Project Activities
A randomized controlled trial will be used to study the efficacy of the Teaching Pyramid system. Approximately 80 preschool classrooms will be randomly assigned to the Teaching Pyramid system or to practices as usual. The Teaching Pyramid system contains universal strategies for supporting the social-emotional development of all children in the classroom and intensified interventions for children who are at risk for problem behavior or display severe and persistent challenging behavior. While the Teaching Pyramid system will be used with all students in the preschool classroom, the research team is specifically targeting children with or at risk for emotional or behavior disorders in these classrooms. Targeted children will be assessed before, during, and immediately after intervention. Other children in the classroom will be assessed pre- and post-intervention. Multi-level modeling will be used to estimate the effects of Teaching Pyramid on social skills, behavior, and early learning of all students in the classroom, with particular focus on those at risk for behavior concerns. The team will also investigate whether classroom quality or teacher practices improve and whether teachers sustain implementation of the intervention in the year after the research support has ended.
Structured Abstract
Setting
The research project will take place in preschool classrooms in Tennessee and Florida.
Sample
Approximately 80 preschool classrooms will participate. While the Teaching Pyramid system will be used with all students in the preschool classroom, the research team is specifically targeting children with or at risk for emotional or behavior disorders in these classrooms.
The Teaching Pyramid system is a comprehensive, three-tiered framework that includes universal practices for all children, secondary practices for children at risk for behavior problems, and intensive individualized practices for children with the most significant social skills deficits and persistent challenging behavior. The universal component will include implementation of strategies designed to create supportive and structured environments as well as nurturing and responsive relationships. The secondary prevention component will teach students at risk for challenging behavior and emotional or behavioral disorders how to express their emotions, promote self-regulation, handle anger and disappointment, and use problem solving and friendship skills. The third component will involve collaboration with other school personnel to develop and implement individualized, assessment-based, positive behavior interventions and supports. Teachers will participate in a 3-day workshop series that introduces them to the practices associated with each level of the intervention. They will also receive 16 on-site coaching sessions. The teachers will implement the Teaching Pyramid system in their classrooms for 26 weeks.
Research design and methods
A randomized controlled trial will be used to study the efficacy of the Teaching Pyramid system. Classrooms will be randomly assigned to the Teaching Pyramid system or to implement practices as usual. Targeted children will be assessed before, during, and immediately after intervention. Other children in the classroom will be assessed pre- and post-intervention. Information on the fidelity of intervention implementation and changes in teacher practices and classroom quality will be collected in intervention and comparison classrooms. The researchers will also observe the preschool classrooms during the year following intervention implementation to evaluate whether teachers sustain implementation of the Teaching Pyramid system without support from the researchers.
Control condition
Teachers will implement their typical classroom practices.
Key measures
Key outcomes include teacher ratings and researcher observations of social competence and behavior as well as direct child assessments of learning outcomes for preschoolers with and without disabilities. The researchers will also collect data on child and teacher characteristics, fidelity of implementation, teacher practices, and classroom quality.
Data analytic strategy
Multi-level modeling will be used to estimate the effects of the Teaching Pyramid system on social skills, behavior, and early learning of all students in the classroom, with particular focus on those at risk for behavior concerns. The team will also investigate whether classroom quality or teacher practices improve and whether teachers sustain implementation of the intervention in the year after research support has ended.
People and institutions involved
IES program contact(s)
Project contributors
Products and publications
Products: The products of this project include published reports on the efficacy of Teaching Pyramid for improving social competence, behavior, and learning outcomes for preschoolers with and without disabilities.
Book
Hemmeter, M.L., Fox, L., and Snyder, P.S. (2014). Teaching Pyramid Observation Tool (TPOT) for Preschool Classrooms Manual, Research Edition. Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes.
Book chapter
Hemmeter, M.L., Fox, L., and Hardy, J.K. (2016). Supporting the Implementation of Tiered Models of Behavior Support in Early Childhood Settings. In B.R. Reichow, B. Boyd, E. Barton, and S. Odom (Eds.), Handbook of Early Childhood Special Education (pp. 247-265). New York: Springer Publishing Company. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-28492-7_14
Hemmeter, M.L., Fox, L., and Snyder, P. (2013). A Tiered Model for Promoting Social-Emotional Competence and Addressing Challenging Behavior. In V. Buysse, and E. Peisner-Feinberg (Eds.), Handbook of Response to Intervention in Early Intervention (pp. 85-102). Baltimore, MD: Brookes Publishing Co.
Journal article, monograph, or newsletter
Hemmeter, M.L., Hardy, J.K., Schnitz, A.G., Adams, J.M., and Kinder, K.A. (2015). Effects of Training and Coaching with Performance Feedback on Teachers' Use of "Pyramid Model" Practices. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 35(3): 144-156. doi:10.1177/0271121415594924
Schnitz, A.G., Hardy, J.K., Artman, K.M., and Hemmeter, M.L. (2013). Helping Teachers Implement the Pyramid Model Using Practice-Based Coaching. Young Exceptional Children Monograph, 15: 95-110. Retrieved from https://bookstore.dec-sped.org/product-p/15.htm.
Snyder, P., Hemmeter, M.L., and Fox, L. (2015). Supporting Implementation of Evidence-Based Practices Through Practice-Based Coaching. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 35(3): 133-143. doi:10.1177/0271121415594925 Full text
Snyder, P.A., Hemmeter, M.L., Fox, L., Bishop, C.C., and Miller, M.D. (2013). Developing and Gathering Psychometric Evidence for a Fidelity Instrument: The Teaching Pyramid Observation Tool-Pilot Version. Journal of Early Intervention, 35(2): 150-172. doi:10.1177/1053815113516794
Steiner, P.M., Cook, T.D., Li, W., and Clark, M.H. (2015). Bias Reduction in Quasi-Experiments With Little Selection Theory but Many Covariates. Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness, 8(4): 552-576. doi:10.1080/19345747.2014.978058
Nongovernment report, issue brief, or practice guide
Fox, L., Hemmeter, M.L., and Snyder, P.S. (2014). Teaching Pyramid Observation Tool (TPOT) for Preschool Classrooms, Research Edition. Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes.
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