NCLII MODULE 11:APPLICATION OF TAXONOMY TO

EXTANT INTERVENTION

Group One (Wehby)

Sarah Wilkinson, Chrissy Brown, Rachel Kunemund, Lisa Didion, Skip Kumm

Check & Connect

Sarah Wilkinson

University of Connecticut

What is Check & Connect?

■ What: adult/student mentoring intervention

■ Who: K–12 students

■ Purpose: to increase school engagement

– Often used for dropout prevention

■ Risk factors: poor attendance, chronic behavioral

issues, poor academic performance

CHECK

■ Assigned mentor

■ Continuous monitoring of

common variables

– Attendance

– Behavior

– Grades

CONNECT

■ Two levels of intervention:

– Basic: communication,

feedback, information,

problem solving

– Intensive: additional

supports based on

individual student data

■ Nicholas is a 9th grade student who has been identified as at-risk for dropping out of school; he attends a traditional high school with an established MTSS model for behavior

■ School-related risk factors include:

– Chronic absenteeism; he has missed between 20 and 30 days of school per year for the past 3 years

– Behavior challenges; he has received 1–2 suspensions per year since 6th grade, typically due to disruptive and disrespectful classroom behavior, occasionally due to aggressive behavior with peers

– Failing grades; he already repeated 8th grade; he is currently in danger of failing 2 core academic courses in 9th grade due to not consistently completing homework and classwork

Dimension: Alignment

■ Behavior

– Provide specific social skills instruction in the

areas of the school-wide behavioral expectations,

using the school’s behavior matrix as a guide

■ Academic

– Assign a peer tutor to meet with Nicholas during

his study block to focus on homework support for

the two courses he is currently failing

Dimension: Complexity

■ Behavior

– Structure social skills instruction to follow a model-lead-test format; allow Nicholas opportunities to practice with peers and in natural settings

■ Academic

– Train peer tutor in elements of explicit instruction; observe tutoring sessions at least once per week to ensure the tutor is using strategies such as modeling, allowing Nicholas to practice, and providing specific feedback; retrain tutor as necessary

Dimension: Dosage

■ Check & Connect mentors are expected to meet with

students for basic intervention at least once per

month

– Because Nicholas has struggled in so many

areas for so long, his mentor will meet with him

once per day for a quick (<5 min.) check-in and

once per week for a full session

Dimension: Behavioral Support

■ Positive Reinforcement

– Use a point system with the opportunity to earn a preferred reinforcer to increase the likelihood Nicholas will work toward his goals; monitor attendance and homework completion to start

■ Self-Management

– Teach Nicholas to monitor his own attendance and homework completion; can be used in mentor meetings; initially, provide reinforcer for accurate data (matches mentor and/or school records)

Summary & Remaining Questions

■ As designed, Check & Connect embeds the expectation

of intensifying and individualizing interventions

– How can we ensure mentors do so appropriately?

– Who should be responsible for overseeing

implementation integrity?

■ Is more detailed information available for the behavior

side of the Taxonomy of Intervention Intensity (reading

2.3)?

Group Contingency Intervention

on Engagement & Problem Behavior

of At-Risk Students

By: Christerralyn Brown

University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC)

July 24, 2017

Group Contingency

• “Group Contingency is a peer-mediated strategy in which several peers and

the target student work with the teacher to modify behaviors; behavioral

consequences are applied to all group members according to teacher-made

rules.” (Kerr & Nelson, 2009)

Group Contingencies

• Take advantage of social reinforcers controlled by the peer group

• Are adaptable to a variety of situations

• Reduce the number of individual consequences the teacher must make

• The basic characteristic of group contingency is

“GROUP REINFORCEMENT”

Group Contingency Methods

• Interdependent: Rewards the entire class based on the group meeting a

specific criterion. The performance of each student in the classroom

contributes to meeting the criterion.

• Dependent: The reinforcement for the group is made contingent upon

performances of selected group member

• Independent: The reinforcement is made contingent upon student’s own

performance. Access to reinforcement does not depend upon the behavior

of the other class members.

Why does group contingency matter?

• Disruptive behavior takes up time

• Affects academic performance

• Can cause anti-social behavior

• Teachers need proven strategies

Research Studies

• Barrish,Saunders, and Montrose (1969)

• Good Behavior Game

• Fourth Grade

• Kleinman and Saigh (2011)

• Good Behavior Game

• High School

• Thorne and Kamps (2008)

• Independent & Interdependent

• 2nd and 3rd grade

• Behavioral and at risk students

Case Study

• Sara & Dan are 3rd grade students in Mrs. Jones class at Wilson Elementary. These students are both displaying at risk behavior such as engaging in bullying and teasing as well as talking out of turn and moving around the classroom during instruction

• Mrs. Jones has decided to implement a dependent group contingency reinforcement plan that will focus on decreasing the negative behaviors that these students are displaying

• Mrs. Jones splits the class into two groups the White Sox & the Cubs and makes Sara and Dan the captains of each team

• If Sara and Dan are able to manage the number of outburst and stay in their assigned seats for the entire class period for 3 days in a row then the entire class will receive a extra time on the computers during technology class.

