Instructor: Gary Stoner, Ph.D., Associate Professor
Office: 361 Hills House South
Telephone: (413)-545-1527
e-mail: gstoner@educ.umass.edu
Office Hours: By appointment.

Course Description. This Doctoral Seminar focuses on the analysis and understanding of the critical features of a range of empirically validated interventions for achievement and behavior problems. The foundational perspectives for understanding the problem-focused interventions in both areas are instructional design, educational psychology, and learning and behavior theory. In addition, the course will include an over-arching theme of service delivery through collaborative instructional and behavioral consultation methods. This course is primarily intended for Doctoral students in school psychology program.
Participants will become familiar with empirically validated strategies and methods for intervening with achievement and behavior problems. Areas of focus for achievement problems will include reading, spelling and writing, math, study and organizational skills, and adapting content area curricula for secondary level students with disabilities. Areas of focus for behavior problems will include attentional problems, conduct problems, and social skills problems, as well as internalizing problems such as depression.

Prerequisites: One graduate course in Applied Behavior Analysis (or the equivalent), and one graduate Course in one of the following: Learning and Cognition, Instructional Design, Collaborative and Integrative Teaching Strategies, Methods and Materials in Special Education (or an equivalent).

Course Objectives:

Upon successful course completion students will be able to:

1. Describe a range of empirically validated strategies and methods for intervention with achievement and behavior problems.
2. Design, implement, and evaluate, on an individualized basis, appropriate empirically validated strategies and methods for intervention with achievement and behavior problems.
3. Describe and use a model of school-based problem-solving consultation, including its component interview structures, and other analysis and evaluation structures to guide intervention design, implementation, and evaluation.
4. Demonstrate knowledge of ethical issues and practices pertinent to the design, implementation, and evaluation of intervention procedures.

Required textbooks:

Kameenui, E. J., & Carnine, D. W. (1998). Effective teaching strategies that accommodate diverse learners. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. (K/C in reading list)

Stoner, G., Shinn, M.R., & Walker, H. M. (1991). Interventions for achievement and behavior problems. Silver Spring, MD: National Association of School Psychologists. (Interventions in reading list)

Sugai, G. M., & Tindal, G. A. (1993). Effective school consultation: An interactive approach. Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole. (S/T in reading list)

In addition, students will be provided with a set of journal article readings for the class.

 Course Structure. This course is designed to provide students with information regarding interventions for achievement and behavior problems, using a graduate seminar model. Class time will be used for instructor lectures, group discussions of readings, and in-class exercises involving case studies and examples. It is each student’s responsibility to actively participate in these experiences and to provide the instructor with information indicative of his/her understanding and mastery of the information. It is the instructor’s responsibility to evaluate student performance and provide feedback promoting each student’s meeting of the course objectives.

Participation expectations, and grading:

Class participation and reading log/journal. Students are expected to complete all readings each week, and to participate in and contribute to the class discussions. In addition, students are expected to keep a journal of their reactions to, comments on, and questions about the readings, to be used in helping to organize thoughts for class discussions. Class participation will be reflected as one-third of a student’s grade; and, completion of the reading log/journal will constitute one-third of each students grade.

Research paper project. Each student will prepare, submit, and present in class a scholarly paper on a topic of interest, from those topics presented within this course. The focus of the paper will be on the critical review of a set of five (5) recent, intervention research articles in scholarly journals. This paper should be prepared in APA format, and typed and double-spaced should not exceed 20 pages excluding a title page and references. Each student will give a 45 minute presentation on her/his paper to be scheduled during the last two class meetings. The nature of the papers and presentations will be on a constructive critique of the design, implementation, and evaluation features of the intervention research reviewed. This requirement will be discussed further in class. This paper and its presentation will constitute one-third of a student’s grade.

1. Reading, journal writing, and preparation for class (9 hours per week). (130 points; 10 points per week). Each student, as well as the instructor, will be responsible for all readings each week. Participants are expected to keep a journal of their reactions, thoughts, questions and proposals pertaining to each reading. Journals will be turned in for instructor review at the end of the term.

2. In class participation/discussion (3 hours per week). (130 points; 10 points per week.) Weekly participation is expected of all. A discussion leader(s) will be assigned to each reading. Discussion leaders are responsible for presenting a synopsis of the reading, posing questions about the reading, and identifying potential (and/or known) applications of the issues, methods, etc. discussed in the reading. Participants also share this responsibility.

3. Written scholarly paper = 140 points. (Development meetings, 30 points; Written paper, 90 points; presentation, 20 points). Each student is expected to write, submit, and present a scholarly paper on a topic of choice relating to the course. The paper should be approximately 20 pages in length, typed in APA format, plus references. Each student should complete 3 paper development meetings with the instructor (10 points each; the fianl paper is worth 90 points).

Grading

Grading will be based on a point system as follows:
A = 400--360 points
B = 360--320 points

A grading note: Consistent with graduate school policy, an earned grade of incomplete is automatically converted to a grade of IF after one-year’s time. Grades of IF will not be converted by the instructor to any other grade--that is, to be successfully completed, incomplete work must be finished within the one-year time limit following the course. 

K/C 1. INTRODUCTION
K/C 2. Characteristics of students with diverse learning and curricular needs.
S/T 1. Introduction to consultation.
S/T 2. Request for assistance.

S/T 3. Social behavior problems: Problem identification.

Skinner, B. F. (1975). The ethics of helping people. Presented: A symposium on "The Control of Behavior: Legal, Scientific, and Moral Dilemmas," Reed College, March, 1975. Published: Criminal Law Bulletin, 1975, 11, 623-636, and in The Humanist, January/February 1976.

