Behavior Intervention Plans (BIPs) are used in public schools for students with disabilities, replacing target behaviors with socially appropriate behaviors using positive behavior support strategies. However, research suggests that BIPs are often poorly written or fail to be implemented as intended. One reason for the ineffectiveness of BIPs may be that the interventionist (e.g., classroom teacher or other staff member responsible for implementing the plan) and the context of his/her classroom is not considered when plans are written by specialists (e.g., school psychologist, special education teacher, etc.). The purpose of this study was to evaluate BIPs written and used for students in public schools in the intermountain west for their contextual fit, using a researcher-developed measure of contextual fit based on key concepts previously established in research and modeled after the Behavior Support Plan-Quality Evaluation, Second Edition (BSP-QE II). With the coding guide created by our research team, we coded previously collected BIPs for practicality, the skill level and competency required for the interventionist to implement, and the consideration of cultural values for both the interventionist and the student who would receive the intervention. In addition, a previous research study by a graduate student at the same university had previously coded BIPs from the four school districts in Utah for technical adequacy using the BSP-QE II and, using the results from that study, we ran a Pearson correlation to determine whether there was a statistically significant relationship between BIP quality and contextual fit. Ultimately, our study found that BIPs often failed to include all elements for contextual fit to reasonably be considered established, particularly in the cultural values of those who would implement or receive the plan. In addition, we found a moderate, positive relationship between BIP technical adequacy and contextual fit. Implications for practitioners and ideas for future research are also discussed, including: ensuring that BIPs are developed in teams that include the interventionist, creating BIP templates that are culturally and contextually appropriate, and the possibility of research that documents actual interventionist participation in BIP team meetings as a comparison to the results of our scoring guide of BIP contextual fit.

Student problem behavior continues to be a major issue in schools for both teachers and students. Teachers often feel they are not provided with enough resources to help them manage this problem behavior. Students who engage in problem behavior tend to struggle socially and academically. When classified with an emotional disturbance, students are especially at risk due to the severity of the problem behavior they exhibit (Brauner & Stephens, 2006). This study examined how function-based interventions can help both teachers and students better manage the effects of problem behavior. There are several factors believed to hinder the effectiveness of function-based interventions, including time available, training, parental involvement, and fidelity of implementation (Ingram et al., 2005). The study used the critical incident technique (CIT) qualitative methodology to identify helping and hindering factors in the implementation of behavior intervention programs (BIP). Participants of the study include BIP implementers, defined as any school personnel who directly participates in the implementation of an effective BIP with a student. Using the CIT qualitative methodology and semi-structured interviews, the research team determined which events are most prevalent in the hindering and helping of BIP implementation. Research concluded that ongoing collaboration with colleagues, in- and out-of-class support, consistent data tracking, reward systems, calming down strategies, and relationships were the most helpful factors reported by teachers. Unexpected events, severity of behaviors, inconsistent reward systems, differing opinions amongst team members, inconsistent communication, and insufficient training were factors that hindered BIP efficacy based on the results of this study. The findings suggest that the implementation of BIPs can be improved with greater consistency in consequences, clear communication among stakeholders, and building meaningful relationships of trust.

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA) introduced Behavior Intervention Plans (BIPs) into United States law in 1990, and the reauthorization of IDEIA occurred in 2004. Even though BIPs have been codified into law, school personnel struggle to meet BIP mandates due to poor implementation fidelity. Barriers for BIP implementation are varied, but there is little research regarding whether practitioner competence and confidence through teaching experience is a factor. School psychologists (N = 122) from eight states completed a self-evaluation survey using the tailored design method. Results from the survey compared responses from school psychologists with and without teaching experience on BIP writing, implementation, and staff support. There were no differences in responses noted between the two groups for competence or confidence. However, school psychologists received substantially more training in writing BIPs than implementation or methods to support staff, and experience directly implementing BIPs provided the strongest correlation to confidence. This suggests that additional research surrounding the concept of training to practice for BIP implementation may be beneficial in identifying methods for improving BIP implementation fidelity as well as school psychologists' competence and confidence in BIP creation and implementation support.

The Teaching Tools for Young Children with Challenging Behavior (TTYC) presents a useful tool to disseminate evidence-based practices into the classroom setting for teachers to create lasting behavioral changes in young children. This study aims to further examine the use of TTYC by classroom teachers for students ages 4-6 years old with and without disabilities who had difficulty engaging in classroom routines or activities. A multiple-baseline across participants design was employed to demonstrate the outcomes of the TTYC in increasing appropriate classroom behavior and reducing problem behavior of the target children. The results indicated that the teachers’ fidelity of implementing the behavior intervention plans designed using the TTYC was relatively high with the exception of a few sessions. The teachers’ implementation of the plans resulted in increased appropriate classroom behavior and decreased problem behavior for all three child participants. The data indicated an association between implementation fidelity and changes in child behavior. When the teachers had difficulty implementing the steps for implementing intervention strategies, the children’s problem behavior increased, resulting in decreases in appropriate classroom behavior. Keywords: problem behavior, young children, teaching tools for young children, manualized behavioral intervention, classroom behavior

