Peabody College of Vanderbilt University
Department of Special Education
Syllabus SPED 3210
Thursday, 4:10 – 7:00 pm
Fall Semester, 2004

Course Prefix, Number, Title, and Credit
SPED 3210 Managing Academic and Social Behavior (3 semester credits)

Instructor, Office Location, and Office Hours
Instructor: 		Kathleen Lynne Lane, Ph. D.			Office Hours: Thurs. 2-4 &
Office:			Department of Special Education 302A	by appointment		
Contacts:		(615) 322-8179 (office); (615) 343-1570 (fax)			
Email: 			Kathleen.lane@vanderbilt.edu		

Teaching Assistant:	Annette Little, M.A.				Office Hours: TBA
Office:			Department of Special Education 302
Contacts:		(615) 343-0706 (office); (615) 343-1570 (fax)
Email:			Annette.little@vanderbilt.edu

Course Description 	
Application of behavioral principles in educational settings is the central purpose of the course. The course presents definition and measurement of behavior, reinforcement strategies, systematic program development, basic formats for classroom instruction, and techniques for monitoring student progress.  The course emphasizes procedures for increasing academic and socially appropriate behavior through simulations and practice exercises.  Review of research methodologies and the critical analysis of research literature in the area of applied behavior analysis are required.  Students apply their skills in classroom settings.

Knowledgebase
Principles and strategies introduced in this course are derived from an extensive research base in applied behavior analysis and effective teaching with learners who have special needs.

Course Objectives

Discipline Taught and Foundations of Special Education
1.  	understand the field as an evolving and changing discipline based on philosophies, evidence-based principles and theories, relevant laws and policies, diverse and historical points of view, and issues that have historically influenced the field of special education and the individualization of learning.  Use this knowledge to examine  their personal understandings and philosophies of special education.

Diverse Learners
2.   understand that families, communities, and cultures may perceive disabilities differently depending upon differing values and belief systems.  Seek to use these insights when working with students and their families and they use culturally accepted ways of seeking information about the student’s background.  
3.   understand that cultural, ethnic, gender, and linguistic differences may be confused with or misinterpreted as manifestations of a disability and take actions to guard against inappropriate assessment and over and under identification of students for special education services.

Teaching Strategies
4.   keep abreast of research-based instructional practices and are able to locate, evaluate, and use instructional materials, technologies, and equipment that are appropriate for individual students with disabilities.  Conduct initial and on-going evaluations of instructional materials and practices to determine whether they are effective.
5.   use strategies that increase the self-awareness,  self-management, self-control, self-reliance, and self-advocacy of students with disabilities.  Identify and use instructional strategies that have been successful in different learning environments, such as home, school, and workplace. 
6.   develop, structure and implement accommodations, modifications, adaptations and technology support to provide access to the general curriculum for students with mild and moderate disabilities.
7.   use research-based reading methods with individuals with mild and moderate disabilities to promote stronger outcomes.

Learning Environment
8.   have a repertoire of effective strategies for promoting positive behavior and building constructive relationships between students with disabilities and their non-disabled peers.  Conduct functional behavior assessments, explore optional strategies, monitor outcomes, and design and implement positive behavioral support plans.
9.   help students develop positive strategies for coping with frustrations in learning and social situations.  Facilitate the development, implementation and monitoring of prevention and intervention programs for students with disabilities who exhibit challenging behaviors.
10. use appropriate methods to ensure individual academic success in one to one, small group and large group settings.

Planning
11. work within the context of family and community to carry out the education and life goals of students, including the development of individualized transition plans. Plan ways to integrate students with their non-disabled peers.
12. use ongoing assessment and student progress monitoring to write IEPs and account for student outcomes.

Assessment and Evaluation
13. use a variety of assessment procedures to document students’ learning, behavior, and growth within multiple environments.  Plan and conduct assessments to develop individual learning plans.  Initiate, contact, and collaborate with other professionals throughout the identification and initial planning process.  Involve families and students in the process.

Reflective Practitioner
14. actively seek out current information and research about how to educate students for whom they are responsible.  Read the professional literature and research, network with colleagues, and engage in professional development.
15. reflect on the progress of individual students with disabilities and work with general education teachers, other professionals, students, and families to consider ways to build on the students’ strengths and meet their needs.
16. seek evidence about the approaches they use and regularly examine their beliefs in relation to the literature.  Reflect on the potential interaction between a student’s cultural experiences and the student’s disability.

