UC Riverside

Fluency is a crucial literacy skill whose mastery facilitates the acquisition of higher order readings skills such as comprehension. It can be improved through practiced-based instructional methods like repeated reading. Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies (PALS) is an intervention that utilizes repeated reading with partners to maximize practice and deliver corrective feedback to students. Although teachers understand the necessity of differentiated instruction, few have the time for proper implementation. Paraeducators are an extent resource that can be used as means to provide practiced-based interventions if given adequate training. Performance feedback is the best strategy for improving treatment integrity, and it can be improved further with the addition of negative reinforcement. The current study combines components of a multiple treatments and ABCBC single-case designs to investigate the effect performance feedback with negative reinforcement (PF + SR-) will have on treatment integrity, when compared against performance feedback alone (PF) with respect to paraeducator implementation of PALS. Progress monitoring was used to analyze the effect paraeducator implementation of PALS had on reading outcomes. Results indicate that PF + SR- maximized treatment integrity and that when a paraeducator is give adequate training on a practice-based intervention, they can implement it with enough fidelity to produce positive student outcomes.