Piedmont College

School of Education

________________________________________________________________________

Preparing Proactive Educators to Improve the Lives of Children

I.Course

Title:Behavior Management for Special Education

Number:SPED 400

II.Instructor

Name:Sylvia Rockwell, Ph.D.

Office Location: Hunnicutt Building

Office Hours: Monday 4:00-5:00, Tuesday 4:00-5:00, Wednesday 3:50-5:50, Thursday 9:00-10:00

Phone:(706)548-8505

Email and fax #:srockwell@piedmont.edu (706) 613-2749

III.Time and Place

Athens Campus, Fall 2000, Second Session

Day(s):Wednesday

Time:5:50-10:10

Class Location: Hunnicutt Building, Room 3

IV.Text(s)

Required:Alberto, P., & Troutman, A.(1999).Applied behavior analysis for teachers. (5th ed.).Columbus, OH:Charles E. Merrill.

Supplemental:Some supplemental readings will be required.Copies will be made available.

V.School of Education Mission 

Piedmont College Mission:

Inspired by the liberal arts tradition and a historical association with the Congregational Christian Churches, Piedmont College cultivates a diverse, challenging, and caring intellectual environment to encourage academic success and spiritual development.

To accomplish this mission, the college offers a number of major fields of study that are informed by the liberal arts, including specialized professional programs and selected graduate programs.Instructional opportunities are also provided at distant locations to student needs.

School of Education Mission & Philosophy:

The theme of the School of Education is ÒPreparing Proactive Educators to Improve the Lives of Children.ÓReinforcing the mission of Piedmont College, the School of Education strives to prepare reflective, scholarly, proactive educators.These practitioners effectively educate their own students to become knowledgeable, inquisitive, and collaborative learners in diverse, democratic learning communities.

Specific ideals under-gird our conceptual framework.We advocate the democratic ideals of equal rights and opportunities; individual freedom and responsibility; responsibility for the greater good; respect for diversity; openness to possibilities; and open, informed discourse.

We endorse the following processes as a means of striving for our democratic ideals:

1.Engaging in participatory decision-making.

2.Collecting information from all constituencies.

3.Examining options and projecting consequences.

4.Nurturing open discourse.

5.Providing for field experiences.

6.Assessing processes as well as products.

7.Modeling democratic ideals in the classroom.

8.Forming communities of learners.

9.Constantly revising the curriculum to reflect new insights and understandings.

Further, we endorse the development of a sense of personal integrity and of strong habits of mind (e.g., reflectiveness, persistence, clarity, accuracy, and responsiveness to feedback).

Program Goals:

The goal of the special education program at Piedmont College is to provide undergraduate candidates knowledge in the social and educational development of students.Through an individualized approach the program seeks to accomplish the following:

¥Explain, discuss, and provide opportunities for the application of the philosophical, historical, and legal foundations of special education, specific to mental retardation/developmental disabilities.

¥Provide the candidate with information regarding the learning characteristics of students with 

mental retardation/developmental disabilities that will allow for productive discussion of

students' strengths and needs as well as effective application of instructional methodology.

¥Provide the candidate with opportunities to learn and apply the components of assessment (e.g., diagnosis and evaluation) with regard to students with mental retardation/developmental disabilities. 

¥Provide the candidates with knowledge of instructional content and practice for educating students with mental retardation/developmental disabilities and information that will allow candidates to continually refine their professional knowledge base.

¥Provide opportunities for candidates to demonstrate skills specific to applied behavior analysis when teaching students with mental retardation/developmental disabilities.

¥Provide opportunities for candidates to demonstrate and apply professionalism and ethical practices

when teaching students with mental retardation/developmental disabilities.

VI.Course Description & Purpose

This course is designed to introduce students to strategies for modifying problem behaviors of students with disabilities.Learning theory, measurement procedures, and verification of functional relationships will be introduced.Students will be required to plan, implement, and evaluate an applied behavior analysis project with an individual student with a disability.

The purpose of this course is to teach teachers applied behavior analysis techniques to effect a change in academic and pro-social behavior of students with disabilities toward the goal of integration in the classroom, school, community, and job market for persons who are not disabled.

VII. School of Education Outcomes Addressed in the Class

Core Candidate Learning Outcomes(CCLO):

The following outcomes, adapted from the 1994 INTASC (Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium) standards, are addressed in this course:

1)Learning Environment: The candidate uses an understanding of individual and group motivation to create a caring learning environment that encourages positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self-regulation.The candidate additionally fosters the ideals of a democratic classroom 

by treating students fairly and justly, providing intellectual challenge, and supporting students as they pursue knowledge and understanding.

2)Subject Matter:The scholarly candidate understands and can model the central concepts, tools of inquiry, and structures of the discipline(s) he or she teaches and can create learning experiences that make these aspects of subject matter meaningful for students.

3)Student Learning:The reflective candidate understands how students develop and learn and can provide well-managed learning opportunities that support studentsÕ intellectual, social, and personal growth.

