Pathways High School Program Evaluation
In this assignment, you will continue to play the role of a behavior-consulting intern. Your company is now working with Pathways an alternative high school. You will analyze the collected data and provide a summary of your findings based on the scenario presented below.
Scenario: Pathways High School
Pathways is an alternative high school. Pathways allows students with behavior challenges to complete their high school experience with a more flexible and positive approach. Their mission is to create an environment that allows students to consistently exceed expectations, maintain high levels of student and family satisfaction, and meet cost effectiveness standards. They strive to provide the highest education possible to students from a variety of communities and cultural backgrounds.
Acme, Inc., assisted Pathways with the creation of individual behavior intervention plans (BIP) for students displaying high levels of inappropriate behaviors. In addition, ACME used behavior skills training (BST) to train all staff on the basics of ABA and how to implement each BIP.
A behavior management division headed by a full-time behavior specialist at the school is responsible for implementing the plans that were originally created in collaboration with Pathways’ staff. In addition, Acme is responsible for ongoing staff training and monitoring the effectiveness of each plan.
You are asked to do a follow-up to determine the success of the procedures that were put in place. In addition, you are asked to conduct some inter-observer Agreement (IOA) probes and determine whether the staff has maintained the skills taught during training.
You are provided with a variety of data to analyze and will need to use the data to determine the effectiveness of the current interventions.
The behavior specialist has been collecting and compiling data and presents them in the figures displayed in the Spreadsheet.
Figure 1: Summary of comments from staff questionnaires related to the success of the intervention and satisfaction with training.
Figure 2: Line graph of the frequency of aggressive behavior incidents for the entire school reported before (Baseline) and after (Treatment) the program began.
Figure 3: Frequency data from an observation session with two different teachers and one student’s behavior. Figure 3 reflects the frequency of physical aggression during the sessions.
Figure 4: Data from Staff Integrity Checklist.
You must now review the data and present a summary of your findings to your supervisor at ACME, Inc., as well as the school. You should include the following in your summary:
For all Figures:
Determine the purpose and importance of the data above by discussing how it can be used in the program evaluation process. Discuss the importance of data collection and analysis in program design and evaluation.
Discuss the role of employee engagement and social validity of the procedures related to the program measures and the success of the intervention as a whole.
Identify the data collected as either “quantitative” or “qualitative.” Discuss whether the type of data is appropriate for the context of the evaluation.
For Figure 1:
Determine the purpose and importance of the data above by discussing how it can be used in the program evaluation process. Discuss the importance of data collection and analysis in program design and evaluation.
Discuss the role of employee engagement and social validity of the procedures related to the program measures and the success of the intervention as a whole.
Identify the data collected as either “quantitative” or “qualitative.” Discuss whether the type of data is appropriate for the context of the evaluation.
Discuss the overall purpose of this data and how it should be used in analyzing the effectiveness of the program.
Using the data contained in this figure, discuss the implications with regard to the effectiveness of the program.
For Figure 2:
Determine the purpose and importance of the data above by discussing how it can be used in the program evaluation process. Discuss the importance of data collection and analysis in program design and evaluation.
Discuss the role of employee engagement and social validity of the procedures related to the program measures and the success of the intervention as a whole.
Identify the data collected as either “quantitative” or “qualitative.” Discuss whether the type of data is appropriate for the context of the evaluation.
Use visual analysis and discuss the level, trend, and variability of the challenging behavior incidents reported during baseline (before) and treatment (during the intervention).
Using the data, describe the effect that the intervention had on the frequency of behavior incidents within Pathways.
Considering the level of data, as well as any trends in the data, discuss the effectiveness of the program.
For Figure 3:
Determine the purpose and importance of the data above by discussing how it can be used in the program evaluation process. Discuss the importance of data collection and analysis in program design and evaluation.
Discuss the role of employee engagement and social validity of the procedures related to the program measures and the success of the intervention as a whole.
Identify the data collected as either “quantitative” or “qualitative.” Discuss whether the type of data is appropriate for the context of the evaluation.
Calculate the total frequency of physical aggression for each observer.
Using the total count method of IOA; calculate the percentage of IOA.
Discuss the result of the IOA
Is the IOA percentage within acceptable range?
Discuss what changes should be considered to increase the IOA percentage. If changes are not necessary, discuss what factors contribute to high percentage of IOA.
