This study examined the extent to which treatment integrity of 4 special education teachers was affected by goal setting, performance feedback regarding student or teacher performance, and a meeting cancellation contingency. Teachers were trained to implement function-based treatment packages to address student problem behavior. In one condition, teachers set a goal for student behavior and received daily written feedback about student performance. In a second condition, teachers received daily written feedback about student performance as well as their own accuracy in implementing the intervention and would be able to avoid meeting with a consultant to practice missed steps by implementing the intervention with 100% integrity. This latter package increased treatment integrity the most above baseline levels. Higher levels of treatment integrity were significantly correlated with lower levels of student problem behavior for 3 of the 4 teacher-student dyads. Three of the 4 teachers also rated both feedback procedures as highly acceptable. Implications for increasing and maintaining treatment integrity by teachers via a consultation model are discussed.

We reviewed all school‐based experimental studies with individuals 0 to 18 years published in the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis (JABA) between 1991 and 2005. A total of 142 articles (152 studies) that met review criteria were included. Nearly all (95%) of these experiments provided an operational definition of the independent variable, but only 30% of the studies provided treatment integrity data. Nearly half of studies (45%) were judged to be at high risk for treatment inaccuracies. Treatment integrity data were more likely to be included in studies that used teachers, multiple treatment agents, or both. Although there was a substantial increase in reporting operational definitions of independent variables, results suggest that there was only a modest improvement in reported integrity over the past 30 years of JABA studies. Recommendations for research and practice are discussed. We thank Heidi Olson‐Tinker, Lisa Dolstra, Veronica McLaughlin, and Mai Van for assistance with the initial preparation of this article. We also are grateful to Michael J. Vance for assistance with data collection.

The transition to kindergarten is an important developmental milestone for young children, their families, and teachers. Preparing students for successful kindergarten transition has been identified as a national priority, yet the degree to which parents are involved in kindergarten preparation is rarely considered. This study investigated the family experiences and involvement in kindergarten transition in 132 families whose children had completed early education programs and were beginning kindergarten. Results suggest that the majority of families wanted more involvement in the transition to kindergarten planning and wanted information about kindergarten readiness, including academic and behavioral expectations. The top concerns expressed by families were attending a new school and difficulties with following directions or other behavior problems. Families with fewer financial resources reported less involvement in transition activities than families with more resources. Implications for early childhood education are discussed, in light of the growing emphasis on parent involvement and kindergarten readiness.

We reviewed all school-based experimental studies with individuals 0 to 18 years published in the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis (JABA) between 1991 and 2005. A total of 142 articles (152 studies) that met review criteria were included. Nearly all (95%) of these experiments provided an operational definition of the independent variable, but only 30% of the studies provided treatment integrity data. Nearly half of studies (45%) were judged to be at high risk for treatment inaccuracies. Treatment integrity data were more likely to be included in studies that used teachers, multiple treatment agents, or both. Although there was a substantial increase in reporting operational definitions of independent variables, results suggest that there was only a modest improvement in reported integrity over the past 30 years of JABA studies. Recommendations for research and practice are discussed.DESCRIPTORS: treatment integrity, child studies, school interventions, applied behavior analysisThe field of applied behavior analysis has always rested on the fundamental principle that the empirical demonstration of measurable changes in behavior must be related to systematic and controlled manipulations in the environment. That is, the observed changes in the dependent variable (behavior) must be attributed to changes in the independent variable (some environmental event). Without this empirical demonstration, a true science of human behavior is an impossibility (Skinner, 1953). Without objective and documented specification of an independent variable as well accurate independent variable application, definitive conclusions regarding the relation between an independent variable and a dependent variable are compromised. The best way to ensure accurate application of the independent variable is to measure the extent to which treatment is implemented as intended.Documentation of independent variable implementation has been discussed in the literature under the rubric of treatment fidelity (Moncher & Prinz, 1991) or treatment integrity Gresham, Gansle, Noell, & Cohen, 1993;Peterson, Homer, & Wonderlich, 1982;Yeaton & Sechrest, 1981). Treatment integrity refers to the degree to which treatments are implemented as planned, designed, or intended and is concerned with the accuracy and consistency with which interventions are implemented We thank Heidi Olson-Tinker, Lisa Dolstra, Veronica McLaughlin, and Mai Van for assistance with the initial preparation of this article. We also are grateful to Michael J. Vance for assistance with data collection.

Descriptive assessment methods have been used in applied settings to identify consequences for problem behavior, thereby aiding in the design of effective treatment programs. Consensus has not been reached, however, regarding the types of data or analytic strategies that are most useful for describing behavior-consequence relations. One promising approach involves the analysis of conditional probabilities from sequential recordings of behavior and events that follow its occurrence. In this paper we review several strategies for identifying contingent relations from conditional probabilities, and propose an alternative strategy known as a contingency space analysis (CSA). Step-by-step procedures for conducting and interpreting a CSA using sample data are presented, followed by discussion of the potential use of a CSA for conducting descriptive assessments, informing intervention design, and evaluating changes in reinforcement contingencies following treatment.