Tiered Model of Education
Background and Goals
In 2020, the ABAI Executive Council appointed the “ABAI Task Force of Education”. Its charge was to define standards of education for behavior analysis training programs around the world. The Task Force included representatives from Brazil (Martha Hübner), Colombia (Wilson Lopez), India (Smita Awasthi), Italy (Fabio Tosolin), Japan (Kanako Otsui), Mexico (Daniel Gomez), Norway (Ingunn Sandaker), South Africa (Ilana Gerschlowitz), Spain (Gladys Williams), and the United States (Mike Dorsey, VCS Board Coordinator; Michael Perone Accreditation Board Coordinator; Maria Malott, ABAI CEO; Peter Killeen, ABAI Past President). The Task Force considered training programs in their countries as well as programs in other countries around the world. To complement the Task Force’s efforts, a specialized committee focused on identifying experiential learning standards embedded in training programs. These two combined efforts resulted in the “ABAI Tiered Model of Education”. Below is an overview of the Tiered Model of Education, including the characteristics of each tier and an overview of the standards.
The primary objective of the Tiered Model of Education is to establish a quality-based recognition system for all types of behavior analysis training programs worldwide. The goal is to aid programs in moving from an administrative coursework review system (e.g., a VCS) to a comprehensive evaluation of the entire training program (e.g., accreditation).
Overview
The Tiered Model of Education offers recognition of quality academic training programs. The Model is based on the ABAI Accreditation Board standards (Tier 1) and includes four tiers, or levels, of recognition, leading toward ABAI accreditation. Accreditation indicates quality training in the science and application of behavior analysis. Further, the Council of Higher Education (CHEA) recognizes ABAI’s accreditation system for master’s and doctoral programs in the United States.
Programs in Tier 1 are accredited by ABAI and have achieved the highest level of quality recognition in behavior analysis. Tiers 2a through 4b specify approximations to ABAI accreditation, taking into consideration different programmatic structures and offerings. Given the range of program capabilities and structures that exist internationally, the tiers offer recognition of quality training by those programs not able to meet the accreditation standards. At the same time, the tiers offer a road map for programs that aspire to eventually seek accreditation.
The tiers are organized by three factors:
- Whether the program is housed in an institution of higher education,
- Whether it produces academic degrees, and
- Whether it includes supervised experiential learning.
Table 1 shows an overview of the tiers with descriptions below.
Table 1
Overview of Tiered Model of Education
Tier 1: Accredited Degree Program with Experiential Learning
Tier 1 is ABAI accreditation as it currently exists and is approved by CHEA. The ABAI Accreditation Board accredits bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degree programs with supervised experiential learning. Accredited programs will also be recognized as Tier 1. Programs applying for initial accreditation and re-accreditation must demonstrate they meet the necessary eligibility criteria and accreditation standards. Accreditation applications will continue to go through the accreditation process and review by the ABAI Accreditation Board. Additional details about supervised experiential learning are described below in Standard 9.
Tier 2a: Recognized Degree Program with Experiential Learning
Tier 2a recognizes bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral, and equivalent degree programs that include supervised experiential learning as a program requirement. Doctoral programs may only seek recognition under Tiers 1 or 2a. Complete and established degree programs might consider applying for initial recognition via tier 2a as a step towards accreditation. Additional details about supervised experiential learning are described below in Standard 9.
Tier 2b: Recognized Degree Program
Tier 2b recognizes bachelor’s, master’s, and equivalent degree programs that do not require supervised experiential learning. Students and graduates interested in obtaining experience to meet credentialing and licensing requirements might do so independently from the program.
Tier 3a: Recognized Non-Degree Program with Experiential Learning
Tier 3a recognizes undergraduate and graduate non-degree programs that include supervised experiential learning as a program requirement. Examples of this arrangement may include certificate and post-graduate programs. Additional details about supervised experiential learning are described below in Standard 9.
Tier 3b: Recognized Non-Degree Program
Tier 3b recognizes undergraduate and graduate non-degree programs that do not require supervised experiential learning. Examples of this arrangement may include certificate and post-graduate programs. Students and graduates interested in obtaining experience to meet credentialing and licensing requirements might do so independently from the program.
Tier 4a: Recognized Non-Degree Program with Experiential Learning (non-HEI)
Tier 4a recognizes undergraduate and graduate non-degree programs that include supervised experiential learning as a program requirement and are housed outside of higher education institutions. Tier 4a is only available for training programs outside the United States. These programs are strongly encouraged to develop consortia agreements with a higher education institution using the component standards specified in the Administration standard. Additional details about supervised experiential learning are described below in Standard 9.
