Noncompliance in students with Emotional/Behavioral Disorders (EBD) can contribute to difficulty with peer and teacher relationships and may result in reduced time for academic instruction. The Precision Request, an intervention which uses alpha commands, verbal praise, and reductive consequences, has been shown to increase compliance in students with EBD, but no studies have accounted for which component is responsible for the change. This study used an ABCDAX add-in component analysis to determine which component of the Precision Request produced the most effect on behavioral compliance in five sixth-grade elementary students with EBD. Data were collected on percent of student compliance, latency to compliance, and teacher and paraprofessional use of verbal praise and reductive consequences. Percent of correct implementation of the Precision Request was also recorded. All data were subsequently inspected via visual analysis. The interventionists which participated in the study were unable to implement the Precision Request with fidelity and no effect was found on student compliance, which prompted researchers to examine characteristics of the interventionists as a possible explanation for failure to implement with fidelity. A comparison of interventionists suggests that the Precision Request may be too difficult to implement for an individual who lacks behavioral training, who does not use foundational classroom procedures such as positive reinforcement and verbal praise, and/or whose philosophical viewpoints are not conducive to behavior analysis. Future research should examine contextual fit as regards behavioral interventions and interventionists, as well as which behavioral principles need to be mastered by an interventionist before the Precision Request can be implemented with fidelity.

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The American Psychological Association (APA) conducted the online 2005-2006 Teacher Needs Survey wherein 52% of first year teachers, 28% of teachers with two to five years of experience, and 26% of teachers with 6 to 10 years experience ranked classroom management as their greatest need. Difficulty managing student behaviors leads to higher stress and burnout for teachers (Smith & Smith, 2006) as well as less instructional time, lower grades, and poorer performance on standardized tests for students (Shinn, Ramsey, Walker, Stieber, & O'Neill, 1987). When teachers are charged with managing their own classrooms in the field, they are often inadequately prepared (Bergeny & Martens, 2006) and professional development workshops and inservices on classroom management are often ineffective (Allen & Forman, 1984, Fixsen, Naoom, Blasé, Friedman, & Wallace, 2005). The focus of the current study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a checklist of evidence-based classroom management strategies both by itself and coupled with feedback and an action plan. Effectiveness was measured by the percentage of strategies from the checklist that were implemented by the teacher as well as the percentage of disruptive behavior by students in the classroom. The checklist consisted of 17 evidence-based classroom management strategies that were divided into three areas: Beginning of Class; During Instruction; and Responding to Student Behavior. The study consisted of four conditions: Baseline; Checklist; Checklist, Feedback, and Action Plan; and Maintenance. During the Checklist condition, the investigator and teacher read through evidence-based classroom management strategies on the checklist and reviewed examples and non-examples of the strategies. During the Checklist, Feedback, and Action Plan condition, the investigator and teacher reviewed the graphed data on the teacher's use of the strategies during Baseline and Checklist conditions. After reviewing the data, the teacher and investigator identified a maximum of three strategies from the checklist to implement and an action plan for how to implement those strategies was created. Then, after each observation, a checklist scored by the investigator was given to the teacher. During Maintenance, the teacher no longer received a scored checklist following the observations. Three elementary, self-contained classroom teachers of students with emotional and behavioral disorders participated in the study. During Baseline, the teachers used an average of 20% to 30% of the evidence-based classroom management strategies and the percentages of disruptive behavior ranged from an average of 60% to 90%. During the Checklist condition, the level of the data immediately increased for percentage of strategies used and the level of the data for disruptive behavior decreased, for two of the teachers. The changes in level for both percentage of strategies used and percentage of disruptive behavior, however, did not remain. One teacher returned to baseline levels for both percentage of strategies used and percentage of disruptive behavior. The other teacher showed a slight increase from baseline levels for percentage of strategies used, but the percentage of disruptive behavior returned to baseline levels. For the third teacher, no significant change in level was observed for percentage of strategies used and percentage of disruptive behavior. All three teachers, however, demonstrated increased use of the strategies and decreased percentages of disruptive behavior, when the checklist was coupled with feedback and an action plan. From Baseline to the Checklist, Feedback, Action Plan condition, the average percentages of strategies used were: Teacher A, 24% to 93%; Teacher B, 23% to 93%; and Teacher C, 33% to 88%. During Maintenance, Teacher A used an average of 92% of evidence-based classroom management strategies and Teachers B and C used 94% of evidence-based classroom management strategies. From Baseline to Maintenance, the average percentages of disruptive behavior were: Teacher A, 76% to 17%; Teacher B, 91% to 13%; and Teacher C, 64% to 12%. All three teachers found the intervention to be acceptable. Specifically, the teachers reported that: this intervention would be beneficial and appropriate for a variety of students; they were likely to use this intervention in the future; they liked the procedures used; and they were more likely to stay in their current teaching position after using this intervention. / Educational Psychology

The purpose of this qualitative study is to illustrate how experienced teachers of students with emotional and/or behavioral disorders (EB/D) working in middle school settings conduct their work. In the current context of public education, the work of teaching students with EB/D is considered stressful and undesirable by many individuals and has resulted in a shortage of adequately prepared and experienced special educators willing to teach this vulnerable population (Westat, 2002). In response to the shortage, school districts may resort to hiring improperly prepared individuals-- a practice that impedes the provision of an appropriate education to students with disabilities (Kauffman, 2001; Turnbull & Turnbull; 1998). In order to understand the work of those special educators who have remained in the field of teaching students with EB/D, this exploratory case study examined the work of four experienced special education teachers teaching students with EB/D in various instructional settings in middle schools in Virginia. Activity theory (Engeström, 1999) provided the conceptual framework in this study. The results of this study support the current research literature on the work of teaching students with EB/D. The teachers spent their workday (a) supporting their students’ progress in the general education curriculum, (b) developing their students’ prosocial skills, and (c) fulfilling multiple non-teaching related duties. Efforts to teach their students were impeded by (a) difficulties in working relationships with certain general education teachers and (b) meeting the complex responsibilities of being a special educator in the current context of public middle schools. / Ph. D.