Sulzer-Azaroff, B. (1981). Behavior modification and human rights: A legacy of Edward Stanton Sulzer, 1930-1970. The Behavior Analyst, 4, 9-18.

Van Houten, R., Axelrod, S., Bailey, J. S., Favell, J. E., Foxx, R. M., Iwata, B. A., & Lovass, O. I. (1988). The right to effective behavioral treatment. The Behavior Analyst, 11, 111-114.

Fantuzzo, J., & Atkins, M. (1992). Applied behavior analysis for educators: Teacher centered and classroom based. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 25, 37-42.

Class 3--February 11. Preventing and managing social behavior problems: An introduction.

S/T 4. Social behavior problems: Problem Analysis.

Interventions 5. Selecting, implementing, and evaluating classroom interventions. Elliott, Witt, and Kratochwill.

Interventions 6. Interventions for improving study skills. Gleason, Colvin, and Archer.

Colvin, G., & Sugai, G. (1988). Proactive strategies for managing social behavior problems: An instructional approach. Education and Treatment of Children, 11, 341-348.

February 18. NO CLASS--MONDAY SCHEDULE.

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 Class--4. February 25. Interventions for social behavior problems: An educative approach.

S/T 5. Social behavior problems: Intervention selection and development.

Social behavior problems:

Each student will be responsible for preparing and presenting from 2 chapters from among the following from the Interventions book:
24--Promoting healthy behavior
25--Vandalism
26--Truancy
27--Stealing
28--Honesty, Lying, and Cheating
29--Swearing

Class--5. March 4. Interventions for social behavior problems: Attentional problems.

S/T 6. Social behavior problems: Programming strategies.

Gresham, F. M. (1989). Assessment of treatment integrity in school consultation and prereferral intervention. School Psychology Review, 18, 37-50.

Interventions 31. Interventions for attention problems. DuPaul, Stoner, Tilly, and Putnam.

S/T 7. Social behavior problems: Intervention implementation, monitoring and evaluation.

Interventions 32. Early prevention and intervention with conduct problems: A social interactional model for the integration of research and practice. Reid and Patterson.

Interventions 7. Measuring and teaching social skills in the mainstream. Sabornie.

Interventions 30. Psychological intervention for depression in children and adolescents. Reynolds.

Summary and Review of Interventions for Social Behavior Problems.

And a transition reading, linking behavior and instruction, once again:

Interventions 23. Prevention and management of secondary-level behavior problems.

Carnine, D. (1992). Expanding the notion of teachers’ rights: Access to tools that work. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 25, 13-20.

K/C 3. Effective strategies for teaching beginning reading; plus, appendix material.

Interventions 4. Evaluation strategies for preventing and remediating basic skills deficits. Deno and Espin.

Class--9. April 8. Interventions for achievement problems--reading II.

S/T 8. Consultation around achievement problems: What to teach

Interventions 15. Strategies for maximizing reading success in the regular classroom. Grossen and Carnine.

Interventions 16. Teaching reading to mildly disabled students in regular classes. Sindelar and Stoddard.

April 15. National Association of School Psychologists Convention. See you in Orlando!!

S/T 9. Consultation around achievement problems: How to teach.

K/C 4. Effective strategies for teaching writing.

Interventions 17. Two strategies improving students’ writing skills. Heward, Heron, Gardner, and Prayzer.

Interventions 18. Use of self-correction to improve spelling in regular education classrooms. Okyere and Heron.

K/C 8. Modulating instruction for language minority students.

Interventions 19. Maximizing mathematics success in the regular classroom. Cawley and Parmar.

K/C 5. Effective strategies for teaching mathematics; plus, appendix material.

S/T 10. Consultation around achievement problems: Evaluating academic outcomes.

K/C 6. Effective strategies for teaching science; plus, appendix material.

K/C 7. Effective strategies for teaching social science; plus, appendix material.

Interventions 22. Teaching routines for content areas at the secondary level. Schumaker, Deschler, and McNight.

Interventions 20. Adapting textbooks for mildly handicapped adolescents. Lovitt and Horton.

Bibliography (Books, Journals, and World Wide Web Sites):

Berliner, D. C., & Rosenshine, B. V. (1987). Talks to teachers: A festschrift for N. L. Gage. New York: Random House.

Brophy, J. (1996). Teaching problem students. New York: Guilford.

DuPaul, G. J., & Stoner, G. (1994) ADHD in the schools: Assessment and intervention strategies. New York: Guilford.

Gardner, R., Sainato, D. M., Cooper, J. O., Heron, T., Heward, W. L., Eshleman, J., & Grossi, T. A. (1994). Behavior analysis in education: Focus on measurably superior instruction. Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole.

Shapiro, E. S. (1996). Academic skills problems: Direct assessment and intervention. New York: Guilford.

Shinn, M. R. (in press). Advanced applications of Curriculum-Based Measurement. New York: Guilford.

Professional Journals, including:

Behavior Therapy
Education and Treatment of Children
Exceptional Children
Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis
Journal of Emotional and Behavior Disorders
Learning Disabilities Quarterly
Remedial and Special Education
School Psychology Quarterly
School Psychology Review

A few World Wide Web Sites with related information, publications, research reports, grant competition announcement, etc., and links to related information:

Juniper Gardens Children’s Project (University of Kansas)--http://www.lsi.ukans.edu/jg/jgcpindx.htm

National Center to Improve the Tools of Educators (University of Oregon)--http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~ncite/

U. S. Department of Education--http://www.ed.gov/

Urban Education Web-Educational Support and Urban and Minority Families
http://eric-web.tc.columbia.edu/families/index.html

Oregon Social Learning Center--http://www.oslc.org/

Oregon Research Institute--http://www.ori.org/

American Psychological Association--http://www.apa.org/