Naeyc research presentation 2017

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How Teacher Behavior and Classroom Characteristics Influence Student Behavior: An Investigation of Brain-Based Learning, The Classroom Assessment Scoring System and Aggressive Behaviors in Head Start

Classrooms

Presented by Angela Searcy, Ed.D.

Simple Solutions Educational Services

708-845-2343 [email protected] Searcy's Simple Solutions © 2015

Angela Searcy, Ed.D. [email protected] 708-845-2343• Dr. Angela Searcy holds a B.A. degree in English and secondary

education with teacher certification though the state of Illinois and aM.S. degree in early childhood development from Erikson Institute,with a specialization in Infant Studies and a Doctorate inEducation with a specialization in assessment and response tointervention. Her research revolves around brain-based learning andit’s correlation to aggressive behaviors in preschool children.

• Angela is the owner and founder of Simple Solutions EducationalServices, and has over 27 years of experience at all levels ofeducation. Angela currently leads the online cohorts and acts as ancontinuing education instructor at Erikson Institute, is aprofessional development provider for Teaching Strategies, LLC, aTeachstone Affiliate Trainer and member of the ClassroomAssessment Scoring System CLASS Community Advisory Board

• A former neuro-developmental specialist, Angela has specializedtraining in neuroscience and is a nationally recognized speaker. Shehas been featured on Chicago’s WGN Channel 9 News, ChicagoPublic Radio’s Chicago Matters, Chicago Parent and Chicago BabyMagazines

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YouTube! My YouTube Channel

Get entire PowerPoint!

•Angela Nelson-Searcy• Simple Solutions Educational Services Page •Angela_Searcy

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Counting card teaches child count to 20 while waiting for a turn.

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Overview • The conceptualization, nature, and purpose of the study• The literature review• The methodology• The data collection and analysis• The results• The discussion, conclusions, and recommendations.• Questions

What Does the Evidence Show?

• Look at evidence and read out loud as a group

• What does this mean for your work?

• What surprised you?

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Evidence• Based on survey data from 1999, over 40% of child care programs in Chicago have asked children to leave school due to

aggressive behavioral problems (Cutler & Gilkerson, 2002).

• Similarly, prekindergarten children in years 2003-2004 were expelled at a rate more than three times that of their older counterparts in grades K-12 based on data from state prekindergarten classrooms (Gilliam, 2005). Ironically, these state prekindergarten classrooms served 3- and 4-year-old children and received state funds with the explicit goal of improving school readiness and social and emotional development (Bryant, Clifford, Early, & Little, 2005).

• Although there is a paucity of research on expulsion rates of young children from early care and education settings, some authors have concluded that the exclusion of young children from early care and educational settings was often a response to challenging behaviors, such as aggression (Carlson, 2012; Hoover, 2012; ND-CCRR, 2007).

• However, there is a plethora of evidence showing that exclusionary discipline correlates to poor academic achievement, high school dropout, grade retention, and participation in the juvenile justice system (Arcia, 2006; DeRidder, 1990; Ekstrom, Goertz, Pollack, & Rock, 1986; Gersch & Nolan, 1994; Losen & Skiba, 2010; Rausch & Skiba, 2004; Safer, 1986; Safer, Heaton, & Parker, 1981; U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services and Education, 2014; Wehlage & Rutter, 1986).

Evidence

• Early appearing aggressive behaviors are the best predictor of juvenile gang membership, violence and adult incarceration (Fabelo et al., 2011; Reid,1993)

• Exclusionary discipline involves the removal of a student from an educational system in the form of suspension or expulsion (Losen & Gillespie, 2012). Even though the rates at which schools use this type of discipline have steadily increased in the last 30 years (Kim, Losen, & Hewitt, 2010; Losen & Martinez, 2013), this type of discipline is often counterproductive (Mendez, 2003; U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services and Education, 2014).

