Session: Providing Tier 1 and 2 Supports to Address the Needs of Children Exhibiting Disruptive Behavior in Preschool Settings (Society for Social Work and Research 25th Annual Conference - Social Work Science for Social Change)

Preschool teachers report feeling overwhelmed by the sheer volume of young children in their classrooms struggling with social-emotional challenges. Expulsion rates in preschool settings have eclipsed rates in K-12 settings, with our youngest children three times more likely to be expelled than their elementary and secondary student counterparts. Preschool teachers receive limited pre-service training or in-service training to support children with challenging behaviors and have only intermittent access to professionals with expertise in behavior management or social-emotional competence. In turn, teachers report being unprepared to meet the needs of children with challenging behaviors and require additional support to help children in their classroom interact positively with peers; control impulses and regulate their behavior; accept teacher directives and feedback; pay attention; focus on assigned tasks, and follow directions.

This symposium will present findings from an IES-funded efficacy trial (R324A150221) of the First Step Next (FSN) intervention. FSN is an evidence-based, Tier 2 intervention implemented with students exhibiting externalizing behavior in educational settings. We will also present findings from a pilot study of FSN for All, a Tier 1 intervention currently under development. Papers 1 and 2 will focus, respectively, on the main effects of a cluster-randomized controlled trial of FSN conducted in fifty preschool programs in four states and a cost analysis of the program based on a sub-sample of programs and teachers from the larger efficacy study. Paper 3 will present preliminary findings from a pilot study of FSN for All conducted in 14 classrooms in Kentucky. In combination, these papers contribute to the evidence base for the Tier 2 FSN program and provide initial support for downward adaptation of the program to Tier 1.