Working with Staff to Promote Data-Based Decision

Making: Recommended Strategies

andCommon Pitfalls

Dennis H. Reid, Ph.D., BCBA

Evidence-Based Education:

A Multi-Faceted Process

Focus here on performance of front-line education staff Proficient implementation of

evidence-based interventions Accurate data collection

Qualifications

Focus on students with special needs Experience reference Research emphasis within applied

behavior analysis

Rationale for Focus on Staff Performance

Proficient implementation of evidence-based interventions Intuitive appeal Research-based correlations

Accurate data collection nonexamples

Significance of Staff Training Pre-service vs. in-service Illogical expectations Why needed

No pre-service is all inclusive Encountering students with new

challenges Role of paraeducators Individualized nature of interventions

designed by support personnel

Evidence-Based Staff Training

Providing knowledge Equipping with skills Verbal vs. performance training

procedures Research evidence Common practice

Performance- and Competency-Based Staff Training

1. Provide rationale 2. Provide written summary 3. Describe target skills 4. Demonstrate target skills 5. Trainee practice with feedback 6. Continue steps 3 & 4 until

observed competency among all trainees

Why Not More Evidence-Based Staff Training?

History Lack of training of trainers Time and effort

Effective Staff Training

Often necessary, rarely sufficient

Supervising Staff Use of Evidence-Based Procedures

Changing nonproficient performance

Supporting and maintaining proficient performance

Enhancing staff work enjoyment Time, effort, importance,

pleasantness

Evidence-Based Supervision

Qualifications Organizational Behavior

Management (OBM) Outcome Management

Outcome Management Identify desired (student) outcomes Identify staff performance necessary to

achieve targeted outcomes Train targeted knowledge and skills Monitor Correct nonproficient performance Support proficient performance Evaluate

Identification of student outcomes and necessary staff performance

Usually ok

Monitoring

Three major obstacles Staff dislike Lack of direct observation Reactivity

Reducing Staff Dislike of Monitoring

Reid & Parsons (1995). Comparing choice and questionnaire measures of the acceptability of a staff training procedure. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 28, 95-96.

Making Monitoring Acceptable

Greet staff upon entering work site Briefly explain reason for

monitoring Use common sense re proceeding Provide feedback quickly Acknowledge staff upon departing

Importance of Direct Observation

Green, Rollyson, Passante, & Reid (2002). Maintaining proficient supervisor performance with direct support personnel: An analysis of two management approaches. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 35, 205-208.

Effects of Reactivity to Observations

on Staff Performance Brackett, L., Reid, D. H., & Green,

C. W. (2007). Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 40, 191-195.

Reducing Reactivity

Observe frequently Compare internal and external

monitoring results Make some monitoring indigenous

Outcome Management

Supporting proficient performance and correcting nonproficient performance:

Feedback Advantages Common obstacles

Lack of skill Unpleasantness for monitor

Feedback Protocol

Parsons & Reid (1995). Training residential supervisors to provide feedback for maintaining staff teaching skills with people who have severe disabilities. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 28, 317-322.

Evidence-Based Feedback Protocol 1. Begin positive 2. Specify correct areas of performance 3. Specify incorrect areas of performance 4. Specify/demonstrate how to correct the

incorrect performance areas 5. Solicit questions/clarification 6. Note future plans 7. End positive

Future Needs and Directions

Make evidence-based training more efficient Pros and cons of media-based training

Train education supervisors and clinicians in evidence-based supervisory strategies

Bottom Line

Promote use of evidence-based training and supervisory procedures to enhance staff use of evidence-based student interventions and data collection