Tidigare forskning visar att barn, efter förlusten av en förälder, mår bra av att komma tillbaka till rutinerna i förskolan, där barnet hela tiden ges möjlighet till lek, något som är en central del i barnets bearbetning av sorgen.Vårt syfte med studien är att ta reda på hur förskolan uppfattar att de arbetar med och stödjer, samt tror att de skulle arbeta och stödja, barn som förlorat en förälder. Vi vill även ta reda på vilken hjälp de kan ta in om pedagogernas stöd och kunskap inte räcker till. Slutligen vill vi se om det finns handlingsplaner för situationer som dessa i förskolorna.I studien använde vi oss av empiriska undersökningar i form av informella intervjuer. Urvalet bestod av fem pedagoger på olika förskolor i en kommun. Tre av dessa pedagoger har, i sitt arbete, mött ett barn som förlorat en förälder.Resultatet visar på att pedagoger anser att leken är en viktig del i barns bearbetning, men att det måste vara barnet som tar initiativet till denna lek och även till samtal kring förlusten. Resultatet visar även på att alla pedagoger ställde sig positiva till att ta in extern hjälp till barnet, men att kunskapen om vart man kan få denna hjälp ifrån inte var tillräcklig. Inte alla förskolor i studien har handlingsplaner för hur de skall gå tillväga om ett barn mister en förälder. / Previous research shows that, after the loss of a parent, the child’s wellbeing is enchanced if the child gets back to pre-school, where the children all the time are given the opportunity to play, which is a central part of the child's processing of grief.Our purpose of this study is to find out how the pre-school perceive the way they work and support, and how they think they would work and support, children who has lost a parent. We also want to find out what help they can bring in when the teachers’ support and knowledge is not enough. And finally we want to see if there are plans for situations like these in pre-schools.In this study, we used empirical research in the form of informal interviews. We randomly selected five teachers in different pre-schools in the municipality. Three of these teachers have worked with a child who has lost a parent.The results show that teachers believe playing is an important part of a child’s grief process, but it must be the child who takes the initiative to play and also to talk about their loss. The results also shows that all the teachers were positive of bringing in outside help for the child, but that the knowledge of where to get this help from was not sufficient. Not all pre-schools in the study have plans for how to proceed if a child loses a parent.

This research study examined how education service providers conduct functional behavioral assessments and utilize behavior intervention plans to address the social and emotional needs of students with challenging behaviors. The data are based on a 20-item survey administered to educators who identified themselves as working with students diagnosed with emotional and behavioral disorders. The results and implications of the survey are discussed and evaluated to the review of literature conducted prior to the study. Recommendations for future research are also explored.

Behavior Intervention Plans (BIPs) are intended to guide educators' efforts to help struggling students succeed in school by reducing the frequency of problem behavior and teaching appropriate, pro-social responses. The impact of a BIP, however, depends on the degree to which the plan is implemented with fidelity. In practice, there are many factors that prevent teachers and other practitioners from strictly adhering to the BIP including having multiple plans to follow, inexperience with the specified intervention(s), or particularly challenging behaviors in the classroom. The purpose of the study was to identify the factors that contribute to the treatment integrity of BIPs implemented by general educators. To accomplish this goal, we graded plans already developed and implemented using the Behavior Intervention Plan Quality Evaluator, Second edition. The BIP evaluations were then paired with survey responses from the practitioners charged with creating and completing the BIPs. A multiple regression analysis was used to predict treatment integrity (TI) outcomes based on BIP quality, in terms of development and features of the written plan, and the coaching or training received by the primary implementer and plan developer. The purpose of this study was to determine how the qualifications, training, and coaching of the professionals involved in a plan, as well as the development of the plan, and the quality of the BIP influence treatment integrity. Although coaching ended up being an excluded factor and only BIP quality was found to possess some relation to treatment integrity, the study concluded with interesting findings. Training, BIP Quality, and Treatment Integrity were found to possess predictive qualities for student outcomes. A total of 4 school districts in the state of Utah participated in the study and a total of 51 plans were evaluated and 32 survey responses were submitted. Individual BIP practices were assessed, and with more information on the factors that influence treatment integrity, educators will be better prepared to support these factors in their schools and provide better supports and develop higher quality behavior intervention plans as they are implemented with greater integrity.

