April 2015 - vol. 29 no. 4
2015 Carl Fenichel Memorial Research Award
Kimberly Bunch-Crump
University of North Caroline Charlotte
CCBD is proud to announce the 2015 Carl Fenichel Memorial Research Award recipient, Kimberly Bunch-Crump, a doctoral candidate in special education at the University of North Caroline Charlotte. Ms. Bunch-Crump was nominated by Dr. Ya-yu Lo for her dissertation work titled, The Effects of Tier II Check-In Check-Out Intervention and Tier III Function-Based Self-Management on the Disruptive Behavior and Academic Engagement of Selected African American Male Students. Her research examines the effects of the intervention using a mobile app for African American male elementary students using single-case design methodology. We congratulate Ms. Bunch-Crump on her work and the excellent potential for positive impact on the field of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders.
2015 Outstanding Leadership Award
Kathleen Lynne Lane, Ph.D., BCBA-D
University of Kansas
CCBD is honored to announce the 2015 Outstanding Leadership Award recipient, Dr. Kathleen Lane, a Professor at the University of Kansas. Dr. Lane has made a significant contribution to the field of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders through her research, teaching and service. Her extensive contributions in the areas of systematic behavior screening, Comprehensive, Integrated Three-tiered (CI3T) models of prevention, Tier 2 interventions, Functional-assessment based intervention to name a few have impacted practices in states across the country for improving the learning experiences and outcomes for students with EBD. Dr. Lane has mentored many students who have become exceptional scholars and effective practitioners in the field of special education, their work is an extension of the impact her tireless dedication has had on children and youth, families, and the field of EBD. Dr. Lane’s contributions are also noted in her extensive service to the field of EBD, examples are her leadership roles in the CEC- Division for Research as President and Publications Chair; as Co-Editor for Remedial and Special Education (RASE) and the Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions (JPBI).
Congratulations to our new CCBD officers & committee members!
Please welcome our new CCBD officers and committee members who will assume their roles July 1, 2015 -- President-Elect – Kathleen Lynne Lane; Vice-President – Nicholas A. Gage; Secretary/Representative B – Nicole Cain Swoszowski; Student Member-at-Large – Kathleen Kimball; and Nominations and Elections Committee – Mandy E. Lusk. Congratulations! Thank you for all of you who voted.
We hope that you will consider running for one of our open positions in next year’s election. Be looking for the call for nominees in November/December on our website and through our newsletter. We will be holding elections for the following positions - Vice-President, Representative A, Canadian Member-at-Large, Ethnic and Multicultural Member-at-Large, Nominations and Elections Committee.
Bipartisan ESEA Bill Developed in Senate Committee
Myrna Mandlawitz, CCBD Legislative Consultant
In January 2015 Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN), chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, issued a discussion draft for the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA, currently known as No Child Left Behind). He solicited comments from the public, with the intention of eventually releasing a bipartisan bill.
After several months of serious negotiations led by Alexander and Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), ranking Democrat on the committee, the Every Child Achieves Act was released. As this article was being written, the Committee was set to take up the bill beginning on April 14. While both Alexander and Murray acknowledge the bill does not comport completely with what either would have wanted, they agree this is a solid effort that moves the process forward. They also noted there would be an open amendment process, so committee members have the opportunity to improve or change the bill. There has already been speculation that once the bill passes in committee, it may be considered fairly soon by the full Senate.
The bill reflects the difference in philosophy between Republican and Democratic leadership regarding the federal role in education policy. The bill maintains the current annual testing requirements in reading and math, grades 3 through 8, and once in grades 9 through 12. It also maintains the need for academic standards and an accountability system. However, the current accountability system – "adequate yearly progress" (AYP) – is eliminated, and standards, assessment choices, and accountability for student progress would be determined by the States. In addition, States would still be required to identify low performing schools, but the percentage of schools identified and what types of interventions used to help those schools would also be State decisions.
Regarding students with disabilities, the requirements continue that those students are included in general education curriculum, standards, and testing. The bill would codify the current ESEA regulations regarding alternate assessments based on alternate education standards for students with significant cognitive disabilities and maintain the 1 percent cap on the number of students that could be assessed in this manner.
In a number of places, the bill references training on and the use of "multi-tiered systems of support," defined somewhat differently than how "response to intervention" has been characterized. MTSS is defined as "a comprehensive continuum of evidence-based, system-wide practices to support a rapid response to academic and behavioral needs, with frequent data-based monitoring for instructional decision-making. In most sections where MTSS is mentioned, the bill also includes "positive behavioral interventions and supports" and "early intervening" coordinated with services under the IDEA early intervening provision. There is also good language about training teachers and other school personnel in instructing students with disabilities, including the use of appropriate accommodations.
