Anne H. Cash

Coaching Classroom-Based Preventive Interventions

The high prevalence of student behavioral and mental health challenges points to schools as a critical context for prevention and service delivery (Hoagwood et al., 2007). There is a growing recognition of the importance of teachers in the implementation of school-based programs that benefit the social-emotional and behavioral outcomes of students. Despite the growing evidence base for the efficacy of preventive interventions (for reviews, see Durlak, Weissberg, Dymnicki, Taylor, & Schellinger, 2011; Hoagwood & Burns, 2005; O’Connell, Boat, & Warner, 2009; Wilson & Lipsey, 2007), the implementation of these interventions is often lacking (Gottfredson, Jones, & Gore, 2002) and likely requires ongoing, interactive professional development that allows teachers to reflect on their practice and provides support to teachers to them for high-quality implementation (Darling-Hammond, 2009).

Observations of Student Behavior in Nonclassroom Settings: A Multilevel Examination of Location, Density, and School Context.

Observational methods are increasingly used to assess the impact of school-based interventions. Yet, few studies have used observations in nonclassroom settings, such as hallways or the cafeteria, or explored aspects of the school context that may be related to the observed behavior. The current study used a multilevel approach to examine associations between observed rule violations and contextual predictors, including characteristics of observations (e.g., location and number of students present) and schools (e.g., perceived management, discipline referrals). Analyses were conducted on data from 37 elementary schools. Within schools, rates of physical and verbal violations varied by location and significantly higher rates of rule violations were observed in areas with high student density. Between schools, only a negative association for observed verbal violations and staff perceptions of the status of nonclassroom management systems was significant. The significance and relevance of these findings for both educators and applied researchers are discussed.

The Role of Scheduling in Observing Teacher–Child Interactions

Abstract. Observational assessment is being used on a large scale to evaluate the quality of interactions between teachers and children in classroom environments. When one performs observations at scale, features of the protocol such as the scheduling of observations can potentially influence observed scores. In this study interactions were observed for 88 teachers across 814 videos. The associations between observed scores using the Classroom Assessment Scoring System and characteristics of the protocol, specifically the day of the week, month of the year, and duration of an observation cycle in minutes, were examined through multilevel modeling. Preliminary evidence indicates few significant associations. The quality of instructional support interactions peaked in the months of December and January, and the quality of classroom organization peaked in February through April. Observation cycles that were shorter in duration were rated more positively regarding classroom organization. Future opportunities ...

Assessing the Association Between Observed School Disorganization and School Violence: Implications for School Climate Interventions

Objective: This study explored how observed features of the school physical and social environment relate to students’ perceptions of school climate and how these in turn were associated with students’ involvement in violence. Method: Observational assessments were conducted of the environments (i.e., disorder, illumination, adult monitoring, proactive behavioral management, and negative student behaviors) of 58 high schools using a validated assessment (the School Assessment for Environmental Typology). Student perceptions of school climate (i.e., delinquency, rules and consequences, and physical comfort) as well as their perpetration of violence were collected from 28,592 adolescents in these same schools in the corresponding Spring. Multilevel structural equation models were used to test for indirect effects. Results: A good fit was found for all models. No direct effects of environmental observations on violence involvement were identified. However, significant indirect effects on violence were found, specifically for illumination through perceptions of disorder (estimate = −.01, p = .05), illumination through perceptions of rules and consequences (estimate = −.01, p = .03), and negative student behaviors through perceptions of rules and consequences (estimate = −.01, p = .01). Conclusion: Changes to the school environment may be associated with reduced violence involvement, but only insofar as they alter student perceptions of the environment.

Teacher Engagement in Core Components of an Effective, Early Childhood Professional Development Course: Links to Changes in Teacher-Child Interactions.

ABSTRACT This study built on prior research regarding the effectiveness of the National Center for Research in Early Childhood Education (NCRECE) course by exploring the individual course components. Core aspects of course engagement and performance were described and examined in relation to improvements in the observed quality of teacher–child interactions. Teacher characteristics were also examined as predictors of course engagement and performance. A sample of 150 preschool teachers participated in a semester-long, credit-bearing, college course designed to improve the quality of their emotional, organizational, and instructional interactions with children. Teachers’ participation and performance in the course were high on average. Teachers’ skill level in accurately and specifically explaining other teachers’ instances of effective teacher–child interactions was related to improvements in their own observed teacher–child interactions. Finally, teachers with an early childhood major and those endorsing child-centered beliefs displayed better skills in detecting other teachers’ high-quality interactions with children. Results are discussed in relation to designing more effective early childhood professional development programs.

Adult and student interactions in nonclassroom settings.

As students transition into adolescence they are often permitted greater independence in nonclassroom settings within schools and thus the opportunities for problem behaviors increase. However, nonclassroom settings can also provide an opportunity for students and school staff to engage in informal yet positive interactions. This paper aimed to identify potential predictors of observed student behaviors in nonclassroom settings in high schools, such as characteristics of the settings (e.g., location) and observed adult behaviors. Hierarchical analyses were conducted on observational data (N = 917) collected in nonclassroom settings (i.e., arrival/departure, hallway/stairway, and cafeteria) in 58 high schools. Fewer negative student behaviors and increased positive student behaviors were observed when adults actively connected with students. Furthermore, the frequency of negative student behaviors varied by location, time of year, and time of day. This study contributes to prior literature through the focus on nonclassroom settings, examination of adult as well as student behavior, and the use of observational methodology in high schools. Implications for schools seeking to reduce problem behaviors and improve school climate in nonclassroom settings are discussed.