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Early childhood educators often lack adequate preparation in the delivery of evidence-based practices. However, providing preservice teachers with ongoing implementation support during field-based training experiences may serve to occasion evidence-based practice delivery when they enter the field of early childhood education. Using a concurrent multiple baseline across participants design, this study examined the effectiveness of a multitiered consultation model to increase three early childhood preservice teachers' rates of behavior-specific praise in target and generalization settings. The results indicated all three preservice teachers' rates of behavior-specific praise increased across target and generalization settings, with evidence that praise rates maintained following removal of implementation supports. The results, limitations, and implications for research and practice are described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although behavior-specific praise (BSP) is a recommended practice for early childhood populations, early childhood educators often deliver variable rates of BSP. To support educators, face-to-face, school-based consultation may be provided; however, this may not always be feasible. To address this, emerging research is beginning to investigate the effectiveness, feasibility, and social validity of emailed supports to overcome barriers to feasibility. Using a multiple baselines across participants design, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness and social validity of an emailed prompt package for increasing three early childhood educators' rates of BSP in target and generalization classroom activities in a university-based child development center. Results indicated that all three early childhood educators' rates of BSP increased and maintained in both target and generalization settings. Limitations and implications for future research and practice are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many teachers struggle to implement behavioral interventions in the classroom with sufficient treatment integrity. One way to support teachers' intervention implementation is through bug-in-the-ear (BITE) training, a training format in which a school-based consultant provides teachers real-time prompts and immediate performance feedback as teachers interact with students. In the current study, a multiple baseline design across three teachers was used to test the independent effects of BITE training on teachers' initial and maintained use of effective instruction delivery (EID), an intervention for increasing student compliance with teacher instructions. Student compliance in response to EID was also measured. Results indicated immediate and large increases in EID and student compliance, with both outcomes maintained at high levels post-BITE training. Teachers also rated BITE training positively on a social validity measure. Limitations, directions for future research, and implications for applied practice are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Preschool children experience a variety of risk factors that could result in the development of more severe mental and behavioral health issues later in life. Simple, teacher-delivered interventions, such as behavior-specific praise, are effective for altering at-risk preschool children's behavioral trajectory. However, preschool teachers are often not well-trained in the implementation of evidence-based classroom management strategies. The purpose of this study was to test the efficacy of a school-based consultation modality, in situ training, for increasing and maintaining four Head Start teachers' use of behavior-specific praise. Of particular interest was whether Head Start teachers generalized their use of behavior-specific praise to settings in which in situ training did not occur. Results indicated that all four Head Start teachers increased and maintain their use of behavior-specific praise and generalized their use of praise to settings in which in situ training did not occur. Furthermore, concomitant improvements in the Head Start teachers' children were observed. Implications, limitations, and directions for future research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

School-based consultation is effective for improving teachers' use of evidence-based classroom management strategies. However, teachers often respond differentially to varying types of consultation strategies. This study utilized a multiple baseline design across four teachers (i.e., two preschool and two elementary) to examine the effectiveness of a tiered consultation model for increasing teachers' rate of behavior-specific praise and concomitant child outcomes. Tiers in this study included large-group didactic training (Tier 1), digital performance feedback (Tier 2), and a tactile prompt (Tier 3). Results indicated that three of four teachers increased their rate of behavior-specific praise during Tier 2 consultation, with two maintaining following termination of Tier 2 consultation. One teacher required Tier 3 consultation, which resulted in increased rates of behavior-specific praise. Furthermore, results indicated that children's display of appropriately engaged behavior increased and disruptive behavior decreased in three of the four classrooms. Implications for practice, limitations, and directions for future research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study used a single-case design to examine two performance feedback conditions varying in intensity on the frequency of naturalistic math instruction in preschool classrooms during non-instructional times (transition, lunch, free play). Three Head Start teachers received professional development that combined information on four math-oriented milieu teaching strategies (incidental teaching, time delay, mand model, and model), milieu teaching scripts, and goal setting. Teachers then received a feedback package of relatively higher intensity associated with a performance criterion followed by lower-intensity, continued support feedback package. Teachers increased the use of math-oriented milieu teaching strategies and positive attention across intervention conditions. In addition, two of the three teachers evidenced generalization of milieu teaching strategies across contexts and content areas. Results are discussed in terms of conceptualizations of intervention intensity and implications for practice, limitations, and future directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Twenty-nine peer-reviewed journal articles that analyzed intervention implementation in schools using single-case experimental designs were meta-analyzed. These studies reported 171 separate data paths and provided 3,991 data points. The meta-analysis was accomplished by fitting data extracted from graphs in mixed linear growth models. This analytic approach was adopted to provide a model whose assumptions were met and could model both level and trend. The extent to which interventions were implemented as planned in baseline was low with a downward trend. Performance feedback, performance feedback augmented with additional procedures, and self-monitoring with environmental supports were found to be highly effective for improving intervention implementation. Follow-up meetings without review of implementation data were ineffective. Maintenance data were positive across studies. Implications of the results for future research and practice are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study utilized a quasi-experimental design to investigate the effects of a data dissemination strategy on the development of letter naming and object counting skills in preschoolers. The intervention involved the repeated assessment of these skills and a framework for how the resulting data were made available to teachers. The framework highlights: (a) limiting data collection to performance assessments of variables under teacher control, (b) frequent assessment of these variables, (c) graphic display of data and (d) presentation of data in peer-group workshops. The intervention resulted in improved performance on both outcome variables relative to a no treatment control group and a phonics control group. In addition, teaching behaviors were observed to occur during the intervention that predicted child academic outcomes. Discussion is focused on how non-directive data management strategies may improve teacher adherence to evidence-based practices and child academic outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Functional assessment procedures have proven useful for developing effective individualized interventions for a wide variety of populations and behavioral concerns. However, fewer studies have been conducted with preschool students who exhibit high incidence problem behaviors. The current study includes data from comprehensive functional assessments and interventions implemented in preschool and Head Start classrooms. Three preschool students and five teachers participated in the study. Each student received a comprehensive functional assessment for problem behavior that included a teacher interview, descriptive assessment, and abbreviated functional analysis. Assessment data were used to develop individualized function-based interventions that were implemented by experimenters and teachers. The function-based interventions resulted in decreases in problem behavior for all three students. Additionally, convergence between functional assessment procedures was obtained for all participants. Finally, social validity data indicated that teachers found the assessment and intervention procedures acceptable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined general education teachers’ implementation of a peer tutoring intervention for five elementary students referred for consultation and intervention due to academic concerns. Treatment integrity was assessed via permanent products produced by the intervention. Following verbal instructions, intervention implementation by four teachers was consistently low or exhibited a downward trend whereas one teacher’s moderate implementation co-occurred with student gains. When classroom training was conducted with four teachers exhibiting low integrity, all teachers improved implementation. After accurately implementing the intervention for three training sessions with classroom training, response dependent performance feedback was provided when teachers independently used the intervention below 100% integrity, as determined by review of permanent products. With response dependent performance feedback, three of the four teachers implemented the intervention at levels above the verbal training performance, whereas implementation for one teacher increased following discussion of an upcoming school team meeting. Student math scores improved during intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]