An Adaptation of Multitiered Systems of Professional Development to Support Teacher Implementation of Tier 2 Behavioral Supports

General education teachers encounter challenges with behavior management that are compounded by limited experience and training on implementing targeted behavioral supports. One research-based method to support teacher implementation of behavioral interventions is on-site coaching. Unfortunately, coaching can be a time- and resource-intensive approach to professional development. The purpose of this article is to provide intervention team leaders with a step-by-step process for providing feasible coaching support to teacher implementers of Tier 2 behavioral supports.

Peer Prompting and Reinforcement for Supporting Positive Behavioral Development in Students With EBD

Peer-mediated interventions (PMIs) are an effective support for students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) for improving targeted behavioral skills. As one of the most important strategies in PMI, peer prompting and reinforcement (PR) provides an effective approach for developing and maintaining positive behavior. This article provides practitioners serving elementary school students with and/or at risk for EBD with a step-by-step process for implementing PMI using PR strategy, including steps for intervention intensification when data suggest that as a path forward.

Using the Self-Advocacy Strategy to Support Middle School Students With EBD

Self-advocacy skills enable active student involvement in the Individualized Education Program planning process. However, some students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) lack appropriate self-advocacy skills and may require specific instruction in how to prepare for and participate in their own IEP. Special educators may have limited knowledge and skills to foster the self-advocacy skills of students with EBD. Therefore, this article focuses on a research-based strategy, the Self-Advocacy Strategy (SAS), that can be used by educators to effectively promote students’ self-advocacy skills. Research support and a detailed overview and guidelines on how educators can implement the SAS in their classrooms are included.

Not Separate but Not Equal: Improving Equity in Discipline in Racially and Ethnically Diverse School Settings

Educational inequities leading to deleterious outcomes and related to discipline continue within racially and ethnically diverse schools for a myriad of reasons. Districts and schools require deliberate planning and systems change prioritized by educational administrators to address both interpersonal and structural racism and biases. This article outlines a blueprint that leverages the positive behavioral interventions and supports framework in completion of the following: (a) code of conduct revisions, (b) data analysis, (c) cultural and implicit bias awareness, and (d) culturally responsive hiring, training, and teaching.

Using Guided Practice for Students With EBD Within Explicit Instruction

Guided practice within explicit instruction has been shown to be an effective method for teaching academic and behavioral skills to students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD). The support provided through guided practice allows students to acquire new skills confidently and successfully. This article provides practitioners of students with and at risk for EBD steps for incorporating guided practice into their instructional routine.

Supporting Students With Disabilities With Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports in the Classroom: Lessons Learned From Research and Practice

Positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) is a widely adopted framework to support the social, emotional, and behavioral growth of all students. This article addresses two key questions related to supporting students with disabilities through PBIS: (a) Why focus on universal classroom PBIS practices?—without support, students with disabilities experience poor outcomes—and (b) How do you implement PBIS in classrooms that support all students?—differentiate and intensify supports.

Stop Banging Your Head: Changing Self-Injurious Behavior Into Communication

Self-injurious behavior is prevalent in early childhood impacting up to 53% of young children with disabilities. Once these behaviors are consistently present, they may become resistant to intervention. The purpose of this article is to provide early care and education center providers and family caregivers with ways to effectively reduce self-injurious behavior.

Trauma-Informed Care in Schools: A Necessity in the Time of COVID-19

With students having experienced dramatic changes to their lives and perhaps personally experiencing serious illness and death within their immediate or extended families due to the COVID-19 pandemic, schools may have to examine how to broadly implement the use of trauma-informed care in schools. This article examines why experiences related to the pandemic are considered traumas and what supportive practices have been identified in the research that educators can use to help students.