Title IV, "Safe and Healthy Students," has less specific language and targeted funding than the current law regarding mental health and counseling services for students. The bill proposes a formula grant program, with a required community-based needs assessment, and a broad array of allowable uses of funds. Program effectiveness is judged by whether the programs "improve school safety and promote students’ physical and mental health and well-being, healthy eating and nutrition, and physical fitness; and strengthen parent and community engagement to ensure a healthy, safe, and supportive school environment."
Finally, the bill has a much greater emphasis on early education programs. While ESEA funds have always been available for early learning activities, the limited funds have not generally been used for those purposes. This bill makes explicit in Titles I, II (training and professional development for teachers and school leaders), and III (programs for English learners) that funds may be used for early childhood education programs.
We will be monitoring and reporting on the progress of this bill in the Senate. A partisan bill passed the House Committee on Education and the Workforce in early February, and consideration began in the full House. The bill was pulled from the floor before a final vote was taken, and currently there is no date scheduled to continue debate.
The Janus Project: A Conversation with Frank Gresham
The Janus Project: Capturing Conversations From Leaders in the Field
A Conversation with Frank Gresham
Teagarden, J., Zabel, R., & Kaff, M.
Kansas State University
The Janus Project, now in its 9th year, is sponsored by the Midwest Symposium for Leadership in Behavior Disorders (MSLBD) as a service to the profession. The Project takes its name from the Roman god, Janus, whose two faces looked both to the past and future. The Janus Project collects oral histories of leaders in the education of children with emotional and behavioral disorders to share their experiences and perspectives with current and future educators.
Each participant is asked about their professional career, the people and events that have influenced the field, the current state of the field and its future, and advice to those entering the field. To date, nearly 60 conversations have been collected in video form and may be viewed at the following URL at the MSLBD website:
http://www.mslbd.org/stories_and_information_interviews_with_profession…
Frank Gresham is Professor of Psychology and Director of the School Psychology Program at Louisiana State University. He has more than 30 years of experience in school psychology, child clinical psychology, and special education and has written 250 refereed journal articles, books, and book chapters focused on social skills assessment and intervention with children and youth. He received the Senior Scientist Award from Division 16 (School Psychology) of the American Psychological Association for outstanding research contributions to the field of school psychology and is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. What follows are excerpts from a 2012 interview with Dr. Greshman in his LSU office.
* * * * *
JANUS: What do you see in the future for the field of education of children with emotional and behavior disorders?
Gresham: People like Steve Forness and others are seeing much closer relationships with mental health. I think where we may be going in the future is adopting more of the mental health perspective. The way we have worked historically in EBD is like we do the education part of EBD, but if they need some treatment, we’ll send them over to mental health. Why are we doing that? Everybody talks about wraparound services. Well, bring mental health into the school. What’s the best place to do mental health? A famous bank was robber was asked, “Why do you rob banks?” “Well, that’s where the money is!” Well, why do you do mental health in schools? That’s where the kids are!
I think we’re moving more toward a relationship with mental health and school-based mental health services, not clinic-based mental health services. Why do we need to drive them across town? Why don’t we just use school as a mental health venue? It makes sense to me.
JANUS: What about the costs involved, especially with so many education budget issues?
Gresham: I understand that, but some of the money states use to provide mental health treatment services to kids in other places, why can’t we use some of that money in the schools? Maybe that’s pie in the sky, but that’s the way I would like to see things go in the future. I think it’s silly that we do education and you all do mental health.
JANUS: How could we go about facilitating that?
Gresham: A lot of it just has to be dialogue with the major players in that area. I think a lot of folks in our field are for that. Another problem, just to be critical of my field, is that a lot of school psychologists are not trained to do mental health work. A lot of them aren’t even trained to do ABA type stuff or social behavioral assessment work. Now, they’re all trained to give a Woodcock-Johnson, and they’re all trained to get a discrepancy. This has not changed in the past 30 years with about 70% of a school psychologist’s time spent on special education eligibility determination.
Some school psychologists have been influenced by the RTI movement but I remember watching Rich Simpson’s oral history interview in which he said, “When I started out I was a school psychologist. I didn’t want to spend the rest of my life giving IQ tests.” I can’t imagine waking up every Monday morning, thinking I’m going to have to give 20 tests this week and then spend all day Friday writing them up. I just can’t imagine doing that. I might just commit suicide. I think the field may be ripe for a change in this area.