Tier 4b: Recognized Non-Degree Program (non-HEI)
Tier 4b recognizes undergraduate and graduate non-degree programs that do not require supervised experiential learning and are housed outside of higher education institutions. Like Tier 4a programs, Tier 4b is only available for training programs outside the United States and are strongly encouraged to develop consortia agreements with a higher education institution using the component standards specified in the Administration standard.
Committee Members
Voting Members
Catia Cividini-Motta (University of South Florida): 2023-2027
Catia Cividini-Motta, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor and the Associate Director of the ABA Program in the Department of Child & Family Services within the College of Behavior & Community Services at the University of South Florida. She received her doctorate in Behavior Analysis from Western New England University and holds a master’s degree in Applied Behavior Analysis from Northeastern University. Her research interests include assessment and treatment of problem behavior, particularly automatically reinforced problem behavior; skill acquisition, focusing on verbal behavior; and the implementation of contextually-fit behavioral assessment and interventions within school settings. Catia serves on the editorial board of two behavior analytic journals, Behavioral Interventions and The Analysis of Verbal Behavior.
Ruth DeBar (Caldwell University): 2023-2025
Dr. Ruth M. DeBar, BCBA-D, LBA (NY) is a Professor in the Department of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) at Caldwell University and serves as a Clinical Supervisor for the Center for Autism and ABA at Caldwell University. She earned her master's degree from Northeastern University via The New England Center for Children and completed her doctorate degree in ABA at The Ohio State University. Ruth has been active in the field of ABA and has worked with individuals with autism spectrum and related disorders for over 20 years. She has published research in journals like Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis and in Behavior Analysis in Practice and presents at state, national, and international conferences on various topics relevant to serving individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders. Ruth currently serves on editorial boards for Behavioral Interventions and Behavior Analysis in Practice. Her current research interests include functional behavior assessment, preference, choice, social validity and use of video-based instruction to teach a range of adaptive skills including social, safety, vocational, and leisure skills.
Eric Jacobs (Southern Illinois University): 2024-2026
Eric A. Jacobs, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in Southern Illinois University’s School of Psychological and Behavioral Sciences, where he is affiliated with the Behavior Analysis and Therapy and Brain and Cognitive Sciences programs. Dr. Jacobs completed graduate training at the University of Florida and completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Vermont. Dr. Jacobs has served as the president of the Southeastern Association for Behavior Analysis and Division 25 (Behavior Analysis) of the American Psychological Association. His research interests include human and nonhuman operant behavior, quantitative analyses of choice and decision-making (e.g., delay discounting, "self-control", & "impulsivity"), behavioral economics, and behavioral ecology.
Linda Fulton (Private Consultant, Laboratory Animal Medicine): 2024-2026
Linda K. Fulton, MS, DVM, is currently a Private Consultant in the field of Laboratory Animal Medicine. She has served as Assistant Director, Laboratory Animal Facilities, at the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMCF) in Jackson, Mississippi. While there she was an Assistant Professor in the Biomaterials Department. Prior to her position at UMMC, she held the positions of on-site veterinarian at St. Kitts Biomedical Research Foundation, Clemson University’s Associate Veterinarian, and faculty member in the Clemson’s Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences. She served as the President of the Southeastern Branch of the American Association of Laboratory Animal Science and 13 years as a member for the AAALAC, International Council on Accreditation, serving as President in 2023. She is currently an ad hoc and Emeritus member for AAALAC, International. She received her doctorate in veterinary medicine from Mississippi State University. Her interests in laboratory animal medicine focus on refinement of techniques for animal housing and handling and the experiences of commission fatigue in laboratory animal care staff.
Cynthia Pietras (Western Michigan University): 2023-2025
Dr. Cynthia Pietras is an Associate Professor of Psychology at Western Michigan University. She received her graduate degrees in the Experimental Analysis of Behavior at the University of Florida and completed her postdoctoral training in Human Psychopharmacology at the University of Texas Health Science Center-Houston. She has served on the editorial board multiple behavior-analysis journals and is past Associate Editor for The Analysis of Verbal Behavior and Behavior Analysis: Research and Practice. She has served as a member of the ABAI Science Board, president of the Mid-American Association for Behavior Analysis, and as program chair of the WMU Behavior Analysis graduate program. Her research focuses on basic behavior processes, including choice, punishment, avoidance, and social behavior, and more recently on climate-change relevant decision making. She has conceptual interests in verbal behavior and radical behaviorism.