Behavior Intervention Plans (BIPs) are intended to guide educators’ efforts to help struggling students succeed in school by reducing the frequency of problem behavior and teaching appropriate, pro-social responses. The impact of a BIP, however, depends on the degree to which the plan is implemented with fidelity. In practice, there are many factors that prevent teachers and other practitioners from strictly adhering to the BIP including having multiple plans to follow, inexperience with the specified intervention(s), or particularly challenging behaviors in the classroom. The purpose of the study was to identify the factors that contribute to the treatment integrity of BIPs implemented by general educators. To accomplish this goal, we graded plans already developed and implemented using the Behavior Intervention Plan Quality Evaluator, Second edition. The BIP evaluations were then paired with survey responses from the practitioners charged with creating and completing the BIPs. A multiple regression analysis was used to predict treatment integrity (TI) outcomes based on BIP quality, in terms of development and features of the written plan, and the coaching or training received by the primary implementer and plan developer. The purpose of this study was to determine how the qualifications, training, and coaching of the professionals involved in a plan, as well as the development of the plan, and the quality of the BIP influence treatment integrity. Although coaching ended up being an excluded factor and only BIP quality was found to possess some relation to treatment integrity, the study concluded with interesting findings. Training, BIP Quality, and Treatment Integrity were found to possess predictive qualities for student outcomes. A total of 4 school districts in the state of Utah participated in the study and a total of 51 plans were evaluated and 32 survey responses were submitted. Individual BIP practices were assessed, and with more information on the factors that influence treatment integrity, educators will be better prepared to support these factors in their schools and provide better supports and develop higher quality behavior intervention plans as they are implemented with greater integrity.

Submitted by Renata Lopes (renatasil82@gmail.com) on 2016-05-02T19:38:36Z No. of bitstreams: 1 gracieleaparecidanunesesales.pdf: 1153662 bytes, checksum: f824984d093a887d36d23e902aba1e33 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Adriana Oliveira (adriana.oliveira@ufjf.edu.br) on 2016-06-03T15:36:59Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 gracieleaparecidanunesesales.pdf: 1153662 bytes, checksum: f824984d093a887d36d23e902aba1e33 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-03T15:36:59Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 gracieleaparecidanunesesales.pdf: 1153662 bytes, checksum: f824984d093a887d36d23e902aba1e33 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-01-30 / O presente estudo tem por objetivo analisar efeitos decorrentes da implantação do Programa de Intervenção Pedagógica, em três escolas estaduais, atendidas pela Superintendência Regional de Ensino de Patrocínio, no sentido de evidenciar os principais obstáculos pelos quais passaram essas instituições durante o processo de implementação do programa, adotando como recorte cronológico o período de 2007 a 2012. O propósito da SEE/MG com a implantação do PIP nas instituições de ensino mantidas pelo governo estadual, é que ele seja compreendido por todos os envolvidos no processo educativo, como uma ferramenta direcionadora do processo de ensino-aprendizagem, com foco para a alfabetização dos alunos nos anos iniciais. Os recursos metodológicos utilizados para o levantamento dos dados referentes ao caso, fundamentaram-se em análise relevantes a implementação do PIP nas escolas, nas publicações da SEE/MG referentes aos resultados do PROALFA e entrevistas com gestores, especialistas e professores alfabetizadores. Para que o desenvolvimento dessa pesquisa se efetive, os dados coletados foram analisados e discutidos à luz de autores como Lück (2009), Alarcão (2001), Burgos (2012), que entre outros autores, se constituem referenciais teóricos nessa dissertação. Como proposição final a este estudo, propõe-se a elaboração de um Plano de Intervenção Educacional, como sugestão às escolas para o monitoramento e consolidação da proposta do Programa de Intervenção Pedagógica. / The present study aims to analyze the possible effects following the PIP - Pedagogical Intervention Program implementation that happened in a three public schools, were attended by Superintendência Regional de Ensino de Patrocínio, the purpose is to show the obstacles that institutions had spent during the process of the program implementation in the period of 2007 to 2012.The purpose of the SEE/ MG with the PIP implementation at the education institutions maintained by state government, that it is being appreciated for all become involved in the educational process, as a teaching ad that aimed into learning process, focused on elementary literacy. The resource strategies used for survey data referring on case study research, during the research were analyzed the relevant factors to PIP implementation at schools, in SEE/MG publications related to PROALFA results and interview with principal, “supervisor”, and literacy teachers. To the research development, survey data were analyzed and discussed according to the author, such as Lück (2009), Alarcão (2001), Burgos (2012), among others authors, based on theoretical references in this dissertation. The final result about this study, proposes a way to elaborate an Education Intervention Plan as suggestions to schools to the monitoring and consolidation concerning the Pedagogical Intervention Program purpose.

Function-based assessments and interventions are routinely used in school settings as an effective method to address problem behaviors that impede the learning of the student or others. When function-based interventions are not successful, it is often due to problems with treatment integrity (TI). Using an ABCBC single subject design, this study examined whether function-based teacher supports could improve TI. The results demonstrated that the function-based supports provided to the teacher resulted in higher levels of TI and improvements in student behavioral outcomes. Using function-based intervention concepts to develop teacher intervention support, limitations to the study, and directions for future research are discussed.