A Comparison of Results and Acceptability of Functional Behavioral Assessment Procedures with a Group of Middle School Students with Emotional/Behavioral Disorders (E/BD)

There is currently controversy over the validity and applicability of functional behavioral assessment (FBA) procedures with students with emotional/behavioral disorders (E/BD). A set of FBA procedures, including teacher and student interviews and direct classroom observations, were carried out with eight students with disabilities (7 classified E/BD, one classified LD). Results indicated that when all three methods (teacher/student interviews, classroom observations) yielded a ranking for a function they agreed 64% of those occasions. For those situations in which there was overall disagreement there was agreement between teacher interview and classroom observations most of the time. Social validity data indicated that both students and teachers felt that the assessment procedures were a useful and productive process.     

Working with Traumatized Mothers and Their Babies in a Residential Drug Rehabilitation Facility

For one year, I led a mother-baby group at a residential drug rehabilitation facility. All of the mothers had suffered extreme childhood relational trauma, had lost their older children to foster care, and were now agreeing to residential treatment in hope that they could retain custody of their babies. The mothers were very wary of me when we first started. They saw no value in meeting and sharing their thoughts and feelings. Over time they grew to appreciate the group. This article tracks the process that they, their babies and I went through to co-create a meaningful therapeutic experience.     

Teacher Implementation of Trial-Based Functional Analysis and Differential Reinforcement of Alternative Behavior for Students with Challenging Behavior

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a training package on three middle school special education teachers’ accurate implementation of trial-based functional analysis (TBFA) and differential reinforcement of alternative behavior (DRA) with their students with autism spectrum disorders or emotional and behavioral disorders in the classroom setting. We also examined the effects of the DRA on six students’ challenging and replacement behaviors. Using a multiple probe across teacher participants design, we demonstrated that all three teachers implemented TBFA during TBFA training with performance feedback conditions and DRA during DRA training with performance feedback conditions with high procedural fidelity. Further, two of three teachers generalized high procedural fidelity with a new student. Finally, results indicated a reduction in all six students’ challenging behavior and an increase in their replacement behavior after the teachers received training and performance feedback on DRA implementation. Limitations and implications for research and practice are discussed.     

中学生感知到的数学教师支持问卷的编制

采用理论分析和开放式问卷调查等方法提出中学生感知到的数学教师支持的基本结构并编制问卷项目。先以302名中学生为被试,对自编初始问卷进行预测,结果显示,中学生感知到的数学教师支持问卷包括情感支持、自主支持和认知支持3个维度。再对347名中学生正式施测,进行信度和验证性因素分析,结果显示,总问卷α系数为0.92,三个维度α系数在0.75~0.89之间,验证性因素分析各项拟合指标较为理想,具有较好的结构效度。因此,编制的问卷具有较好的信效度,是测量中学生感知到的数学教师支持的有效工具。     

Evaluation of a Trauma-Informed School Intervention with Girls in a Residential Facility School: Student Perceptions of School Environment

In response to the high nationwide prevalence of psychological trauma among court-involved youth who have been exposed to abuse and neglect and the associated far-reaching adverse consequences, there are calls to develop a trauma-informed workforce across the various systems (child welfare, juvenile justice, mental health, and education) designed to serve this population. We describe a pilot test of a modified version of the Heart of Teaching and Learning (HTL) curriculum, an intervention designed to increase trauma-informed practices in education settings. This program was implemented in a public charter school that exclusively serves court-involved youth placed in residential treatment. The intervention was associated with decreases in trauma symptoms experienced by youth. Because student perceptions of teachers were high both before and after implementation of the curriculum, no statistically significant changes were observed. The article concludes with a discussion of the ways in which the curriculum can be used to help prepare a national education workforce capable of implementing trauma-informed evidence-based practices in school settings.     

Development and Validation of the Chinese Creative Writing Scale for Primary School Students in Hong Kong

The 13-item Chinese Creative Writing Scale was expanded and modified from the Carlson Originality Scale to assess creativity elements in compositions of primary school students in Hong Kong. The content validity was endorsed by a small expert panel. Results show that the scale has excellent interrater reliability (.90 to .98), and moderate to good internal consistency. Exploratory factor analysis shows that the three factors (flexibility, originality, and fluency) accounted for 59.1% of the variability, which is consistent with the design of the scale. The scale can also be used as an outcome measure for assessing the effectiveness of strategies which aim at enhancing creativity of students. With minor modifications, the scale can also be applied in mainland China, Taiwan, and Chinese societies elsewhere in the world.     

Ethics in Academic Writing Help for International Students in Higher Education: Perceptions of Faculty and Students

International students often turn to various sources for help, including writing center tutors, friends, faculty mentors, online sources such as Google translate, and proofreading and editorial services, among others. While receiving help from these sources is both understandable and somewhat expected, what type and level of help is appropriate or ethical is not always clearly defined. The current research study investigates perceptions of faculty and international students at one U.S. university as to what is ethical in academic writing help for international students in 17 different scenarios. Findings suggest that students, far more than faculty, lacked certainty and agreement on whether certain help they may receive is ethical. The two groups’ views also varied on machine translation and the use of for-pay editors. Faculty, in general, had the least agreement on the use of machine translation and the use of a for-pay editing service for sentence- and discourse-level help and expressed that specific contexts and instructor’s expectations should be taken into consideration. Also, perceptions of students from East Asia showed notable differences. We argue that establishing and communicating clear guidelines concerning writing help should be part of any policy of academic integrity and present an “ethicality index” to help begin conversations as each institution, program, or faculty establishes the boundaries of ethical writing help in a specific context.     

