policy for children at risk, 2014
Extension of retribution- and incapacitation-based criminal justice policies and practices to sch... more Extension of retribution- and incapacitation-based criminal justice policies and practices to schools has exacerbated racial and ethnic disproportionality in school discipline, a serious and unsolved threat to equity in education and social opportunity. Common approaches implemented to reduce discipline disproportionality have not been shown to be widely effective. A more comprehensive, theory-driven understanding of the factors associated with disproportionate discipline is needed to enhance equity. In this article, we propose a conceptual model of how racial and ethnic bias affects school discipline, with direct implications for practical interventions. The model includes a multidimensional view of bias, informed by research from the field of social psychology, with multiple points identified for intervention to reduce disproportionality over time. The authors conclude with a proposed multicomponent intervention that builds on a foundation of school-wide positive behavioral interv...
Learning Disability Quarterly
Oregon’s Effective Behavioral and Instructional Support Systems (EBISS) initiative was implemente... more Oregon’s Effective Behavioral and Instructional Support Systems (EBISS) initiative was implemented in 25 school districts. The initiative trained and coached district leaders and teachers in the use of the EBISS model through the lens of implementation science. The EBISS model integrates school-wide positive behavior intervention and supports (SWPBIS) and the school-wide reading model (SWRM) to improve schools for all students and to reduce the number of students at risk of learning difficulties. Proximal outcomes included gains in the number of building-level SWPBIS and SWRM implementation teams and the activities of those teams. Distal outcomes included statistically significant gains in oral reading fluency (ORF) in first and third grades and marginally significant decreases in the percentage of students in the intensive category for reading in second and fourth grades. These findings suggest that to optimize improvements in teacher and student outcomes, a rigorous system of prof...
Learning Disability Quarterly
In this overview of implementation science and implementation fidelity in the field of learning d... more In this overview of implementation science and implementation fidelity in the field of learning disabilities, authors provide a brief summary of current research related to implementation science followed by an introduction of the articles in this special series. Authors emphasize the relationship between the effectiveness of interventions and the difficulty of their implementation, highlighting the importance of considering both when adopting new interventions in the field of learning disabilities. The authors then turn their attention to the need for implementation science and implementation fidelity to be considered at all stages of research from program or intervention development to efficacy and effectiveness trials through large-scale implementation in real-world settings. An overview of active implementation frameworks as proposed by the National Implementation Research Network as well as a discussion on the importance of research–practice partnerships when implementing progr...
The Elementary School Journal, 2016
This study reports the results of a cluster RCT evaluating the impact of Enhanced Core Reading In... more This study reports the results of a cluster RCT evaluating the impact of Enhanced Core Reading Instruction on reading achievement of grade 1 at-risk readers. Forty-four elementary schools, blocked by district, were randomly assigned to condition. In both conditions, at-risk readers received 90 minutes of whole-group instruction (Tier 1) plus an additional 30 minutes of daily, small-group intervention (Tier 2). In the treatment condition, Tier 1 instruction included enhancements to the core program and Tier 2 intervention was highly aligned with the core program. In the comparison condition, Tier 1 instruction used the same core program as treatment schools in the district and Tier 2 intervention followed standard district protocol. Significant treatment effects were found on measures of phonemic decoding and oral reading fluency from fall to winter and word reading from fall to spring. Student- and classroom-level variables predicted student response to instruction differentially by condition.
Family-School Partnerships in Context, 2016
Although family-centered interventions are known to be effective at reducing risk behavior and in... more Although family-centered interventions are known to be effective at reducing risk behavior and increasing academic success, few schools can deliver these interventions successfully. The Positive Family Support (PFS) program was developed based on multiple research studies on the Family Check-Up that have shown the Family Check-Up to be an efficacious prevention model that reduces the risk of substance use, problem behavior, and achievement difficulties. The PFS program was designed to take the Family Check-Up and associated intervention modules to scale in middle schools. The PFS program was implemented in 41 middle schools randomly assigned to receive the training and support associated with the PFS program or middle school as usual. School staff at each middle school delivered the intervention to youths and families. In this chapter, we summarize the key aspects of the PFS program and our approach to implementation. We discuss challenges we faced in the schools, such as budget cuts, staffing, leadership turnover, school climate issues, and fidelity of implementation. Last, we discuss implications of this work for future research and scale-up of family-centered interventions in schools.
The Elementary School Journal
Learning Disabilities Research & Practice
Society For Research on Educational Effectiveness, 2010
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Papers by Keith Smolkowski