Implementing%20Professional%20Development%20Strategies%20with%20Direct%20Service%20Providers%20Using%20Positive%20Behavior%20Supports

1
Implementing Professional Development Strategies
with Direct Service Providers Using Positive
Behavior Supports

• Sandra Reifeiss
• Judy Clay
• Shelia M. Smith

2
Providing Behavioral Supports to Young Children
in Inclusive Early Childhood Programs

• ARKANSAS DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
• Sandra Reifeiss

3
How did it happen? What did we do at the State
Level?

• Collaboration-Collaboration- Collaboration with
  the Arkansas Division of Child Care and Early
  Childhood Education

4
Division of Child Care and Early Childhood
Education (DCC-ECE)

• DCC-ECE administers the Arkansas Public Pre-K
  program in Arkansas, Arkansas Better Chance
  program, in a unique partnership among multiple
  state entities
• General Assembly (Appropriation Oversight)
• Arkansas Department of Education (Funding)
• State Board of Education (Rules and Grant
  Approvals)

5
State Legislation

• Act 212 of 1991 created the program with 10
  million dollars. The expansion has grown to 111
  million dollars for 2008.
• The program is providing quality pre-k programs
  for approximately 26,000 three and four year olds
  in over 1000 classrooms this school year.

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Arkansas Pre-K Program

• ABC grants are provided to various agency types.
• 2007-2008 ABC Sites include
• School Districts
• Other non-profit
• Private, for profit
• Education Service Cooperatives
• Faith-based
• Community-based
• Head Start
• University-based

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Early Childhood Special Education Services in the
ABC Program

• In 2006-2007, eleven (11) percent of the children
  in the ABC program received their special
  education and related services in these programs.
• We meet on a regular basis with the
  administrators from the Division of Child Care
  and Early Childhood Education to discuss any
  issues and develop solutions regarding children
  with disabilities in the ABC programs.

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Early Childhood Special Education Services in the
ABC programs

• One issue identified was the need for Early
  Childhood Behavior Specialists due to many
  children being referred to the Early Childhood
  Special Education Program concerning behavior
  issues. The Division, through interagency
  collaboration, provided ABC funding to the
  ADE-Early Childhood Special Education Program for
  approximately sixteen behavior specialists.

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Early Childhood Special Education Services in the
ABC programs

• This new program has provided behavior support
  services to parents and centers. These services
  include on-site observation, consultation,
  in-service training, behavior support planning,
  social skills training and parent training.
  Ongoing consultation and in-service training is
  provided to assist with concerns ranging from
  general classroom management to intensive
  behavior support planning.

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Early Childhood Special Education Services in the
ABC programs

• We were also successful including the following
  procedures into the Rules and Regulations
  governing the Arkansas Better Chance Pre-K
  program
• No child in ABC shall be dismissed or expelled
  from the program for behavior without approval
  from the Division of Child Care and Early
  Childhood Education

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Early Childhood Special Education Services in the
ABC programs

• If necessary, intervention shall ensure each
  child has access to professional services, such
  as referrals to the educational cooperative
  behavioral specialist, the regional support
  network for early autism identification,
  community mental health center and a private
  therapist. If a child in question has a
  disability and is in the process or has been
  identified under IDEA, the ABC program shall
  follow state special education rules and
  regulations governing suspension/expulsion.

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Early Childhood Special Education Services in the
ABC programs

• If children demonstrate inappropriate behavior,
  as indicated by the results of the Deveraux Early
  Childhood Assessment (DECA) given by ABC staff,
  the ABC program shall consult with the Early
  Childhood Special Education program regarding
  classroom modification and interventions.

