Course Syllabus
Links to Learning :
Principles and Best Practices to Promote School Success for Students with Disruptive Behavior Disorders
Instructors:
Elise Cappella, Ph.D., UIC, Department of Psychiatry, Institute for Juvenile Research
Phone: (312) 413-1708; Fax: (312) 413-1036; Email: ecappella@psych.uic.edu
Elisa Shernoff, Ph.D., UIC, Department of Psychiatry, Institute for Juvenile Research
Phone: (312) 996-1646; Fax: (312) 413-1036; Email: eshernoff@psych.uic.edu
*Guest Lecturers: Dr. Marc Atkins, UIC; Dr. Stacy Frazier, UIC; Dr. Ané Mariňez-Lora, UIC;
Dr. Eugene Schaffer, UMBC; Dr. Tom Kratochwill, UWM; Dr. Bridget Hamre (UVA); Dr.
Marika Ginsburg-Block (UMN); Krista Hinton (CPS); Dr. Mary McKay (Mt. Sinai Medical
School); Dr. Mark Smylie (UIC)
Description:
The purpose of this course is to provide instruction in empirically-based classroom interventions that are linked to the school success of elementary age children with disruptive behavior disorders (DBDs). The course will build on current theory and research in DBDs and topics will include assessment and monitoring techniques and behavioral, instructional, and family involvement strategies for students who are identified with DBDs. Strategies include classwide interventions that emphasize proactive behavior management and peerassisted learning techniques, as well as individual interventions that focus on consistent and effective monitoring and reinforcement across home and school. Course participants will learn to link student characteristics with effective interventions, and will be prepared to assist others in identifying the needs of students with DBDs. Finally, as part of this course, you will gain the knowledge and skills to support your colleagues’ use of effective classroom strategies to meet students ’ unique behavioral and academic needs.
Instructional Methods:
Lecture, demonstration teaching, observation, online discussion, cooperative activities, videos, independent projects, case simulations, and others
Course Objectives:
Upon completion of the course, students will:
1. Demonstrate background knowledge of theory and research associated with disruptive behavior disorders in children, and predictors of learning for elementary age students in low-income urban communities.
2. Demonstrate knowledge of research and principles of effective instructional methods , particularly for teachers working in low-income, urban schools; Demonstrate ability to apply strategies for effectively teaching students with disruptive behavior disorders.
3. Demonstrate knowledge of research and principles of behavior management , at classwide and targeted levels; Demonstrate ability to implement evidence-based behavior management practices within the general curriculum and instructional day.
4. Demonstrate knowledge of research and principles of family involvement ; Demonstrate ability to implement effective strategies to involve families in children’s learning.
5. Demonstrate skills in leading peer networking groups before and/or after school to disseminate information about classwide and individual interventions to colleagues.
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Readings:
Required readings can be accessed electronically through links provided on Blackboard
( www.blackboard.com
). In order to fully participate in this course, students will need access to the course website, which will require a Net-ID and an e-mail address. Technical support will be offered in initial course orientation and through ongoing support by the course instructors.
Course Assignments & Requirements
1. Attendance and Participation:
Contribute to group discussion with weekly posts
30 points
Explore weekly websites (those we select and those you select) and provide comments to website response form
Respond to and complete weekly assignments
2. Behavioral and Academic Assessment 10 points
Complete functional assessment of a target child with disruptive behaviors
Submit results of Curriculum-Based Assessment conducted with target child
3. Reflective Teaching 10 points
Assess own teaching strategies: instructional methods, behavior management, family outreach
Submit areas of strength and areas for improvement
4. Instructional Method Interventions
Submit plan for peer tutoring intervention
Diary report of launch of peer tutoring intervention for one week
10 points
5. Behavior Management Interventions
Individualize Good Behavior Game for particular classroom
Diary report of use of Good Behavior Game
6. Family Involvement Interventions
Design sample Daily Report Card for one target student
Send home one Good News Note for all students
10 points
10 points
7. Leadership of Peer Networking Groups
Launch weekly peer networking group in school community
20 points
Introduce colleagues to universal and targeted strategies to impact on learning
Note : This course is being offered to teachers and community-based mental health providers who will be working in pairs on these assignments.