• Exclusionary practices were associated with less classroom order (Mitchell & Bradshaw, 2013). Moreover, being suspended just once was linked to a twofold increase in dropout rates (Balfanz, Bridgeland, Bruce, & Fox, 2013; Losen & Martinez, 2013). Furthermore, there was a statistically significant association with exclusionary discipline and poor student academic outcomes as well as an increased risk for future juvenile delinquency (Archer, 2010; Burke & Nishioka, 2014; Justice Center, 2011; Kim et al., 2010).

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Let the Record Show

• Webster-Stratton and Hammond conducted classroom observations of 462 Head Start children in 64 Head Start classrooms in the Seattle area and found 11% of the children exhibited at least three or more physically aggressive behaviors within a period of one hour.

• As research continues to emerge, empirical evidence has shown Head Start children demonstrate higher levels of physical aggression when compared to community child care children (Kupersmidt, Bryant, & Willoughby, 2000

• Children in poverty are particularly vulnerable and exhibit higher rates of problematic behaviors than the general population (Eamon, 1994; Fettig & Ostrosky, 2011; McLoyd, 1990; Qi & Kaiser, 2003; Yoshikawa & Zigler, 2000). Moreover, children in poverty are more likely to be pushed out of school and have disproportionately higher rates of exclusionary discipline than other income groups (Bowditch, 1993; Casella, 2003; Fenning & Rose, 2007; Petras, Masyn, Buckley, Ialongo, & Kellam, 2011).

They Don’t Grow Out of It• Research showed that young children who were labeled as aggressive

tended to carry those difficulties into adolescence (Campbell & Ewing, 1990; Dodge, 1993; Renk, 2008; Lamont et al., 2013; Mendez, 2003; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Education, 2014) and are likely to endure continual rejection from peers, punitive interactions with teachers, and school failure (Lamont et al., 2013; Perry et al., 2011).

• The timing of interventions for aggressive and antisocial behavior is of particular importance during the preschool period as Fantuzzo, Bulotsky-Shearer, Fusco, and McWayne (2005) reported that aggressive behaviors at the start of the preschool year were linked to low attention, motivation, and negative attitudes.

• Interventions showed only minimal success after age 9 (Dodge, 1993). A more recent epidemiological study using longitudinal data from a considerable sample (N = 1195) revealed that young children with a high-stable aggression trajectory demonstrated severe adjustment problems in early adolescence (Campbell, 2006). The scope of these studies was limited by measures that examined the aggressive behaviors within isolation, but each still made the case for early remediation during the preschool period and highlighted the level of aggression over time and the amount of stability and change.

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Poverty• Children living in poverty are more likely to experience repeated and long-

term adversity such as maternal depression, community violence, crime, and isolation (Bulotsky-Shearer, Fantuzzo, & McDermott, 2008).

• For example, one study showed that at the time of enrollment almost half of mothers of Head Start children were depressed, and 16% of fathers reported symptoms associated with clinical depression when their child was three years of age (Kahn et al., 1999). A more recent study showed an increase to over half (52%) of mothers were depressed at enrollment (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2006)

• Lower socioeconomic status, or SES, has been associated consistently with high incidences of behavior problems (Eamon, 1994; Fettig & Ostrosky, 2011; McLoyd, 1990; Offord, Alder, & Boyle, 1986; Offord, Boyle, & Szatmari, 1987; Qi & Kaiser, 2003; Webster-Stratton & Hammond, 1998; Yoshikawa & Zigler, 2000) making Head Start preschool classrooms exceptionally challenging. Qi and Kaiser (2003) performed an empirical overview of studies conducted between 1991 and 2002 specifically focused on preschool children in poverty. The sample sizes varied from 42 to 3,860, were demographically diverse, and yielded a total of 30 research reports that emphasized how children from low SES demonstrated higher rates of behavior problems in comparison with the general population.

Evidence

• A strong correlation exists between early aggression and later aggression, making the preschool period a critical time for early intervention (Campbell & Ewing, 1990; Dunlap et al., 2006; Fischer, Rolf, Hasazi, & Cummings, 1984; Renk, 2008).