4)Diversity:The candidate committed to the ideals of the democratic classroom understands that learners are the products of their innate talents/disabilities, preferred learning styles, and cultural experiences and can adapt instruction to meet diverse needs. 

5)Instructional Strategies:The candidate understands and uses a variety of instructional strategies to encourage the development of studentsÕ critical thinking, problems solving, and performance skills.

6)Assessment Strategies:The candidate understands and uses a variety of assessment strategies to encourage the continual intellectual, social, and personal growth of students.

7)Communication and Technology: The candidate uses knowledge of effective verbal, non-verbal, and media communication techniques and technologies to foster active inquiry, collaboration, and supportive interaction in the classroom.

8)Planning Instruction:The candidate plans and manages instruction based upon knowledge of subject matter/pedagogy, students, the community, and curriculum goals.

9)Reflection and Professional Development: The candidate is a reflective practitioner who continually evaluates the effects of her/his choices and actions upon others, and who actively seeks opportunities for the continual development of a personal pedagogy.

10)Collaboration and Relationships: The candidate communicates and interacts with other educators, parents/families, and the community to support studentsÕ learning and well-being.

VIII.Course Outcomes

This course is based on the Council for Exceptional StudentsÕ Core Knowledge and Skills Essential for All Beginning Special Education Teachers.This list of Core Knowledge and Skills includes the following:

1.Philosophical, Historical, and Legal Foundations of Special Education.

2.Characteristics of Learners

3.Assessment, Diagnosis and Evaluation

4.Instructional Content and Practice

5.Planning and Managing the Teaching and Learning Environments

6.Managing Student Behavior and Social Interaction Skills

7.Communication and Collaborative Partnerships

8.Professionalism and Ethical Practices

This class will operate as a democratic classroom.Candidates will engage in decision-making and take personal responsibility for the quality and productivity of group activities.Interactive discussion and problem solving will be emphasized.All ideas and contributions will be explored and respected.

Upon completion of this course, candidates will:

1.Demonstrate knowledge of terminology, measurement techniques, monitoring designs, and graphic procedures.Effectively educating students with behavior problems requires that teachers have complete understanding of terminology and measurement techniques to operationalize a specific behavior, collect data, and graph the data.

2.Demonstrate knowledge of intervention procedures for the increase and decrease of targeted behaviors in a variety of settings.Effective intervention will be selected based on research on best practice with regard to the operationalized identification of targeted behaviors and the pre-intervention data.

3.Demonstrate an understanding of a functional relationship and a functional analysis of behavior.

4.Identify research designs used in current experiments of intervention.

5.Identify and apply behavioral interventions to targeted behavior problems, collect and analyze data, determine if a functional relationship exists, and determine if a new intervention should be applied.

6.Have knowledge of the Council for Exceptional ChildrenÕs Professional Standards and Code of Ethics for educators who work with students who have exceptionalities.

IX.Course Policies & Procedures

A.Class Attendance & Participation

Attendance/Participation:

Attendance, timeliness, and participation are required.The School of Education policy states that more than the allotted number of excused absences for any reason will result in a failure of the course.The allotted number of excused absences is as follows:

¥Day classes meeting three times a week for an entire semester:6 absences

¥Day classes meeting two times a week for an entire semester:4 absences

¥All eight week classes:1 absence

¥Evening classes meeting for an entire semester:3 absences

Only absences due to illness or emergencies will be excused.Work missed due to an excused absence may be made up.It is the candidateÕs responsibility to inform the professor in writing of his or her plan for making up the work.Any candidate who misses more than the allotted number of classes will be asked to drop the course or will receive an F at the end of the semester.Please contact the professor prior to an absence when possible.

Active participation includes (a)preparing for class by reading the text and/or other assigned readings, (b)actively participating in class discussions, and (c)contributing to group activities.

B.Academic Honesty

Written Work:

Use APA style (4th ed.).All papers for the course are to be typed using 12 point print.Papers should be error-free and grammatically correct (including punctuation, spelling, capitalization, etc.).Candidates should make good use of writing resources.Each paper should have a cover sheet with the candidateÕs name, course number and name, assignment title, and date. 

Academic Integrity

By accepting admission to Piedmont College, each candidate makes a commitment to understand, support, and abide by the ÒAcademic Integrity PolicyÓ without compromise or exception.This class will be conducted in strict observance of the policy.Refer to the Piedmont College Student Handbook for details.All work submitted must be original, appropriately referenced, and created in and for this course.

C.Special Consideration:

Candidates with any special needs should make these special needs known to the instructor during the first class session.Please provide appropriate documentation.

