Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Special Education Behavior Supports topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
District panel credits BCBAs with reducing restraints, coaching teachers and shaping tiered supports for elementary students
Summary
Washington County Public Schools presented a panel of teachers, principals and board‑certified behavior analysts (BCBAs) who described BCBA roles, tiered behavioral supports, training and measured declines in restraint and seclusion since the district hired its first BCBA.
A panel of Washington County Public Schools teachers, principals and board‑certified behavior analysts told the school board on Feb. 4 that BCBAs have become a central resource for preventing and responding to challenging student behavior—especially at the elementary level.
Doctor Sabine Webster (director/staff lead for behavior supports) said the district currently employs 11 BCBAs, four funded from the general fund and seven funded by grants, and that 10 of the 11 primarily work with elementary special education programming. ‘‘They identify evidence‑based strategies, conduct functional behavior assessments, design behavior intervention plans and provide job‑embedded coaching for teachers, paraprofessionals and other staff,’’ Webster said.
Panel members described their work across a three‑tier continuum: universal (Tier 1) classroom practices, Tier 2 enhancements for individual students and Tier 3 specialized supports. They said BCBAs also train staff in crisis prevention and response programs used by the district (CPI and a program referred to as Akuru in the presentation) and support the district’s Student Support Team (SST) and FBAs/BIPs when needed.
Teachers and program staff shared classroom examples of BCBA collaboration. First‑grade teacher Nicole Gainey described a student who was disruptive and a safety risk; a BCBA observed, collected data and the SST team determined the student should move to an ‘‘engaged’’ classroom with ongoing SST reviews and an eventual plan for returning to general education. Caleb Boswell, the STEP (K–2 diagnostic) teacher, said a BCBA provided daily coaching early in the year, helped structure routines and supported skill‑based training so students could complete rotations and classroom work they previously could not finish.
Special education teacher Kelly Shindle (Marshall Street School) said BCBA‑led skill‑based training and outside consultants reduced the number of behavioral targets for an individual student from three to one and removed a restraint from that student’s IEP. Principals and teachers praised BCBAs for classroom modeling, helping staff normalize evidence‑based practice and providing ongoing adjustments as behaviors evolve.
Webster noted that seclusion is no longer permitted in Maryland public schools as of July 2022 and that the district has seen a decline in restraint and seclusion incidents since it hired its first BCBA in 2017–18, even while enrollment in special education programs has grown. She said BCBAs’ contributions include prevention strategies, training in de‑escalation and data‑driven plans that prioritize student and staff safety.
Panelists also discussed resource constraints. Several principals said a full‑time BCBA on campus makes it easier to build relationships, provide ongoing coaching and respond quickly to classrooms; part‑time coverage across multiple schools makes scheduling and follow‑up more difficult. Board members and panelists debated the balance between consistent behavioral consequences and reinforcement‑based approaches; BCBAs on the panel said punishment alone is not an evidence‑based long‑term solution and emphasized teaching functionally equivalent replacement skills.
The board heard requests for expanded BCBA coverage and for continuing professional development and funding to sustain coaching and specialized programs across the district.