• For instance, a longitudinal study (Campbell & Ewing, 1990) found that preschool children with frequent externalizing behaviors were more likely than control children to continue to have those same externalizing behaviors at age 9.

• Fantuzzo, Bulotsky-Shearer, Fusco, and McWayne (2005) reported that aggressive behaviors at the start of the preschool year were linked to low attention, motivation, and negative attitudes.

• Moreover, interventions showed only minimal success after age 9 (Dodge, 1993). A more recent epidemiological study using longitudinal data from a considerable sample (N = 1195) revealed that young children with a high-stable aggression trajectory demonstrated severe adjustment problems in early adolescence (Campbell, 2006).

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It is Developmentally Appropriate! • However, not all early-identified children with aggressive behaviors continue to manifest problems. For

example, one study illustrated how low-intensity, aggressive behaviors, such as the destruction of property in the preschool period, were both commonplace and developmentally appropriate.

• Numerous studies have documented the desistance of aggression in children as they move from preschool to elementary school (Goodenough, 1931; Haapasalo & Tremblay, 1994; Kingston & Prior, 1995; Loeber, Green, Lahey, & Stouthamer-Loeber, 1989; Tremblay et al., 1996). For example, a longitudinal study by Haapasalo and Tremblay (1994) illustrated how boys who fought during kindergarten desisted fighting by ages 10-12. Moreover, cross-sectional data on a substantial sample of approximately 20,000 Canadian children aged 2-11 years old provided epidemiological evidence that the mean frequency of physical aggression peaks toward the end of infancy (between 24-42 months) and then continues to decline throughout development (Tremblay et al., 1996).

• Studies such as these confirm that the years of 0-5 as particularly challenging until children’s capacity to regulate their emotions emerges and aggressive behaviors gradually decrease (Renk, 2008; Tremblay, 2002).

• In early development, preschool is a pivotal period of rapid physical, verbal, cognitive, social, and emotional growth in which the amount and proficiency of these skills begins to increase (Thompson & Calkins, 1996; Tremblay, 2002). However, until young children become skilled and master the ability to regulate their own emotions, they still need external support from adults, such as preschool teachers (Ainsworth, Bell, & Stayton, 1974; Bodrova & Leong, 2006; Bowlby, 1973; Fogel, 1993).

• For example, one observational study (Williford et al., 2013) of 341 predominately Hispanic, low-income preschoolers from an urban region in the Southwest United States found that children’s positive engagement with teachers was statistically related to gains in emotional regulation, compliance/executive control, engagement with tasks, and reductions in dysregulation.

Research to Practice

www.vanderbilt.edu/csefel

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The Emotional Brain /Negative Bias is Normal!

“He never stops crying –Maybe center care is not for him.”

“She ruins everything! This is

going to be the worst year of my

career!”

“These three trouble makers are out to ruin my day!”

Negative emotions involve more thinking,

and are processed more thoroughly than

positive information

Everyone remembers negative things more strongly and in more

detailBad impressions and bad

stereotypes are quicker to form and more resistant to disconfirmation than good

ones

Survival requires urgent attention to

possible bad outcomes but less urgent with regard to good ones

Negative emotions can erode productivity and decision-making

You are accessing the most primitive part of the brain.

Emotional brain activity processes information milliseconds earlier than

the rational brain

Angela Searcy's Simple Solutions © 2015

So You Must Take Care of Yourself: Put on Your Mask First Before You

Can Help Someone Else!

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The Pain/Frustration you feel is your Signal to PUSH!

PPick out positives

UUnderstand everyone’s perspective

SSeek

neutral support

HHone in on everyone’s intentions

PPay

attention to your ownbehavior

AAsk

questions

SStep back

TTake care of yourself

I T! ©

PPick out positives

AAsk

questions


“I got this. I am not alone.

We can work this out.”

“Let’s try something different today.”

“Not today”

PUSH PAST IT© from emotional reactions toward professional actions


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The conceptualization, nature, and purpose of the study

• Aggressive behavior is the primary discipline challenge reported by all preschool teachers (Fettig, & Ostrosky, 2011).

