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Daily behavior report cards (DBRCs) have shown to be effective in addressing academic and behavioral challenges for a variety of students in past literature. The purpose of this literature review and analysis is to update and summarize findings on the use of DBRCs on academic and social behavior for students considered to have disruptive behaviors or identified with disabilities. We identified eleven studies in the literature examining DBRCs with 390 participants with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, specific learning disabilities, emotional behavioral disorders, speech and language, multiple disabilities, other health impairments, or considered to have disruptive behavior in Pre-K through sixth grade academic settings. We also calculated effect sizes overall for each study and student-based characteristics. Findings suggest that using DBRCs have a range from weak to strong impact on the academic and social behaviors of students considered to have disruptive behaviors or students with disabilities in classroom settings. We present implications for research and practice.

Classroom management is essential for student related academic and behavioral outcomes. Novice teachers, as well as faculty members, of special education teacher preparation programs report insufficient preparedness in providing meaningful behavioral supports to exceptional learners. With advancements in technology, tactile prompting is a promising modality for teachers to overcome cognitive overload and facilitate more effective practice of classroom management behaviors. We used a multiple-baseline, across behaviors design to assess the effects of prompting with wearable technology (i.e., Apple Watch™) to increase behavior-specific praise, active questioning, and classroom scanning of a preservice special education teacher. Results indicate a functional relation between prompting with wearable technology and targeted increases across multiple behaviors. Behavior-specific praise rates, however, faded synchronously with prompting fades. The participant rated the intervention as a non-intrusive, effective device to increase teaching behaviors. Implications for future research and classroom use are discussed.

An ABAB reversal design was utilized to examine the effects of an electronic daily behavior report card (eDBRC) on non-compliant, off-task, and disruptive classroom behaviors of a 16-year-old with autism spectrum disorder and a 17-year-old with an intellectual disability. The intervention was implemented by two preservice teachers (interventionists) in their final student teaching requirement. In addition to visual analysis procedures, effect sizes (i.e., Tau-U) were calculated. The research questions were: (1) What are the effects of eDBRCs on participants' disruptive and challenging classroom behaviors, (2) To what extent do preservice teachers implement eDBRCs with fidelity, and (3) Are eDBRCs a socially valid intervention? Upon completion of our study the eDBRC was effective in reducing non-compliant, off-task, and disruptive behaviors. We found that preservice special educators can implement a complex behavior intervention to support the outcomes of their learners during the student teaching experience. Additionally, we suggest eDBRCs are an acceptable intervention for students with autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disabilities.

Daily behavior report cards (DBRCs) have shown promise in reducing problematic classroom behaviors. The effectiveness of DBRCs has been used widely examined with respect to students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, specific learning disabilities, and other high incidence disabilities. Past research has primarily focused on students in primary grades, with a limited number of studies examining students in secondary grades, in particular students in high school. Even fewer studies have examined the effectiveness of DBRCs implemented by novice special educators. The purpose of the current study was twofold: (1) to examine the effectiveness of a DBRC in reducing off-task classroom behavior for a high school student with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and (2) to evaluate the delivery of an intensive intervention by a novice special education teacher. A preservice special education teacher implemented the intervention. A changing criterion design was used to examine the effectiveness of the intervention. We analyzed the data using visual analysis and calculated effect sizes using Tau-U. The results suggested that DBRCs are an acceptable and effective treatment for reducing off-task behavior with a student with ASD when implemented by a novice special education teacher. Data were collected to measure the novice teacher's implementation fidelity. Additionally, the results showed that a novice special education teacher can be trained to implement a behavior management program for a student presenting inappropriate classroom behaviors with high fidelity.

Enormous resources are committed by universities to prepare special educators to impact student outcomes of our most vulnerable and neediest learners. Generalizing teaching skills from university to K-12 classrooms must be a component of teacher preparation curriculum; otherwise, we continue to merely train our teacher candidates and hope they sustain and generalize their newly acquired skills. Through self-reported surveys and extant data analysis, we identify the extent to which our sample of special education teacher preparation programs are teaching their teacher candidates to generalize newly acquired teaching skills to in-service settings in K-12 classrooms. Results indicate ambiguity with familiarity of generalization techniques and fidelity of implementation. Programming for generalization is absent in reviewed course syllabi, and student teaching supervisors report a disconnect between university and classroom realities. We recommend a systematic approach to programming for generalization by increasing awareness of generalization techniques through professional development, including accountability measures in course syllabi, focusing on high-leverage practices to create more cohesive preparation programs, and improving communication between instructors and student teaching supervisors. Limitations and future research recommendations are discussed.