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ARCH FORD EDUCATION SERVICE COOPERATIVE

• EARLY CHILDHOOD
• SPECIAL EDUCATION
• PROGRAM
• Judy Clay

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Program Overview

• The Arch Ford Early Childhood Program provides
  special education services for children with
  disabilities ages three to five. The services
  are offered in accordance with the Individual
  with Disabilities Education Act, (IDEA) on behalf
  of the public schools.
• The Early Childhood Program provides services on
  behalf of 27 school districts in 7 counties. The
  EC staff consists of
• 1 Coordinator
• 11 Early Childhood Special Education Teachers
• 13 Speech/Language Pathologists
• 5 Para-Educators

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Program Overview

• 1 Behavior Specialist
• 1 Administrative Assistant
• 1 Medicaid Clerk / Office Assistant
• 10 Part-time Purchase Service Speech Pathologists
• Physical Therapists, Occupational Therapists and
  Interpreters contracted as needed
• All staff meet certification requirements as
  approved by the Arkansas Department of Education.
  

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Services Settings

• Services provided by the EC Program include
• Screenings
• Evaluations
• Preschool Instruction
• Speech/Language Therapy
• Physical/Occupational Therapy
• Behavior Consultation

• Services are provided and delivered through a
  free and appropriate public education which
  include
• Public School Based Classrooms
• Day Care Centers
• Head Start Centers
• Arkansas Better Chance Programs (ABC)
• Itinerant Services
• Home Based Instruction

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Service Delivery

• Services are provided in
• 18 Head Start centers
• 204 day cares centers numbers vary based on
  student enrollment
• 47 ABC programs
• Public school classrooms
• Home based settings
• Itinerant settings
• Separate school

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Service Delivery

• Child care regulations are followed and each
  classroom is licensed by the Arkansas Department
  of Human Services.
• Direct services are offered from mid August
  through mid June each year honoring holidays. The
  EC Program operates 190 days each year. There is
  no cost to the family for services. Medicaid and
  private insurance are billed when appropriate.

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Agencies
The EC Program has established a local
interagency council which meets quarterly to
address issues relating to children birth to five
who reside in the cooperative region.
Representatives from various agencies are members
of the council

• Head Start
• Day Care
• Public School
• Parents
• ABC

• Developmental Disabilities Services
• Universities
• Childrens Medical Services
• Department of Human Services

Projects have included the development of a
service directory, brochures, parent training,
behavior workshops, parent activity booklets,
child find information dissemination, transition
procedures, and a resource lending library.
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Arkansas Better ChanceArch Ford ABC Program

• The Arch Ford ABC Program is designed to provide
  safe, healthy, nurturing experiences for
  preschool children in a developmentally
  appropriate setting. In order to be accepted
  into an ABC Program, the child must qualify under
  one or more of the following areas

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Arkansas Better ChanceArch Ford ABC Program
Eligibility

• Teenage parent
• Income level
• Low birth weight (under 5 ½ lbs)
• Parent without high school diploma or GED
• History of abuse/neglect or drug/alcohol abuse
• Disability under IDEA
• Failed developmental screening
• English as a second language

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Evaluation

• Increase in number of children served
• Mastery of IEP goals and objectives
• Reduction of special services needed in public
  school
• Portfolio assessments
• ADE Monitoring
• 1996 Arkansas Exemplary Program Award
• 1997 American Council of Rural Special Education
  National Award
• Parent surveys

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The Arkansas Special Education Early Childhood
Family Outcomes Survey

• Parents complete a 10 item survey rating services
  in the following areas
• Understanding your childs strengths, abilities
  and needs
• Knowing your rights and advocating for your child
  
• Helping your child develop and learn

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Recognized the Need for Behavior Services

• The Arch Ford Early Childhood Program is in its
  20th year of service delivery. Within the past
  few years, the need for behavior services was
  recognized at a state and local level due to
• More children entering the preschool setting due
  to increased number of ABC programs established
  in Arkansas
• Increase in number of children with significant
  behavior concerns
• Number of children dismissed from preschool
  programs due to behavior concerns
• Need for teachers to be trained to work
  effectively with children
• Arch Ford Early Childhood Program established
  Behavior Specialist position in 2005 to address
  such needs.