• When children exhibit aggressive behaviors, exclusionary discipline is a widely used strategy (Gilliam, 2005; Losen & Martinez, 2013; Perry, Holland).

• Studies show this type of discipline is counterproductive (Balfanz, Bridgeland, Bruce, & Fox, 2013; Losen & Martinez, 2013; Mendez, 2003; Mitchell & Bradshaw, 2013; U.S Departments of Health and Human Services and Education, 2014).

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Lets Dig In!

• Dig in the evidence and read out loud as a group

• What does this mean for your work?

• What surprised you?

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Evidence• Functional assessment is based on the premise that the analysis and

manipulation of the learning environment can influence human behavior (Dunlap, 1993; Dunlap & Fox, 2011; Vasquez-Levy, 1993). Dunlap and Kern (1996) stated, “Problem behaviors have an essential linkage to the antecedent and ecological context in which they occur.

• Context has a substantial role in the governance of problem behaviors and, potentially, in their remediation” (p. 298). For example, the classroom environment was an important factor in predicting problem behaviors in schools (DiLalla & Mullineaux, 2008).

• Using a predominately minority urban sample of 275 preschool children in poverty, Dominguez et al. (2011) examined classroom level variables and concluded that quality teacher-child interactions buffered the detrimental effects of child-level risk variables. Even though this study used multilevel measurements across numerous time points, and yielded compelling data, it was limited by the quality of teacher report to assess challenging behaviors. This study was significant, however, because it honored the multiple levels (child, classroom, family) that influence human behavior.

Tim doesn’t follow directions!

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Behavior Eliminator ™

Change you

Evidence• Inappropriate behaviors “can be explained by a failure to match

instruction to the brain maturity of…students” (Semrud-Clikeman, 2014, para. 4).

• Both affective classroom practices (behavior approving, less disapproving, and more positive emotional tone) and cognitive classroom practice (quality of instruction, the proportion of observed time teachers spent delivering instruction, and student involvement in mathematics and literacy) are associated with gains in the self-regulation skills of prekindergarten students (Fuhs, Farran, & Nesbitt, 2013).

• Analyses of observational data from 1,262 classrooms in 52 high schools indicated an association between student behavioral patterns and classroom management (Pas, Cash, O’Brennan, Debnam, & Bradshaw, 2015). In terms of young children, Rimm-Kaufman, Curby, Grimm, Nathanson, and Brock (2009) linked classroom quality and classroom management with greater behavioral self-control, higher behavioral engagement, and less time spent off-task in the classroom. Rimm-Kaufman et al. found that teacher classroom management style was a contributing component to supporting the early development of behavioral skills in prekindergarten school settings.

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The child changed when the teacher changed

Behavior is a Signal of What Skills the I Need to Teach!

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I will set up the Environment for Success and Teach Tim new skills!

Photos used with permission of Head Start Center for Inclusionwww.headstartinclusion.org

Teach Tim with puppets

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Evidence

• The situational demands teachers create can have an impact not only on student learning but also on self-regulation (Mullen & Tallent-Runnels, 2006). Fuligni, Howes, Huang, Hong, and Lara-Cinisomo (2012) found that teachers who structured the majority of the day with child-directed free-choice activities combined with relatively low amounts of teacher-directed activity had positive behavioral outcomes in prekindergarten classrooms.

• Classroom environments “where warmth and caring is conveyed, teacher expectations are clear, and students’ learning is supported [are] positively related to students’ motivation [and] academic self-regulation” (Mullen & Tallent-Runnels, 2006, p. 258).

• Evidence further supported that student behavior could possibly be dependent on teacher behavior (Mugny, 2006; Mullen & Tallent-Runnels, 2006; Svinicki & McKeachie, 2010; Walker, 2009).

I will focus on Developing a positive relationship with Tim

Instead of…• Yelling • Telling Tim “no” or “stop”• Moving Tim

I will try to..• Use a warm, calming voice • I will use positive

statements to tell Tim what to do like “focus” or ask questions like “what are you feeling right now?”

