This study used a single-subject, multiple baseline across participants research design to explore the effects of a multi-component intervention on pre-service teachers’ use of behavior-specific praise (BSP). The intervention consisted of explicit instruction and modeling of the skill, followed by on- going video self-analysis, self-monitoring, and performance feedback. Participants (n=4) were undergraduate senior teacher education students who were completing their student teaching semester. Results indicate improvements in BSP rates across all four student teachers, and participants found the intervention to be socially valid. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.

Progress monitoring is an essential element of effectively implementing individualized behavior support. Behavioral progress monitoring allows student support teams to evaluate both the effectiveness of interventions and the fidelity of plan implementation. The purpose of this discussion article is to provide recommendations and guiding questions for student support teams to build progress monitoring structures and routines across the areas of outcome and fidelity measures, implementation, and decision systems.

This chapter describes Multi-tiered Systems of Support (MTSS), with a specific focus on Response to Intervention (RTI) and Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS). When outlining MTSS, authors address how MTSS evolved as well as operating characteristics of the framework. MTSS is a prevention-based framework for enhancing the development and implementation of a continuum of evidence-based practices to achieve academically and behaviorally important outcomes for all students. It can be designed and implemented to promote racial equity and healing in schools and is grounded in and shaped by a number of foundational influences. These influences include (a) supporting youth with disabilities and special education; (b) curriculum-based measurement and precision teaching; (c) teacher consultation and support; (d) prevention science; (e) behavioral sciences; (f) evidence-based practices; (g) direct instruction; and (h) innovation implementation research. School counselors can use MTSS to address root causes of discipline disparities and explicitly integrate action to advance racial equity into MTSS' implementation. This chapter discusses the rationale for why this work is critically important, and how to leverage MTSS work to achieve needed change.

Improving educator effectiveness and school functioning requires continuous attention to practice selection, implementation fidelity, and progress monitoring, especially in the context of systemic school reform efforts. As such, supporting professional development must be targeted, comprehensive, efficient, and relevant. In particular, coaching must be established to bridge the implementation gap from knowing-to-doing. To increase the precision with which we develop and use coaching supports, we describe how (a) coaching is conceptualized, described, and operationalized within a multi-tiered system of support (MTSS) framework using a behavioral approach; (b) professional development activities are considered from a teaching and phases of learning perspective; and (c) critical coaching components are implemented from within a multi-tiered support systems framework. Existing and future research about effective coaching is also considered.

Socially skilled students are more successful in school. Just like academic skills, social skills need to be explicitly taught. Students, including students who display at-risk behavior, benefit when social skills instruction is delivered schoolwide as part of a comprehensive intervention approach. This article presents a seven-step action planning sequence to facilitate schoolwide social skills instruction-highlighting how an expectations-within-settings matrix facilitates effective, efficient, and contextually relevant schoolwide social skills instruction. Useful tools, including an example matrix, lesson plan template, and implementation fidelity self-assessment, are included.