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State Level

• In the 2006-2007 school year, funds were
  allocated with assistance from ABC Programs to
  establish an Early Childhood Behavior Specialist
  position in each education cooperative throughout
  the state.
• There are a total of 16 Behavior Specialists in
  the state to assist programs served as well as
  parents with concerns related to behavior.

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State Level

• Training was provided by the State to Behavior
  Specialists on research based programs such as
  the DECA Program, Reframing Discipline, Applied
  Behavior Analysis, etc. to assist with effective
  classroom behavior management techniques, the
  development of positive behavior supports, as
  well as, strategies specific to special
  populations such as children with autism.

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ARCH FORD EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAM

• BEHAVIOR SERVICES
• Dr. Shelia Smith

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Research SupportPre-Kindergarteners Left
BehindGilliam, W.S. (2005) Yale University Child
Study Center

• In 2005, the Yale University Child Study Center
  researched expulsion rates in state funded
  pre-kindergarten systems.
• Key findings indicated
• Pre-K students are expelled at a rate more than 3
  times that of K-12 students
• Expulsion rates are lowest in public school
  classrooms and Head Start, and highest in
  for-profit and faith-affiliated centers
• Likelihood of expulsion decreases significantly
  with access to classroom-based behavior
  consultation

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Research SupportPre-Kindergarteners Left
BehindGilliam, W.S. (2005) Yale University Child
Study Center

• Arkansas
• 7 of teachers reported expelling at least one
  Pre-K over the past year
• Expulsion rate ranks 29th among 40 states that
  fund Pre-K with a rate of 4.4 expulsions per
  1,000 enrolled
• Expulsion rate is over 3 times higher than K-12
  rate of 1.2 per 1,000

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Research SupportPre-Kindergarteners Left
BehindGilliam, W.S. (2005) Yale University Child
Study Center

• Based on these findings, researchers recommended
  
• Policies established to prohibit expulsions
• Provide in-service trainings to train teachers to
  effectively manage behavior concerns
• Provide behavior consultation to support teachers
  with the implementation of research based
  behavior interventions

32
Research SupportPre-Kindergarteners Left
BehindGilliam, W.S. (2005) Yale University Child
Study Center

• The goal of early education is to promote school
  readiness. Many children go unready for
  kindergarten because of difficulties regulating
  their emotions and behavior, forming friendships,
  and following adult directives.

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Steps in the Behavior Service Process

1. A request for behavior services is made by
   teacher or parent.
2. The Behavior Specialist contacts via telephone
   conversation to follow-up on request.
3. The teacher and parent are required to complete a
   request packet including parent/teacher
   questionnaires and behavior rating scale.
4. The Behavior Specialist schedules an on-site
   visit to observe the child and consult with the
   teacher and parent.

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Steps in the Behavior Service Process

• Specific needs are identified.
• The team meets to discuss a plan of action.
• Ongoing consultation and support offered with the
  implementation and monitoring of the plan of
  action.

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Who can make a request for behavior services?

• A request for behavior support services can be
  made by an early childhood center, teacher, or
  parent that would like assistance with behavior
  concerns for a child between the ages of 3 to 5.
• It is recommended teachers or parents request
  services when a child exhibits significant
  behavior concerns interfering with the childs
  learning or the learning of peers which may
  include tantrums, physical aggression,
  noncompliance, or difficulty following classroom
  expectations.

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How is a request for behavior services made?

• The request for behavior support services is
  submitted on-line through a state level secured
  website known as the Early Childhood Special
  Education Coordination (ECSpEC).
• Once the request is submitted, the Behavior
  Specialist contacts the requesting person to gain
  further information and to decide how to proceed
  with the request.

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Early Childhood Special Education Coordination
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What assistance can the teacher or parent expect?

• First, the teacher and parent are expected to
  complete a behavior request packet

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What assistance can the teacher or parent expect?