• I will let Tim have his tantrum and move the other children instead


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The Day starts out challenging, but I ready know what Tim will

do WHAT can I do?!

Tim

Evidence

• In regard to context, the literature has revealed how classroom variables can influence behavior as well as the relationship between classroom events and the occurrence of challenging behaviors (Dunlap & Fox, 2011).

• Conroy, Dunlap, Clarke, and Alter (2005) conducted a literature review of various strategies to reduce challenging behaviors and found that environmental manipulation decreased challenging behaviors. Another literature review of challenging behaviors of children with autism in school settings showed that procedures, such as the manipulation of antecedents, and the instruction were effective in reducing challenging behaviors (Machalicek, O’Reilly, Beretvas, Sigafoos, & Lancioni, 2007).

• Conversely, concurrent and longitudinal data of 65 classrooms in 17 elementary schools examined the effects of the classroom environment on individual behaviors and showed that aggressive behaviors increased when students were placed in poorer classroom environments (Barth et al., 2004).

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When clean up was an issue

Evidence• Another more recent observational study with a

random sample of students (N = 283) examined SES and linguistically diverse children aged 34-63 months in an urban southwestern region of the United States (Vitielloet al., 2012). Vitiello and colleagues suggested that together the characteristics of the classroom setting were just as salient as child factors in predicting children’s positive or negative classroom engagement.

• The study used a time-sample method to assess the classroom setting. Although the data from this study did not include content of the instructional activities, it did demonstrate that instead of only centering interventions on the child, minor modifications to the structure of the preschool classroom ultimately might promote more positive and less negative engagement in young children. Twenty-three percent of the 84 classrooms examined in this observational study were funded by Head Start and served preschool children.

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The other children “tattle” on Tim often so I created a “tattle phone” for times that are not emergencies

and encourage tootling

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Evidence• Likewise, another study of preschool programs serving

children in poverty within Los Angeles County, California found similar positive behavioral outcomes when teachers structured the majority of the day with child-directed free-choice activities combined with relatively low amounts of teacher-directed activity (Fuligni et al., 2012). In addition to an environmental rating scale and observations, Fuligini and colleagues (2012) used the CLASS to assess interactions between students and teachers.

• When describing the classroom context, interactions between students and teachers are paramount. For example, analysis of two longitudinal studies with similar research designs suggested that teachers could have a significant impact on future development (Van IJzendoom, Sagi, & Lambermon, 1992). The first study followed Dutch children (N = 80) and the other similar study followed 86 Israeli children. Both studies revealed that children seem to benefit most from multiple secure relationships, and those secure relationships were strong predictors of later social and emotional functioning.

Behavior Eliminator ™

Change the consequence

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Conceptualization, nature and purpose of the studyExclusionary discipline reflects a lack of knowledge of human behavior and the ecological context that influences it (Dunlap & Fox, 2011; Dunlap & Kern, 1996). Historically, decontextualized perspectives toward

challenging behavior have dominated the literature, and researchers have approached topics of aggression, interventions, and classroom variables as single elements as opposed to an interrelated whole.

Learning Environment

Instruction

Situational Demands

Interactions

Opportunities, Choice,

Expectations

Transitions, Cues, Prompts, Supports, Accommodations

Schedules, Room arrangement, Materials, Adaptations, Resources,

Predictability

Communication, Emotional support,

Attachment

The conceptualization, nature, and purpose of the study (continue)

• Brain-based learning (BBL) provides a framework from which teachers should organize those variables and how those interactions should be demonstrated.

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Research is at the root of everything you do

Mental Health DAP Curriculum

The Learning TreeClassroom Assessment Scoring System CLASS Is intertwined into Everything!