Dimensions of Intensity

• Individualization: Sara and Dan will both have their own token economy tracker that they will use to keep data on the number of classroom disruptions they display during a specific class period(reading).

• Dosage: Mrs. Jones will track how many times she had to redirect and engage with Sara and Dan to re-focus them. This tracker will be used to see if the number of redirections decrease as the implementation of the intervention increases

• Attention to Transfer: Are Sara and Dan able to decrease the number of classroom disruptions in other settings in the school such as (art, gym, hallways, and bathrooms)

• Academic Support: Did Sara and Dan level of engagement increase as well as appropriate classroom participation (i.e. answering questions, share out, partner reading)

Individualization (Fuchs et al., Wehby grant)

• Adaptation: Decrease number of re-directions, and increase number of

verbal praise statements

• Begin with number of opportunities and redirections with a larger value and

decrease number of allowed redirections over time

• Reassess the reinforcer to ensure students are motivated to track their own

data and decrease disruptive behavior

Attention to Transfer (Fuchs et al.,)

• Have students track their behavior in other classes using the token economy

data tracker

• Discuss with other staff members how they may want to implement the

same intervention with Dan and Sara during their instructional period.

• Meet with parents to teach them about the group contingency plan and how

it promotes pro-social behavior in the classroom as well as at home. Discuss

a plan that could be used within the family setting with siblings, or

completing chores.

Dosage

• Mrs. Jones should increase the number of verbal praises for Dan and Sara when

they engage in pro-social behavior

• Mrs. Jones should decrease the number of expected classroom disruptions as the

intervention program increase. For example “she may state in the beginning that she

is only giving five opportunities for disruptive behavior before she takes a point

away, then decrease it to three opportunities, and the fade to one.

• Mrs. Jones must ensure that she does not fade the number of verbal praises as well

as increase the number of reprimands too soon.

Academic Support

• Ensure that the students understand the classroom rules, as well as the

targeted behavior they should be decreasing

• Incorporate principals of instruction that will allow the student to have

success, as well as receive verbal praise such as partner reading, think-pair-

share

• Students could use a checklist or prompt card to follow the class schedule

block and prep them for engagement in assigned task.

Group Contingency Tips & Summary

• Avoid having too high of a criterion

• Use the principal of successive approximations to make contingency easy to

achieve

• Use group reinforcement rather than response cost

INTENSIFICATION OF THE BEST IN CLASS TIER 2

INTERVENTION RACHEL KUNEMUND, M.ED.

VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY

INTRODUCTION

As many as 23% of preschoolers enter elementary school with problem behavior (Barbarin, 2007)

Existing problem behavior can lead to a struggle with their academic performance (Spilt et al., 2012).

Children with chronic problem behavior tend to have negative teacher-child relationships (Ladd & Burgess, 1999),

Poorer long-term outcomes (Wagner & Newman, 2012; Althoff; Verhulst, Rettew; Hudziak, & van der Ende, 2010)

BEST IN CLASS

Tier 2 intervention for students with or at-risk for Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

Social, Emotional, Behavioral

Preschool and K-2

Practice-based coaching

8 Practices

Elementary project used the common practice elements approach

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

NEED FOR INTENSIFICATION

Typical tier 2

Focal students

Screening for EBD

Community – high needs

CASE STUDY

Jayden is a kindergarten student in Ms. Hawkins classroom and he has been screened as at-risk for EBD. He has

been having difficulty becoming frustrated with his peers, not sharing, displaying aggressive behaviors (e.g. pushing

and hitting other students), and constantly calling out in class. He becomes easily frustrated and angry during the

weekly spelling tests and spelling activities. Often tearing up his paper and breaking his pencils and throwing them

across the room. When Ms. Hawkins is able to get him to complete a spelling activity he has been scoring below

grade average. Ms. Hawkins uses a stoplight behavior chart in her classroom, Jayden loves being on green but

becomes frustrated when he moves to yellow, and will often have a tantrum when he is moved to red. He enjoys

spending time with his teacher talking about his toys and playing with his brothers at home. He also loves to play

games on the computers in Ms. Hawkins classroom.