X.Course Outline & Student Expectations

A.Schedule & Topic Outline

Week 1:Theoretical Approaches

Week 2:Components of A Functional Behavioral Analysis 

Week 3:Target Behavior Selection

Week 4:Data Collection and Graphic Representation

Week 5:Interventions:Reinforcement & Behavior Reduction

Week 6:Generalization

Week 7:Synthesis and Analysis

Week 8:Candidate Presentations

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

B.Description of Assessments & Assignments

1.Candidates are responsible for all material presented in texts, handouts, and resource manuals.

2.Exams:Three exams will be administered.Each exam will include a combination of short answer and essay type questions.

3.Mini-papers:Each candidate will complete 6 mini-papers.These papers are to be reviews of research articles on applied behavioral analysis.Articles selected for review must come from an approved professional journal with a publication date of 1995to the present.A minimum of 1 paper must be written on each of the following designs:(a)ABAB, (b)multiple baseline, and (c)alternating treatment design.The remaining three articles must include information from the research on functional behavioral analysis that enhances the candidatesÕ understanding of applying research to practice.

Each paper must be written and referenced using the American Psychological Association (APA), 4th edition guidelines.The papers should be 2 pages, double spaced, and should include the following subtopics:

¥Purpose of the Study

¥Targeted Behaviors

¥Number and Description of Subjects

¥Research Design

¥Reliability

¥Functional Relationship

¥Results

¥Discussion of the Treatment

¥Application

¥Personal Reflection

Suggested professional journals include, but are not limited to the following:

Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis

Journal of the Association of Persons with Severe Handicaps (JASH)

Exceptional Children

Behavioral Disorders

Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

Autism and Developmental Disabilities

Focus on Autism and Developmental Disabilities

Education and Training in Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities

4.Personal Philosophy Statement:Each candidate will participate in class discussions and activities that will enhance his/her understanding of the theoretical approaches to behavior management.After reading, discussing, and participating in class activities, candidates will write a two to three page statement of their philosophy of behavior management.This philosophy statement will include a minimum of three references.

5.Functional Behavioral Analysis (FBA) and Application Project:Each candidate will conduct a functional behavioral analysis and write a behavior plan to address the targeted behavior(s).An ABAB design will be used to report the results of the plan.

Each candidate will present their plan and results to the class.

C.Evaluation Criteria

Tests30%

Class Participation10%

Mini-papers20%

Philosophy Statement10%

FBA & Application Project30%

The class will determine due dates during the first class meeting.All work must be turned in by the due date for full credit.

E.Instructional Methods

Various instructional approaches will be utilized by the candidates and professor.Demonstrations, observations, class discussions, small group discussions, cooperative group work, use of educational technology, student presentations, readings, writings, 

listening, questioning, as well as formative and summative evaluations will be utilized.

X.Resources

A.Bibliography

Alberto, P., & Troutman, A. (1999).Applied behavior analysis for teachers. (5th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ:Merrill/Prentice Hall.

Benson, S. (1987).Biophysical intervention strategies.The Pointer, 31 (3), 14-18.

Dunlap, G., Kern, L., dePerczel, M., Clarke, S., Wilson, D., Childs, K., White, R., & Falk, G. (1993).Functional analysis of classroom variables for students with emotional and behavioral disorders.Behavioral Disorders, 18 (4), 275-291.

ERIC Brief T3 (1990, March).Student self-management to increase on-task behavior.ERIC Clearinghouse on Handicapped and Gifted Children.

Evans, S., & Evans, W. (1987).Behavior change and the ecological model. The Pointer, 31 (3), 9-12.

Eitzen, D. S. (1992, April).Problem students:The social cultural roots.Phi Delta Kappan, 584-590.

Glasser, W. (1988, March).On studentsÕ needs and team learning:A conversation with William Glasser.Educational Leadership, 217-224.

Knoster, T. (2000).Understanding the difference and relationship between functional behavioral assessments and manifestation determinations. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 2 (1), 53-58.

Maag, J. (1999).Behavior management:From theoretical implications to practical applications. San Diego, CA:Singular Publishing.

Nelson, M. (1987).Behavioral interventions: What works and what doesnÕt.The Pointer, 31 (4), 45-50.

Smith, S. (1988).Teaching the fourth r-- relationships.The Pointer, 32 (3), 23-33.

Sugai, G., Horner, R., Dunlap, G., Hieneman, M., Lewis, T., Nelson, C. M., Scott, T., Liaupsin, C., Sailor, W., Turnbull, A., Turnbull III, H. R., Wickman, D., Wilcox, B., & Ruef, M. (2000).Applying positive behavior support and functional behavioral assessment in schools.Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 2 (3), 131-143.

Walker, H. M., Colvin, G., & Ramsey, E. (1995).Antisocial behavior in school:Strategies and bestpractices.Pacific Grove, CA:Brooks/Cole Publishing Company. 

B.Websites

Includes information for links to educational websites, praxis, QCC objectives and Standards.

XII.InstructorÕs Resources

Candidates may check out texts and curricula from the instructor.These are personal resources.If these resources are lost or damaged, they will need to be replaced prior to receiving a grade for the course.