School Psychologists as Preschool Consultants: Scaling up Classroom-Based Program-Wide Positive Behavior Supports

ABSTRACT

Implementation of multi-tiered frameworks for supporting staff behavior in preschools requires collaboration with skilled professionals. Given their training and skillset, school psychologists are uniquely equipped to fill this role; however, limited existing research guides practitioners in maximizing their potential as systems-level consultants in preschools, specifically through the application of systems-level behavioral consultation (BC). This paper provides a detailed description of how two school psychologists applied systems-level BC to address the needs of one preschool, resulting in the implementation of a classroom coaching intervention. Coaching, which focused on staff’s use of Pyramid Model practices in the classroom, consisted of systematic observations and performance feedback across 10 classrooms. Three skills were targeted for improvement: Teaching Expectations, Praise, and Teaching Social Skills. A multiple baseline design showed increases in staff’s skill implementation, and consultees found systems-level BC acceptable. Implications for school psychologists’ role as consultants in preschools are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• program-wide positive behavior support
• behavioral consultation
• classroom coaching
• preschool
• school psychology
• systems consultation

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Samuel Ewing, Debra Silveri-Hiller, Jennifer Russ, and Jen Turnier for their specific contributions to this work as well as the staff at the preschool program.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Additional information

Funding

The proposed article is based on information presented at the National Association of School Psychologists Annual Convention (Eisenberg, Erdy, & Zakszeski, 2020).

Notes on contributors

Lyndsie A. Erdy

Lyndsie A. Erdy, PhD, NCSP, BCBA-D, is a training and consulting specialist at the Devereux Center for Effective Schools, located outside of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Her research interests include the use of multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) to address the needs of both students and staff in urban and alternative school settings.

Rachel A. Eisenberg

Rachel A. Eisenberg, PhD, NCSP, is a Consulting and Research Psychologist at the Devereux Center for Effective Schools, located outside of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Her research interests include the application of consultation and performance feedback to facilitate and enhance systems-wide interventions.

Tamara Acuna-Wika

Tamara Acuna-Wika is the administrator of Head Start and Early Head Start in Chester County, Pennsylvania.  With a particular interest in equity, Tamara prioritizes education and supports for marginalized populations.  Additionally, Tamara is invested in building a highly skilled workforce in early childhood education and is currently participating in the development of alternative pathways to credential educators.

Lisa M. Stash

Lisa M. Stash, M.S., is a preschool special education program administrator at the Chester County Intermediate Unit, a regional education agency in southeastern Pennsylvania. Currently, she is a third-year doctoral student at Neumann University of Pennsylvania. Her research interests lie within the areas of teleintervention, post-Covid stakeholder perspectives and the implementation of inclusive practices in early childhood.