Predicting Intervention Effectiveness from Oral Reading Accuracy and Rate Measures through the Learning Hierarchy/Instructional Hierarchy

The current study used the Learning Hierarchy/Instructional Hierarchy (LH/IH) to predict intervention effectiveness based on the reading skills of students who are developing reading fluency. Pre-intervention reading accuracy and rate were assessed for 49 second and third grade participants who then participated in a brief experimental analysis (BEA) to determine whether each participant responded best to an acquisition or a proficiency intervention package. Analyses indicate significant baseline differences between students who responded to each intervention package. Moreover, accuracy and rate have a positive correlation with proficiency intervention effectiveness and a negative correlation with acquisition intervention effectiveness. Predictive models and potential accuracy and rate cut scores for making intervention decisions were also investigated.