Researchers are exploring innovative technologies to prepare educators. A systematic literature review was conducted to study the role of tactile prompting (i.e., vibratory signals on a schedule) in teacher education. Ten studies meeting inclusion criteria were synthesized and analyzed based on how tactile prompting is utilized, effects of tactile prompting, and quality of research. Findings suggest studies with tactile prompting as the primary independent variable, or condition within a phase, demonstrated medium to very high Tau-U single-case effect sizes (range = 0.54-1.00) and high social acceptability on classroom management teaching behaviors. Simplistic prompting devices reduce cost, training, and anxiety barriers to adoption; however, innovations in wearable technology provide opportunities for a more robust behavior modification tool. Research suggests tactile prompting reduces cognitive load and provides multiple opportunities to practice, which has value in time-constrained preparation programs. Further exploration of this technique in teacher education is warranted.

It is paramount that teacher preparation programs continually strive toward the mission of preparing effective special educators. Through coursework and fieldwork, graduates must be well-informed professionals capable of improving student outcomes by understanding, selecting, and engaging in evidence-based practice (EBP). Evidence suggesting special educators are not implementing EBP with fidelity underscores the necessity for teacher educators to reexamine our role in promoting EBP in schools. Following an analysis of current challenges, ranging from lack of reinforcement provided to teachers who use EBP to the breadth of expertise needed as contemporary special educators, we offer a path forward. Starting within our own college classrooms, we explore traditional and innovative methods of enhancing knowledge and skills that rely on EBP. Next, we highlight the transition from coursework to fieldwork and the importance of building teacher preparation programs around clinically-rich teaching experiences. We then unpack issues related to fidelity and generalization of EBP by preservice teachers and provide a model for its promotion. We conclude with the critical role teacher educators have in elevating the status of teacher preparation by ensuring our preservice teachers know and use EBP in their own classrooms.

Coaching in the school setting typically follows the traditional format of preconference, observe, and postconference, where feedback on teaching performance is shared but often delayed. Professional development (PD) provides teachers with skills to enhance their teaching practice with little to no follow-up or support. The most effective way to produce change in the school setting is to show the connection between PD and student performance, and iCoaching can help to bridge the gap. In this study, four teachers participated in a focused PD session and subsequent iCoaching sessions where the researcher used iPods and Bluetooth earbuds as a bug-in-ear (BIE) device. A coach served as a live, remote observer providing coaching prompts to increase teacher-delivered opportunities to respond (OTR). The results indicated that iCoaching was effective in increasing teacher-delivered OTR and in increasing student responses and academic performance.

Daily behavior report cards (DBRCs) have shown promise in reducing problematic classroom behaviors. The effectiveness of DBRCs has been used widely examined with respect to students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, specific learning disabilities, and other high incidence disabilities. Past research has primarily focused on students in primary grades, with a limited number of studies examining students in secondary grades, in particular students in high school. Even fewer studies have examined the effectiveness of DBRCs implemented by novice special educators. The purpose of the current study was twofold: (1) to examine the effectiveness of a DBRC in reducing off-task classroom behavior for a high school student with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and (2) to evaluate the delivery of an intensive intervention by a novice special education teacher. A preservice special education teacher implemented the intervention. A changing criterion design was used to examine the effectiveness of the intervention. We analyzed the data using visual analysis and calculated effect sizes using Tau-U. The results suggested that DBRCs are an acceptable and effective treatment for reducing off-task behavior with a student with ASD when implemented by a novice special education teacher. Data were collected to measure the novice teacher's implementation fidelity. Additionally, the results showed that a novice special education teacher can be trained to implement a behavior management program for a student presenting inappropriate classroom behaviors with high fidelity., Author(s): Benjamin S. Riden [sup.1], Jonté C. Taylor [sup.2], Sal Ruiz [sup.3], David L. Lee [sup.2], Mary Catherine Scheeler [sup.2] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.258041.a, 000000012179395X, Educational Foundation and Exceptionalities Department, [...]