Evaluation Criteria:
Grades: > 90 = A
> 80 = B
> 70 = C
Pass/Fail: > 70 points = Pass
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Weekly Schedule
Orientation (face-to-face meeting)
Introductions
Course overview
Review syllabus
Discuss assignments
Review grading
Technical assistance
Navigating Blackboard
Where to go for help
Background (web-based meeting)
Week 1: Introduction to the Study of Children with DBDs
Topics:
1. Definition and identification of DBDs
2. History, causes, and correlates of DBDs
3. Child development and DBDs
4. Links between DBDs and academic learning
Lectures & Readings:
1. Lecture on DBDs by Dr. Marc Atkins, Institute for Juvenile Research, UIC
2. Readings: Chicago Public Schools ADHD Manual; CD/ODD Checklists
Activities & Assignments:
1. Students read and comment on case descriptions of learners with DBDs (ADHD,
ODD, and CD).
2. Students post specific questions about DBDs to Dr. Marc Atkins
Discussion:
In Blackboard, you will present examples relevant to the above topics from your classroom experience for group discussion. For example, you discuss your experience with a student struggling both with aggression and learning to read, or children who have been exposed to environmental toxins or are living in violent neighborhoods.
Links:
American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry: http://www.aacap.org
American Psychological Association Division 53: http://www.clinicalchildpsychology.org/
Center for Effective Collaboration and Practice: http://cecp.air.org/
Center for Mental Health in Schools: http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/
National Institute of Mental Health: http://www.nimh.nih.gov/
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Predictors of Learning in Urban Classrooms (web-based meeting)
Week 2: Introduction to Research on Learning Opportunities in Urban Classrooms
Topics:
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1. Research on predictors of learning in urban, low-income, elementary schools: a. instructional methods, b. classroom management, c. family involvement, and d. teacher-student relationships
2. General strategies associated with above
3. Challenges implementing above with disruptive students
Lectures & Readings:
1. Lecture on research by Drs. Stacy Frazier, Elise Cappella, and Ané Mariňez-Lora
2. Readings: http://www.sedl.org/connections/resources/rb/rb5-diverse.pdf
Activities & Assignments:
1. Watch video of urban classroom experience and comment on instructional methods, classroom management, and teacher-student relationships in video
2. Discuss example of a strategy you have used to impact on above, and the way in which that strategy has been useful or less useful when applied with disruptive students
Discussion:
Post commentary on video of urban classroom teaching, including observations of strengths and weaknesses of teacher instructional methods and classroom management techniques. Discuss with classmates.
Links:
National Partnerships for Parent Involvement in Education: http://www.ncpie.org/
Public Education Foundation: http://www.pefchattanooga.org/www/docs/5.359.html
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Behavioral and Academic Assessment (web-based meeting)
Week 3: Functional Behavioral Assessment and Curriculum-Based Assessment
Topics:
1. Definitions and examples of antecedents, consequences, and setting variables in classrooms
2. Rationale and implementation of Functional Assessments in general education settings
3. Conducting Curriculum-Based Assessments
Lectures & Readings:
1. Functional Behavioral Assessment: Links between instruction and child behavior
2. Conducting Curriculum-Based Assessments
3. Guest lectures: Krista Hinton (CPS) and Dr. Thomas Kratochwill (UW Madison)
Activities & Assignments:
1. Provide case descriptions of classroom situations and identify antecedents and consequences of target behavior
2. In pairs, you will complete and submit results of a simple functional assessment of one target child
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3. In pairs, you will complete and submit results of Curriculum-Based Assessment conducted with one target child
Discussion:
1. Present examples of problem behavior from your own classrooms. Fellow students probe classmates for additional information regarding the incidents in order to identify antecedents, behavior, and consequences
2. Discuss difficulties associated with conducting CBAs, methods by which CBA can guide instruction in the classroom, and solutions for dealing with students performing significantly behind their peers
Links: http://www.teach-nology.com/tutorials/teaching/fba/ http://cecp.air.org/fba/default.asp
http://www.InterventionCentral.org
Multimodal Functional Behavioral Assessment form: http://mfba.net/forms.html
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Reflective Teaching (web-based meeting)
Week 4: Becoming Active Decision-Makers in the Classroom
Topics:
1. Definition and methods of reflective teaching
2. Link between reflective teaching and teaching students with DBDs
Lectures & Readings:
1. Good & Brophy, 2003
2. Teacher Diary Method; British Council, 2004
3. Guest lecture: Dr. Bridget Hamre (University of Virginia)
Activities & Assignments:
1. In journal format, answer the following questions:
What are my strengths? What do I do well in terms of instructional methods, classroom management, and family involvement?
