Effective Practices for Teaching Social Skills

Student problem behavior continues to significantly impact student academic, social, and emotional functional in school and post-school. Positive behavior support (PBS) focuses on identifying and teaching prosocial behavior and providing environmental supports to increase the likelihood that students will fluently use prosocial skills across school environments. Directly teaching prosocial social skills, discrete behaviors that lead to important social outcomes for the student, has been an advocated strategy for decades. Effective social skill instruction follows a direct instruction format and are taught through a “tell-show-practice” format whereby the teacher provides a definition of the skill and under what conditions it should be used (tell), then provides examples and non-examples of the social skill (show), followed by students using the skill in role-play situations based on natural school contexts (practice). Key to success, of course, is providing multiple opportunities to practice across all school settings with multiple adults to build fluency and generalized responding. Social skill instruction is one component of increasing student “social competency.” Social competence is defined as using the appropriate social skill, as defined by the students’ peers, adults, and larger community standards, to get their needs met. Social skill instruction should focus on improving overall student social competence, and not simple discrete skill mastery. Recent work expanding PBS across all school settings (i.e., school-wide) through a continuum of tiered instruction and environmental support strategies has demonstrated improved social competence among all students, including those at risk and with disabilities.

Barriers to Implementing Behavior Intervention Plans: Results of a Statewide Survey

Behavior intervention plans (BIPs) based on a functional behavior assessment are supported by a large body of research showing their potential for positively impacting student behavior; however, research also indicates that many classroom teams struggle to implement BIPs with fidelity. We conducted a statewide survey of over 600 teachers to examine teacher-reported experiences with BIP implementation, including 13 implementation barriers previously identified in the literature. Selecting from the list provided, teachers reported the most prominent barrier to be “the cause of student problem behavior cannot be addressed through a BIP.” In written comments, teachers stated that many behavior problems were at least partially caused by factors beyond teacher control, such as a difficult home life, and perceived BIPs as less effective in these cases. Teachers from urban schools and schools with higher percentages of minority students reported encountering this barrier significantly more frequently. In general, teachers from schools (a) in urban settings, (b) with higher percentages of students receiving free or reduced lunch, and (c) with higher percentages of minority students reported significantly greater challenges to BIP implementation as well as lower fidelity and effectiveness of BIPs. Other prominent barriers identified by teachers included inconsistent implementation of BIPs across staff, inadequate resources to implement BIPs, and ineffective BIPs. Implications for improving implementation of BIPs in schools are discussed.

Preliminary Study of the Effects of BEST in CLASS–Elementary on Outcomes of Elementary Students With Problem Behavior

Student problem behaviors in early elementary school are associated with fewer learning opportunities, poor relationships with teachers, and academic and behavioral problems, including increased risk of emotional/behavioral disorders (EBDs). This study examined the effect of BEST in CLASS–Elementary (BEST in CLASS-E), a Tier 2 intervention delivered by teachers, on student problem behavior, academic achievement, teacher–student relationships, and classroom quality using a randomized controlled trial design. Participants were 45 kindergarten to grade 3 students identified at risk of development of EBDs and their 26 teachers from three elementary schools located in an urban school district. BEST in CLASS-E was found to decrease teacher-reported student problem behavior and increase teacher–student closeness; no effects were noted for academic achievement or overall classroom quality. Results suggest the promise of BEST in CLASS-E as a Tier 2 intervention delivered by teachers in elementary classrooms. Implications and limitations of the study are discussed.

Handbook of Behavioral Interventions in Schools

Teachers face a number of challenges when educating students. While tasked with providing effective instruction, teachers are also required to manage student behavior. Prevalence of student problem behavior is a strong indicator of failing schools, with problem behavior being correlated with reduced academic achievement, truancy, bullying, and loss of teacher time. Given the increased focus on school and teacher accountability, there also has been an increased demand for intervention programs that may effectively reduce levels of problem behavior in school settings. Though many practices have been found to be effective in modifying behavioral trajectories, researchers have often found that evidence-based practices are underutilized in applied settings. Given that many empirically supported interventions have failed to be widely adopted, this book provides school-based personnel (in training and practice) with a thorough description of the application of behavioral interventions in schools. Interventions are described in terms of a tiered model of service delivery. For intervention strategies described, case examples are provided to illustrate application of the described strategies. Additionally, book chapters have been developed to align with the Behavior Analysis Certification Board Task List (5th ed.). The book walks trainees and practitioners through the entire process of assessment of problem behaviors to intervention and progress monitoring.

Using response ratios for meta-analyzing single-case designs with behavioral outcomes

Methods for meta-analyzing single-case designs (SCDs) are needed to inform evidence-based practice in clinical and school settings and to draw broader and more defensible generalizations in areas where SCDs comprise a large part of the research base. The most widely used outcomes in single-case research are measures of behavior collected using systematic direct observation, which typically take the form of rates or proportions. For studies that use such measures, one simple and intuitive way to quantify effect sizes is in terms of proportionate change from baseline, using an effect size known as the log response ratio. This paper describes methods for estimating log response ratios and combining the estimates using meta-analysis. The methods are based on a simple model for comparing two phases, where the level of the outcome is stable within each phase and the repeated outcome measurements are independent. Although auto-correlation will lead to biased estimates of the sampling variance of the effect size, meta-analysis of response ratios can be conducted with robust variance estimation procedures that remain valid even when sampling variance estimates are biased. The methods are demonstrated using data from a recent meta-analysis on group contingency interventions for student problem behavior.

Preventing Problem Behavior in School through School-Wide Staff Empowerment: Intervention Outcomes

<p><em>The aim of this study was to examine the effects of the universal “Preventing Problem Behavior in School” (PPBS) intervention on both establishing high-quality learning environments and increasing the use of positive teaching strategies to prevent student problem behavior. PPBS was developed and piloted in Norway as an abbreviated version of the School-Wide Positive Behavior Support Model (SWPBS) and includes a four-day in-service training program for a school’s entire staff. Seventeen primary schools (Grades 1-7) implementing PPBS and 20 control schools engaging in “practice as usual” were compared using a three-wave measurement design. Multilevel analyses based on staff ratings indicated significant positive main effects of PPBS in the moderate range on the level of school behavior problems, positive behavior management, and perceived staff efficacy. Moreover, school size, implementation quality, proportion of unqualified staff members, and program training dosage moderated the intervention outcomes. Student ratings did not, however, support the staff ratings. The results are discussed in relation to the outcomes of the full-scale SWPBS model, meta-analyses of school-wide interventions, and measurement issues. Study limitations, strengths, practical implications, and future directions are highlighted.</em></p>

Measuring the Relationship Between Parent, Teacher, and Student Problem Behavior Reports and Academic Achievement: Implications for School Counselors

This study investigates the relationship between academic achievement and reports of student problem behavior from teachers, parents, and child self-reports. Participants included 108 teachers, 113 parents/caregivers, and 129 students from an urban school in the Northeast region of the United States. Results suggest parent and child reports were closely related on identification of problem behaviors. The authors discuss implications for how school counselors can utilize multiple informants.