CLASS

Special Needs Inquiry Based Learning

Neuroscience

Classroom management


• The three essential components of BBL are present in the three domains of The Classroom Assessment Scoring System or CLASS (Pianta et al., 2008)

CLASS domains (Pianta et al., 2008 BBL essential components (Caine et al. 2005)

Emotional Support 1. Relaxed alertness: Creating the optimal emotional climate for learning;

Organizational Support Orchestrated immersion in complex experience: Creating optimal opportunities for learning;

Instructional Support Active processing of experience: Creating optimal ways to consolidate learning (p. 4-6).

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What Does the CLASS Measure? CLASS provides guidelines for what TEACHERS should be able to do and Standards provide guidelines for what CHILDREN should be able to do

Emotional Support

Positive Climate

Negative Climate

Teacher Sensitivity

Regard for Student Perspectives

Instructional Support

Concept Development

Quality of Feedback

Language Modeling

Classroom Organization

Behavior Management

Productivity

Instructional Learning Formats

Okay so I already do this stuff in my classroom! Dosage matters

• Low (1,2) • Teacher: rarely, few• 1=almost all indicators in low range• 2=mostly low but one or two indicators in middle range

• Middle (3,4,5)• Teacher: sometimes, mix, periodic, at times, inconsistent,

somewhat• 3=mostly middle but one or two indicators in low range• 4= all in middle range • 5=mostly in middle range but one or two indicators in high

range

• High (6,7)• Teacher: actively, consistently, effectively, often, frequent• 6=mostly high range with one or two indicators in middle

range • 7=all in high range

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Depth Matters! Understanding Depth of CLASS

What color is that?

How did you know it was that color?

Emotional Support

• This domain evaluates four dimensions measuring positive climate, negative climate, teacher sensitivity, and teacher regard for students’ perspectives (Pianta et al., 2008). Positive climate measures the frequency of matched affect, respectful language, physical affection, social conversation, and enthusiasm displayed during interactions between the teacher and children and among children. The level of teacher irritability, anger, physical control, and negative social and emotional interactions among teachers and students and among children is assessed within the negative climate dimension. The teacher sensitivity metric measures the extent to which teachers notice and respond to students’ academic and emotional needs while providing comfort and encouragement. The last dimension in the Emotional Support domain, regard for student perspectives, which captures the degree to which teachers are flexible and encourage student interests, ideas, and autonomy (Pianta et al., 2008).

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Classroom Organization

• The CLASS Classroom Organization domain score is calculated based on the average composite scores from three dimensions, which include: behavior management, productivity, and instructional learning formats. Classroom organization speaks to the teachers’ capacity to manage children’s behavior using proactive strategies to maximize learning and on-task behavior by reducing downtime, and to create optimal opportunities to immerse students into complex experiences through a variety of instructional formats (Pianta et al., 2008). These teacher behaviors organize students’ time, attention, and behavior, potentially providing the external regulation needed to meet the situational demands of the preschool classroom (Curby et al., 2014; Emmer & Stough, 2001; Pintrich, 2000). This domain promotes BBL theory, which purports that only a limited amount of information can be processed in the working memory, and lessons should include hands-on opportunities to apply new knowledge at complex, intellectually sophisticated levels (Borich, 1992; Kirschner, 2002; Paas et al., 2003).

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Simple Solutions Educational Services © 2006

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Instructional Support

• According to the CLASS framework, the Instructional Support domain delineates the types of teacher feedback that effectively promotes higher-order thinking, stimulates language, and expands understanding among students. Instructional quality dimensions are measured based on three subscales: concept development, quality of feedback, and language modeling (Pianta et al., 2008). Concept development considers the ways teachers respond to promote problem solving, the integration of new concepts with previous knowledge, and instructional discussions.

• Quality of feedback focuses on how teachers help students consolidate learning. It emphasizes the quality of back and forth exchanges, clarification, and recognition given to students in response to work, comments, or ideas. Lastly, language modeling focuses on contingent responding and the extent to which teachers ask questions, elaborate, and use advanced language in order to help students consolidate learning.

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• The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between brain-based learning (BBL) as assessed by the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) and aggressive behaviors of students in the classroom using incident report data. It focused on Head Start programs in the state of Illinois within the Chicago metropolitan area.