JANUS: What advice would you give to those just entering the field?
Gresham: I guess one thing I would say is that you better know what you’re getting into. You might have a kind of romantic love affair with this population because you’ve read about what they do. “Oh, that’d be cool working with these kids and turning them around.” The reality of it is, these kids are not easy to work with and many times, they are going to be very, very difficult to work with. They might be aggressive when you’re working with them. So, you kind of need to know what you’re getting into. That would be my main advice.
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Frank Gresham’s career has influenced how we view the development of social skills, specifically characterizing acquisition and performance deficits as “teachable moments.” The complete conversation with Dr. Gresham was published in Intervention in School and Clinic (Zabel, Kaff, & Teagarden, 2015) and a video can be viewed at the following URL: https://archive.org/details/GreshmanInterview.
The Janus Project thanks Dr. Gresham for sharing his professional experiences and perspectives with us and the larger field. Future issues of Behavior Today will feature excerpts from conversations with Steve Forness, Mary Margaret Kerr, and others.
Zabel, R., Kaff, M., & Teagarden, J. (2015). A body in motion: A conversation with Frank Gresham. Intervention in School and Clinic, 50 (3), 178-184.
Dear Ms. Kitty
My Student is Highly Anxious and Freaks Out
Dear Ms. Kitty:
A middle school student of mine appears to be highly anxious and literally exhibits severe meltdowns when she does not feel that her school work is completed perfectly. These meltdowns often result in hysterical crying, throwing herself on the classroom floor, and hitting herself. How do I best understand these behaviors and serve my student in the classroom?
~ Anxious in Mississippi
Dear Anxious in Mississippi:
Thank you for inquiring about your student who seems to be highly anxious. Interestingly, anxiety disorders are the most common mental health issue in the United States (Anxiety and Depression Association in America, 2015). There are various types of anxiety disorders. I encourage you to read about these types to better serve your present and future students who possess anxiety disorders (http://www.nimh.nih.gov/).
Some characteristics our students with anxiety may possess include: (a) an inability to relax, (b) frequently asks “how to” questions, (c) easily startled, (d) apprehensive to begin schoolwork or to finish schoolwork, and/or (e) trouble getting to sleep or staying asleep. It is essential to remember that these behaviors associated with anxiety disorders are often involuntary. Meaning, our students cannot control these behaviors without specific behavior modification.
Some classroom or behavior modification strategies which may be helpful for your student with anxiety may include:
Build in breaks for the student Practice mindfulness training (or another relaxation training) Provide clear, concise directions Acknowledge appropriate behaviors and verbally praise Acknowledge appropriate reactions to assigned classwork and verbally praise Prompt your student roughly 10 to 20 minutes before you will give a new assignment to help reduce some anxiety for the student when the assignment is distributed Construct visual schedules Check in/check out intervention Exercise cognitive restructuring Please contact Ms. Kitty via [email protected] if you have further questions/concerns. Thank you for all you do for students with exceptionalities!
~ Ms. Kitty [email protected]
Helpful resources for your students and classroom may include:
http://www.pbisworld.com/ http://www.nimh.nih.gov/ http://www.adaa.org/ http://www.mayoclinic.org/ http://mindfulnesscenteratlanta.com/ http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTCS_81.htm
Ms. Kitty has worked with children and youth with challenging behaviors for nearly 20 years. She has educated students with behavior disorders in several different states and taught students from all grades, except 7th grade. Ms. Kitty has also earned her undergraduate, master’s, and doctorate degrees in special education, specifically emotional disabilities and behavior disorders.
Please contact Ms. Kitty about any questions you
have about your students in your classroom [email protected]
Thank you!
APP REVIEW: TeacherKit
TeacherKit
This app is designed for an iPhone and iPad but requires iOS 7.1 or later to work properly. TeacherKit can be used in Arabic, English, French, Italian, and Spanish. There is a free version of the app, but a premium subscription is offered ($3.99 monthly or $39.99 yearly) with upgrades and additional features. The TeacherKit is a one-stop shop for teachers to electronically organize classes, student roster/attendance, grades, and behavioral monitoring. It is a user-friendly way to electronically keep records throughout the day as well as keep parents informed.