Colleagues, Families, and Community
17. work with related services professionals in the school and in the larger community to design, implement and evaluate instructional plans for students with disabilities. Collaborate on integrating related services into these plans to enhance students’ performance.
18. work closely with families to establish mutual understanding of the students’ educational goals, performance, and meaningful contexts for intervention.  Include family members as partners on interdisciplinary and interagency teams.

Course Readings

Required Text:  
Sulzer-Azaroff, B., & Mayer, G. R. (1991). Behavior analysis for lasting change. Harcourt Brace College Publishers.

Optional Text: 
Lane, K.L., & Beebe-Frankenberger, M. E. (2004). School-based interventions: The tools you need to succeed. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon

Materials on Library Reserve:  
Baer, D.M., Wolf, M.M., & Risley, T.R. (1968). Some current dimensions of applied behavior analysis. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 1, 91-97.

Carr, E. G., Levin, L., McConnachie, G., Carlson, J. I., Kemp, D. C. & Smith, C. E. (1994). Functional assessment: Describe. Communication-based intervention for problem behavior. (pp. 31-62). Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes.

Carr, E. G., Levin, L., McConnachie, G., Carlson, J. I., Kemp, D. C. & Smith, C. E. (1994). Functional assessment: Categorize Communication-based intervention for problem behavior. (pp. 63-90). Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes.

Carr, E. G., Levin, L., McConnachie, G., Carlson, J. I., Kemp, D. C. & Smith, C. E. (1994). Choosing communication forms. Communication-based intervention for problem behavior. (pp. 125-148). Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes.

Ervin, R.A., DuPaul, G.J., Kern, L., & Friman, P.C. (1998).  Classroom-based functional and adjunctive assessments:  Proactive approaches to intervention selection for adolescents with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.  Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 31, 65-78.

Kern, L., Childs, K.E., Dunlap, G., Clarke, S., & Falk, G.D. (1994).  Using assessment-based curricular intervention to improve the classroom behavior of a student with emotional and behavioral challenges.  Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 27, 7-19.

Lane, K.L., Beebe-Frankenberger, Lambros, K.L., & M.E., Pierson (2001). Designing effective interventions for children at-risk for antisocial behavior:  An integrated model of components necessary for making valid inferences.  Psychology in the Schools, 38, 365-379.

Lane, K . L., MacMillan, D. L., Bocian, K. M., & Gresham, F. M. (2004). Treatment integrity: An essential – but often forgotten – component of school-based interventions.  Preventing School Failure, 45, 1-7.

Lane, K.L., Umbreit, J., Beebe-Frankenberger, M. (1999). A review of functional assessment research with students with or at-risk for emotional and behavioral disorders.  Journal of Positive Behavioral Interventions, 1, 101-111.

Lewis, T. J., & Sugai, G. (1999). Effective behavioral support:  A systems approach to proactive school-wide management. Focus on exceptional children, 31, 1-24.

Umbreit, J. (1995). Functional assessment and intervention in a regular classroom setting for the disruptive behavior of a student with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.  Behavioral Disorders, 20, 267-278.

Umbreit, J., Lane, K. L., & Dejud, C. (2004). Improving classroom behavior by modifying task difficulty: The effects of increasing the difficulty of too-easy tasks.  Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 6, 13-20.

Honor Code

The Vanderbilt Honor Code governs all work in the course (e.g., projects, papers, exams, quizzes, etc.). This code stipulates that the work the student represents as their work is actually his or her own work and not that of another student. If the student has questions about the honor code, he or she should ask the instructor, read the code as it appears in the Student Handbook, or address the question directly to the Honor Council.

Accommodations

If you need course accommodations due to a disability, if you have emergency medical information to share with me, or if you need special arrangements in case the building must be evacuated, please make an appointment with me as soon as possible.

Final Note

The course schedule is subject to minor adjustments, as determined by the instructor.  

Course Outline
Date	Topic	Readings	Assignment/Quiz	         Objectives	
8/26
(L1)
	Course overview
Introduction to applied behavior analysis
			 1	
9/2
(L2)	Purposeful nature of behavior
Goal selection
	S-A & M:  1,2,3
Baer et al (1968)
Lewis & Sugai (1999)
		 2, 3, 17, 18	
9/9
(L3)	Functional Assessment Model
	Carr et al: 4, 5, 8
Ervin et al (1998)
Kern et al (1994)
Lane et al (1999)
		 6, 8, 11, 12, 13, 14, 

9/16
(L4)	Behavioral objectives and measurement	S-A & M: 4, 5
Umbreit et al (2004)
	Quiz 1	4, 5, 6 
	
9/23
(L5)	Summarizing behavioral performance
	S-A & M: 6
Ervin et al (1998)

