Melissa Stormont

Classroom-Level Positive Behavior Supports in Schools Implementing SW-PBIS: Identifying Areas for Enhancement.

This study evaluated the use of classroom-level behavior management strategies that align with School-Wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (SW-PBIS). Direct observations of universal classroom management strategies were conducted across 33 elementary classrooms in elementary schools implementing SW-PBIS with high fidelity. Findings indicate that classrooms had posted positively stated classroom rules at high rates, whereas teacher use of specific praise and the ratio of positive to negative interactions were less than optimal. Furthermore, classroom teachers with higher rates of general praise were found to report being more efficacious with regard to classroom management. In turn, teachers in classrooms with higher rates of disruptive behavior reported feeling less efficacious. In addition, teachers with lower rates of positive to negative interaction, who used higher rates of harsh reprimands and had higher rates of disruptions, reported higher levels of emotional exhaustion. Implications for developing supports to assist teachers struggling with universal classroom management strategies are described.

Positive Behavior Support Systems: Applying Key Features in Preschool Settings:

tions that were adopted by one preschool after they began using systems of positive behavior support (PBS). In order to support early intervention and prevention efforts, many professionals are working to establish systems of positive behavior support earlier, before children enter elementary school settings. This article presents the differences between PBS at the preschool level and at the elementary school level and also discusses how to implement features of PBS in preschool programs. Early childhood professionals need to be prepared to support the development of appropriate social behavior in young children. Research has clearly shown the developmental path of children who enter elementary school with relatively stable externalizing behavior patterns (e.g., Walker, Ramsey, & Gresham, 2003; Webster-Stratton, 1997). That is, children with early behavior problems are at risk for peer rejection, teacher rejection, limited opportunities for learning appropriate behavior in school, and continued problems in these areas as they get older (Kauffman, 2001; Stormont, 2001; Walker et al.). Many contributing factors—including common school discipline practices that exacerbate and perpetuate negative behavior patterns—can contribute to the stability of problem behavior in children (Kauffman; Lewis & Sugai, 1999; Mayer, 1995; Skiba & Peterson, 2000). This finding is especially pertinent for early childhood and primary grade teachers, since research suggests the existence of a window of opportunity for affecting these behavior patterns to reduce the likelihood that they become chronic across the children’s school experience. Research indicates that at-risk children who have not learned more adaptive behavior patterns by the end of the third grade are highly unlikely to ever be successful if continuing and comprehensive external supports are absent (Walker et al.). The research on children who enter school with problem behavior demonstrates poor outcomes for children who develop antisocial behavior patterns and indicates that the previous reactionary and punishment-oriented school approaches have negative effects. Fortunately, school professionals now recognize the need for proactive, supportive interventions that promote appropriate behavior in all students (Lewis & Sugai, 1999; OSEP Technical Assistance Center, 2003; Sugai & Horner, 2001). Schools across the United States are implementing schoolwide systems of PBS. The main purposes of implementing systems of schoolwide PBS are to “define, teach, and support appropriate behaviors in a way that establishes a culture of competence within schools” (OSEP Technical Assistance Center, 2003, p. 1). Accordingly, the key features of schoolwide PBS are to

Tier Two Interventions Implemented within the Context of a Tiered Prevention Framework.

Despite a growing body of evidence demonstrating the value of Tier 1 and Tier 3 interventions, significantly less is known about Tier 2 level treatments when they are added within the context of a tiered continuum of support. The purpose of this article is to systematically review the existing research base for Tier 2 small group intervention studies conducted within a tiered prevention framework. Results indicated that few studies documented fidelity of Tier 7 implementation prior to the addition of Tier 2 interventions. Methods for identifying students to receive Tier 2 supports varied across investigations, but included teacher nomination, use of student data, and/or screening score results. More than half of the reviewed studies demonstrated use of the Behavior Intervention Program: Check-in/Check-out (BEP/CICO), although social skill instructional groups and academic instructional groups were also employed as Tier 2 interventions. Overall, positive results for reducing problem behavior were reported. In addition, school-based personnel implemented the Tier 2 intervention in nearly half of the investigations. Among studies that reported measures of social validity teacher and student perceptions of the treatments were largely positive. Implications for future research are evaluated using criteria from the Society for Prevention Research (Flay et al., 2005).

Children with co-occurring academic and behavior problems in first grade: Distal outcomes in twelfth grade

The aim of the current study was to evaluate the eleven year longitudinal association between students identified in first grade as having academic and behavior problems and distal outcomes in twelfth grade. The study extends prior research that identified latent classes of academic and behavior problems in a longitudinal community sample of 678 predominately African American first-grade students. The type and number of classes identified in first grade differed by gender, but results indicated that students within the classes of behavior and academic problems had long-term negative outcomes in the twelfth grade. The class with co-occurring academic and behavior problems in first grade had the greatest risk for negative distal outcomes for both boys and girls including higher likelihood of special education placement, mental health service use, poor academic achievement, and school dropout. Implications for prevention, early intervention, and current practices in schools are discussed.

The Effectiveness of Two Universal Behavioral Supports for Children with Externalizing Behavior in Head Start Classrooms.

