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The
PRIncipal Investigator
http://www.wayfair.com/American-Heritage-Carlotta-Bar-Cabinet-600055AB-AHB1666.html
Peabody Research Institute at Vanderbilt University
Join Us for Our Upcoming Mini-Conference
Problematic Behavior in Schools and What to Do About It
The Peabody Research Institute is hosting its annual mini-conference on April 2, 2015.
This year’s conference features three of the leading educational research scholars in the
field of school behavior, Dr. Denise Gottfredson, Dr. Joe Durlak, and Dr. Sandra
Graham.
The speakers’ presentations will each focus on a unique aspect of problem school
behaviors. Dr. Graham’s talk on peer victimization will highlight how the racial context
of schools influences the ways in which peers interact. Dr. Gottfredson’s talk will focus
on the broader aspects of school climate, such as teacher and administrator engagement
and understanding of children’s behaviors in the school context. Dr. Durlak’s
presentation will highlight different programs shown to improve behavioral
competencies in students and the strategies used in those programs to enact change.
Each of these scholars has had a significant and lasting impact on educational research
and we are honored that they will be joining us for what is sure to be an exciting event.
After the presentations, the speakers will field the audience’s questions. Last year’s
Q&A session was one of the highlights of the mini-conference. Immediately following
the presentations and Q&A session, we will host a reception to honor our guests.
This event is free and open to the public. Last year over 200 people attended and we
anticipate over 250 participants this year. No RSVP is necessary, but anyone wishing to
bring a large group is encouraged to email the organizers.
Mini-Conference Details:
When: Thursday, April 2, 2015
2-4 with the reception to follow from 4-5
Where: The Wyatt Center Rotunda
1930 South Drive, Nashville, TN
(located on the Peabody Campus at Vanderbilt University)
For more information or to contact the organizers, please visit our website:
http://peabody.vanderbilt.edu/research/pri/miniconference.php
Issue 3 Spr 2015
CALENDAR OF
EVENTS
March
3/24
Academic and Behavioral
Consequences of Visible
Security Measures in
Schools
Emily Tanner-Smith
2:30-4:00
Wyatt 322
April
4/2
Problematic Behavior in
Schools and What to Do
About It
2:00-4:00
Wyatt Rotunda
4/14
Connecting Research and
Practice in Juvenile Justice:
Lessons from Ten States
Gabrielle Chapman and Jill
Robinson
2:30- 4:00
Wyatt 322
LEADERSHIP
Mark Lipsey
Director
Dale Farran
Sr. Associate Director
Sandra Wilson
Associate Director
Conducting scientifically rigorous research on the effectiveness of programs for children and families
The PRIncipal Investigator
Page 2
PRI PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS
PRI is currently conducting over 20 research projects. To see a full list of projects, please
visit our website: http://peabody.vanderbilt.edu/research/pri/index.php
Pre-K ‘best practices’ – MNPS and PRI Collaborative
“We can look across
classrooms for good
models of practice.
Teachers will be able to
talk to each other about
aspects of running a good
classroom.”
- Dale Farran, PI MNPS/PRI Collaborative
The Metropolitan Nashville Public School System (MNPS) is embarking on a mission to
improve the quality of its pre-kindergarten programs. In January 2014, the Tennessean
reported “Every Nashville 4-year-old whose parents covet prekindergarten would have a
seat by 2018 under a plan [by] Metro Director of Schools Jesse Register...Nashville’s
superintendent backs a phased approach to expand prekindergarten locally over the next
three or four years.”
Stemming from MNPS’ own internal evaluation as well as results from the statewide
evaluation of TN-VPK conducted by the Peabody Research Institute, MNPS created three
pre-k “hubs” or model early learning centers that began in the 2014-15 school year. The
goal of these hubs is two-fold: (1) MNPS is partnering with PRI researchers to create a
data-driven change process by which potential markers of classroom quality that are related
to improved child outcomes are identified; and (2) MNPS hopes the data collected through
the partnership will lead to a model that can be disseminated and implemented by all pre-k
teachers district-wide to improve pre-k as a whole.
Data collection on this project began in Fall 2014, with the assessment of 446 students from
27 classrooms. Each classroom is being observed 3 times and children will be assessed
again at the end of the school year. The second round of classroom observations is currently
underway. An innovative system created by Deanna Meador and Kim Nesbitt allows data
from assessments and observations to be used to support goal-planning sessions for the
participating teachers and administrators as they work towards a model program.
