Project ENHANCE: Assessing Professional Learning Needs for Implementing Comprehensive, Integrated, Three-Tiered...

Area of Science:

• Educational Psychology
• School Psychology
• Educational Administration

Background:

• Integrated tiered systems are crucial for school-wide prevention.
• The Comprehensive, Integrated, Three-Tiered (Ci3T) model is a framework for such systems.
• Understanding educator perspectives on implementation and professional development is key to effective practice.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine educators' views on the implementation of the Ci3T model's core components.
• To assess educators' preferences for professional learning content and delivery methods.
• To identify specific professional development needs within tiered systems.

Main Methods:

• A multistate survey of 720 faculty and staff from 25 elementary schools across five districts and three states.
• The study was preregistered, replicating and extending previous research.
• Data collection focused on implementation of Ci3T components and professional learning preferences.

Main Results:

• Over half of respondents reported high Ci3T implementation across all tiers.
• Educators reported high implementation for 10 of 19 research-based practices, with a link between implementation and need for support.
• Top professional development needs included behavior deescalation, social skills instruction, and supporting internalizing behaviors; preferred avenues included in-district workshops and coaching.

Conclusions:

• While many educators report successful Ci3T implementation, specific areas require targeted professional development.
• Schools with more experience in tiered systems showed lower implementation rates, suggesting a need for further investigation.
• Findings highlight the importance of aligning professional learning with educators' identified needs to enhance tiered systems.