Behavioral Interventions in Schools: A Response-to-Intervention Guidebook

This book is a how-to manual for school mental health professionals, educators, and administrators that discusses a series of steps that can be used to proactively manage and prevent many different types of behavioral problems in a positive manner. It incorporates both the high structure and high behavioral expectations that are crucial for school success, but also describes following this structure in such a way that students feel included, important, and respected. Rather than requiring the mental health providers to investigate the research themselves and come up with a behavioral problem solving model, this book includes step-by-step guides on how to implement school-wide and classroom-wide interventions in a response-to-intervention format. For those students who demonstrate more behavior problems, more intensive interventions are included to help alleviate those problems.

The first section of the book discusses Tier I interventions and assessments designed to ensure that the school is effectively implementing a high quality, research-based behavioral management system. The next section covers Tier II interventions, those used for students who do not respond adequately to those of Tier I. These interventions are research-based, rigorous, and designed to address a broad range of behavior problems. Finally, the last section discusses Tier III interventions for students in need of highly individualized and intensive interventions to manage behavior problems.

David Hulac, PhD, NCSP, is the program coordinator and an assistant professor for the school psychology program at the University of South Dakota. As well as working in a residential and day treatment setting, he has provided consultation services for local psychologists, the Colorado Department of Education, and the University of South Dakota Center for Disabilities.

Joy Terrell, PhD, NCSP, is currently working as a school psychologist in the Recovery School District in New Orleans, Louisiana, and is responsible for ensuring implementation of a district wide response to intervention model and ensuring that schools’ policies and practices comply with special education guidelines.

Odell Vining, PhD, NCSP, is currently employed as a school psychologist in Georgia and continues to have numerous state, regional, and national presentations on his academic and behavioral research. He has aided in the development and implementation of both Response-to-Intervention and Positive Support Models in districts in the Southeastern portion of the United States.

Joshua Bernstein, PhD, NCSP, LPC, is an Assistant Professor in Chatham University’s counseling psychology program and a psychotherapist in private practice. His areas of expertise include child, adolescent and family focused psychotherapy and assessment. Over the course of the last twelve years he has trained and consulted with teachers, youth development professionals and administrators to create and improve youth development programs.