+ Evidence Based Practice University of Utah Training School Psychologists to be Experts in Evidence Based Practices for Tertiary Students with Serious Emotional Disturbance/Behavior Disorders US Office of Education K H325K080308

+ Technical Assistance Center on Social Emotional Intervention for Young Children (TACSEI) In 2008, the Center for Evidence-Based Practice: Young Children with Challenging Behavior (CEBP) became TACSEI ( TACSEI is a 5 year program that will envelope the research synthesis generated by CEBP and implement the most effective interventions

+ TACSEI Management Team Co-principle investigators University of South Florida Lise Fox Glen Dunlap University of Colorado-Denver Barbara Smith Phil Strain Senior Faculty Karen Blasé, Judith Carta, Mary Louise Hemmeter, Jill Giacomini, Roxane Kaufmann, Diane Powell

+ TACSEI Funding and Partners Funding United States Department of Education Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) Partners Division of Early Childhood (DEC) National Head Start Association (NHSA) IDEA Infant and Toddler Coordinators Association (ITCA) Many more

+ TACSEI Mission To identify, disseminate, and promote the implementation of evidence-based practices in order to improve the social, emotional, and behavioral functioning of young children with or at risk for delays or disabilities

+ TACSEI Goals Technical assistance (TA) collaboration and coordination Research dissemination to various states and training centers TA training and education to trainers, coaches and providers Develop and scale-up Pyramid model variations Evaluate all functions and continue to make improvements Provide technology mediated resources to all consumers

+ TACSEI Key Beliefs TA efforts must be deliverable and effective for diverse populations TA outcomes must be valued by families as well as the broader community Practices endorsed must be affordable, feasible, and acceptable to diverse stakeholders

+ Key Beliefs (cont.) Families and program personnel are vital partners in the design, implementation, and evaluation of the work of the Center Practices must be based on best available evidence and must be replicated across sites and states Practices must be designed primarily to enhance competencies, rather than remediate problems

+ How They Do It: The Pyramid Model Developed by TACSEI and the Center for the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning (CSEFEL) Four tiers: Yellow: Systems and Policies Blue: Universal Supports Green: Prevention Red: Intervention

+ The Pyramid Model The foundation for all of the practices in the pyramid are the systems and policies necessary to ensure a workforce able to adopt and sustain these evidence-based practices Effective workforce is a crucial component The systems and policies developed are necessary for educators to adopt and sustain the pyramid model Yellow Tier (Foundation): Systems and policies

+ The Pyramid Model Universal supports for all children through nurturing and responsive relationships and high quality environments Emphasize nurturing and responsive relationships Establish positive, inclusive and supportive environments Provide information and support to parents and educators Blue Tier: Universal supports

+ The Pyramid Model Prevention represents practices that are targeted social emotional strategies to prevent problems Explicit instruction and support Develop self-regulation and appropriate emotional expression Focus on positive interactions and social problem solving skills Green Tier: Prevention

+ The Pyramid Model Intervention is comprised of practices related to individualized intensive interventions Family based, comprehensive solutions for problem behaviors Positive behavior support (PBS) provided at individual level Focus on skill building and development of positive behaviors Red Tier: Intervention

+ Positive Behavior Support (PBS) Describes the approach used to provide intensive individualized interventions to individual children with challenging behavior Understanding of why the child is performing the behavior Strategies for preventing the behavior and replacing it with new skills Six step implementation plan

+ PBS: The Six Steps 1. Building a Behavior Support Team 2. Person-Centered Planning 3. Functional Behavioral Assessment 4. Hypothesis Development 5. Behavior Support Plan Development 6. Monitoring Outcomes

+ Program-Wide Adoption Systemic effort to maintain program-wide fidelity Develop supports and infrastructure for classroom and home environments Staff-wide training in Pyramid model implementation Comprehensive support from all staff and family Leadership team follows data-driven decision making process

+ TACSEI Training 6 states will receive TACSEI training between 2010 and 2012 Based on “readiness” criteria This will be implemented in four stages Training of a cadre of state trainers Selection and support of local coaches Selection and support of three demonstration sites Facilitation of a state interagency team to develop the infrastructure, policies and resources to implement and sustain the training, coaching and demonstration sites

+ TACSEI TA Model Universal Outreach Web-based TA, National Training Institute, Consultant Bank Available to anyone Targeted TA Families, teachers, program administrators Intensive TA 6 states to develop infrastructure and systems

+ Web-based TA and Resources Available to everyone Print resources Policy briefs, research syntheses, fact sheets and powerpoints Interactive opportunities Webinars, long distance learning and discussions State TA pages In-depth evaluation and record of each state’s progress To date, only Alaska and Minnesota have adopted TACSEI

+ Summary ???