Data-based individualization (DBI) is a systematic approach to intensifying and individualizing interventions for students who require more support. Diagnostic data represent the third step in the DBI process. When progress monitoring data indicate that a student is not making adequate progress in an intervention, educators use diagnostic data to…

Students with disabilities may demonstrate high rates of off-task behavior, resulting in poor academic achievement. To decrease students' off-task behavior, teachers can identify student-guided supportive strategies to limit the amount of time they dedicate to behavior management. Moreover, when teachers use effective student-guided strategies…

Paying attention during academic instruction plays a significant role in learning. Students with off-task behaviors are less likely to obtain desired learning outcomes. Technology-based self-monitoring is one of the strategies designed to address this issue. This article introduces technology-based self-monitoring (TBSM) for elementary educators…

The purpose of Tier 2 positive behavior interventions and supports (PBIS) is to address identified social, emotional, and behavioral needs with efficient, targeted interventions. Although only 10% to 15% of each school's population will require Tier 2 supports, without effective systems, practices, and data, students will continue to demonstrate…

In today's educational landscape, state and local educational agencies (SEAs and LEAs) often experience challenges connecting large-scale accountability data with actual school improvement initiatives. These challenges tend to be rooted in incoherent design and use of data systems for continuous improvement. As we aim to support SEAs in…

Positive and constructive feedback is a form of positive reinforcement essential to effective instruction and classroom management. This article provides practitioners with a range of realistic positive and constructive feedback strategies and descriptions of how such feedback can be implemented in schools and classrooms, with a special focus on…

Behavior contracts, also known as contingency contracts, have been used as a behavioral strategy for decades (Allen et al., 1993; Bowman-Perrott et al., 2015). Originating from the field of applied behavioral analysis, behavior contracts define behavioral expectations and specify contingent rewards for displaying target behaviors (Cooper et al.,…

Secondary students with specific learning disabilities (SLD) can often demonstrate skill deficits and problem behaviors in general education classes. Teachers generally understand how to implement intensive interventions, yet may not know how to address skill deficits and off-task behaviors using a function-based approach or may encounter barriers…

There is a growing body of research that supports the use of performance feedback as a method of increasing teachers' use of effective practices (Cornelius & Nagro, 2014; Sweigart et al., 2016). Put simply, performance feedback involves a colleague or coach observing a teacher and providing specific feedback about the instruction to increase a…

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is the federal law that secures special education services for children with disabilities from the time they are born until they graduate from high school. The law was reauthorized by Congress in 2004, prompting a series of changes in the way special education services are implemented. These…

Failure to provide adequate teacher training related to a specific intervention or approach during consultation may be associated with a host of negative outcomes. Requiring teachers to implement an intervention with little to no training increases the probability that the intervention will not have the intended effect and subsequently will fail…

Students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) in secondary school settings often have deficient reading skills. Secondary school teachers who serve this population of students may need additional training, support, and resources to maximize the effectiveness of the time they spend teaching reading. This article focuses on two…

Check-in/check-out (CICO) is a well-established Tier 2 intervention to address at-risk student behavior problems. Despite its widespread empirical support and applied use, CICO can be taxing for teachers to implement when there is insufficient time available and teacher self-efficacy in addressing behavior problems is low. Evaluation of CICO is…

Students who are at risk for or show low-intensity behavioral problems may need targeted, Tier 2 interventions. Often, Tier 2 problem-solving teams are charged with monitoring student responsiveness to intervention. This process may be difficult for those who are not trained in data collection and analysis procedures. To aid practitioners in these…

This column presents a strategy for teachers to use with students with challenging behaviors motivated by a desire to escape a setting. Although many detailed strategies are available for students with behavior problems, few provide a structured approach for working with the students motivated by escape or avoidance. To effectively intervene with…