Gina M. Kunz

Evaluation of the Multiple-Stimulus without Replacement Preference Assessment Method Using Activities as Stimuli.

The current study examined the accuracy of the multiple-stimulus without replacement (MSWO) preference assessment for identifying preferred common classroom activities as reinforcers with children with behavioral disorders. The accuracy of predictions from the MSWO regarding high, medium, and low stimulus preference was tested by providing contingent access to activities for completing math problems within an independent seatwork format. Overall, there was an interaction effect between preference ranking (high, medium, or low) and number of problems completed. The results confirm and extend previous findings regarding the accuracy of predictions with the MSWO. The findings also reveal, however, some individual differences that may account for instances in which student behavior did not conform to predictions of stimulus preference assessments.

A randomized trial examining the effects of Conjoint Behavioral Consultation in rural schools: Student outcomes and the mediating role of the teacher–parent relationship

The results of a large-scale randomized controlled trial of Conjoint Behavioral Consultation (CBC) on student outcomes and teacher-parent relationships in rural schools are presented. CBC is an indirect service delivery model that addresses concerns shared by teachers and parents about students. In the present study, the intervention was aimed at promoting positive school-related social-behavioral skills and strengthening teacher-parent relationships in rural schools. Participants were 267 students in grades K-3, their parents, and 152 teachers in 45 Midwest rural schools. Results revealed that, on average, improvement among students whose parents and teachers experienced CBC significantly outpaced that of control students in their teacher-reported school problems and observational measures of their inappropriate (off-task and motor activity) and appropriate (on-task and social interactions) classroom behavior. In addition, teacher responses indicated significantly different rates of improvement in their relationship with parents in favor of the CBC group. Finally, the teacher-parent relationship was found to partially mediate effects of CBC on several student outcomes. Unique contributions of this study, implications of findings for rural students, study limitations and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Using Targeting Outcomes of Programs as a Framework to Target Photographic Events in Nonformal Educational Programs

Targeting Outcomes of Programs (TOP) is a seven-step hierarchical programming model in which the program development and performance sides are mirror images of each other. It served as a framework to identify a simple method for targeting photographic events in nonformal education programs, indicating why, when, and how photographs would be useful to inform other evaluation strategies. In two case studies, photographs enhanced the formative story of a geoscience project being developed and tested, and contributed to the outcome narrative of a 10-year partnership project between two universities. In both cases, TOP proved to be an efficient and easy-to-use framework. Using TOP in this fashion has the potential to help evaluators address challenges posed by the subjectivity of photography and possible biases of the photographer in the research process.

Rural Teacher Practices and Partnerships to Address Behavioral Challenges: The Efficacy and Mechanisms of Conjoint Behavioral Consultation

The efficacy of conjoint behavioral consultation (CBC), a family-school partnership intervention, for teachers’ practices and process skills was evaluated. Participants were 152 teachers of grades K–3 in 45 Midwest rural schools randomly assigned to treatment or control conditions. Treatment group teachers participated in an 8- to 10-week CBC intervention. Outcome measures were (a) self-reports of classroom practices and collaborative process skills and (b) direct observations of teachers’ use of effective behavioral strategies. Relative to control group participants, there was a significant positive intervention effect on CBC teachers’ self-report of appropriate behavioral strategies (β = .47, p < .001), observations of their use of positive attention (β = .50, p < .001) and positive consequences (β = .72, p < .001), and competence in addressing problems (β = .95, p < .001). Teachers’ appropriate strategy use was mediated by their use of problem-solving processes. Implications for rural settings are discussed.

Partnership-Based Approaches in Rural Education Research

This chapter represents multiple perspectives of collaboration suggested by conference participants of the Connect-Inform-Advance: 2013 Conference on Rural Education Research (C-I-A), sponsored by the National Center for Research on Rural Education at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Conference participants endorsed effective partnership-based approaches in rural education research including multiple perspectives of rural education research, practice, policy and community. The consensus from C-I-A conference participants was that partnership-based approaches provide a unique and valuable approach to conducting the complete cycle of rural education research (e.g., development, conduction and dissemination). Participant-authors of this chapter represent key stakeholder groups identified by conference participants of rural education research, practice, policy and community. A primary data source included participant-authors’ shared experiences in rural education research, perspectives on developing, maintaining partnerships, and suggestions for future directions. Another source comes from findings related to multiple perspective partnerships in rural educational research emerging from a qualitative analysis of participant responses in the roundtable discussions conducted during the C-I-A conference (findings presented in Chapter “ Multidisciplinary Perspectives to Advance Rural Education Research” of this book). A third source is literature relevant to partnership-based approaches to rural education research. Participant-authors’ perspectives, conference participants’ consensus and relevant literature were triangulated in identifying the themes presented in this chapter.

Multidisciplinary Perspectives to Advance Rural Education Research

This chapter focuses on perspectives and recommendations of rural education researchers, practitioners, and policy makers about the critical role of research in rural education, the current condition of rural education research, and future directions. These perspectives were obtained from focused discussions of participants attending Connect-Inform-Advance, a National Conference on Rural Education Research held in April 2013 and sponsored by the National Center for Research on Rural Education. In order to capture the depth of these discussions, extensive notes were taken and analyzed qualitatively to glean insight into key considerations for future rural education research agendas. Results from the analysis resulted in four major themes: (a) defining and accounting for the rural context and culture, (b) identifying rural influences on student outcomes, (c) engaging in interdisciplinary and multidirectional research partnerships, and (d) disseminating rural research results and determining future targets.

The Effectiveness of E‐Coaching in Rural Science Classrooms

The Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families and Schools, with funding from the U.S. Department of Education through the National Center for Research on Rural Education conducted a randomized controlled trial with 119 rural middle and high school science teachers across 109 schools in Nebraska and Iowa to investigate the effects of technology-delivered instructional coaching (e-coaching) focused on guided scientific inquiry. CSI: Coaching Science Inquiry in Rural Schools examined the impact of professional development, consisting of a summer face-to-face institute and e-coaching during the following school year (treatment) versus no CSI-delivered professional development (control) on teacher classroom practice and student inquiry skills. The coaching was grounded in teachers’ day-to-day instruction and addressed their unique instructional needs. Use of low-cost technology also allowed rural teachers ongoing access to coaching in their home or school, without the need for teachers or coaches to travel. Project technology included video capture of classroom instruction using GoPro cameras, cloud computing to share large video files, and real-time videoconferencing to connect teachers with coaches located at the University of Nebraska—Lincoln. The chapter describes the technology utilized as well as research and evaluation findings.

Family-school partnerships in rural communities: Benefits, exemplars, and future research

Research has established that families significantly influence students’ development, with parental engagement positively predicting academic and social-behavioral adjustment. When families and schools partner in students’ education, positive benefits for the students as well as their families and teachers are realized. Although rural schools are uniquely positioned to foster and benefit from family-school partnerships, limited resources, logistical barriers and lack of familiarity challenge the development of effective partnerships in rural settings. This chapter will examine Teachers and Parents as Partners (TAPP), a structured, indirect intervention that focuses both on promoting students’ social-behavior and academic success and strengthening family-school partnerships. Research on TAPP has documented its positive effects on students’ behavioral, academic and social-emotional functioning across home and school settings; this chapter will outline its efficacy and utility in rural settings. Authors will review results from a four-year randomized controlled trial investigating the effects of TAPP in rural schools and provide suggestions for future research considerations of family-school partnerships in the rural context.