Dribble and Pass: A Commentary
Salvador Ruiz
The Pennsylvania State University
Dribble and Pass
Education in the United States is at an interesting juncture. Student achievement is a major focus for classroom teachers across the country (U.S. DOE, 2001). Due to high stakes testing and the idea of accountability for teachers/school districts, modifications become imperative. Students with Emotional and Behavioral disabilities (E/BD) are placed into the general education classroom and need quick decisions in-regards to their educational plans. Prior to students receiving services for E/BD there is no guarantee for when and how long it may take to begin the process for services. A caregiver may make a request for an evaluation for services and provide a timeline for results, but the process could vary district to district (Information on IEP Process, ND). Additionally, identification of E/BD can be subjective and determined by each state as there is no specific test to identify the disorder (Kauffman, 2009). The person making the referral must provide a rationale for why they are being referred (New Wisconsin Promise, 2015). At-risk students who are in the general education setting, but have not been formally identified as E/BD, do not have the benefits of having an IEP team and obtaining appropriate services.
While working in the public school setting, I witnessed a phenomenon that I like to call dribble and pass. Dribble and pass is used in basketball to help move the ball down the court in an attempt to score. The concept of dribbling and passing allows players to efficiently move the ball but not necessarily score. However, with the introduction of the “shot clock”, the National Basketball Association (NBA) puts a limit on how long a team has possession of the ball before they must attempt a shot (NBA, 2014). The purpose of the shot clock is to ensure that teams cannot control the ball and allow time to expire. The NBA also recognized that constant dribbling and passing does not equal scoring points. From a school perspective, the concept of dribble and pass occurs when a student has not been identified for services and is having difficulty succeeding. Furthermore, even if a professional/caregiver makes a referral, the student may not meet criteria in their home state (Kauffman, 2009). All the while they fall further behind their peers.
An array of services becomes available to the student with the purpose of providing support to increase academic and behavioral success in school, but only after a student is identified for services. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA, 2004) states the IEP team should consist of: the parent(s) of a child with a disability, not less than one regular education teacher (if the child is, or may be participating in the general education environment), not less than one special education provider, a representative of the local education agency, an individual who can interpret the instructional implications of the evaluation results, an advocate, and when appropriate the student are all members of an IEP team (Wright & Wright, 2015). Unfortunately, this level of support is unavailable for the child until he/she is identified. For example, a student who is struggling with challenging behavior may be considered for services but until the formal identification and IEP process is started how long will that student have to wait? Public education does not put a time limit on identification for services like the NBA does with its shot clock. Students who are not identified can become victims of dribble and pass. Decisions regarding at-risk or problem students can be passed along for a variety of reasons including:
state qualifications for diagnosis, financial reasons, to give schools broader disciplinary options, and/or caregiver/school personnel judgments. Decisions regarding the initiation of the IEP process for at-risk students usually have significant administrative input. According to Boscardin (2005), the role of the administrator has evolved from an advocate to compliance monitor and legal counsel. While they are responsible for school wide programming, they are forced to take a less active role with individual students because of the size of the student population and other demands on their time. Depending on administrative responsibilities it may take years before a student can receive the necessary services to be successful and that is time the student does not have.
To summarize, at-risk and students with problem behaviors who are not formally identified may be put in a dribble and pass cycle, thus wasting valuable educational time. Students who are not receiving special education services and need to are only falling further behind. It is imperative to allow students to make the most progress possible and give teachers the support they need in order to help students become successful. In order to make student success a reality, identification and the initiation of services must occur quicker, thus getting students out of the dribble and pass phenomenon. Because even the NBA has figured out that dribbling and passing is not only unfair to some participants in the game, but it doesn’t bode well for success either.
References
Boscardin, M., L. (2005). The administrative role in transforming secondary schools to support inclusive evidence-based practices. American Secondary Education, 33 (3) 21-32.
Information on IEP Process (ND). Special education rights and responsibilities. Retrieved from http://www.disabilityrightsca.org/pubs/504001Ch04.pdf
Kauffman, James (2009). Emotional/Behavioral disorders. Retrieved from http://www.education.com/reference/article/emotionalbehavioral-disorder…
National Basketball Association (2014). Official rules of the national basketball association 2014-2015. Retrieved from https://turnernbahangtime.files.wordpress.com/2014/12/2014-15-nba-rule-…
New Wisconsin Promise (2015). Special education in plain language. Retrieved from http://www.specialed.us/pl-07/pl07-ieppro.html
U.S. Department of Education (2001). No child left behind. Retrieved from http://www2.ed.gov/nclb/landing.jhtml
Wright, P.W.D., & Wright, P.D., (2015). IDEA 2004: IEP team members & IEP team attendance. Retrieved http://www.wrightslaw.com/idea/art/iep.team.members.htm