• Parent Packet
• Parent permission for services provided (informed
  consent is obtained according to due process
  procedures if child is receiving special
  education services)
• Questionnaire addressing information such as
  childs strengths, behavior concerns at home,
  discipline techniques, sleeping, eating, mental
  and physical health, and medication.
• Behavior rating scale such as the Devereux Early
  Childhood Assessment- Clinical Version (DECA-C)
  or Behavior Assessment Scale for Children
  (BASC-2)- Parent Rating Scales Preschool

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What assistance can the teacher or parent expect?

• Teacher Packet
• Questionnaire addressing information such as
  childs strengths, activities enjoyed, behavior
  concerns at school, classroom behavior management
  policies, individual behavior strategies, best
  time of day, and worst time of day
• Behavior rating scale such as the Devereux Early
  Childhood Assessment- Clinical Version (DECA-C)
  or Behavior Assessment Scale for Children
  (BASC-2)- Teacher Rating Scales Preschool
• Behavior observations for at least a 1 week
  period using specified form included in packet
• Copy of discipline policy
• Copy of daily schedule

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What assistance can the teacher or parent expect?

• After the request packets are completed, the
  Behavior Specialist schedules an on-site visit to
  observe the child in his natural environment and
  meet with teachers and parents.
• Based on all information gathered, specific needs
  are identified which may include
• additional screening and assessment of behavior
  concerns and/or developmental delays
• teacher in-service training
• parent training

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Tertiary Prevention Specialized
Individualized Systems for Students with
High-Risk Behavior
CONTINUUM OF SCHOOL-WIDE INSTRUCTIONAL
POSITIVE BEHAVIOR SUPPORT
5
15
Secondary Prevention Specialized Group Systems
for Students with At-Risk Behavior
Primary Prevention School-/Classroom- Wide
Systems for All Students, Staff, Settings
80 of Students
Center for Positive Behavior Interventions and
Supports (2002)
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What assistance can the teacher or parent expect?

• Once needs are identified, the team which may
  include center director, teacher,
  paraprofessional, parents, special education
  teacher, speech language therapist, and behavior
  specialist meet to discuss a plan of action to
  address needs focused on establishing positive
  behavior supports.
• On some occasions, the Behavior Specialist will
  address and work on classroom management issues
  with the teacher before meeting with the team to
  address specific strategies for the individual
  child.

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What assistance can the teacher or parent expect?

• Ongoing consultation and support is provided to
  the teacher and parent with the implementation
  and monitoring of interventions.
• Modeling of effective classroom management
  techniques
• Data collection to monitor intervention
  effectiveness
• Individual meetings with parents to discuss
  parenting skills used at home
• Follow-up visits on an as needed basis which may
  be several times a week before fading out to
  bi-monthly or monthly visits

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Other Services Provided

• Summer in-service trainings offered to teachers,
  paraprofessionals, special education teachers,
  speech language therapists, occupational
  therapists, and school administrators
• Topics of trainings include effective classroom
  management including prevention and intervention
  strategies, effective communication with parents,
  functional behavior assessment and behavior
  planning, and autism
• Involvement in special education team meetings

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Other Services Provided

• Transitioning children with behavior concerns to
  public schools
• Implementation of Incredible Years social skills
  program at the classroom level
• 6 week parent training program using the
  Incredible Years Parenting Program
• Guest speaker at parent meetings held by Head
  Start agencies and ABC programs
• Guest speaker at local universities to students
  enrolled in early childhood or special education
  classes
• Involvement in state and local committee
  conferences to address behavior concerns

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Behavior Services so farNumber of Behavior
Requests
48
Behavior Services so farEarly Childhood
Settings Requesting Services 2007-2008
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Behavior Services so far

• Most behavior requests are made by teachers in
  Arkansas Better Chance Programs.
• The majority of behavior concern requests are due
  to noncompliance, physical aggression toward
  teachers and peers, and difficulty following
  classroom expectations.
• Our goal is always to help establish positive
  behavior supports for the classroom and the child
  with behavior concerns.

