A Roadmap to Research Information on NICHCY's Web Site

Launched February, 2006
Approx. 6 pages when printed
PDF version

Research isn't always under R--at least not at NICHCY. But sometimes it is! To help you find research information on our Web site and in our publications, we've prepared this "Research Roadmap," which is, essentially, a map of where to go and what you'll find, research-wise, when you get there. We hope this will make it easy as 1, 2, 3 to find the research-based information you're looking for.

Introduction to the Research
Research is important to everyone. It can inform teachers, administrators, policy makers, and families. Using research in our lives can shape our practice and lead to better results, for our children, for our schools, for our society.

Think about what research has given us in just the last 100 years.

• Medicine that heals
• Radio
• Television
• Airplanes
• Space travel
• Computers
• The Internet
• Detailed looks into the human brain

It’s not a far stretch. We have 25 years of educational research to pull down like fruit from the trees. NICHCY is very pleased to connect you with this harvest of knowledge, insight, and direction. That’s what our research collection is all about. Come take a look at what we offer!

Costello: Look Abbott, if you’re the coach, you must know all the players.
Abbott: I certainly do.
Costello: Well you know I’ve never met the guys. So you’ll have to tell me their names, and then I’ll know who’s playing on the team.

Research, like most everything, has its own unique vocabulary and rules for fair and fine play. It made sense to NICHCY to start our Research Collection there, with the basics of research vocabulary and process. That way, educators, families, policy makers, and administrators-our primary audience of research users-might possess a common grounding of knowledge and understanding.

Need the basics? Want to review the basics? Want to share the basics? Then our "suite" of Research Basics may be just what you're looking for. Help yourself to any or all of the following!

NICHCY’s Research 101...
research.nichcy.org/research101.asp
...provides resources that lay down the basics—what makes for good research, what good researchers consider when they do their work, and what we, as consumers and decision makers, need to keep in mind when we review research and base decisions upon it. Included in Research 101 are links to information that shows inquirers:

-- The research process, start to finish
-- What’s in a research paper?
-- Is this a good research paper?
-- How do the pros define quality?
-- Writing research reports
-- How teachers can use research

NICHCY’s Research 102...
research.nichcy.org/research102.asp
...takes a look at some basic research processes for adding up the evidence from individual studies and drawing bigger conclusions—about patterns and trends in what works and what doesn’t. Research 102 links inquirers to information on:

-- Research reviews
-- Meta-Analyses: The next step up
-- What is effect size?
-- Applications to education

Making Sense of Statistics in Research...
research.nichcy.org/statistics.asp
...will help you understand more about the statistical tests and terms mentioned in research documents. These resources run the gamut of complexity—you’ll find everything from an entire online introductory statistics course to glossaries defining individual statistical terms. Making Sense of Statistics in Research includes links to:

-- Probability & statistics for the average person
-- Statistical inference defined
-- Introduction to “stats” in plain language
-- Glossaries

Weighing Information for Its Worth...
research.nichcy.org/weighinginfo.asp
...takes up the very real concern of whether or not we can trust the research information we find. As we rely more and more on the Internet for information, and as we seek to base our decisions upon research evidence, it’s important to consider the information and its source through the lens of a cautious consumer. But how do we do that? The resources in this research offering will hopefully shed light on the “how” of weighing information, as well as the “why.” Hook up with connections about:

-- Finding information
-- Can you trust information from that book or journal?
-- Can you trust information from that Web site?
-- Resource tools

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Under "R" for Research

Start at NICHCY’s homepage:
www.nichcy.org

Select:
Research

You’ll go to:
research.nichcy.org

What aspect of special education research are you interested in? Here’s what you’ll find....

Special Education Research: Where to Start?
research.nichcy.org/researchtostart.asp
Indeed, where? The answer depends on what you’re lookin’ for, we suppose. Here are intro categories in “Where to Start?” to point you in the direction(s) of your choice.

