Early Career Teachers Accuracy in Predicting Behavioral Functioning: A Pilot Study of Teacher Skills (Report‪)‬

To date, an extensive body of research on behavioral consultation and its efficacy exists (Hagermoser-Sanetti & Kratochwill, 2008; Noell, 2007; Sheridan, Welch & Orme,1996). Student outcomes, treatment acceptability, and treatment integrity are often the focus of the consultation literature, yet an equally important aspect is process integrity. Specifically, are the data presented during consultation a result of systematic and valid problem solving? This question is paramount to successful consultation as our efforts, and ultimately student outcomes, are enhanced or impeded by the data collected. Effective behavioral consultation models (e.g., behavioral consultation, conjoint behavioral consultation, instructional consultation) are predicated on the assumption that teachers will serve in the roll of data collector as well as collaborative problem-solver (Bartels & Mortenson, 2005; Jones & Lungaro, 2000; Rosenfield 2002). In many instances assumptions are made that teachers possess the necessary data collection skills to serve in a collaborative capacity and are interested in performing these tasks (Ehrhardt, Barnett, Lentz, Stollar & Reifin, 1996; Jones & Lungaro, 2000). Numerous authors have cited the need for clarity in data collection procedures within the consultative model (Hagermoser-Sanetti & Kratochwill, 2008; Noell, 2007; Packenham, Shute & Reid, 2004). Consequently, behavioral consultants must attend to the validity of the data collected during collaboration with teachers to ensure data used to address student behavior is of value (Bartels & Mortenson, 2005). Thus, the immediate empirical question is, do teachers have the skills to accurately and reliably identify the function of the student's behavior? Without knowing the answer to this question, classroom based observations may yield data which are at best misaligned in terms of behavioral function, and at worst, contrary to the reinforcing contingencies present in the environment resulting in a strengthening of the undesired student response (Packenham, Shute & Reid, 2004; Roberts, Marshall, Nelson & Albers, 2001; Swinson & Knight, 2007; Symons, McDonald & Wehby, 1998). In addition, if there is little to no confidence in the process of developing the hypothesis upon which a treatment is based, then we run the same risks, lauded by numerous authors; specifically, the validity of the treatment-outcome heuristic is suspect (Gresham, Watson & Skinner, 2001; Sugai, Lewis-Palmer & HaganBurke, 1999; Wood, Umbreit, Liaupsin & Gresham, 2007). The Need for Skill Development