Craig Albers

GRANTS AND SPONSORSHIPS

• 6/30/2016 – Amount: $1,600,000.00, “Improving Educational Outcomes For English Language Learners: Validating Screening And Progress Monitoring Instruments For Use In Response-To-Intervention Models,” Awarded By: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, Sponsor Type: Federal, Craig A. Albers, Principal; Thomas R. Kratochwill, Co-Principal; David Kaplan, Co-Principal; FUNDED.
  Abstract: The proposed 4-year measurement project (Goal #5) under the Education Research Grants English Language Learner program is designed to (a) determine whether universal screening and progress monitoring procedures that are essential for the use of Response-to-Intervention (RTI) models are valid for use with English Language Learner (ELL) students, and to (b) use the collected data to model estimated language and literacy growth that will assist in establishing ELL guidelines for the appropriate use of universal screening and progress monitoring procedures within RTI models. To accomplish this goal, we propose to: 1. Establish the reliability, validity, and predictive accuracy of existing universal screening literacy instruments—including general curriculum-based measurement procedures (e.g., word identification, oral reading fluency, maze tasks), the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS), and the Indicadores Dinámicos del Éxito en la Lectura (IDEL; for Spanish-speaking ELL students)—for use with ELLs; 2. Establish the reliability, validity, utility, and cost-effectiveness of existing progress monitoring procedures for use with ELLs through the use of traditional psychometric procedures and newer, more sophisticated growth mixture modeling procedures; and 3. Establish, through multivariate growth modeling procedures, the connection between English language acquisition and literacy skills to define guidelines for the use of universal screening and progress monitoring procedures with ELLs. Multiple districts from each of the 20-state World-class Instructional Design and Assessment (WIDA) Consortium will provide a sample of approximately 4,200 students distributed across six English language proficiency levels and a control group of non-ELL students. The proposed project will use a 4-year longitudinal, multisite design for two cohorts of students. Analyses will examine the psychometric properties, including predictive validity indices, of the universal screening and progress monitoring measures. Multivariate growth modeling procedures will be used to examine English language proficiency and literacy growth. Multivariate growth modeling allows for the study of change over time in English language proficiency and literacy at the same time and can relate the parameters of both processes to time-varying and time-invariant background characteristics. The core component and innovative feature of this proposal is the validation of universal screening and progress monitoring procedures that will facilitate the longitudinal examination of the typical development of language acquisition and its interrelationship with reading skills among ELLs in this project – something that is essential for appropriately implementing RTI procedures with ELL students. Prior universal screening and progress monitoring research has failed to examine the impact of varying degrees of English language proficiency on the attainment of basic academic skills. The opportunity to explore these relationships is unique, as this project will be conducted with support from the University of Wisconsin’s WIDA Consortium, which will ensure a large and representative sample of ELL students with varying levels of English language proficiency. Our proposed analyses relaxes the one-size-fits-all perspective of conventional growth curve modeling and will provide for a more nuanced approach to progress monitoring, allowing for the determination of what constitutes adequate response to intervention for ELLs learning to read in English.
• 2013-2015 – “Innovation In Education: Enhancing And Expanding The Uw’s Prevention And Intervention Sciences Program,” Awarded By: University of Wisconsin – Madison, Craig A. Albers, Principal.
  Abstract: Consisting of a multidisciplinary community of researchers and practitioners, prevention science is the systematic study of efforts to reduce the incidence of maladaptive behavior and to promote adaptive behavior in populations across the life course. Training in the social and behavioral sciences usually includes intensive study within a single discipline for the purpose of contributing to a specific area of inquiry. Training in prevention sciences, however, requires expertise in a variety of theoretical and substantive perspectives for the purpose of conducting mission-oriented research and corresponding practice within the systems of the family, health and education, workplace, community, and social welfare. It also involves the application of this knowledge to real world problems and issues affecting people and the institutions and settings in which they live their lives. Thus, prevention sciences aims to enhance the social, emotional, and physical health of individuals and of communities, consistent with emerging trends in the human-service professions.