Exploring the Predictors of Adverse Youth Outcomes:
Meta-Analysis of Longitudinal Research
Why do certain students exhibit antisocial behavior? What drives some students to
substance abuse? And what is behind student failure in school? Antisocial behavior, school
failure, and substance abuse are complicated and overlapping problems with long-term
consequences. To effectively target programs and interventions, we need to identify and
understand the developmental warning signs of these behaviors. Knowledge of these
warning signs is necessary to identify children in need of services, and to design prevention
programs aimed at addressing these adverse outcomes.
Sandra Jo Wilson, Associate Director of the Peabody Research Institute and Research
Assistant Professor for the Department of Special Education is using advanced metaanalysis techniques, in the “Predictors” project to produce a synthesis of findings from all
available longitudinal studies that report relationships between antecedent variables and
antisocial behavior, school, and substance use outcomes.
VANDERBILT
UNIVERSITY
This project is supported by funding from the Institute for Education Sciences, National
Institute of Mental Health, National Institute on Child Health and Human Development,
National Institute on Drug Abuse, and the William T. Grant Foundation.
The PRIncipal Investigator
Page 3
PRI PUBLICATIONS from 2014
Dickinson, D. K., Hofer, K. G., Barnes, E.M., & Grifenhagen, J.B. Examining Teachers’ Language in Head Start Classrooms from a Systemic
Linguistics Approach. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 3rd Quarter 2014, Vol 29(3), pp 231-244.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2014.02.006
Farran, D.C., & Wilson, S.J. (2014). Achievement and Self-Regulation in Pre-K Classrooms: Effects of the Tools of the Mind Curriculum.
Manuscript submitted for publication. http://129.59.212.34/fmi/webd#PRIProjects_Publications
Fuhs, M. W., Farran, D. C., & Nesbitt, K.T. Longitudinal Associations Between Executive Functioning and Academic Skills Across Content
Areas. Developmental Psychology, June 2014, Vol 50(6), pp1698-1709. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a0036633
Fuhs, M., Farran, D.C., & Nesbitt, K.T. (online, July 28, 2014). Prekindergarten Children’s Executive Function Skills And Achievement Gains:
Comparing Direct Assessments And Teacher Ratings. Journal of Educational Psychology.
Goldback, J. T., Tanner-Smith, E. E., Bagwell, M., & Dunlap, S. Minority Stress and Substance Use in Sexual Minority Adolescents: A MetaAnalysis. Prevention Science, June 2014, Vol 15(3), pp 350-363. http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs11121-013-0393-7
Gordon, R.A., Hofer, K.G., Fujimoto, K., Colwell, N., Kaestner, R., & Korenman, S. Measuring Aspects of Child Care Quality Specific to
Domains of Child Development: An Indicators-Level Analysis of the ECERS-R (Under revision).
Howell, J.C., Lipsey, M.W., & Wilson, J.J. A Handbook for Evidence-Based Juvenile Justice Systems. NY: Lexington, 2014.
Howell, J.C., Lipsey, M.W., Wilson, J.J., & Howell, M.Q. A practical approach to evidence-based juvenile justice systems. Journal of Applied
Juvenile Justice Services, 2014. 1-21.
Lipsey, M.W., Weiland, C., Yoshikawa, H., Wilson, S.J., & Hofer, K.G. The Prekindergarten Age-Cutoff Regression-Discontinuity Design:
Methodological Issues and Implications for Application (In Press). Education Evaluation and Policy Analysis., September 2014.
http://epa.sagepub.com/content/early/2014/09/05/0162373714547266.abstract
Lipsey, M. W. Interventions for Juvenile Offenders: A Serendipitous Journey. Nashville, TN: Vanderbilt University, Peabody Research
Institute. Criminology & Public Policy, February 2014, Vol 13(1), pp 1-14. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1745-9133.12067/abstract
Lipsey, M. W., Nesbitt, K., Farran, D.C., Dong, N., Fuhs, M.W., & Wilson, S. J. (2014). Learning-related Cognitive Self-regulation Measures for
Pre Kindergarten Children with Predictive Validity for Academic Achievement (Working Paper). Nashville, TN: Vanderbilt University,
Peabody Research Institute. http://129.59.212.34/fmi/webd#PRIProjects_Publications
Rubin, M, & Lipsey, M. W. (2014). Teaching & Learning in Urban Schools: 2012-13 Summary Evaluation Report. Nashville, TN: Peabody
Research Institute, Vanderbilt University. http://129.59.212.34/fmi/webd#PRIProjects_Publications
Tanner-Smith, E. E., & Tipton, E. Robust Variance Estimation with Dependent Effect Sizes: Practical Considerations and a Software Tutorial
in Stat and SPSS. Research Synthesis Methods, Vol 5(1), March 2014, pp 13-30. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/jrsm.1091
Tanner-Smith, E. E., Steinka-Fry, J.T., & Lipsey, M.W. The Effects of CenteringPregnancy Group Prenatal Care on Gestational Age, Birth
Weight, and Fetal Demise. Maternal and Child Health Journal, May 2014, Vol 18(4). http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23793483
Tanner-Smith, E.E., & Lipsey, M.W. Identifying baseline covariates for use in propensity scores: A novel approach illustrated for a
nonrandomized study of recovery high schools. Peabody Journal of Education, 2014, 89(2), 183-196. DOI: 10.1080/0161956X.2014.895647
Tanner-Smith, E.E., Wilson, S.J., & Lipsey, M.W. Outpatient treatment options for adolescent substance abuse: A systematic research review
and meta-analysis. Counselor, 2014, April, 70-75.