Classwide Peer Tutoring: Effects on the Spelling Performance and Social Interactions of Students with Mild Disabilities and Their Typical Peers in an Integrated Instructional Setting

The effectiveness of Classwide Peer Tutoring (CWPT) to enhance the spelling performance and social interactions of three typical students and three students with mild disabilities was investigated. The classroom ecology was measured using the New Code for Instructional Structure and Student Academic Response (NCISSAR). Social interactions were assessed using the Multiple Option Observation System for Experimental Studies (M.O.O.S.E.S.). Spelling performance was measured by weekly pre-posttests. Using an ABAB single-subject design, results indicated that CWPT resulted in: (a) gains in the spelling accuracy of all students (up to 49%), (b) increases of students' duration of positive social interactions (up to 86%), and (c) high satisfaction ratings for both the students and the teacher. Comparisons between typical students and students with mild disabilities during CWPT suggested no differences in their duration of social interactions. Furthermore, the mean spelling accuracy of the students with mild disabilities was comparable to the spelling accuracy of the typical students (91% vs. 96%, respectively). Implications of the findings for the inclusion of students with mild disabilities in general education settings are discussed.     

大学生道德情感问卷的初步编制*

采用理论分析和开放式问卷调查等方法提出大学生道德情感的基本结构并编制了问卷初始条目。先以259名大学生为被试,对自编初始问卷进行预测,探索性因素分析显示,大学生道德情感包括3个因素:爱国感、责任感和正直感。再对622名大学生进行正式施测,进行验证性因素分析和信度分析。结果显示,总问卷α系数为0.77,重测信度0.72。验证性因素分析各项拟合指标较为理想,具有较好的结构效度。因此,编制的问卷具有较好的信效度,是测量大学生道德情感的有效工具。     

Reducing Time-Out Assignments for Students with Emotional/Behavioral Disorders in a Self-Contained Classroom

This study assessed the impact of a class-wide time-out/re-directing strategy on (a) the frequency of teacher-assigned time-outs and (b) the time students spent in disciplinary sanctions. Twelve students with emotional/behavioral disorders, enrolled in a self-contained elementary classroom were taught an alternative time-out strategy (Active Response Beads-Time Out), while teachers were taught a re-directing strategy, in an attempt to decrease the amount of student's time spent in time-out (TO) and the number of TO assigned by staff. Using a multiple baseline design across academic classroom periods, results showed that Active Response Beads Time-Out (ARB-TO) and teacher re-directions decreased the total time spent in time-out and number of TO assigned across the three class periods. Results maintained at one, two and four week follow-up sessions.     

Slowing Down the Conversation: The Use of Letter Writing with Adolescents and Young Adults in Residential Settings

For some time therapeutic letter writing has been used to promote change within the client and family system. The use of specific letter writing assignments with an adolescent in residential care allows the therapist to work systemically on specific patterns of interaction within the family. This article describes letters writing techniques that provide opportunities for adolescents to be confronted with their behaviors, while also giving them space to accept responsibility and embrace the need to change. Methods are also outlined for holding parents accountable for their behaviors and helping them to change their approach to working with their child. Some possible outcomes from using such assignments include moving individuals and families through the stages of change, promoting a systemic view, slowing down the conversation, teaching communication skills, increasing nurturance, and repairing attachment injuries.     

Mnemonics Strategy Development: Improving Alphabetic Understanding In Turkish Students,At Risk for Failure in EFL Settings

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of integrated mnemonics on consonant letter naming and consonant sound production for three 4th grade Turkish students, at-risk for failure in an English-as-a-Foreign-Language (EFL) classroom. Mnemonic picture cards, where the target consonant letter was embedded as an integral part of the picture, were developed (e.g., the letter C as the clock, the letter D as the drum). Results showed that (a) all three students reached mastery on consonant letter naming, and (b) all three students showed marked improvement for consonant sound production, with one student reaching mastery. Letter-sound correspondence performance remained near instructional levels one week post-intervention. Generalization data showed students could produce some words that began and ended with consonant sounds, once consonant letter-sound correspondence was mastered.     

高中英语学习策略量表编制与Rasch多维度分析

当前,语言学习策略已成为我国中学英语教学的一项重要目标。该研究通过科学设计的问卷,调查了406名高三学生的英语学习策略掌握情况,并进一步分三个分维度、十个子维度,进行了深入的分析。研究表明,问卷提供的多维度的详细信息可以帮助详细了解学生对策略的掌握情况,从而进行有针对性的指导。同时,问卷的设计,维度划分等,也为研究人员,高中英语学习策略的教材编写和教学提供可靠有用的参考。