Improving discipline practices in public schools: Description of a whole-school and district-wide model of behavior analysis consultation.

Abstract

We describe the delivery of behavioral consultation services to improve discipline practices in public schools. The components of a whole-school and district-wide consultative model are discussed, with an emphasis on preventive interventions, multimethod measurement, and empirical outcome evaluation. Data from several consultation projects are presented to illustrate the types and scope of intervention. IMPROVING DISCIPLINE PRACTICES IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS: DESCRIPTION OF A WHOLE-SCHOOL AND DISTRICT-WIDE MODEL OF BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS CONSULTATION Behavioral consultation is a four-stage process that provides technical assistance to practitioners in a variety of applied settings (Bergan & Kratochwill, 1990). Following this model, a consultant interacts with a service provider (consultee) to effect change in one or more clients. Consultation is implemented through consultant-consultee meetings that include (1) problem identification, (2) problem analysis, (3) intervention plan analysis, and (4) intervention plan evaluation phases. This consultative model is distinguished by an applied analytic orientation and a commitment toward empirical outcome evaluation. As it relates to public school settings, the recipients of behavioral consultation would be teachers, principals, administrative personnel, and parents. These individuals receive direction from a consultant and they, in turn, apply and evaluate interventions to improve academic achievement and deportment of students. Behavioral consultation is a collaborative effort between consultant and consultee whose success is going to hinge largely on communication and relationship (Gutkin & Curtis, 1982, p. 822). Several authors have written about the practice of behavioral consultation to public school settings (Luiselli, 1997; Martens, 1993; Witt & Elliot, 1983). For many reasons, a behavioral consultative model is well suited to the demands confronted by public schools. First, with the evolution of inclusive educational services (Fuchs & Fuchs, 1994) increasing numbers of students who have developmental disabilities and disruptive disorders are now served in the nation's public schools. This population of children and adolescents frequently requires specialized services to address academic and social skills challenges. As such, behavioral consultants can offer expertise to public school personnel by helping them formulate, implement, and evaluate intervention plans. A second and related influence supporting the efficacy of behavioral consultation to public schools is the 1997 reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). IDEA '97 mandates that when a student with a disability has challenging that interferes with his or her instruction, or the learning opportunities of peers, a school's educational team must consider when appropriate, strategies, including positive behavioral interventions, strategies, and supports to address that behavior (IDEA Amendments, 20 U.S. C. [xi] 1414(d)(3)(B)(I)). In addition to decreasing challenging behavior, the educational team also must introduce procedures to improve a student's social skills. Integral to these requirements is the completion of functional behavioral assessment (FBA), preparation of a positively oriented behavioral support plan (BSP), and identification of measurable goals to evaluate intervention effects (Drasgow, Yell, Bradley, & Shriner, 1999). Therefore, in order to meet the IDEA 1997 guidelines, most public school districts will require consultation from behavioral specialists. Finally, our public schools continue to experience a high rate of student discipline problems and antisocial (Dwyer, Osher, & Warger, 1998; Rose & Gallup, 1998). Serious rule infractions such as aggression, vandalism, and weapons possession impact negatively the academic attainment of the entire school community. …