Hypothesis Validation
The process of reviewing diagnostic information to determine whether the evidence supports the hypothesis.
What is Hypothesis Validation?
Hypothesis validation is the process of reviewing diagnostic information to determine whether the evidence supports the team's explanation for the student's performance gap. Based on the evidence, the team either confirms the hypothesis, revises it, or gathers additional information before designing an intervention.
A strong hypothesis review should:
- Compare the diagnostic information to the team's hypothesis.
- Determine whether the evidence supports the proposed explanation.
- Decide whether to validate the hypothesis, revise it, or gather additional information.
Remember: A validated hypothesis is supported by evidence—not assumptions. If the available information does not clearly support the hypothesis, continue gathering information before designing an intervention.
Example
Review the Evidence
The diagnostic information shows that Emma's phonics skills are generally secure, but she requires additional time to recognize words automatically. The evidence is consistent across multiple sources and supports the team's original explanation.
Validated Hypothesis
The evidence supports the team's hypothesis. Emma's reading fluency difficulty is primarily related to limited automatic word recognition rather than weaknesses in phonics knowledge.