The purpose of Tier 2 positive behavior interventions and supports (PBIS) is to address identified social, emotional, and behavioral needs with efficient, targeted interventions. Although only 10% to 15% of each school's population will require Tier 2 supports, without effective systems, practices, and data, students will continue to demonstrate…

The purpose of this monograph is to advance thinking about transforming how schools play their role in addressing barriers to learning and teaching. In the process, the authors discuss embedding and framing the evolving literatures related to improvement and implementation sciences into a general intervention perspective. Part I of this monograph…

Educators will be tasked with planning for children with many different needs. The aim of this article is to provide specific information about Rubinstein-Taybi Syndrome (RTS) to those who may be interested. This syndrome is rare and has not been well researched. This article contains information about the physical, cognitive, and developmental…

This paper presents a conceptual framework to understand the Nurtured Heart Approach (NHA) through the perspective of Self-Determination Theory (SDT). The Nurtured Heart Approach and the Self-Determination Theory are discussed and the parallels are drawn between the two, to provide a theoretical foundation to NHA and support for its effectiveness,…

Delivering high rates of opportunities to respond (OTR) has been shown to improve student outcomes for students with challenging behavior. High rates of OTR can maximize student engagement while providing ways for teachers to quickly assess student content mastery. Given the increasing trend of technology use in schools, teachers can leverage…

If you are like most educators, you agree with the idea of providing intensive intervention for students with the most intractable academic and behavior problems. The question you may be asking is, how do I find the time? Intensive intervention requires time for planning and delivering individualized instruction, as well as time for collecting and…

At least 46 states have set postsecondary attainment goals to improve the educational opportunities and livelihoods of their citizens and to meet workforce demands in a changing labor market. While the data is still emerging, the widespread use of administrative holds by postsecondary institutions may be undermining state education and workforce…

Behavior and academic outcomes in school are interrelated; students who struggle with academics are likelier to exhibit troublesome behavior and students who struggle with behavior tend to fall behind academically. Multitiered systems of support (MTSS) offer frameworks for providing increasingly intensive support for students with academic and…

Arguing that there is a "glaring" disconnect between recommended policy and actual practice in the area of grading, the authors outline four common grading practices that they say can impair instructional integrity and distort academic outcomes: 1) the use of the an average, or arithmetic mean, of performances to calculate a final grade;…

ADHD's becoming more prevalent in classrooms speaks to how schools must train and support their teachers to stop and work with their "non-stop" students to build a strong relationship with them. This concept becomes challenging when behaviours get in the way of learning, and teachers lack confidence to teach and support students with…

This article provides an overview of single-case research design and how it can be used in concert with Improvement Science. Hypothetical examples of using single-case design to inform improvement efforts are provided, as is a discussion of connections between this methodology and Improvement Science. Resources for further study are also provided.

This brief provides an overview of how to identify and determine why a student may be avoiding or refusing to attend school, and ways that schoolwide positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) teams can help to assess and address school refusal. We will introduce a research-based framework to engage in problem-solving to better support…

Students' early problem behaviors in school can be disruptive and even hinder their learning and long-term success. To prevent and address these problem behaviors, schools across the country report adopting multi-tiered systems of support for behavior (MTSS-B). This one-page document highlights findings from "Study of Training in Multi-Tiered…

During lengthy instructional periods, many students can disengage from the task by looking out the window, daydreaming, etc. For the majority of students, this disengagement is short-lived, and they easily redirect back to the assignment. However, for some students, their lengthier distraction draws the attention of the teacher. When such mild…

Cox, Villegas, and Barlow (2018) published a reply to an article in which I (Shyman, 2016) argued that there were fundamental philosophical problems with behavior analytic intervention that prevent it from being considered as a humanistic approach. A number of important points were raised about the argument including criticisms and the need for…