Corey D. Pierce

Teacher-Mediated Interventions for Children with EBD and Their Academic Outcomes A Review

This review examined the effectiveness of teacher-mediated interventions with respect to the academic functioning of students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD). Thirty studies using a variety of teacher-mediated interventions met the criteria for inclusion in this review. Findings from these studies indicate teacher-mediated interventions are successful across academic subject areas. However, the participant characteristics were defined poorly, and the settings used within these studies did not accurately reflect the current EBD populations actual classroom placement. Finally, a lack of programmatic research on teacher-mediated interventions has made it difficult, if not impossible, to generalize the outcomes of these studies to broader populations of students with EBD.

Emotional and Behavioral Screener: Test–Retest Reliability, Inter-Rater Reliability, and Convergent Validity

The Emotional and Behavioral Screener (EBS) is a universal screening instrument designed to identify students whose excessive problem behaviors put them at risk of the education disability category of emotional disturbance (ED). This article reports findings from three studies that address the reliability and validity of the EBS. Studies 1 and 2 examined the test–retest and inter-rater reliability of the EBS. Study 3 investigated the convergent validity of the EBS by comparing it to the Behavioral and Emotional Screening System. The results from these studies support the reliability and validity of the EBS as a universal screening instrument for identifying students who may be at risk of ED or those who may require a greater degree of monitoring, decision-making, formal assessment, or intervention to restore normal behavior functioning and prevent identification as ED. Implications, research limitations, and future research needs are discussed.

Let's Read Together: Tools for Early Literacy Development for All Young Children.

paragraphs. Samuel tries to read to his son every night, but his work schedule and limited literacy skills often interfere. Dex attends a prekindergarten program in his local public school. Ms. Wang, his teacher, notes that Dex displays an interest in print but is able to identify only a few letters by name and even fewer by their corresponding sound. Ms. Wang incorporates a variety NFW4 ~hV&dquo;

Latent Structure of Scores From the Emotional and Behavioral Screener

The Emotional and Behavioral Screener (EBS) is a recently developed teacher-reported brief screening instrument for identifying students who are at-risk of an emotional or behavioral disorder (EBD). Although prior research supports the technical adequacy of scores from the EBS, there is a gap in the literature regarding strong evidence of the factor structure underlying EBS scores. This study investigated the latent structure of scores from the EBS in a sample of 646 elementary students who were rated by their teachers in a 2-week screening period. Single-factor confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and bifactor models were used to test the hypothesis that EBS scores are a measure of both overall emotional and behavioral risk and students’ externalizing and internalizing behaviors. Results supported a bifactor structure, in that scores from the EBS can be considered to represent a general factor (i.e., risk of EBD) and two group factors (i.e., externalizing and internalizing domains). Findings have implications for interpreting scores when using the EBS as a universal screener for the risk of EBD.

Response to Intervention and Students Who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing

Abstract Students who are deaf or hard of hearing are increasingly being educated in regular education classrooms along with their typical hearing peers. Establishing educational environments that address their unique needs is essential for their success. Response to intervention (RtI), as it is being implemented in the United States, provides a framework for educators to use to identify students who need supplemental instruction; a problem-solving process to guide data-based decision making; and a way to monitor how successful specific interventions are working for individual students in need of assistance. When properly implemented, RtI provides a dataset that allows educators to respond to students’ learning needs earlier, and to make immediate tier-model instructional changes while monitoring students’ growth to ensure that students meet their goals. When students do not make sufficient progress, RtI requires a change in instruction to increase students’ growth rate. Doing so helps professionals better meet the needs of all students, including those who are deaf or hard of hearing, and improve overall academic performance. The purpose of this study is to provide an overview of RtI, discuss potential benefits and challenges of using an RtI framework, and to advocate for increasing the use of this model with students who are deaf or hard of hearing.

Applied Examples of Screening Students At Risk of Emotional and Behavioral Disabilities

Early identification of student behavioral needs allows educators the opportunity to apply appropriate interventions before negative behaviors become more intensive and persistent. A variety of screening tools are available to identify which students are at risk for persistent behavior problems in school. This article provides two examples in which the Emotional and Behavioral Screener (EBS) was used to identify students at risk of emotional or behavioral problems. Example 1 demonstrates how the EBS can be used within a schoolwide positive behavioral interventions and supports framework to inform decision making. Example 2 demonstrates how the EBS can be used to inform behavioral intervention decisions in an individual teacher’s classroom. Finally, suggestions for using the EBS across various school formats are provided.

Easy as A-B-C: Data-Based Guidelines for Implementing a Multitiered System of Supports Into Rural Schools

The challenges of working within rural schools can impact successful implementation of a multitiered system of supports (MTSS). Although special education and general education teachers’ responsibilities within a MTSS framework have been addressed through a myriad of school districts across the nation, rural districts face unique challenges that can impact successful MTSS implementation. Some of these rural challenges include, but are not limited to, teacher preparation and training, recruitment and retention, limited flexibility of teacher time, and inadequate access to material and space resources. This article addresses critical issues related to successful rural implementation of a MTSS, including the presentation of three data-based strategies rural districts can employ, referred to as the rural A-B-C’s: (a) approach academic and behavior instruction simultaneously, (b) be creative with data opportunities, and (c) collaborate with purpose. Case study application and tables are provided for ease of implementation.