Project Description:
The Pyramid Model (Fox, Dunlap, Hemmeter, Joseph, & Strain, 2003) is a promotion, prevention, and intervention framework early educators can use to promote young childrens social and emotional development and prevent and address challenging behavior. The Pyramid Model (shown in figure 1) organizes evidence-based practices that include universal promotion practices for all children, practices for children who need targeted social-emotional supports, and individualized behavior support practices for children with significant social skill deficits or persistent challenging behavior. These practices are based on research focused on effective instruction for young children (National Research Council, 2001; Burchinal, Vandergrift, Pianta, & Mashburn, 2010), strategies to promote child engagement and appropriate behavior (Chien et al., 2010; Conroy, Brown, & Olive 2008), the promotion of childrens social skills (Brown, Odom, & McConnell, 2008; Vaughn et al., 2003), and the implementation of individualized assessment-based behavior support plans for children with the most severe behavior challenges (Conroy, Dunlap, Clarke, & Alter, 2005; Blair, Fox, & Lentini, 2010; McLaren & Nelson, 2008). The Program-Wide Positive Behavior Support (PWPBS) project has implemented the Pyramid Model in Hillsborough County since 2006, collaborating closely with multiple early childhood training and technical assistance providers. We expanded our current work as a subcontract to the Early Learning Coalitionss Quality Counts for Kids. Through this subcontract, we provide training and technical assistance related to social emotional development and addressing challenging behavior. Trainings consist of a minimum of 10 community workshops with a total of about 500 participants in a year. In addition, we collaborate with the Network of Inclusive Childcares (NIC) staff (Care Options and School Readiness) to ensure children with the most significant challenging behavior receive effective tertiary interventions. Finally, we selected 6 programs from a competitive application process to receive training and technical assistance for program-wide adoption of the Pyramid Model across two to three years.
Core Function(s):
Training Trainees, Developing & Disseminating Information, Continuing Education/Community Training, Other Direct/Model Services
Target Audience:
Community Trainees / Short term trainees, Professionals and Para-Professionals, Children/Adolescents with Disabilities/SHCN
Unserved or Under-served Populations:
Disadvantaged Circumstances, Specific Groups