What are my weaknesses? What do I have difficulties with in terms of instructional method, classroom management, and family involvement?
Which of these areas
– instructional methods, classroom management, and family involvement – do I most want to work on?
2. Conduct systematic self-observation over one academic day: Take brief notes after each lesson, transition, or activity
What strategies do I currently use and feel comfortable with? What gets in the way of these strategies working? How might those be supplemented or adapted to improve upon my work in the classroom?
Discussion:
Discuss your own formative learning experiences (e.g., the instructional and management strategies used by cooperating teachers, preferences of your initial principal, how you were taught as a child, adolescent and/or young adult) and the ways in which these relate to your current decision-making and instruction in the classroom.
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Links: http://searcheric.org/digests/ed449120.html
http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/think/methodology/reflection.shtml#diary
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Instructional Method Interventions I (web-based meeting)
Week 5: Effective Communication with Students
Topics:
1. Research on communication with students: a. Leading discussion b. Questioning and think-wait time c. Performance feedback & self-monitoring
2. Challenges to using above
Lectures & Readings:
1. Guest lecture by Dr. Eugene Schaffer, UMBC
2. Effective Communication with Students; Good & Brophy, 2003
3. Select readings from: Interventions for Academic and Behavior Problems II:
Preventive and Remedial Approaches (Shinn, Walker, & Stoner, 2002)
Activities & Assignments:
1. Post questions for Dr. Eugene Schaffer on above topics for discussion
2. Try self-monitoring technique or performance feedback with targeted student OR lead classwide discussion with focus on questioning strategies and wait-think time
3. Using note taking and reflective teaching techniques, provide feedback on own experience of experiment above (diary method).
Discussion:
1. Discuss your own teaching style and your experiences leading discussion, and the way in which that style or experience influences the kinds of questioning you use and dialogue you foster in your classroom.
2. Ask classmates for feedback dealing with a challenge associated with above topics
(and respond to classmates’ postings).
Links:
To be announced
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Instructional Method Interventions II (web-based meeting)
Week 6: Peer Assisted Learning
Topics:
1. Research on benefits of Peer Assisted Learning (PAL)
2. Design and implementation issues with PALs
Lectures & Readings:
1. Challenges of teaching students at different academic levels and benefits of peer tutoring.
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2. Structure peer tutoring for your class: Implementation and adaptation
3. Guest Lecture: Dr. Marika Ginsburg-Block (UMN)
Activities & Assignments:
1. Watch peer assisted learning video (1 st or 3 rd grade levels) to learn how to design and implement intervention with students in your class (Fuchs & Fuchs)
2. In pairs, design and submit a peer tutoring intervention design for use with all or targeted students in your class
3. Introduce peer tutoring to your class or to a targeted student pair
4. Using note taking and reflective teaching techniques, provide feedback on own experience of experiment above (diary method).
Discussion:
1. Discuss pros and cons of implementing peer tutoring in your class (include examples of when and where it is most appropriate)
2. Discuss adaptations of the peer tutoring intervention for your classroom
Links: http://www.promisingpractices.net/program.asp?programid=143 ; http://www.interventioncentral.org/ http://www.nwrel.org/scpd/sirs/9/c018.html
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Behavior Management Interventions I: Universal Strategies (web-based meeting)
Week 7: Good Behavior Game
Topics:
1. Theory of classwide behavioral intervention for targeted students
2. Research on effectiveness of GBG for all students
3. Implementation issues with GBG
Lectures & Readings:
1. Benefits of classwide intervention and structuring your class for success for all
2. Principles of Effective Behavior Management
3. Description of Good Behavior Game: GBG Manual at http://www.jhsph.edu/prevention/Publications/gbg.pdf
Activities & Assignments:
1. Watch GBG training video to learn implementation techniques
2. Submit plan for implementing the GBG during one 20-minute time period (during a lesson or during a transition) in your class
3. Introduce the GBB to your students
4. Using note taking and reflective teaching techniques, provide feedback on own experience of experiment above (diary method).
Discussion:
Provide examples of problem class behavior for which a classwide intervention might be appropriate. Discuss prime times for conducting classwide intervention (e.g., hallway activities, bathroom breaks, in and out of class transitions, etc.), and how to adapt the
GBG for these settings.
