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Using ABA to Enhance the Efficiency and Effectiveness of Academic Interventions in Schools |
Friday, May 24, 2013 |
4:00 PM–7:00 PM |
200 F-G (Convention Center) |
Area: EDC/PRA; Domain: Service Delivery |
CE Instructor: John C. Begeny, Ph.D. |
JOHN C. BEGENY (North Carolina State University) |
Description: As highlighted by national statistics of student achievement, schools face major difficulties meeting all children's learning needs. Contemporary approaches to assisting struggling learners include pre-referral intervention teams and multi-tier models of response-to-intervention (RTI). Despite some promising indicators of these approaches, too many students fail academically because most schools still face major pragmatic challenges when using these approaches (e.g., inefficient use of training and resources, ineffective problem-solving, low "buy-in" from teachers, inconsistent documentation of interventions). Using principles, practices, and research from applied behavior analysis in education, this workshop will describe a well-aligned and flexible system of academic support that can supplement and enhance nearly any school's existing approach to improving student learning outcomes in reading, math, and writing. The workshop will offer recommendations and provide hands-on activities so that attendees can meet all stated workshop objectives. All recommendations for practice have peer-reviewed, published support, and they are consistent with legal and "best-practice" educational guidelines. There is no commercial support for this workshop, but some recommendations also are described in a low-cost guidebook written by the presenter and co-authored by Dr. Kent Johnson (Morningside Academy). This guidebook is NOT needed to benefit from the workshop, but information about it is at: www.sopaaforschools.org. |
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the workshop, the participant should be able to know about and assist their elementary or middle school with:
Implementing and documenting an effective and efficient intervention system for struggling learners.
Selecting appropriate and research-based interventions in reading, writing, and math.
Selecting appropriate and research-based academic progress monitoring tools in reading, writing, and math.
Using a low-cost professional development system that helps to establish a key "expert" within the school in the area of academic instruction, interventions, and assessment.
Initiating an incremental approach to enhancing intervention services for struggling learners so that the approach is well-received by teachers in the school, can grow over time, and is sustainable.
Note: The objectives stated above are relevant for educators working in schools that use or do not use RTI, but for those familiar with RTI, some of the objectives above are most aligned with strengthening schools' Tier 2 level of services in reading, math, and writing. |
Activities: Participants will receive information about various research-supported (and ABA-relevant) recommendations for improving the efficiency and effectiveness of delivering academic intervention services in schools. They also will be given ample hands-on activities that allow everyone to practice using those recommendations. In most cases,because all schools have unique characteristics, attendees will engage in applied activities that will allow them to conceptualize the content of the workshop within the specific context of their own schools. During applied activities, the presenter also will be available to answer questions as attendees consider how to apply the information to their own school-based settings. Throughout the workshop, topics will be broken into multiple "units" so that within a unit, brief amounts of didactic information will be presented and then immediately followed by the applicable hands-on activities. |
Audience: This workshop is primarily intended for school-based practitioners (e.g., school psychologists, special education teachers, Title I teachers, reading specialists, intervention specialists, school principals, etc.) who work in elementary or middle school settings and have at least some role in facilitating academic interventions for struggling learners (e.g., as an interventionist, member of a problem-solving team, consultant, trainer, curriculum coordinator, etc.). The workshop is also relevant for college/university faculty members who teach graduate courses in academic consultation, academic interventions, academic assessment, and/or models of schoolwide (systems-level) change. Graduate students who anticipate working in elementary or middle schools also could benefit from this workshop. |
Content Area: Practice |
Instruction Level: Intermediate |
Keyword(s): academic interventions, response-to-intervention, schools, systems-level interventions |