Head Teachers Supervision Practices and Job Performance of Teachers in Government Aided Secondary Schools in Western Uganda

The study investigated the relationship between head teachers’ supervision practices and job performance of teachers in government aided secondary schools in Western Uganda. Head teachers supervision practices were studied in terms of supervision behavior, support and communication. Job performance of teachers was considered in terms of classroom teaching, management of students, discipline as well as regularity and interpersonal relations. The study adopted a cross-sectional research design using the quantitative approach on a sample of 333 teachers. Data were collected using both the questionnaire. Data were analysed using quantitative. Inferential analysis showed that while supervision behaviors and support had a positive and significant influence on job performance of teachers, supervision communication did not. It was concluded that supervision behaviors and support are important for the job performance of teachers. Therefore, it is recommends that head teachers should provide effective supervision to teachers because such a practice has a significant positive influence on teachers’ job performance.

Examining Teaming and Tier 2 and 3 Practices Within a PBIS Framework

One core feature of Positive Behavioral Interventions and Support (PBIS) is a systems-level teaming process for coordinating staff implementation of evidence-based practices and monitoring student progress across all three tiers. Prior research has shown schools that report regular teaming and team-based data use are more likely to successfully adopt and sustain implementation of multi-tiered systems of behavior support. However, more research is currently needed to better understand the various teaming configurations, structures, and practices commonly used by PBIS teams in typical schools, particularly at advanced tiers. For the current study, members of school and district PBIS teams representing 718 schools were surveyed to better understand (a) teaming configurations and practices currently being used in schools implementing PBIS and (b) common interventions that PBIS teams report implementing at Tiers 2 and 3. Survey findings are discussed, along with implications of those results for future research and practice in applied settings.

422 - Evaluating the Clinical Impact of National Dementia Behavior Support Programs on Neuropsychiatric Outcomes in Australia

Background:People living with dementia (PLWD) in residential aged care homes (RACHs) are frequently prescribed psychotropic medications due to the high prevalence of neuropsychiatric symptoms, also known as behaviors and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD). However, the gold standard to support BPSD is using psychosocial/non-pharmacological therapies.Objective:This study aims to describe and evaluate services and neuropsychiatric outcomes associated with the provision of psychosocial person-centered care interventions delivered by national multidisciplinary dementia-specific behavior support programs.Methods:A 2-year retrospective pre-post study with a single-arm analysis was conducted on BPSD referrals received from Australian RACHs to the two Dementia Support Australia (DSA) programs, the Dementia Behavior Management Advisory Service (DBMAS) and the Severe Behavior Response Teams (SBRT). Neuropsychiatric outcomes were measured using the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) total scores and total distress scores. The questionnaire version “NPI-Q” was administered for DBMAS referrals whereas the nursing home version “NPI-NH” was administered for SBRT referrals. Linear mixed effects models were used for analysis, with time, baseline score, age, sex, and case length as predictors. Clinical significance was measured using Cohen’s effect size (d; ≥0.3), the mean change score (MCS; 3 points for the NPI-Q and 4 points for the NPI-NH) and the mean percent change (MPC; ≥30%) in NPI parameters.Results:A total of 5,914 referrals (55.9% female, age 82.3 ± 8.6 y) from 1,996 RACHs were eligible for analysis. The most common types of dementia were Alzheimer’s disease (37.4%) and vascular dementia (11.7%). The average case length in DSA programs was 57.2 ± 26.3 days. The NPI scores were significantly reduced as a result of DSA programs, independent of covariates. There were significant reductions in total NPI scores as a result of the DBMAS (61.4%) and SBRT (74.3%) programs. For NPI distress scores, there were 66.5% and 69.1% reductions from baseline for the DBMAS and SBRT programs, respectively. All metrics (d, MCS, MPC) were above the threshold set for determining a clinically significant effect.Conclusions:Multimodal psychosocial interventions delivered by DSA programs are clinically effective as demonstrated by positive referral outcomes, such as improved BPSD and related caregiver distress.Word count:350 words