For Figure 4:
Determine the purpose and importance of the data above by discussing how it can be used in the program evaluation process. Discuss the importance of data collection and analysis in program design and evaluation.
Discuss the role of employee engagement and social validity of the procedures related to the program measures and the success of the intervention as a whole.
Identify the data collected as either “quantitative” or “qualitative.” Discuss whether the type of data is appropriate for the context of the evaluation.
Calculate the percent results of the treatment integrity checklist before intervention; one day after the intervention; and at the 3-month follow-up.
This is the total factors with a “Yes” out of the total number of factors, multiplied by 100.
Relate these treatment integrity measures to the effectiveness of the program.
Discuss the importance of treatment integrity in relation to the success of behavior management programs.
Your paper should be a minimum of 3–4 pages in length, include current APA formatting (including properly formatted headings for each section of your plan), and include at least two academic references (including your course readings).
Your Assignment should include:
Title Page
Reference Page
Main body of the paper (3–4 pages)
Properly formatted headings for each section of your plan
At least two academic references (including your course text)
Correct APA Style formatting for in-paper cites
*Please note: The summary information for each Excel worksheet appears in the actual Excel workbook.
Program Evaluation
Name
Affiliation
Course
Instructor
Due Date
Program Evaluation
Pathways High School is an alternative educational institution that aims to create an environment where students can consistently exceed expectations. To achieve the goal, Pathways collaborated with Acme, Inc., a behavior-consulting firm, to develop individual behavior intervention plans (BIP) for students exhibiting high levels of inappropriate behaviors. Four figures were produced to facilitate an understanding of the evaluation results. This paper examines and analyzes the figures to evaluate the program’s effectiveness.
Figure 1
The purpose of the data collected in Figure 1 was to facilitate an understanding of the perceived success of the intervention plans and identifies areas of improvement. The data allows for a comprehensive evaluation of the program's impact from the perspective of those implementing it, which is valuable for program design and modification. Notably, teachers’ engagement and social validity are vital to the success of the overall program. Engaged educators are likely to implement interventions with fidelity and enthusiasm, leading to better outcomes for the students (Dowdy et al., 2023). The staff's satisfaction with the training and intervention procedures is crucial in maintaining their motivation and commitment to the program. By involving the staff in the evaluation process and considering their feedback, the program can enhance employee engagement.
The data in Figure 1 was qualitative. Qualitative data was appropriate as it captured the educator’s experiences, perceptions, and attitudes toward the intervention and training. The open-ended nature of the responses sought from the study participants facilitates a deeper understanding of the staff's viewpoints and provides valuable insights that quantitative data alone may not capture. From the analysis of the data, staff members perceive the current intervention plans as successful, with a decrease in inappropriate behavior. However, there are a few staff members who still observe a significant amount of inappropriate behavior and express concerns about the implementation of the new behavior plans. Additionally, the staff generally found value in the training provided by Acme, particularly in understanding the functions of behavior and the potential impact of attention on behavior. The positive feedback from most staff members suggests that the intervention plans have been successful in reducing inappropriate behavior. However, the concerns expressed by some staff members indicate the need for additional support and clarification in implementing the behavior plans.
Figure 2
The data collected for Figure 2 seeks to track the frequency of challenging behavior incidents over time and compare it between the baseline and intervention phases. An analysis of the data allows the determination of the program's effects on the reduction of challenging behaviors and the effectiveness of the program. When measuring the success of the intervention, it is essential to consider social validity and stakeholders’ engagement. Engaged teachers taking part in the program training are likely to effectively implement the program procedures. Social validity pertains to the acceptability of the program. The perceptions and satisfaction of both staff and students with the intervention procedures contribute to social validity.
Quantitative data was the most appropriate type of data required to evaluate the effectiveness of the program. To this end, quantitative data allows for a precise measurement of the frequency of challenging behavior incidents. The quantification of the incidents facilitates trends analysis and the evaluation of the intervention. A visual analysis of the data reveals the level, trend, and variability of challenging behavior incidents. During the baseline period, the frequency of incidents ranges from 248 in September to 290 in November and January. There is some variability, but no clear trend can be observed during this phase. However, after the intervention was implemented, there is a noticeable decrease in the frequency of incidents. The number drops to 150 in March, 100 in April, 80 in May, and 30 in June. This significant decrease indicates a clear and consistent downward trend in challenging behavior incidents. Based on the data, it is evident that the intervention had a substantial effect o...