In today's autistic-support classrooms, paraeducators are tasked with working with our neediest students yet report that they are unprepared for their roles despite attempts at training. The special education teachers who are tasked with coaching and supervising several paraeducators at a time in their classrooms report that they too are unprepared to work with paraeducators in this capacity. In this study, the authors examine the effects of the special education teacher providing immediate feedback via bug-in-ear to the paraeducator on increasing a specific teaching behavior, providing contingent specific praise. Two special education teachers and four paraeducators working in two separate autistic-support classrooms participated in the multiple-baseline across participants study. When immediate feedback from the teacher was introduced in the intervention condition, percentage of occurrences of contingent specific praise increased for all paraeducators and continued at high levels even when the intervention was faded. Rate of occurrences also increased. In addition, the special education teachers and paraeducators all rated the intervention as a beneficial technique they liked using and found motivating and helpful. Implications for classroom use are discussed.

Teacher preparation programs are under scrutiny for their role in the troubled American educational system. Thus, teacher educators must encourage teachers to use effective teaching practices. One technique for increasing use of effective practices is providing feedback to teachers on both newly acquired and ingrained teaching behaviors. To determine attributes of effective performance feedback, a systematic search for empirical literature was completed. Analysis of the ten identified studies indicates attributes of feedback that have been studied fall into categories of (a) nature of feedback, (b) temporal dimensions of feedback, and (c) who gives feedback. Through this review, attributes of feedback were classified as either promising or effective practice in changing specific teaching behaviors. Only immediate feedback was identified as an effective attribute. Promising practices for feedback to teachers included feedback that was specific, positive, and/or corrective. These findings, recommendations and directions for additional research in feedback and teacher preparation are discussed.

University faculty and supervisors dedicated to the preparation of future teachers are facing more challenges than ever before in doing more with less. This includes supervising more preservice teachers in more schools, spread out over a wide geographic area. Feedback is essential to learning, and recent research suggests that the most effective feedback is immediate rather than delayed. New advances in technology may make the job of supervision more efficient and when used to provide immediate feedback, more effective as well. Research was conducted to evaluate the effects of using webcams and Bluetooth[TM] technology to deliver immediate feedback to special education preservice teachers in practicum placements from remote locations. Results suggest that immediate feedback provided via this technology was effective in increasing the targeted technique in all five preservice teachers who participated in the study. Each participant rated the intervention as acceptable. Implications for classroom application are discussed. (Contains 2 figures.)

Significant dollars are spent each school year on professional development programs to improve teachers' effectiveness in the classroom. The usefulness of these programs can be measured by the consistent application (i.e., implementation integrity) of skills which were taught in the training sessions. This study assessed the integrity with which pre-service teachers used a differential reinforcement of alternate behavior (DRA) strategy taught to them during their student teaching experience. Seven student teachers in general education settings participated. Teaching assignments ranged from early elementary through high school in urban, suburban, and rural settings. Intervention consisted of a 1-h workshop and individual feedback meetings following direct classroom observation. Results showed that (a) student teachers increased their number of correct DRA responses as measured by accurate teacher feedback to students, and (b) students showed increased hand-raising and decreased talk-outs. Implications for helping pre-service general education teachers to teach more consistently and effectively in inclusive settings are discussed.

More children with special needs are educated in general education classrooms than ever before. Ideally, special education and general education teachers work together in these settings as instructional teams, but a "one teaching, one assisting" model is often in place with the special education teacher assuming a subordinate role. As such, the authors conducted research to determine whether changes can be made in teacher instruction so that both teachers in a collaborative team are highly engaged in the instructional process during the lesson. The authors used a multiple-baseline, across-participants design to assess the effects of peer coaches' giving immediate corrective feedback via bug-in-ear technology on a specific teaching behavior during instruction. Three dyads of co-teachers participated (five women, one man). Each teacher met criterion (three consecutive sessions at 90% or higher) in just three sessions, maintained the behavior at high levels postintervention, and generalized the behavior to a different setting without the peer coach present. Teachers rated the treatment as a beneficial technique that they would recommend to others. Implications for classroom use are discussed. (Contains 1 figure.)

