Program-wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports in Rural Preschools

Abstract

This article describes the quantitative findings from an evaluation of program-wide positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) in three rural preschool programs. Each rural preschool program included children 3 through 5 years of age with and without disabilities. Following 3 years of on-site training, technical assistance, and coaching support in universal tier PBIS, participating preschool programs increased their use of strategies and supports to prevent young children's challenging behavior. Specific improvements in universal PBIS practices are presented across each year of the initiative. The successes and challenges involved in implementing program-wide PBIS in rural preschools are discussed.

Barriers and Benefits to Response to Intervention: Perceptions of Special Education Teachers

“…When fewer special education classes are extant, general education teachers must depend on the expertise of only a few special education teachers. The problems of collaboration and professional development to implement an initiative such as RTI is complicated by lack of qualified personnel, a lack of resources, and lack of extensive related service providers limiting the ability to provide complete services (Darling-Hammond & Bransford, 2005;Steed, Pomerleau, Muscott, & Rohde, 2013).…”

Rethinking Professional Development in Rural Communities for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder

“…This study indicated that coaching could provide opportunities to overcome several challenges cited in the rural education literature. These include opportunities to gain skills in a specialized area, experience quality supervision, and develop relationships as opposed to working in isolation (Bays, 2001;Berry et al, 2011;Steed et al, 2013). Coaching also can afford educators with the opportunity to create a cadre of support providers available to each other for support, guidance, feedback, and problem-solving.…”

“…The process of coaching also can include collaboration with family members to ensure continuity in all aspects of the child's life. Through a partnership of communication, collaboration, and trust, coaches can bridge the gap between professional development knowledge gained and implementation (Bergstrom, 2008;Kucharczyk et al, 2012;Steed et al, 2013). Coaching also can provide relationship support for educators by way of companionship and camaraderie.…”

School-Wide Positive Behavior Support Telecoaching in a Rural District

“…Rural schools may be particularly susceptible to challenges with coaching. Rural communities may not have experts in the district to function as a SWPBIS coach nor have the resources to fully support hiring external consultants (Cavanaugh & Swan, 2015; Steed, Pomerlou, & Muscot, 2013; Yettick, Baker, Wickersham, & Hupfeld, 2014). Following initial training procedures, coaches provide on-site technical assistance (Bastable et al., 2019).…”