Consultation for Classroom Management and Targeted Interventions: Examining Benchmarks for Teacher Practices That Produce Desired Change in Student Behavior

Abstract

In the context of best practices consultation with high needs teachers, we examined (a) relations between teachers’ appropriate response to student rule violations and rates of rule violations, and (b) rates of student misbehavior among teachers who do and do not achieve various benchmarks of integrity and/or growth in skills. Participants were 48 teachers, 48 target students with or at risk for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD; one per teacher), and remaining students in each classroom. Teachers received up to eight consultation sessions on classroom management and implementation of a daily report card (DRC) with the target student. We observed classwide rule violations, target student rule violations, and DRC violations, as well as the percentage of rule violations to which the teacher provided an appropriate response. Teachers who responded to a higher percentage of rule violations had fewer classwide rule violations (rs = −.32 to –.53) and target student rule violations (rs = −.22 to –.51) at baseline, Months 1 to 2, and Months 3 to 4 of consultation. Teachers who reached the minimum benchmark of 51% appropriate response and who demonstrated greater growth in appropriate responding witnessed fewer rule violations than teachers who did not achieve these benchmarks. Implications for preservice training, professional development, and consultation are discussed.