To add to the emerging early intervention research on universal supports for children, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of an intervention designed to increase teachers’ use of two universal behavioral supports on target children’s behavior. The children targeted for this study were at elevated risk for problem behavior according to teachers’ nominations and ratings. Three teachers in Head Start settings were selected to participate in this study. The Multi Option Observation System for Experimental Studies coding system was used to collect data on teacher and student behavior. The intervention included providing teachers with specific instruction in implementing precorrective statements and behavior-specific praise statements and then, after the intervention sessions, providing feedback on implementation. A multiple-baseline design was used, and baseline, intervention, and maintenance data were collected. Results indicate that teachers increased their use of the targeted universal supports and a functional relationship was observed between this increase and improvement in children’s behavior. Maintenance data were also promising. The implications and limitations of this study are discussed.

Emotional and Social Characteristics of Boys with AD/HD and Giftedness: A Comparative Case Study.

The purpose of this multiple case study was to investigate the emotional and social characteristics of boys who had co-occurring giftedness and AD/HD as compared with boys with only 1 of the 2 exceptionalities. The participants were 3 boys with AD/HD and giftedness and 6 comparison boys with only 1 of the 2 exceptionalities. Data sources included the participating boys, their parents, and their teachers. Data were collected by a team of researchers using parallel forms of a semistructured interview protocol and several rating scales and were analyzed by the team in 4 stages using a variety of qualitative analysis techniques. Findings suggested that participants with co-occurring giftedness and AD/HD had difficulties regulating their emotions, problems with peer relationships, and stressed families. Giftedness appeared to exacerbate the social/emotional difficulties associated with AD/HD rather than serve a protective function. The findings suggested that AD/HD is a risk factor for psychosocial adjustment difficulties in young boys who are intellectually gifted. Implications of the findings for the field of gifted education are discussed.

Use of Coaching and Behavior Support Planning for Students With Disruptive Behavior Within a Universal Classroom Management Program

Even with the use of effective universal classroom management practices, some students will need additional behavioral supports. However, to translate implementation of new strategies into the classroom, professional development programs need to be adaptive to the complexities teachers face in providing instruction and managing classroom behaviors among diverse learners. Teachers also need support to successfully implement universal practices as well as to develop and enact plans for supporting students with disruptive behavior. This article describes a universal classroom management program that embeds coaching within the model. The coach supported teachers both in implementing universal strategies and in developing and implementing behavior support plans for students with disruptive behavior. The study evaluates the effectiveness of the behavior support plans and the types of coaching activities used to support these plans. Findings indicated that during meetings with teachers, coaches spent time action planning and providing performance feedback to teachers on their implementation of the behavior support plans. In addition, teachers reduced their rate of reprimands with the targeted at-risk students. Students receiving behavioral supports demonstrated decreased rates of disruptive behavior, increased prosocial behavior, and a trend toward improved on-task behavior. In comparison, a matched sample of students with disruptive behaviors did not demonstrate improved outcomes. Implications for practice are discussed.

Preschool Family and Child Characteristics Associated With Stable Behavior Problems in Children

This longitudinal study investigated child and family characteristics associated with stable behavior problems in children. Parents of 41 preschoolers with and without externalizing problems participated in a 5-year follow-forward assessment. Parents completed a behavioral checklist and children were placed into one of three behavior groups: stable problems, improved, and comparisons. Results indicated that, at preschool age, the group of children with stable behavior problems had mothers who used more controlling child-rearing practices, and had parents who used more aggressive tactics during conflict with each other than the parents of children in the other groups. Children with stable behavior problems were also more intense, active, and less easy to manage at preschool age than were the other two groups of children.

Coaching Teachers’ Use of Social Behavior Interventions to Improve Children’s Outcomes: A Review of the Literature

Children with social behavior problems need teachers who are prepared to use evidence-based interventions to increase their likelihood of success. However, it is clear that teachers do not feel prepared to support children in this area. One approach for supporting teachers in using more effective interventions for children with behavior needs is the use of coaching. The purpose of this review of the literature is to explore the research to date that specifically targets coaching teachers on the use of social behavior interventions to improve children’s social behavior outcomes. Criteria were established to increase the generalizability of the results of the review and 29 studies met inclusionary criteria. Of these studies, 86% documented positive findings and the remaining documented neutral findings. Only 31% of studies documented a measure of integrity for the coaching process. Main findings and implications for future research are discussed.

Early Child Risk Factors for Externalizing and Internalizing Behaviors: A 5-Year Follow-Forward Assessment.

The purpose of this follow-forward study was to determine if behavioral groupings, created when children were preschoolers, were associated with different outcomes 5 years later. Participating in this follow-forward study were parents of three groups of children who participated in a larger study 5 years earlier. Children had been identified as preschoolers with hyperactivity, hyperactivity and aggression, or comparisons. Response rate for the follow-forward study was 66% and attrition rates were similar across the groups. Parents completed the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) at the outcome assessment. Analyses were conducted to determine if the original groups could be differentiated on the CBCL factors 5 years later. Results from this study clearly illuminated the importance of early assessments of hyperactivity and aggression, as they were associated with later behavior problems.