DOSAGE (FUCHS ET AL.)

Increase the frequency but also the thoroughness of the practices

Adherence

Thoroughness and extensiveness of delivery

Competence

Quality and Skills

Jayden

Ms. Hawkins will use supportive relationships and praise more frequently with Jayden. Increasing her use of precorrections

and warnings when a spelling test in approaching.

INDIVIDUALIZATION (FUCHS ET AL.)

Use data-based individualization to target behavioral skills

Behavior Chart

Jayden

Ms. Hawkins created a graph with a performance goal line to track Jayden’s behavioral progress. Paired with the increased

use of the BEST in CLASS strategies, Ms. Hawkins tracks Jayden’s office referrals, and his performance on the classroom

behavior color chart (i.e. she tracks days spent on green versus red and yellow). This data allows Ms. Hawkins to adjust her

strategies if necessary based on progress or lack of progress demonstrated on the behavior chart.

COMPLEXITY (FUCHS ET AL.)

Explicit Instruction

Behavior Specific Praise

Opportunity to respond

Precorrection

Modeling

Emotion Regulation

Jayden

When it is time to complete a spelling worksheet Ms. Hawkins uses supportive relationships and increases the 1:1 time she spends with Jayden offering explicit instruction. She uses behavior specific praise (e.g. “Great job, I love how you took your time and tried to spell that word on your own!”), emotion regulation (e.g. calm down strategies), modeling spelling new words (simple instructions and gradual fading of support), and OTRs (e.g. “simple and direct language”; Fuchs et al).

FUNCTION BASED APPROACH

Functional Behavior Analysis

BiC practices can be used to target specific functions

Jayden

Attention from teacher:

Praise-given on a fixed schedule

Supportive Relationship- increased 1:1 time with teacher

Escape from spelling:

Rules: finish work then break

Precorrection: linked to rule, warning of spelling

ADAPTIVE INTERVENTION FRAMEWORK (AIF)

Content Change

An additional strategy that was not included as part of the original intervention

Teacher believes student will be responsive to additional strategy

Jayden

Ms. Hawkins is pleased with the progress Jayden has been making in reduced instances of aggression and fewer tantrums

during spelling, however he is till having tantrums about every other week when she administers the spelling test. She

decides to reach out to her coach for some help, she and her coach review the other 25 strategies that were common

practice elements but not included as part of the intervention. Together they decide to use tangible reinforcement, since the

computer games are a known reinforce for Jayden. To increase motivation, Jayden can earn computer games when he

completes a spelling test, ends the day on green, follows the rule to keep nice hands with his materials (i.e. not ripping up

paper, breaking pencils) during work time.

CONCLUSION

Applying the taxonomy

Not as clear cut with behavior

BiC flexible practices

Easier in some ways but more difficult in others

Most practices work towards Attention function

Intensifying Multisyllabic Word-Reading Instruction

Lisa A. Didion

University of Texas at Austin

• Small groups of 2 to 3 upper elementary students

• 24 scripted lessons

• 35 minutes of MWR instruction

• 7 instructional components

1. Warm Up: practiced prerequisite reading skills

2. Affix Bank: practice activities with new affix

3. Word Play: students identify base words

4. Beat the Clock: break words apart

5. Write Words:, practice building onto given affix

6. Speedy Read: repeated exposure to high frequency words

7. Text Reading: repeated readings of connected text

• Additionally, each lesson had 5 total minutes embedded motivational beliefs training each session

Multisyllabic Word-Reading Instruction

Toste, Capin, Vaughn, Roberts, & Kearns, 2017

CORE

Angel is a fourth grader with a Learning Disability. He is reading on a beginning of 3rd grade level and

has trouble with multisyllabic word reading. The interventionists works with Angel and 2 other

students using MWR instruction with embedded motivation beliefs training.

Angel is not showing progress on measures of word reading accuracy, fluency, vocabulary, or

comprehension.

The interventionist notes that Angel is distracted and has a bad attitude toward completing tasks.

Case Study

Increase OTRProvide more active response opportunities and feedback on responses.

• Example:

• OTR between 45-50 for a group of 3 students

– Made up of choral responding

– Alternating between students

– Voluntary responses

• Increase dosage by teaching lesson 1:1

• Use response cards to allow all students OTR

Dosage

Alignment

Address academic deficits aligned to grade

level standardsAllow flexibility in the intervention to adjust skills and meaningfully

align skills to long term performance expectations.

