Strengthening Emotional Support Services

Abstract

A significant need exists to help educators more effectively meet the academic and behavioral needs of students with, and at risk for developing, emotional and behavioral disorders. However, training alone is insufficient to change the practices of teachers. Strengthening Emotional Support Services (SESS) is a combined active training and consultation project designed to build capacity for serving students with behavior disorders in special education classrooms.With a focus on ecological and individual support, curriculum-based assessment, and empirically supported instructional practice, teachers are prepared to maximize academic engagement, minimize disruption, and help students gain greater access to inclusive environments.This article describes the implementation of the SESS project pilot with 64 school staff members in a large urban school district. Participation in the project was broadly associated with increased staff knowledge of effective behavior management and instructional strategies, successful implementation of skills at the classroom level when follow-up consultative support was provided, increased student academic engagement, and a high level of teacher satisfaction with the project. Outcomes are discussed in light of lessons learned from this applied research project.