Kevin S. Sutherland

The Effect of Varying Rates of Opportunities to Respond to Academic Requests on the Classroom Behavior of Students with EBD

This study examines the effect of an increased rate of opportunities to actively respond to academic requests on the classroom behavior of students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD). Nine elementary school students with EBD served as participants. Results suggest that increases in opportunities to respond were associated with increased correct responses and task engagement and decreased disruptive behavior. Implications for research and practice, as well as limitations of the present study, are discussed.

Exploring the Relationship Between Increased Opportunities to Respond to Academic Requests and the Academic and Behavioral Outcomes of Students with EBD: A Review

The purpose of this article is to review the literature and examine the effect of increased opportunities to respond to academic requests (OTR) on academic and behavioral outcomes of students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD). The studies reviewed suggest that increased rates of OTR result in higher task engagement and academic achievement and in lower rates of inappropriate classroom behaviors. However, descriptive research in classrooms for students with EBD suggests that teachers rarely provide adequate OTR. Implications of these findings and future research needs are discussed.

Examining the Influence of Teacher Behavior and Classroom Context on the Behavioral and Academic Outcomes for Students With Emotional or Behavioral Disorders

Many students with emotional or behavioral disorders (EBD) display both learning and behavioral problems that make it difficult for teachers to provide effective instruction. In turn, a lack of exposure to effective instruction contributes to poor academic and behavioral outcomes. In this article, the authors argue that the interaction between the learning and behavior problems of students with EBD is complex and likely characterized by multiple influences, including classroom contextual factors. The authors detail (a) ways that teacher instructional behaviors and classroom contexts may contribute to the relationship between learning and behavior problems of students with EBD and (b) assessment procedures helpful for measuring classroom contextual variables. Implications for future research are discussed, including using data gleaned from applied research to inform future randomized clinical trials examining classroom-based interventions for students with EBD.

Examination of the Relationship Between Teacher Praise and Opportunities for Students with EBD to Respond to Academic Requests

Providing students with opportunities to respond to academic requests (OTR) and praise have been identified as effective teaching practices. Because academic difficulty is a primary characteristic of students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD), receiving adequate OTR and praise are crucial for ameliorating their academic deficits. Although a relationship between rates of OTR and teacher praise has been suggested, the nature of this relationship is largely unknown.The purpose of this article was to investigate this relationship through an examination of the significance and magnitude of the relation between teacher praise and OTR in classrooms for students with EBD using time-window sequential analysis. Results suggested that (a) a summary-level relationship represented by a significant positive correlation and (b) a significant sequential association existed between teacher praise and OTR. Implications for future research and study limitations are discussed.

Promoting Positive Interactions Between Teachers and Students With Emotional/Behavioral Disorders

T students with emotionalhehavioral disorders (EBD), are increasingly faced with challenges regarding the instruction and management of their students. Although teachers have at their disposal an endless list of interventions to address students’ academic and behavioral needs, these interventions often lack empirical support; furthermore, methods that are rooted in sound empiricism may lack effectiveness due to improper application

Learned Helplessness and Students with Emotional or Behavioral Disorders: Deprivation in the Classroom.

Students with emotional or behavioral disorders (E/BD) are characterized by academic deficits and classroom behavioral problems. The relationship between problem behavior and academic difficulties is complex, and some researchers have hypothesized that the classroom behavior problems of students with E/BD are responses to aversive stimuli, namely ineffective academic instruction and/or difficult tasks. The authors suggest that learned helplessness might further explain some of the academic and behavioral deficits that characterize students with E/BD. In this article, the authors review the negative reinforcement cycle posited by Gunter and colleagues, discuss learned helplessness as it relates to the academic and social deficits of students with E/BD, review relevant research, and discuss implications for practice and research.

Early Childhood Teachers' Use of Effective Instructional Practices and the Collateral Effects on Young Children's Behavior.

This investigation examined the effects of a classroom-based intervention, Behavioral, Emotional, and Social Training: Competent Learners Achieving School Success (BEST in CLASS), on teacher behaviors and child outcomes in early childhood classrooms. First, we examined the effects of professional development training and practice-based coaching (including performance feedback) on teachers’ implementation and maintenance of the BEST in CLASS model practices. Next, we examined the effects of teachers’ implementation of these practices on young children’s engagement and problem behaviors. Using a descriptive nonexperimental design, 10 teachers and 19 children received the intervention. Findings indicated that teachers’ use of the BEST in CLASS practices including rules, precorrection, opportunities to respond, behavior-specific praise, and instructive and corrective feedback increased from baseline to completion of the intervention and these increases maintained. In addition, children’s engagement increased while their problem behaviors decreased. Although these results are promising, the current investigation has limitations and the results should be viewed with caution.

Improving Interactions Between Teachers and Young Children with Problem Behavior: A Strengths-Based Approach

Young children who exhibit problem behavior are at-risk for a host of negative developmental outcomes. Early intervention at multiple ecological levels is crucial to interrupt what can be a detrimental transactional cycle between children and their caregivers, including their teachers. In this article we promote a strengths-based approach to improving teacher-child interactions, which may serve as a protective factor for children with early-onset problem behavior in early childhood classrooms. Specifically, we describe how increases in targeted teacher behaviors can foster the desirable behavior of young children by capitalizing on skills the children already possess while enhancing those skills necessary for social competence and pre-academic success.

Measuring Teacher Implementation of the BEST in CLASS Intervention Program and Corollary Child Outcomes

This study is part of a larger randomized efficacy trial examining the impact of Behavioral, Emotional, and Social Training: Competent Learners Achieving School Success (BEST in CLASS), a Tier 2 intervention that targets the prevention of emotional/behavioral disorders in young, high risk children. In this investigation, we examined teachers’ implementation and maintenance of instructional practices in early childhood classrooms and the corollary relationships between teacher implementation of the specific instructional practices associated with BEST in CLASS and child engagement and problem behaviors. Fifty-three teachers (26 in treatment and 27 in comparison) and 130 preschool-aged children (66 in treatment and 64 in comparison) participated. Findings indicated that teachers’ who received training and coaching in the BEST in CLASS intervention increased their use of specific instructional practices in comparison with teachers in the control condition. In addition, children whose teachers’ received the BEST in CLASS intervention demonstrated increased engagement and a decrease in problem behaviors in comparison with those children who were in the control group. Positive teacher–child interactions increased and negative teacher–child interactions decreased in the intervention group in comparison with the control group. Results are discussed in relation to measuring teachers’ implementation of instructional practices and implementation science.

Measuring Implementation of Evidence-Based Programs Targeting Young Children at Risk for Emotional/Behavioral Disorders: Conceptual Issues and Recommendations

Young children with and at risk for emotional/behavioral disorders (EBD) present challenges for early childhood teachers. Evidence-based programs designed to address these young children’s behavior problems exist, but there are a number of barriers to implementing these programs in early childhood settings. Advancing the science of treatment integrity measurement can assist researchers and consumers interested in implementing evidence-based programs in early childhood classrooms. To provide guidance for researchers interested in assessing the integrity of implementation efforts, we describe a conceptual model of implementation of evidence-based programs designed to prevent EBD when applied in early childhood settings. Next, we describe steps that can be used to develop treatment integrity measures. Last, we discuss factors to consider when developing treatment integrity measures with specific emphasis on psychometrically strong measures that have maximum utility for implementation research in early childhood classrooms.