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Methodology• Quantitative non-experimental study• Non-experimental studies are appropriate when examining

contextual issues and are strong in external validity and generalizability of the results to the larger population (Persaud& Mamdani, 2006).

Dependent Variable Independent Variable

The number of incident reports for each classroom.

The level of BBL as measured by the three dimensions of the CLASS (Emotional Support, Classroom Organization, and Instructional Support).

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Methodology (continue)

• The four Head Start Programs included in the study

Chicago Neighborhoods: BridgeportLakeview

Humboldt Park

Chicago

ChicagoSuburbs:

SchaumburgRiverdale

Park Forest

Data Collection• Once IRB approval was granted, the researcher then collected the two forms of data. The

type of data collected took the form of CLASS scores and incident reports.

• First, the researcher enlisted the help of administrators at each Head Start to collect and then transfer existing CLASS observations scores onto the data summary sheet. Each observation was conducted by CLASS certified users guaranteeing reliability across scoring and took place during the spring of the 2014-2015 school year. Then the researcher also enlisted support from the administration at each Head Start program to collect existing incident report data from each corresponding classroom that occurred during the same time span as CLASS observations. More specifically, this researcher requested assistance from program administrators to transfer data from the CLASS summary sheets and incident reports to a summary form developed by the researcher.

• Center names and classroom names were replaced with an identification numbers in order to link CLASS scores with incident reports for each classroom. The data collection period was open until all CLASS scores and totaled incident reports for each month during which CLASS observations occurred were recorded onto the summary form.

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Results ( Continue)• When interval data violates the normality assumption of the

Pearson correlation, the Spearman rank order correlation coefficient or Spearman Rho provides an alternate option (Elliot & Woodward, 2007; Peers, 2006).

• The Spearman Rho can also determine if any significant relationships (two-tailed) are associated between CLASS scores and student aggressive behaviors in the form of incident reports, but unlike the Pearson correlation, it does not have assumptions about the shape of distribution.

• Therefore, the nonparametric Spearman Rho was used to calculate the correlation between the number of incidents and the three CLASS domain scores.

Results (Continue)• Since the incident reports

were not normally distributed, this necessitated the use of the Spearman Rho to calculate the correlations.

• The data was ranked from low to high. The ranks were then used to calculate the Spearman Rho correlation. Correlations were calculated for the relationships of the number of aggressive incidents with the CLASS domain scores (Emotional Support, Classroom Organization, Instructional Support). The results are illustrated in Table 6.

Variable Incidents Emot Class Instructio

n

Number of incidents -- -.38* -.36* -.11

Emotion support .05 -- .94** .76**

Classroom

organization

.05 .00 -- .75**

Instructional support .56 .0 .00 --

Note. Spearman-Rho correlation coefficients in upper diagonal, p values in lower diagonal the upper diagonal cells are marked with “—“

**p < .01

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Results (continue)

• Correlations were calculated for the relationships of the number of aggressive incidents with the CLASS domain scores (Emotional Support, Classroom Organization, Instructional Support).

Variable Incidents Emot Class Instructio

n

Number of incidents -- -.38* -.36* -.11

Emotion support .05 -- .94** .76**

Classroom

organization

.05 .00 -- .75**

Instructional support .56 .0 .00 --

Results (Continue)• Results indicated there is a significant negative relationship between

the number of incidents and CLASS Emotional Support scores (Rho = -.38, p = .05).

• The results indicated there was a significant negative relationship between number of incidents and BBL as assessed by the CLASS domain of Classroom Organization (rho = -.36, p = .05).

• The results showed there was no significant relationship between number of incidents and Instructional Support (rho = -.11, p = .58) and means the null hypothesis can be accepted of no relationship between incident reports and BBL learning as assessed by CLASS scores.

• While this research indicated teacher behavior in this domain did not have a significant impact on aggressive behaviors, this must be interpreted cautiously since the scores in this domain were of low quality.