Tanner-Smith, E.E., Steinka-Fry, K.T., Hennessy, E.A., Lipsey, M.W., & Winters, K.C. Can brief alcohol interventions for youth also address
concurrent illicit drug use? Results from a meta-analysis. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, in press.
Tanner-Smith, E.E., Lipsey, M.W., & Durlak, J.A. Meta-analysis: Potentials and limitations for synthesizing research in community
psychology. Handbook of Community Psychology, Washington, DC: American Psychological Association, in press.
Tanner-Smith, E.E., Steinka-Fry, K.T., & Mark W. Lipsey. Effects of Centering Pregnancy group prenatal care on breastfeeding outcomes. Journal
of Midwifery & Women's Health, in press.
Wilson, S.J., & Tanner-Smith, E. E. (2014). Meta-analysis in Prevention Science. Chapter in Advances in Prevention Science: Defining Prevention
Science, 20 Feb 2014, pp 431-452, Springer. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-7424-2_19
Dickinson, D. K., Hofer, K. G., Barnes, E.M., & Grifenhagen, J.B. (2014, July). Examining Preschool Classrooms for Evidence of Academic
Language Registers. Symposium conducted at the Annual Conference of the Society for the Scientific Study of Reading, Santa FE, NM
The PRIncipal Investigator
Page 4
PRI CONFERENCE PAPERS from 2014
Farran, D.C., Hofer, K., Lipsey, M.W., & Bilbrey, C. (2014, November). Sustained Effects of a Public Prekindergarten Program on Achievement
and Behavior: Follow-up of a Randomized Field Experiment in Tennessee. Symposium conducted at the Annual Conference of the Association
for Public Policy & Management, Albuquerque, NM.
Farran, D.C., Lipsey, M., Hofer, K., & Dong, N., & Bilbrey, C. (2014, April). Going to Scale: Immediate and Long-term Effects of a Randomized
Control Trial of a State-Pre-K. Symposium conducted at the Annual Conference of the American Education Research Association, Philadelphia, PA.
Farran, D.C., Hofer, K., & Lipsey, M.W. (2014, March). Variations in the Quality of TN-VPK Classrooms: Replications of the Effects of
Prekindergarten Education When Taken to Scale at a State Level. Symposium conducted at the Spring Conference of the Society for Research on
Educational Effectiveness, Washington, DC. http://129.59.212.34/fmi/webd#PRIProjects_Publications
Farran, D.C. Wilson, S. J., & Lipsey, M. W. (2014, March). Exploring Variability in Treatment Effects: Preliminary Results. Presentation at the
Society for Research on Adolescence Biennial Meeting, Austin, TX. http://129.59.212.34/fmi/webd#PRIProjects_Publications
Gordon, R.A., & Hofer, K.G. (2014, April). Assuring Quality Preschool: Where Are We and Where do We Need To Go? Symposium conducted
at the Annual Conference of the American Education Research Association, Philadelphia, PA.
Hofer, K.G., Gordon, R.A., Lambouths, D., & Rowe, H.L. (2014, March). Does ECERS Preschool Quality Predict Children’s Cognitive Growth:
Meta-analysis of a Dozen Datasets. Symposium conducted at the Spring Conference of the Society for Research on Education Effectiveness,
Washington, DC.
Hofer, K.G., Lipsey, M.W., Farran, D.C., & Bilbrey, C. (2014, March). Variation in Mean Academic Gains Across Classrooms in the Tennessee
Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten Program. Symposium conducted at the Spring Conference of the Society for Research on Education Effectiveness,
Washington, DC.