School-wide positive behavior support (SWPBS), a tiered prevention model targeted at making educational environments safe and effective, is swiftly gaining popularity in the United States (Brandt, Chitiyo, May, 2012). This model aims to teach prosocial behavior through positively stated rules and expectations; however, there is little research examining social skills instruction using a tiered model (Schoenfield, Rutherford, Gable, Rock, 2008). This is of considerable concern for children with autism spectrum (ASD) and related social disorders as educators attempt to address the social needs of these students within a SWPBS framework (Sansoti, 2010). The current study aimed to begin exploration into the topic of a tiered social skills training framework for children with autism spectrum and related social/behavioral disorders and their typically developing peers by initial implementation and testing of a primary tier social skills program through the use of a mixed model research design. The program was implemented in two classrooms (1 preschool and 1 kindergarten) in southwest Virginia. A mixed-method research study was conducted to determine whether the program leads to improved classroom environment, improved social functioning for children with ASD or social difficulties (n=8), what qualities of children, teachers, and classrooms affect implementation and results, and what additional changes or elements need to be provided to implement the program without the aid of a researcher. While quantitative results failed to yield significant findings, qualitative results partially supported the use of the program. While the initial results were small to insignificant, they point to important considerations for further refinement of the program. / Ph. D.

The purpose of the study was to examine the role of leadership and school culture on the integration of technology to support instruction for students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD). A multiple embedded case study design was used to describe how a school leadership team supports a school culture for technology integration within classrooms where special education teachers integrate technology to engage students with EBD. The primary case of school culture includes a comprehensive description of how the school leadership team supports a culture for technology integration within classrooms. Embedded cases within the primary case describe how special education teachers integrate technology to engage students with EBD in classroom instruction. Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) (Koehler & Mishra, 2005) is part of the conceptual framework to theoretically undergird the study. The findings of this study describe a school that serves students with EBD where there is a strong school culture and leaders support teachers who integrate technology to engage students. Patterns from the analysis indicate school leaders plan for staff development, participate in staff development sessions with teachers, observe teachers, provide feedback about teacher performance, and praise and encourage teachers to integrate technology. Teachers and leaders engage in formal and informal staff development opportunities to learn how to integrate technology into classroom lessons. As a result of these trainings and school leader support, teachers provide clear expectations for students while integrating technology to engage students, provide direct instruction, choices, and visual representation of content.

Adolescents with behavioral difficulties and emotional and behavior disorders (EBD) or other health impairment (OHI) have demonstrated deficits in reading, and these deficits appear to remain stable or worsen over time. Reading fluency is an essential skill for overall reading achievement, yet relatively few studies have addressed reading fluency intervention for adolescents, particularly adolescents with behavioral difficulties. This study used a multiple baseline across participants design to evaluate the effect of a repeated reading intervention on the reading fluency and comprehension skills of middle school students with reading difficulties and behavioral difficulties and EBD or OHI. The intervention involved repeated reading combined with an audio-recorded model and cues to read for comprehension. Working independently at a classroom computer, participants received six to nine minutes of daily supplemental fluency instruction over a four-week period. Instruction involved listening to an audio recording of a model reading a passage, receiving cues to read for understanding, reading the passage aloud while using the computer to record the reading, listening to the recording, and reading the passage aloud again while recording. Results indicated no functional relation between the intervention and the number of words correct per minute or the percentage of comprehension questions answered correctly. However, on-task behavior did improve during study session when compared with on-task behavior during regular classroom instruction. The findings of the study have implications for addressing the needs of adolescents with behavioral difficulties who have reading difficulties.

The purpose of this study was to delineate the differences between the types of behavioral management techniques used by teachers of students with emotional/behavioral disorders.

Mathematics is essential in everyday life activities and most educational opportunities and careers require mathematical knowledge, thus it is vital that students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) receive sufficient instruction that leads to proficiency in the subject. Performing poorly in mathematics can result in dire future outcomes. This is particularly true for students with EBD, who already experience significant difficulties throughout and after their educational career. While studies have documented the academic and behavioral problems of students with EBD, not until recently have studies begun to concentrate on academic interventions that may aid in preventing some of the academic challenges these students face. It is of great importance that researchers continue to identify effective and efficient strategies of providing academic instruction, particularly in mathematics, to students with EBD. The current study examined the extent to which a technology-based intervention was effective in math instruction for students with EBD. In addition, to address the social/behavioral issues typically prevalent in students with EBD, students’ task engagement was also examined and a social validity survey was used to examine their attitudes toward mathematics and technology-based instruction. A single-subject multiple-probe design across six participants was selected for this study. The computer-assisted instruction (CAI) intervention, I CAN Learn computer software program, was implemented in a high school mathematics classroom. The overall results of the study indicated that the intervention improved the adolescents’ mathematics achievement, but findings revealed that the intervention was more effective with some participants than others. In addition, results indicated that the intervention may not be associated with the participants’ task engagement. The study’s social validity survey showed that the participants had varying attitudes toward mathematics and CAI at the end of the study.