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Success Stories

• The in-service trainings provided have had a
  domino effect with attending teachers going back
  to their centers and instructing
  paraprofessionals and other staff members with
  the implementation of positive behavior support
  strategies.
• Our special education staff have learned to
  effectively implement positive behavior support
  strategies, program effectively for children with
  behavior concerns, and consult with teachers on
  behavior concerns.

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Success Stories

• We are now seeing a trend that teachers who have
  made requests in the previous years are more
  effective in classroom management therefore,
  time is not spent addressing interventions at the
  primary level but instead addressing the specific
  needs of the child with behavior concerns.
• More early childhood centers are seeking behavior
  assistance before dismissing children from their
  programs.

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Success StoriesTeacher Comments

• I believe this program provides many benefits
  for teachers. Sometimes we run out of ideas or
  ways to help and we get frustrated. This program
  helps with that because it provides a new focus
  and new techniques and ideas.
• There is a GREAT need for this. We personally
  have several children with slight behavioral
  problems. Shelia Smith was visiting one child
  here and this helped us with the others.
• There is a great need. In theory the earlier the
  intervention the better. Many teachers dont know
  where to turn to or how to get support.

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Success StoriesTeacher Comments

• This program has helped me to better understand
  a childs behavior and has provided me with
  various techniques to try. Not only could I use
  these techniques with the behavior child but with
  all my students.
• It was so encouraging to have someone there to
  consult with about behaviors. Too often this is
  just left up to the childhood educator to deal
  with having no other reinforcement/encouragement.
  Wonderful, new program!

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Challenges Faced

• The turnover rate in childcare centers and the
  continued efforts that are needed to retrain
  staff.
• The time involved in traveling as well as
  effectively monitoring due to the large
  geographic area served.
• The increasing number of children and early
  childhood centers in need of service.
• Outside factors that influence behavior concerns
  including the degree and severity of behavior
  concerns, home environment, teacher attitudes,
  and center conditions.
• Teachers and parents following through and
  consistently implementing recommendations.
• Teachers and parents wanting a quick fix to
  behavior concerns and not realizing it is a
  process that takes time.

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Lessons Learned

• Establishing a specific behavior request for
  services process has streamlined requests.
• Creating a brochure to detail the request process
  and services offered has assisted teachers and
  parents in making requests as well as
  understanding expectations.
• Teacher in-service training has been a time
  effective method in educating large groups of
  teachers.
• Incorporating the use of telephone calls and
  email to consult with teachers and parents
  instead of weekly on-site visits.

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Identified Needs for the Future

• This year we have employed School Psychology
  Interns to assist with providing behavior
  services.
• We are beginning to utilize and train School
  Psychology Doctorate Practicum Students from a
  local university to assist with providing
  behavior services.
• We have identified the need for a program
  evaluation of our behavior services and will be
  developing a program evaluation plan this spring.
  

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EARLY CHILDHOOD
Making a Difference!
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Resources

• Gilliam, W.S. (2005). Prekindergarteners left
  behind Expulsion rates in state prekindergarten
  systems. New Haven, CT Yale University Child
  Study Center.
• The Incredible Years Program
• www.incredibleyears.com
• The Devereux Early Childhood Initiative
• www.devereux.org

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Resources

• Center for Evidence Based Practice (CEBP) for
  Young Children with Challenging Behavior, now the
  Technical Assistance Center on Social Emotional
  Intervention (TACSEI) for Young Children
• www.challengingbehavior.org
• Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations
  for Early Learning (CSFEL)
• www.vanderbilt.edu/csefel/

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Resources

• NECTAC conference calls
• Implementing Positive Behavior Supports within
  Local Systems (January 2008)
• www.nectac.org/calls/2008/sec619/call1.asp
• Promoting the Social, Emotional, and Behavioral
  Development Outcomes of young children (February
  2007)
• www.nectac.org/calls/2007/challengingbehavior/cha
  llenge.asp