CCF Speaker Series Erika Coles, Ph.D. 4-1-2016

Increasing the Integrity with which Teachers Implement Behavioral Classroom Interventions: Testing a Theory of Change Erika Coles, Ph.D. General classroom management strategies (e.g., use of rules, routines, praise) and targeted interventions (e.g., daily report card) are effective in improving academic and behavioral functioning in children with inattentive and disruptive behaviors. Despite this evidence, few teachers report feeling adequately trained to manage disruptive student behavior and teacher adoption of targeted interventions is relatively limited. One widely used method to facilitate the implementation of classroom management strategies is behavioral consultation with a mental health professional. However, even when teachers receive consultant support, the extent to which they implement behavioral classroom interventions with integrity is variable, which can severely compromise positive student outcomes. Possible barriers to implementation that have been described in the adult learning literature that we hypothesized to be related to variable intervention integrity include skills, knowledge of ADHD and behavioral interventions, and intervention-supportive beliefs. This presentation will describe outcomes of a pilot study that was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of a multi-component consultation package that simultaneously addressed teacher knowledge, skills, and beliefs as possible barriers to implementation of behavioral classroom interventions.