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Links: http://www.interventioncentral.org/htmdocs/interventions/gbg.shtml
http://www.colorado.edu/cspv/blueprints/promising/programs/BPP06.html
http://www.evidencebasedprograms.org/Default.aspx?tabid=154 http://www.helpingamericasyouth.gov/programdetail.cfm?id=298
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Behavior Management II + Family Involvement I: Targeted Strategies (web-based meeting)
Week 8: Conjoint Behavioral Consultation & Daily Report Card
Topics:
1. Introduction to Conjoint Behavioral Consultation as framework for developing partnerships between parents and teachers
2. Introduction to the Daily Report Card
Lectures & Readings:
1. Introduction to individual behavioral intervention
2. Lecture by Elisa Shernoff: Conjoint Behavioral Consultation (CBC) and the Daily
Report Card (DRC)
3. Chapters 3 & 4: Sheridan, Kratochwill, & Bergan (CBC)
Activities & Assignments:
1. Students review case example and discuss application of CBC model in working with parents
2. In pairs, you will compute and submit a DRC for a target student in your classroom
Discussion:
1. Students provide examples of, and discuss, class behavior for which an individual intervention might be appropriate
2. Online discussion case example and use of the CBC model in working with parents
Links: http://www.utmem.edu/pediatrics/general/clinical/behavior/aap_nichq_adhd_toolkit/12Ho wToEstabSchlHomeDailyRepCa.pdf
http://www.myadhd.com/treatment_tools/sample3003dailyreportcard.html
http://www.sandiegoadhd.org/Clinicians/Handouts/pdf/DRCTemplates.pdf
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Family Involvement Interventions II: Universal Strategies (web-based meeting)
Week 9: Initial and Ongoing Communication with Families (Good News Note)
Topics:
1. Setting the stage for positive parent-teacher communication
2. Ongoing teacher-parent communication (classwide, targeted students)
3. Range of ways parents can be actively engaged in their children’s school learning
4. Research on the importance of teachers in the active engagement of parents in their children’s school learning
5. Parental involvement among diverse parent populations
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Lectures & Readings:
1. Facts and Figures from the National Center for Family Literacy Research
Department: Parental Involvement in Child’s School
2. Facts and Figures from the National Center for Family Literacy Research
Department: Benefits of Reading to Children
3. http://www.sedl.org/connections/resources/rb/rb4-Rel.pdf
4. Guest Lecture: Dr. Mary McKay, Mt. Sinai Medical School
Activities & Assignments:
1. Review and comment on case vignettes of interactions with diverse parents.
2. A dapt reflective skills used in the “Reflective Teaching” unit to reflect on communication with parents. In journal format, answer the following questions:
What are my strengths? What do I do well in terms of family involvement?
What are my weaknesses? What do I have difficulties with in terms of family involvement?
Discussion:
Post examples of successful or challenging interactions with parents that have occurred this year or in previous years. Discuss classmat es’ experiences.
Links: http://www.nea.org/parents/index.html
http://www.gettingparentsinvolved.com/ http://www.ncpie.org/ http://www.inspiringteachers.com/tips/parents/involvement.html
http:///www.nasponline.com
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Leadership of Professional Development in Schools
Weeks 10-12: Peer Networking around Evidence-Based Strategies for Children with DBDs
Topics:
1. Introduce models of professional development for teachers (e.g., mentoring, peer support, professional learning communities)
2. Goals of Links to Learning professional development
3. Practical guidelines for setting up Links to Learning professional development in your school
4. Support and feedback for leadership of professional development in your school
Lectures & Readings:
1. Guest Lectures by Mark Smylie (UIC) & Eugene Schaffer (UMBC)
2. Corresponding readings by Mark Smylie & Eugene Schaffer
3. Websites (listed below)
Activities & Assignments:
1. Watch videotape of teachers supporting teachers in a professional development and peer networking community (CPS)
2. Launch professional development before and after school one day/week with fellow teachers (30 minutes each time)
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3. Describe what occurred during the group and the difficulties and successes experienced each week.
4. Post specific questions to Dr. Smylie and Dr. Schaffer around leading fellow teachers in using effective classroom practices to enhance the learning of children with DBDs.
Discussion:
Post own experience of launching of professional development in your school (including what was unexpected, what went wrong, what was enjoyable) and comment on classmates’ experiences.
Links:
Teacher Leaders Network: http://www.teacherleaders.org/
The Mentoring Leadership & Resource Network: http://www.mentors.net/03library/tchrs_4_chica.html
National Board for Professional Teaching Standards: http://www.nbpts.org/
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