-- Applying research
-- Remembering the reason why
-- Where do we look first?
-- Try these Web sites!
-- What research is revealing

What Works: Can We Say?
research.nichcy.org/whatworks.asp
Millions of dollars have been spent trying to determine what’s effective in...you name it—teaching children, teaching children with disabilities, teaching math and every other subject in school, training teachers, hiring teachers and keeping them, administering sound educational programs, keeping our children from dropping out of school, graduating them with solid skills...and on and on. So—what have we found out? What can we say after all the research we’ve conducted, all the journals that tell what’s been discovered, all the experience we combine? Find out “what works” in the following endeavors:

-- First toe in the water
-- Improving school systems
-- Preparing & keeping good teachers
-- Helping young children
-- Teaching reading
-- Providing school services
-- Transitioning to adulthood

Research-Based Resources on Specific Disabilities...
research.nichcy.org/researchspecificdisab.asp
This resource page will connect you with disability-specific research—in these categories:

-- Starting with disability research in general
-- AD/HD
-- Autism
-- Down syndrome
-- Learning Disabilities (LD)

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AD/HD 101
www.nichcy.org/enews/foundations/ADHD101.asp
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder—what to do, what’s the research have to say? Here’s a good place to find out.

Autism Spectrum Disorder Suite
www.nichcy.org/resources/autism.asp
Five separate resource collections comprise our autism suite—one for each of the disorders under the spectrum. Research-based evidence is included to help you plan educational interventions, train staff, address disability-related concerns, and keep track of emerging medical findings and research with respect to:

-- Autism
-- Asperger syndome
-- Rett syndrome
-- Childhood disintegrative disorder
-- PDDNOS

Behavior Suite
www.nichcy.org/resources/behaviorexpertise.asp
These five separate resource collections hold the heart and soul of addressing challenging behavior. Who’s who, the state-of-the-art, where you can find assistance, what to do that’s been found to work...all here!

-- Behavior expertise
-- Behavior assessment, plans, and positive supports
-- Behavior at home
-- Behavior at school
-- Bullying

Early Intervention
www.nichcy.org/enews/foundations/earlyintervention.asp
In addition to finding resources explaining early intervention or helping you locate programs in your state, you’ll also find research-based materials on early intervention in this collection on the subject—effective practices in Child Find, assessment and evaluation, and interagency efforts; how to involve families effectively and transition children to preschool; and last but not least, effective interventions.

Employment 101
www.nichcy.org/enews/foundations/employment101.asp
Here you’ll find much more than info to help young people with disabilities find (and keep) a job that suits them. What can the experts tell you about career exploration and planning, interest inventories, job supports, rehabilitation, and workforce development?

Including Students with Disabilities in State & District Assessments
www.nichcy.org/resources/largeassessments.asp
Federal law—specifically, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)—requires that students with disabilities be included in large state or district assessment programs. Dive into the debate surrounding this issue, and find out what research has to say about effective testing practices for students with disabilities, including alternate assessment.

Info Galore
www.nichcy.org/resources/galore.asp
Find the educational data you need, straight from the analytic core of the research world. Schools, students, information by state, disabilities, health concerns and conditions...you name it, this page will connect you.

Learning and the Brain
www.nichcy.org/resources/brain101.asp
Connect with resources on the ever-developing field of brain research and what it’s contributing to educating children with disabilities.

Learning Disabilities 101
www.nichcy.org/resources/LD1.asp
Lots of research here on learning disabilities—how to effectively diagnose LD, what educational interventions research recommends, and ongoing sources of research info on LD.

Literacy
www.nichcy.org/resources/literacy2.asp
Talk about a subject overflowing with research findings!

Staff Development
www.nichcy.org/enews/foundations/stafftraining.asp
There’s a lot to know about effectively training (and keeping!) staff. This collection of resources will lead you into research-based findings on: what works in staff development, where to start, how to set up a professional learning community or a mentoring program, training paraprofessionals, and available training materials on specific subjects.

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And we're always adding research to NICHCY’s Research-to-Practice Database!!!

What type of research?
25 years of meta-analyses, summing up research findings from thousands of studies.

Who’s it for?
You, of course. And educators, researchers, parents, administrators, policy makers, service providers, early interventionists, and all those interested.

What’s inside?
Basic bibliographic info—author, title, date, journal, and abstract—and, so it’s easy to read and understand and use, background info on why the study is important to children with disabilities, the specific research questions that guided the work, useful info on the research participants, description of the intervention studied, findings, conclusions, and implications for practice.

Special bonus!
Additional resources are listed as well, including information, tools, and examples of where you’ll find this research in actual practice.

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NICHCY
P.O. Box 1492
Washington, DC 20013
(800) 695-0285 - v/tty
(202) 884-8441 - fax
nichcy@aed.org