Raymond Pitts (University of North Carolina Wilmington): 2023-2027
Raymond C. Pitts is a Professor of Psychology at the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW). He received his Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Florida in 1989, with a specialty in the Experimental Analysis of Behavior. After completing a post-doctoral fellowship in the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology at the Wake Forest Medical School, he took a job as a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. In 1996, he moved to the Department of Psychology at the UNCW, and has been there ever since. He has mentored several graduate and undergraduate students within the Behavior Analysis program at UNCW. He has served on several Editorial Boards, and as an Associate Editor for the Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior. His research interests include basic experimental analyses of choice/preference and behavioral mechanisms of drug action. His work has been supported by grants from the NIH (NIDA), and has been published in journals such as Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, Behavioural Processes, Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Psychopharmacology, Behavioural Pharmaocology, Behavioral Neuroscience, and Clinical and Experimental Psychopharmacology. He served as the Experimental Representative for the Executive Council of Division 25 of APA, served as the Experimental Representative on the Executive Council of the Association for Behavior Analysis International, and is a Fellow of ABAI and of APA Division 25.
Benjamin Witts, Coordinator of the Committee (St. Cloud State University): 2022-2026
Benjamin Witts earned his BA (psychology) at Winona State University, his MA (clinical psychology) at Mankato State University, and his PhD (behavior analysis) at the University of Nevada, Reno. Currently, he is an associate professor at St. Cloud State University where he serves as program coordinator for the undergraduate and masters programs in ABA. His scholarly interests center on translational research as it applies to infant-caregiver interactions during intense crying episodes, and is involved in interprofessional research to pursue this work. He is most passionate about his teaching and his students’ success, and his work has been recognized with a Minnesota State Colleges and Universities award for Outstanding Educator and an ABAI Outstanding Mentor award. Most of his academic work is focused on engineering efficient low-cost accessible educational materials that fit the needs of modern students.
Non-Voting Members
Mark Reilly, Council Liaison (Central Michigan University): 2023–2026
Dr. Reilly received his B.S. degree in Psychology from the University of Florida, his M.S. degree in Behavior Analysis from the University of North Texas and his Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology from West Virginia University in 1996. He was a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Michigan Substance Abuse Research Center and an Assistant Professor of Research at Arizona State University. He is currently Professor of Psychology and the Undergraduate Director at Central Michigan University. Dr. Reilly’s professional service includes over 12 years as a member on Central Michigan University’s Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, a member on the American Psychological Association’s Committee on Animal Research and Ethics. He has been serving on the Board of Directors for the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care since 2017. Dr. Reilly was President of Division 25 (Behavior Analysis) of the American Psychological Association in 2015. He has had numerous editorial appointments including the Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, the Psychological Record and the Mexican Journal of Behavior Analysis. He is currently on the Board of Editors for Behavior Analysis: Research and Practice. Dr. Reilly has over 30 years of laboratory research experience and has published over 40 peer-reviewed articles and presented more than 80 papers in national and international meetings. His research focuses primarily on delayed reinforcement and how behavior-consequence relations impact operant behavior broadly. His research incorporates a quantitative, comparative approach to understanding topics such as impulsive choice, stimulus control and environmental enrichment. Dr. Reilly has been a member of the Association for Behavior Analysis International since 1992.
Jessica E. Van Stratton, ABAI Executive Director/Council Liason: 2024–2026
Jessica E. Van Stratton earned a BA in Psychology at Allegheny College, a MA in Special Education/Applied Behavior Analysis from The Ohio State University, and a PhD in Disability Disciplines with a concentration in Applied Behavior Analysis at Utah State University. Jessica holds a BCBA-D credential and is a Licensed Behavior Analyst in the state of Michigan. She is currently the Executive Director for the Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI). Prior to her role with ABAI, Jessica served as full time in higher education teaching graduate and undergraduate courses in behavior analysis and education, mentoring students at the undergraduate and graduate levels in research and supervised fieldwork experiences in a variety of settings including school and community mental health Jessica’s research has spanned areas of focus in educational settings with a primary focus on evidence-based strategies to promote proactive social skills for students with exceptional needs and to enhance teacher-delivered instruction which has included the impact of self-monitoring and self-management strategies for students on a variety of social skills related to success in school, community, and work settings. Additionally, she examined the utility of such self-management applications for teachers and other school staff on the delivery of evidence-based teacher strategies. Jessica has been recognized for her service in the field with university awards along with her commitment to supporting students as a two-time ABAI Outstanding Mentor award recipient.
Staff
Alyssa McElroy, ABAI Director of Education
Alyssa McElroy is a doctoral-level behavior analyst, holds a BCBA certification, and is a Licensed Behavior Analyst in Michigan. She is currently the Director of Education at the Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI) and supports the ABAI Accreditation Board, Tiered Model of Education, and Verified Course Sequence Systems. She earned her Ph.D. in behavior analysis from Western Michigan University under the advisement of Dr. Jessica Van Stratton. She has experience in higher education administration, teaching and supervising undergraduate and graduate courses, and instructional design. Previously, she worked with autistic children, adolescents, and adults in clinical and educational settings and provided behavior analytic supervision. Her interests include precision teaching, instructional/curriculum design, education and technology, behavioral systems analysis, and educational equity. She is dedicated to promoting high-quality educational programs for all learners.