Research to Practice: Implementing the Teaching Pyramid Mary Louise Hemmeter Vanderbilt University

What do we know about young children with challenging behavior? It begins early – Between 10-30% of preschool children have mild to moderate behavioral or emotional problems Early appearing aggressive behavior is predictive of future challenges in school and life

Early Educators are Challenged Preschool teachers report: that children’s challenging behavior is the single greatest challenge they face Number one training issue Expulsion data Behavior consultation makes a difference

We are talking about babies… Developmental ages from less then 6 months to greater then 5 years Limited understanding and expression Moving from solitary play to social play Moving from object exploration to representation –Implications for guidance, feedback, classroom management, instruction

It’s about play… Instruction should be embedded into play and routine activities Major focus is to facilitate peer social interaction and emotional and concept development Instructional activities should be brief and concrete – How social skills are taught, the concepts of rules and expectations

Meltdown moments are expected Crying Head Banging Biting Throwing objects Pinching Pulling hair Hitting Spitting food Topography of behavior is less important than understanding the context

Early Educators Often lack formal credentials Have very little training in behavior Have limited to no experience with teaming – Intensity and frequency of training and technical assistance

Programs might Be minimally staffed Have limited (or no) access to mental health or behavioral consultation Use exclusion to resolve behavioral issues Offer limited opportunities for professional development or training –Systems building and community linkages critical to success

The non-system of early childhood “Early childhood policies and procedures are highly fragmented, with complex and confusing points of entry that are particularly problematic for underserved populations and those with special needs. This lack of an integrative early childhood infrastructure makes it difficult to advance prevention-oriented initiatives for all children and to coordinate services for those with complex problems.” (Shonkoff & Phillips, 2000, p.11)

National Center Partnership Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning funded by Head Start and Child Care Technical Assistance Center on Social Emotional Intervention funded by the Office of Special Education Programs

Examining the Potential Efficacy of a Classroom Wide Model for Promoting Social Emotional Development and Addressing Challenging Behavior in Preschool Children Institute for Education Sciences Grant # R324A07212

Few Children Some Children All Children The Pyramid Model: Promoting Social and Emotional Competence and Addressing Challenging Behavior

Coaching Teachers in Implementing the Pyramid Hearing about it in training Implementing it in daily practice

The Teaching Pyramid Observation Tool (TPOT) The TPOT was developed to measure the extent to which the Teaching Pyramid practices are being implemented in a classroom Provides information that can be used to identify training needs of teachers

Overall Classroom Implementation Fidelity

Control and Experimental Group Means Across Data Collection Waves on TPOT Indicators (v = 108)

The Teaching Pyramid: Program-Wide PBS Program-Wide Commitment Teacher Training and Technical Assistance Data-Based Decision Making Well-Defined Procedures Administrative Support Partnerships with Families High Quality Supportive Environments Nurturing and Responsive Caregiving Relationships Targeted Social Emotional Supports Intensive Interventions

Outcomes Across Programs Reduced challenging behavior Promotion of social development Improved staff satisfaction Increase in overall classroom quality More intentional teaching of social skills and emotional competencies Support for children with the most intensive behavioral needs Less reliance on “outside”experts

What Makes it Work? A champion Administrative leadership Ongoing support for those working directly with children and families Clearly articulated policies and procedures related to behavior Commitment to long term process - systems change Collaboration between ECE and mental health/behavior consultants

Building State Structures to Support Implementation at the Local Level 11 States State Team Training Cadre Coaches Local Demonstration Sites Other –IHE work –Licensing and quality initiatives