High school graduation requirements are becoming increasingly demanding. In addition to meeting academic benchmarks, some school districts have added performance requirements such as oral presentations to their criteria for earning a high school diploma. This type of requirement may present an additional challenge for students with learning disabilities. Research was conducted to determine if a treatment package consisting of immediate feedback delivered via wireless technology by peer tutors was effective with improving oral presentation skills in four high school senior girls with learning disabilities. Results suggest that immediate feedback provided by peer tutors (compared with delayed feedback) was effective in decreasing undesirable target behaviors that interfered with performance, in all four participants. Each participant also rated the treatment as acceptable. Implications for practice are discussed. (Contains 1 figure and 1 table.)

A clear need to teach preservice teachers to generalize newly acquired teaching skills across time and settings has been well established in the literature. Few empirical studies exist that inform teacher educators on ways to promote generalization of teaching skills with beginning teachers, however. Programming for generalization continues to be a missing link between preservice teacher preparation and inservice application of skills. Four factors emerge as important to sustaining teaching skills in classrooms based on a review of the research. A model for promoting generalization of teaching skills using these factors is described including using immediate feedback to promote acquisition of skills, training to mastery to promote maintenance of behavior, programming for generalization, and providing performance feedback in classroom settings. Implications for teacher preparation are discussed such as requiring generalization training in teacher preparation programs and training supervisors to sequentially implement model components.

In teacher preparation most supervisory feedback is deferred, allowing learners to perform skills incorrectly and delivery of on-site immediate feedback may interrupt instructional flow. This study used a multiple baseline design to examine effects of immediate, corrective feedback delivered via wireless technology on completion of three-term contingency trials. Participants were five preservice special education teachers working on academic skills with students with special needs in elementary and middle school classrooms. Corrective, immediate feedback was shown to be an effective way to increase completion of three-term contingency trials by teachers. During baseline, percentage of completion ranged from 30-92. With corrective, immediate feedback, all five teachers reached criterion level of 90% completion. Overall, mean percentage of correct student responses increased 3 to 17 percentage points over baseline results for four of the five teachers. All teachers rated the method as beneficial. Implications for practice are discussed. (Contains 2 figures.)

The use of high-probability (high-p) request sequences has enjoyed support in the applied behavioral literature as a method to increase compliance. Based on the theory of behavioral momentum, high-probability sequences increase the rate of responding, and subsequent rate of reinforcement, within a response class. This increase in density of reinforcement results in increased responding for the response class as a whole. Early research in this area had focused mainly on compliance issues for individuals with developmental disabilities. However, more recently the utility of high-p sequences has been examined within the context of academics. The purpose of these two experiments was to examine the use of high-p sequences with two academic tasks--letter-writing and mathematics problem completion. The results of these studies suggest that high-p sequences can be used to increase academic productivity. Moreover, the addition of experimenter-delivered reinforcers to existing high-p sequences enhances overall behavioral persistence. Theoretical and applied implications of persistence and behavioral momentum are discussed. (Contains 2 figures and 2 tables.)

Explores the disconnect between applied behavioral research and classroom-managed applied behavioral research. Results suggest that an intervention developed from the theory of behavioral momentum can be implemented within the context of a classroom and affect positive change in academic compliance among children identified for learning/behavioral support. (Author)

