Selecting effective intervention strategies for escape-maintained academic-performance problems: Consider giving 'em a break!

Functional Analysis in Public School Settings: A Systematic Review of the Literature

Previous studies have shown that variations of experimental functional analysis (FA) can be used effectively as part of the functional behavioral assessment process in educational settings. The purpose of the current study was to review the literature pertaining to FA of problem behavior in schools focusing on method, topographies, and results. Results of this review showed that analog functional analysis (AFA) are conducted most often in school settings; but recent trends show that use of adapted formats (e.g., trial-based FA and brief FA) are increasing. Analysis of FA results identified most frequent topographies and maintaining variables of problem behavior in the reviewed studies. Trends in teacher-implemented FA are discussed, as well as discrepancies surrounding the terminology of FA in the literature base. Implications for further research, such as social validity of FA in public schools and use of multiple targeted topographies within school-based FA are presented.

A Review of Effective Strategies for Parent-Delivered Instruction

Parent involvement in treatment is an important component of effective behavior-analytic services. Whether parents are expected to act as the primary behavior change agent or support treatment in other ways, behavior analysts must provide them with the resources necessary to encourage lasting behavior change. A critical component of supporting lasting behavior change is the foundational skills related to instruction delivery. Without these skills, parents will not likely benefit from more advanced programs and interventions recommended by behavior analysts. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to describe the foundational skills necessary for parents to successfully establish an instructional environment for further program and intervention delivery. To aid practitioners, a parent-friendly handout is included and discussed.

Advancing the science and practice of precision education to enhance student outcomes

School psychology research and practice has considerable room for growth to go beyond "did an intervention work?" to "what intervention worked for whom and how did it work?" The latter question reflects a more precise understanding of intervention, and involves strategic efforts to enhance the precision of services students with academic, behavioral, emotional, or physical health problems receive to enhance the degree to which interventions are appropriately tailored to and produce benefit for individual students. The purpose of this special issue is to advance the notion and science of precision education, which is defined as an approach to research and practice that is concerned with tailoring preventive and intervention practices to individuals based on the best available evidence. This introductory article provides context for the special issue by discussing reasons why precision education is needed, providing definitions/descriptions of precision education research, and outlining opportunities to advance the science of precision education. Six empirical studies and one methodological-oriented article were compiled to provide examples of the breadth of research that falls under precision education. Although each of the article focuses on students with different needs (literacy deficits, math deficits, emotional and behavior problems, and intellectual disability), there is a common thread that binds them together, and that is each one captures the heterogeneity among students with particular problems or deficits and highlights the need to select and deliver more precise interventions to optimize student outcomes.