ERIC Number: EJ989500
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2012-Aug
Pages: 10
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0198-7429
EISSN: N/A
The Theil-Sen Slope for High-Stakes Decisions from Progress Monitoring
Vannest, Kimberly J.; Parker, Richard I.; Davis, John L.; Soares, Denise A.; Smith, Stacey L.
Behavioral Disorders, v37 n4 p271-280 Aug 2012
More and more, schools are considering the use of progress monitoring data for high-stakes decisions such as special education eligibility, program changes to more restrictive environments, and major changes in educational goals. Those high-stakes types of data-based decisions will need methodological defensibility. Current practice for summarizing progress monitoring data is to use a hand-fit trend lines (for practitioner use) or linear regression (for research). This study critically examines both approaches and compares them to a new nonparametric slope called the Theil-Sen. A field test with 372 published data series compared hand-fit, linear regression, and Theil-Sen slopes against evaluative criteria of power and precision, meeting data assumptions, and agreement with visual judgments. Results indicate promise for Theil-Sen slope in defensible high-stakes decision making. (Contains 3 tables and 1 figure.)
Descriptors: Decision Making, Educational Change, Regression (Statistics), Field Tests, High Stakes Tests, Comparative Analysis, Progress Monitoring, Behavior Disorders, Emotional Disturbances, Special Education, Reading Fluency, Response to Intervention, Regular and Special Education Relationship, Test Items, Tests, Testing, Scores, Test Wiseness, Test Theory, Nonparametric Statistics, Robustness (Statistics)
Council for Children with Behavioral Disorders. Council for Exceptional Children, 1110 North Glebe Road, Arlington, VA 22201-5704. Tel: 612-276-0140; Fax: 612-276-0142; Web site: http://www.ccbd.net/publication/behavioraldisorders
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A