• 2010-2014 – Amount: $1,600,000.00, “Validating Universal Screening And Progress Monitoring Instruments For Use With Ells In Response-To- Intervention Models.,” Awarded By: Institute of Education Sciences, Sponsor Type: Federal, David Kaplan, Co-Principal; Craig A. Albers, Principal; Thomas R. Kratochwill, Co-Principal.
• 2007-2011 – Amount: $800,000.00, “Response-To-Intervention And School Reform: Training School Psychologists In The Wisconsin Reach Prevention Project,” Grant Institution: U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, Sponsor Type: Federal, Craig A. Albers, Co-Principal; Thomas R. Kratochwill, Co-Principal; Kimber W. Malmgren, Co-Principal; Julie McGivern, Co-Principal; FUNDED.
  Abstract: This training program aims to serve as a model for collaboratively training special education and school psychology graduate students in RtI (response-to-intervention) and school reform. We propose to improve the quality and supply of personnel who serve children with disabilities in leadership roles by training doctoral level school psychology and special education graduate students in skills needed to implement systemic intervention, school reform, and RtI as part of a Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction statewide initiative called the Responsive Education for All Children (REACh). Fourteen doctoral students will be trained over 4 years. We anticipate that those benefiting from the skills developed by the trainees will include over 500 children and their families across Wisconsin. School personnel working with these children will acquire new knowledge about systemic interventions and school reform generally and about procedures associated with three-tiered RtI prevention models specifically.
• 2007-2011 – Amount: $800,000.00, “Culturally Competent Evidence-Based Practices,” Awarded By: U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, Sponsor Type: Federal, Craig A. Albers, Co-Principal; Thomas R. Kratochwill, Co-Principal; Julie McGivern, Co-Principal; Kimber W. Malmgren, Co-Principal; Hugh F. Johnston, Co-Principal; .
• 2007-2011 – Amount: $800.00, “Training School Psychologists In Culturally Competent And Evidence-Based Practice For Children With Disabilities,” Awarded By: Office of Special Education Programs, Sponsor Type: Federal, Julie McGivern; Thomas R. Kratochwill; Craig A. Albers; Hugh F. Johnston.
• 2008-2011 – Amount: $1,220,000.00, “The Development Of Alternate English Language Proficiency Assessment Procedures For English Language Learners With Significant Disabilities,” Awarded By: U.S. Department of Education, Sponsor Type: Federal, Craig A. Albers, Principal; FUNDED.
  Abstract: The Washington, DC Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE), on behalf of the 17-state World-class Instructional Design and Assessment (WIDA) Consortium, proposes to develop and implement a feasible, accessible, valid, and efficient standards-based English language proficiency (ELP) alternate assessment system that yields technically sound results and facilitates the inclusion of English language learners (ELLs) with significant disabilities in educational accountability systems across the WIDA Consortium. This performance-based alternate assessment system will compliment and parallel the University of Wisconsin – Madison and WIDA’s evidence-based collection alternate ELP approach that is currently being field-tested within WIDA Consortium states. This new performance-based approach will give WIDA states the flexibility to implement alternate ELP assessments consistent with their existing alternate academic content assessments. The WIDA Consortium, which is located within the Wisconsin Center for Education Research (WCER) at the University of Wisconsin – Madison, will lead the development of this assessment through a cooperative agreement with the Washington, DC OSSE. The WIDA Consortium, originally established with funding from a U.S. Department of Education Enhanced Assessment Grant, currently includes Washington, DC and 16 additional states. Combined, the 17 WIDA partner states contain approximately 550,000 K-12 ELLs. Since 2003, WIDA has created and adopted comprehensive English language proficiency standards (2004, 2007) that represent the second language acquisition process and the language in the content areas of language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies. Based on these standards, WIDA developed a K-12 ELP test battery–ACCESS for ELLs–that approximately 420,000 students took in spring 2007. The ACCESS for ELLs is currently being used by more states than any other ELP measure. WIDA also provides professional development activities and maintains a Web site (www.wida.us). The proposed alternate ELP assessment system, named the Alternate ACCESS for ELLs with Significant Disabilities, will be designed to (a) meet the accountability requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004, (b) meet the technical requirements of the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing (American Educational Research Association, American Psychological Association, & National Council on Measurement in Education, 1999), (c) facilitate the involvement of ELLs in participating states’ accountability systems, (d) provide a method for monitoring the ELP growth of ELLs with significant disabilities, and (e) provide guidance to individualized education program (IEP) teams in developing appropriate language proficiency IEP goals and objectives. The development of this parallel form of the Alternate ACCESS for ELLs will follow key principles that require the assessment to (a) identify and assess skills that are critical to language proficiency development; (b) be aligned with the WIDA Consortium’s language proficiency standards; (c) be sensitive to student growth and accurately reflect students’ abilities in language areas; (d) lead to instructional opportunities that meet student needs; (e) provide reliable and valid results; (f) be non-biased and sensitive to cultural differences; (g) produce results that are helpful to teachers, parents, and administrators in making educational decisions; and (h) be time- and resource-efficient, as well as consistent with participating WIDA Consortium states’ existing academic content alternate assessment systems. A multi-part investigation using a multi-method, multi-source approach to developing and evaluating the alternate assessment will be used. Throughout all phases of the proposed alternate ELP assessment development and validation procedures, the involvement of WIDA Consortium states will increase the likelihood of participation by a culturally, geographically, and structurally diverse population of schools that will increase the generalizability of findings from the project. It is anticipated that we will be collecting data from a minimum of 300 schools within the consortium, including schools from each WIDA Consortium state. Although a variety of academic content assessments are available for use with ELLs with significant disabilities, there currently exist no alternate ELP assessments for ELL students with significant disabilities. Consequently, this project will advance theory, knowledge, and practice in the fields of assessment and instructional programs for ELLs with significant disabilities. We anticipate that the development and use of alternate ELP assessments for ELLs in the beginning stages of English language acquisition will prove to be a valid, reliable, and equitable way to assess the English language proficiency of ELLs with significant disabilities.
• 2008-2009 – Amount: $14,900.00, “Early Identification Of Students With Learning Difficulties,” Awarded By: Society for the Study of School Psychology, Sponsor Type: Other, Craig A. Albers, Co-Principal; Ryan J. Kettler, Co-Principal; FUNDED.
• 2006-2007 – Amount: $27,692.00, “The Development Of Alternate Assessment Procedures For English Language Learners With Significant Disabilities,” Awarded By: University of Wisconsin Graduate School Research Competition, Sponsor Type: University of Wisconsin-Madison, Craig A. Albers, Principal; FUNDED.
  Abstract: The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 require all students to participate in state and district-wide assessment systems. However, to date there has been no research conducted examining the participation of English Language Learners (ELLs) with significant disabilities in alternate assessment systems. The central goal of this project is to develop an efficient alternate assessment system that facilitates the inclusion of ELLs with significant disabilities in statewide educational accountability systems that result in valid, reliable, and useful information regarding their educational progress.
• 2005-2006 – Amount: $9,428.00, “Early Identification Of Learning Difficulties Experienced By English Language Learners,” Awarded By: University of Wisconsin Graduate School Research Competition, Sponsor Type: University of Wisconsin-Madison, Craig A. Albers, Principal; FUNDED.
  Abstract: By nature of their second language status, students classified as English Language Learners (ELLs) are generally considered to be at-risk for academic failure. However, minimal research has been conducted exploring the degree to which universal screening procedures can distinguish between students who are experiencing academic difficulties beyond those associated with typical second-language acquisition. The proposed research project explores the degree to which a universal screening instrument, currently under development, can be utilized as is or modified as appropriate to identify second-language students experiencing additional risk factors relating to academic failure.