Lipsey, M.W. (2014, November). SPEP Update: Insights from the Field and Next Steps. Pennsylvania Conference on Juvenile Justice, Harrisburg
PA.
Lipsey, M.W. (2014, October). Evidence-Based Practice to Meet the Juvenile Justice Challenge. Nebraska Community Aid and Juvenile Justice
Conference, Lincoln NE.
Lipsey, M.W. (2014, May). Evidence-Based Programs and Practices for Juvenile Justice Systems. Second Chances and Safer Communities
Conference, National Harbor MD.
Lipsey, M.W. (2014, May). Evidence-Based Programs and Practices: Examples from Juvenile Justice. Symposium: Programs, Practices, and
Beyond: Guiding Implementation Scientifically. Society for Prevention Research, Washington DC.
Lipsey, M.W., Hofer, K.G., Farran, D.C., Dong, N., & Bilbrey, C. (2014, March). Immediate and Longitudinal Effects of the Tennessee Voluntary
Pre-K Program on Student Cognitive and Non-Cognitive Outcomes. Society for Research on Educational Effectiveness, Washington DC.
Dong, N. & Lipsey, M.W. (2014, March). Empirical Benchmarks of Hidden Bias in Educational Research: Implication for Assessing How Well
Propensity Score Methods Approximate Experiments and Conducting Sensitivity Analysis. Society for Research on Educational Effectiveness,
Washington DC.
Nesbitt, K.T., & Farran, D.C. (2014, April). Identifying Aspects of Pre-K Classrooms that Benefit Achievement through Grade 1: Implications
for Policy and Practice. Poster presented at the Strengthening Connections Among Child and Family Research, Policy and Practice themed meeting
for the Society for Research on Child Development, Alexandria, VA.
Springer, M.G., Swain, W.A., Hofer, K.G. (2014, November). Persistence of Pre-K Effects and Early Grade Teacher Quality: Evidence from the
Tennessee-Voluntary Pre-K Experiment. Symposium conducted at the Annual Conference of the Association for Public Policy & Management,
Albuquerque, NM.
Yun, C., Farran, D.C., Lipsey, M.W., Hofer, K.G., & Bilbrey, C. (2014, April). Pre-Kindergarten Teachers’ School Readiness Beliefs, Classroom
Practices, and Moderating Contextual Considerations. Symposium conducted at the Annual Conference of the American Education Research
Association, Philadelphia, PA.
Wilson, S. J. (2014, March). School Readiness and Later Achievement: Results from a Meta-analysis of Longitudinal Studies. Presentation at the
SREE Spring Conference, Washington, DC. http://129.59.212.34/fmi/webd#PRIProjects_Publications
The PRIncipal Investigator
Page 5
WORKING AT PRI
COMMUNITY CORNER
Interested in becoming a part of
Kroger Plus Card Program
the PRI team?
We frequently have part-time coding
positions on our meta-analysis projects as
well as assessor/observer positions on our
field-based studies.
Visit our current openings page for more
information:
http://peabody.vanderbilt.edu/research/pri/c
urrent_openings.php
Did you know that when using your Kroger Plus
card at area stores, a percentage of your total
purchase can benefit Vanderbilt’s Faculty and
Staff Hardship Fund? Register your Kroger Plus
card online, and then swipe it when you check
out.
For more information, click here:
http://www.vanderbilt.edu/usac/initiatives/kro
ger-rewards.php
ONLINE VIDEO LIBRARY
Visit our video library: http://peabody.vanderbilt.edu/research/pri/videos.php
RECENT NEWS
•
•
•
•
•
Tennessee was awarded a $70M Pre-K Expansion Grant and PRI will conduct the
evaluation component.
PRI’s Dale Farran received the Antonio M. and Anita S. Gotto Endowed Chair in Teaching
and Learning.
PRI certified its first-ever group of Juvenile Justice SPEP trainers in PA.
PRI staff members traveled to Portugal to train a group of researchers on classroom
observation measures for an upcoming trans-cultural research project on participation and
quality in inclusive preschool settings.
PRI’s Emily Tanner- Smith was awarded the American Sociological Society’s Junior Scholar
Award.
For more information visit our News Feed:
http://peabody.vanderbilt.edu/research/pri/news.php
Wyatt Center
1930 South Drive, 4th Floor
Nashville, TN 37212-5721
Phone: 615.322.8540
Fax: 615.322.0293