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The discussion, conclusions, and recommendations

• Statistically significant negative correlations were found, demonstrating an inverse relationship in which the two variables moved in an opposing fashion, with lower values of BBL, as assessed by the Emotional and Organizational Support domains of the CLASS, predicted higher amounts of incidents of aggressive behaviors.

• BBL provides the conceptual context that defines quality and coupled with the CLASS it isolates specific patterns of adult behavior that collectively might improve student behavior.

• Results from this study were consistent with a body of evidence examining the link between classroom level variables, teacher behavior and its influence on child behavior (Buyse, Verschueren, et al., 2008; Curby, Brock, & Hamre, 2013; Curby, Rimm-Kaufman, & Abry, 2014; DiLalla & Mullineaux, 2008; Vitiello, Booren, Downer, & Williford, 2012; Williford, Vick Whittaker, Vitiello, & Downer, 2013). It provides insight into interventions that might eliminate aggressive behaviors and reduce the use of exclusionary discipline for preschool children.

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• The conclusions of this current study are intended to influence the expansion of remediation strategies for aggressive behavior beyond the child.

• It provides a more complex, multidisciplinary, and contextual understanding of human behavior.

• Findings indicate using what is known about the brain along with a reliable and valid instrument, such as the CLASS, concurrently provide important information about student aggression.


• In addition to Pre-KCLASS there are three other versions of the observational tool for infant, toddler, and k-12th grade classrooms, making the CLASS domains common across all developmental and grade levels from infancy to 12th grade.

• Since the underlying process of quality teaching stays the same, using a common measurement could potentially provide a cohesive, coherent, and consistent set of interventions that can be carried across grade levels. And could potentially provide a continuity of interventions throughout a student’s educational career.

• It could also provide a consistent language for discourse among educators.

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• Since Head Start only enrolls students at or below the federal poverty level, on public assistance, or wards of the state, these findings are particularly relevant for students in poverty or foster care.

• This research also provides insight into interventions that might eliminate aggressive behaviors and reduce the use of exclusionary discipline for preschool children in poverty in particular.

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• For reasons unknown the vast majority of classrooms fell within the low-quality range on the quality of instructional interactions (Early et al., 2006; Howes et al., 2008).

• The national average in this domain was of low quality with average scores of 2.72 in 2013 out of a possible 7.0, according to the National Center on Quality Teaching and Learning (NCQTL, 2014).

• The average range for this sample was 2.1 since the minimum score in this domain was 1.8. Thus, it is unclear if the low quality in this domain is the reason behind the lack of relationship. It is plausible that if scores of Instructional Supports were of higher quality this domain might have a more significant impact on student behaviors.


• When crafting interventions, it is just as important to observe and understand the behaviors of the adult as it is to observe and understand the behaviors of the child.

• From this perspective, it is important to note removing a challenging child does not remove the classroom characteristics that potentially led to the challenging behavior. The findings also suggest a need to look beyond typical types of interventions that just focus on the child and to examine interactions within context. Moreover, these findings corroborate previous research (Mitchell & Bradshaw, 2013) that supports the notion that high levels of child aggression may be a sign that teaching practices are of low quality.

• Further, the CLASS tool may assist principals, early childhood program directors, family support workers, social workers, and other mental health professionals who may serve in a consultative role in early care and education settings. The CLASS tool (conceptual framework) was devised to establish a common measurement and vocabulary throughout each grade level from infancy to 12th grade (Pianta et al., 2008).

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• It is recommended that the essential components of BBL as assessed by the CLASS become an accepted set of competencies that are embedded into teacher training, education and requirements for teacher state licensure.

• Moreover, discipline policies at all age levels should reflect the notion that high levels of child aggression may be a sign that teaching practices are of low quality, and the teacher is in need of professional development and support.

• Combined, awareness of the potential iatrogenic results of exclusionary discipline, teacher preparation, targeted skill development in BBL and the CLASS, and access to expert supports, holds great promise in preventing aggressive behaviors and potentially limiting, and perhaps ultimately eliminating expulsion and suspension in early childhood settings.

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