Researchers are exploring innovative technologies to prepare educators. A systematic literature review was conducted to study the role of tactile prompting (i.e., vibratory signals on a schedule) in teacher education. Ten studies meeting inclusion criteria were synthesized and analyzed based on how tactile prompting is utilized, effects of tactile prompting, and quality of research. Findings suggest studies with tactile prompting as the primary independent variable, or condition within a phase, demonstrated medium to very high Tau-U single-case effect sizes (range = 0.54-1.00) and high social acceptability on classroom management teaching behaviors. Simplistic prompting devices reduce cost, training, and anxiety barriers to adoption; however, innovations in wearable technology provide opportunities for a more robust behavior modification tool. Research suggests tactile prompting reduces cognitive load and provides multiple opportunities to practice, which has value in time-constrained preparation programs. Further exploration of this technique in teacher education is warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coaching in the school setting typically follows the traditional format of preconference, observe, and postconference, where feedback on teaching performance is shared but often delayed. Professional development (PD) provides teachers with skills to enhance their teaching practice with little to no follow-up or support. The most effective way to produce change in the school setting is to show the connection between PD and student performance, and iCoaching can help to bridge the gap. In this study, four teachers participated in a focused PD session and subsequent iCoaching sessions where the researcher used iPods and Bluetooth earbuds as a bug-in-ear (BIE) device. A coach served as a live, remote observer providing coaching prompts to increase teacher-delivered opportunities to respond (OTR). The results indicated that iCoaching was effective in increasing teacher-delivered OTR and in increasing student responses and academic performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In today’s autistic-support classrooms, paraeducators are tasked with working with our neediest students yet report that they are unprepared for their roles despite attempts at training. The special education teachers who are tasked with coaching and supervising several paraeducators at a time in their classrooms report that they too are unprepared to work with paraeducators in this capacity. In this study, the authors examine the effects of the special education teacher providing immediate feedback via bug-in-ear to the paraeducator on increasing a specific teaching behavior, providing contingent specific praise. Two special education teachers and four paraeducators working in two separate autistic-support classrooms participated in the multiple-baseline across participants study. When immediate feedback from the teacher was introduced in the intervention condition, percentage of occurrences of contingent specific praise increased for all paraeducators and continued at high levels even when the intervention was faded. Rate of occurrences also increased. In addition, the special education teachers and paraeducators all rated the intervention as a beneficial technique they liked using and found motivating and helpful. Implications for classroom use are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is paramount that teacher preparation programs continually strive toward the mission of preparing effective special educators. Through coursework and fieldwork, graduates must be well-informed professionals capable of improving student outcomes by understanding, selecting, and engaging in evidence-based practice (EBP). Evidence suggesting special educators are not implementing EBP with fidelity underscores the necessity for teacher educators to reexamine our role in promoting EBP in schools. Following an analysis of current challenges, ranging from lack of reinforcement provided to teachers who use EBP to the breadth of expertise needed as contemporary special educators, we offer a path forward. Starting within our own college classrooms, we explore traditional and innovative methods of enhancing knowledge and skills that rely on EBP. Next, we highlight the transition from coursework to fieldwork and the importance of building teacher preparation programs around clinicallyrich teaching experiences. We then unpack issues related to fidelity and generalization of EBP by preservice teachers and provide a model for its promotion. We conclude with the critical role teacher educators have in elevating the status of teacher preparation by ensuring our preservice teachers know and use EBP in their own classrooms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

University faculty and supervisors dedicated to the preparation of future teachers are facing more challenges than ever before in doing more with less. This includes supervising more preservice teachers in more schools, spread out over a wide geographic area. Feedback is essential to learning, and recent research suggests that the most effective feedback is immediate rather than delayed. New advances in technology may make the job of supervision more efficient and when used to provide immediate feedback, more effective as well. Research was conducted to evaluate the effects of using webcams and Bluetooth™ technology to deliver immediate feedback to special education preservice teachers in practicum placements from remote locations. Results suggest that immediate feedback provided via this technology was effective in increasing the targeted technique in all five preservice teachers who participated in the study. Each participant rated the intervention as acceptable. Implications for classroom application are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High school graduation requirements are becoming increasingly demanding. In addition to meeting academic benchmarks, some school districts have added performance requirements such as oral presentations to their criteria for earning a high school diploma. This type of requirement may present an additional challenge for students with learning disabilities. Research was conducted to determine if a treatment package consisting of immediate feedback delivered via wireless technology by peer tutors was effective with improving oral presentation skills in four high school senior girls with learning disabilities. Results suggest that immediate feedback provided by peer tutors (compared with delayed feedback) was effective in decreasing undesirable target behaviors that interfered with performance, in all four participants. Each participant also rated the treatment as acceptable. Implications for practice are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

More children with special needs are educated in general education classrooms than ever before. Ideally, special education and general education teachers work together in these settings as instructional teams, but a "one teaching, one assisting" model is often in place with the special education teacher assuming a subordinate role. As such, the authors conducted research to determine whether changes can be made in teacher instruction so that both teachers in a collaborative team are highly engaged in the instructional process during the lesson. The authors used a multiple-baseline, across-participants design to assess the effects of peer coaches' giving immediate corrective feedback via bug-in-ear technology on a specific teaching behavior during instruction. Three dyads of co-teachers participated (five women, one man). Each teacher met criterion (three consecutive sessions at 90% or higher) in just three sessions, maintained the behavior at high levels postintervention, and generalized the behavior to a different setting without the peer coach present. Teachers rated the treatment as a beneficial technique that they would recommend to others. Implications for classroom use are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]