Effects of a Manualized Teacher-Led Coaching Intervention on Paraprofessional Use of Behavior-Specific Praise

Paraprofessionals are an essential part of special education. School districts increasingly rely on paraprofessional support to meet students’ needs, but formal professional development opportunities vary. A lack of training in effective instructional strategies is potentially problematic for the efficacy of support staff. A multiple-baseline across participants single-case research design examined the effects of a manualized teacher-to-para coaching intervention to increase the rate of behavior-specific praise by paraprofessionals. Participant dyads (paraprofessionals and special education teachers) taught in a rural public elementary school serving third- through fifth-grade students. The collaborative multicomponent training program included self-monitoring, performance feedback, goal setting, modeling, and action planning. Analyses encompassed primary author visual analysis, masked visual analysis by three independent raters, and nonparametric statistical analysis. The intervention resulted in increased use of behavior-specific praise across all four paraprofessionals and participants indicated good social validity. Discussions include implications for future research and practice.

Teacher Praise and Reprimand: Examining the Generalizability and Dependability of Observational Estimates

This study examined the generalizability and dependability of observational estimates of middle and high school teachers’ use of praise and reprimand. Frequency of behavior-specific praise, general praise, and total reprimand were collected across 67, 20-min observations that took place during class-wide instruction in general education classrooms. Generalizability theory was used to determine the number of observations needed to obtain dependable estimates of teacher behavior. Behavior-specific praise rates were consistently low. General praise rates were slightly higher and reprimand rates were notably higher and slightly more variable. Total reprimands had the strongest generalizability results and general praise had the weakest. Behavior-specific praise reached an acceptable level of dependability after 15 min, whereas general praise required a 35-min observation, and reprimand only required 5 min. Implications and future directions are discussed.

Short-Dosage Video Training and Brief Coaching for Paraprofessionals

Paraprofessionals are increasingly utilized to support students with intensive needs, yet they often lack the training and skills to provide evidence-based academic and behavioral interventions. Since on-the-job training is the primary method of skill acquisition for this group of school support staff, efficient and feasible training modalities are necessary. In the current study, we implemented a video training and brief coaching model to instruct paraprofessionals on the use of behavior specific praise (BSP). We employed a single-case withdrawal design to examine the effects of the training package on paraprofessionals’ praise rates and student disruption and task engagement. Results indicated the presence of a functional relationship for paraprofessional praise rates and variable effects for student behavior. The paper concludes with recommendations for research and practice as it pertains to preparing paraprofessionals to support students with disabilities

Exploring Secondary Teachers’ Actual and Perceived Praise and Reprimand Use

The present study aimed to identify a way for educators to improve the accuracy of their praise and reprimand reflections to ultimately improve their ability to set, monitor, and evaluate their use of praise and reprimand. To do this, teachers’ natural use of praise and reprimand (in the absence of intervention) were compared with their perceived use. A 20-min direct observation was collected from 66 middle and high school teachers to obtain praise and reprimand rates. Following the observation, teachers reported their perceived use of praise and reprimand. A t test and analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used to determine differences between praise and reprimand types. Correlations were used to determine the relation between perceived and actual praise and reprimand use. Statistical results indicated teachers used more general praise (GP) than behavior-specific praise and more mild reprimand than any other reprimand type. Teachers’ actual and perceived use of GP were positively correlated, as were teachers’ actual and perceived use of mild, gestural, and total reprimand. Furthermore, teachers with a greater difference between their actual and perceived praise also had a greater difference between their actual and perceived reprimand use. Future research and implications of these findings are discussed.

Using Content Acquisition Podcasts to Improve Preservice Teacher Use of Behavior-Specific Praise

With increasing demands for teacher accountability, today’s teachers are tasked with meeting both the academic and behavioral needs of their students. Being able to efficiently manage classroom behavior can maximize classroom time for instruction. In a multiple-probe across participants design study, we investigated the effects of content acquisition podcasts (CAPs) plus video along with coaching feedback on preservice teachers’ use of behavior-specific praise statements. Preservice teachers in elementary, intermediate, middle, and high school settings participated during their final internship in a special education preparation program. Direct observations over a 9-week period showed an increase in the use of behavior-specific praise statements across participants. Implications for research and teacher education are discussed.

Motivation Matters: Three Strategies to Support Motivation and Engagement in Mathematics

Motivation and engagement in mathematics are important for academic success and are sometimes compromised in students with disabilities who have experienced a history of frustration and failure. This article explains how general and special education teachers can implement three research-supported strategies for boosting motivation and engagement for elementary students with or at risk of emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) in the mathematics classroom. The strategies include (a) reinforcing engagement and motivation in mathematics using behavior-specific praise and token economy systems; (b) teaching self-monitoring and self-regulation strategies to promote attentive behavior and academic achievement; and (c) using the high-preference strategy to build behavioral momentum and support completion of nonpreferred tasks.

iCoaching Behavior-Specific Praise in a Rural Classroom

The purpose of this study was to explore the efficacy of iCoaching to increase the use of behavior-specific praise (BSP) by three educators (one teacher, two paraprofessionals) working in a rural center–based classroom for students with emotional and behavioral disabilities using a short, focused professional development and iCoaching. Results of the single-case delayed multiple baseline design study suggest that iCoaching increased BSP delivery by participants. Furthermore, BSP rates were maintained after iCoaching was withdrawn. Implications for using iCoaching with rural educators and future research directions are discussed.