	 
11, 12	
9/30
(L6)	Structuring the environment
	S-A & M: 7, 8
Umbreit (1995)
	Behavior Measurement	 4, 8, 9, 10, 14, 15, 17, 18 
	
10/7
(L7)	Increasing behavior:  
Part I	S-A & M:  9, 10
	FABI:
Sections 1
	 4, 5
	
10/14
(L8)	Increasing behavior:  
Part II 
	S-A & M: 11, 12	Quiz 2	 5, 6, 7	
10/21
(L9)	Stimulus control	S-A & M:15, 16, 17, 18
	FABI:
Sections 1 & 2
	8, 9, 10, 13	
10/28
(L10)
	Chaining and shaping
	S-A & M: 19, 20
			
11/4
(L11)	Reduction of inappropriate behavior/ Behavior issues and Spec. Ed. Legislation

	S-A & M: 23, 24, 25, 26, 27
	FABI:
Sections 1- 3	1, 8, 9	
Date	Topic		Readings	Assignment/Quiz	Objectives	

11/11
(L12)	Social Validity, Treatment Integrity, & 
Maintenance and generalization
	S-A & M: 29, 30
Lane et al (2001)
Lane et al (2004)		11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18	
11/18
(L13)	Token economies and behavioral contracts
Multicultural considerations
	S-A & M: 13	Quiz 3
Presentations
FABI: Sections 1- 4
	2, 3	
11/25
	Thanksgiving Break	
			
12/2
(L14)	Maintenance and generalization
 	S-A & M: 31, 32	FABI Presentations
	1, 8, 9, 10, 13	
12/9
(L15)	Future Directions		FABI
Presentations
FABI:  Sections 1 – 5 & Summary		
12/16	Final Exam  

Course Requirements

Activities/ Assignments							Points
Quizzes (3) (covering readings/lectures/activities)				30 (10 pts each)
Behavior Measurement Project						50
Functional Assessment-Based Intervention (FABI):  Project			175
Functional Assessment-Based Intervention (FABI):  Presentation		50
Final Exam on class lectures/discussions/activities/readings	    		50

Quizzes
The purpose of these 3 quizzes is to assess your knowledge of the course content and to provide you feedback on the extent to which you are mastering key concepts.  The format for the quizzes will include open ended and discrete questions.
3 quizzes, 10 points each	Dates:  9/16, 10/14, 11/18

Behavior Measurement Project
The purpose of the assignment is to ensure that you are able to measure a variety of behaviors (e.g., academic engaged time, behavioral earthquakes, academic productivity, length of time to complete a task).  You will be asked to observe behaviors using five recording techniques which will be discussed in class (e.g., permanent product recording, event recording, duration recording, interval time-sampling recording).  You need to turn in your behavioral observations using each of these recording techniques; 10 points each	Due Date:  9/30

Functional Assessment-Based Intervention (FABI): Project
The purpose of this paper is to provide you an opportunity to conduct a functional assessment and the use the information to design, implement, and evaluate an intervention based on the functional assessment data.  This project will be completed in sections.  You will receive 25 points for each of the five sections and an additional 50 points for the final summary report.  
175 points	Due Dates:	Section 1:  			10/7
		Sections 1-2:			10/21	
		Sections 1-3:			11/4
		Sections 1-4:			11/18
		Sections 1-5 & Summary:	12/9

Functional Assessment-Based Intervention (FABI): Presentation
The purpose of the power point presentation is to (a) share the FABI with your peers, (b) gain experience in the use of technology, and (c) refine your public speaking skills.  You are required to have a 1-2 page handout for each class members. Specific components to be included in the handout will be discussed in class.  You will sign up for a presentation data on or before the third night of class.
50 points	Due Dates:  Variable – Individual due dates will be assigned.

Final Examination
The purpose of the examination is to assess your knowledge of the course content.  The format will include open ended and discrete questions.
50 points	Date:  to be determined.

Grading Scale

Grades are determined based on straight percentages as follows:

A     	93% +			C	70 – 79% 
A -   	90-92%		F	69% or less
B+   	87-89% 
B	83-86%
B-	80-82%   

Attendance, Class Participation, and Assignment Due Dates

Attendance and participation in class are critical. You are expected to have read the required readings ahead of time and come to class prepared to participate. If you must miss a class, notify the instructor ahead of time. Excessive absences or lack of participation will result in a lowered grade in the course.  

Because some of the assignments are contingent upon completion of activities outside the college classroom, it may be that extenuating circumstances may prevent these assignments from being completed on the assigned due date. However, this does not excuse the student unless the circumstances are explained in advance of the due date and the instructor grants permission. Any other late assignments will receive a deduction of 10% of the points assigned for that particular activity.