• Example:

• Ensure that MWR instruction is appropriate to Angel’s

needs based on his comprehensive evaluation

• Warm-up and Affix Bank are scripted

• Adjust the content to include 2-5 minute practice on

previously learned skills Angel is failing based on his

comprehensive evaluation and progress monitoring

(Speedy Read)

• Replace mastered content with skill deficits practice

Attention to transfer

Promote generalizationHelp students to connect between mastered and related skills and use skills in other formats and contexts• Example:

• Word Play uses games to focus on assembling words that are similar every lesson

• Interventionists could incorporate other games: • Angel and his group could look at text and identify multisyllabic

words by highlighting them. Students can work together to sound them out and determine meaning from context clues or the interventionists could write all the words found in text to be used to break it apart in Beat the Clock.

• Angel and his group can be given a full word card. The students could then cut the word by identifying affix and base words.

• Spotlight Words can be connected to Angel’s vocabulary words to address vocabulary and comprehension goals.

Backward reaching high road transfers

Behavioral Support

Address student needs related to attention, motivation and self-

regulation

• Example:

• Angel could be trained to self-monitor his attention with

sticker chart and Motiv Aider throughout the lesson.

– Meeting behavior goals through self-monitoring may

provide an opportunity for desired reinforcement

• Interventionist could increase the time spent or individualize

the components related to motivation beliefs training.

Remaining questions

Are adaptive interventions the same as individualized programs?

Does the individualization dimension exist when any other dimension

is adapted?

Self-Monitoring for Behavior

Skip Kumm

University of Illinois at Chicago

What is Self-Monitoring?

Self-monitoring is student tracking of his or her targeted behavior.

Students record and monitor behaviors.

Self-monitoring is a flexible strategy .

Frequency, data collection tools

Self-monitoring is adaptable.

Can be used in virtually any setting

Steps to Implementation

1. Identify and define behaviors

- Provide examples

2. Choose/create a monitoring method

- Frequency, rating scale, checklist

3. Choose a self-monitoring schedule

- Fixed intervals, each period, daily

4. Teach student self-monitoring procedure

- Model, coach, role play

5. Monitor

- Establish rules for adaption

Case Study

The Chicago Juvenile Detention Center uses a tiered system, based on behavior, to assign privileges. Staff wants to provide the youth with a chance to monitor their behavior during class.

Laquan is a 16 year-old-male, and although he is personable and friendly to his teachers, he often wants to talk when he is not supposed to, and as a result is frequently on Level 1.

Laquan and his teachers decided to focus on reducing the frequency he is talking to peers during instruction and individual work. Laquan has been recording his results at the end of each class period, but his behavior is not improving, and he is not meeting his established criterion.

Adaptation: Dosage

Dosage: number of opportunities to respond and receive corrective

feedback.

Laquan will switch from monitoring his behavior each class period to

each academic activity that does not require discussion.

Teacher will begin each activity by identifying if students should talk or not

Laquan will track how many times he spoke during each academic activity.

Teacher or Staff will meet with Laquan at the beginning and end of each

class to establish expectations and to report results.

If Laquan does not respond to the increased self-monitoring, he can be

provided with an increased interval, such as each minute.

Adaptation: Complexity

Complexity: the number of explicit instruction principles the

intervention incorporates.

1) Laquan will be provided explanations in simple, direct language.

2) The teacher will model strategies that Laquan can use to avoid

speaking when he is not supposed to.

3) The teacher will work with Laquan to practice and act out scenarios.

4) Reviews will be conducted to monitor progress and to provide

additional explicit instruction where needed.

Adaptation: Individualization

In my scenario, the intervention is already individualized for Laquan;

however, the process of individualization still needs to be applied.

After reviewing the data with Laquan, he and the teacher decided to

continue to intervention with adaptions.

Laquan and the teacher work with a staff member to increase adherence

to schedule.

After discussion, Laquan and the teacher modify the self-assessment

process to fit his preferences, since he is in part the interventionist.

Academic Adaptation

Laquan has enjoyed using self-monitoring for behavior and wants to

see if it will help him with academics! He and his teachers choose to

monitor the completion of assignments during each class.

At the end of each academic activity, Laquan will record if completed

the assigned task.

At the end of each class, Laquan will determine the percentage of

academic activities he completed and track percentages daily.

Academic progress will be monitored and the data will be used to make

adjustments at pre-determined intervals.

Summary

Self-monitoring allows students to monitor their behavior by collecting

data and tracking trends.

Though self-monitoring is individualized in nature, data-based decision

making needs to utilized to provide a structure for intensification.

Many of the steps for intensification overlap. The methods can be

used individually to meet Laquan’s needs or can paired together.

However, it is important to use the students data to determine when to

make modifications and which modifications to make.

DISCUSSION