Behavior-specific praise (BSP) is a core component of many positive behavioral interventions and supports at each level of prevention, often used to increase student academic outcomes and/or reduce inappropriate behavior. We conducted a systematic literature review to explore this low-intensity, teacher-delivered strategy, applying Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) quality indicators and standards to determine whether BSP can be considered an evidence-based practice (EBP). Included articles (N = 6) investigated BSP delivered by a classroom teacher in K–12 traditional school-based settings with academic and/or behavioral student outcome measures. Findings indicated using BSP increased student time on task, decreased inappropriate behaviors, and reduced student tardiness. All studies met our 80% weighted coding criterion. We concluded BSP can be categorized as a potentially EBP based on CEC guidelines. Limitations and directions for future inquiry are presented.

A major instructional focus of interventions designed to promote self-determination, such as the Self-Determined Learning Model of Instruction (SDLMI), is to engage students in learning to set their goals, identify action plans, and evaluate their performances. However, little is known about how students define their goal attainment outcomes, or the degree to which students and teachers agree on the attainment of goals set using the SDLMI in inclusive general education classes. This study examined the relation between student and teacher ratings of goal attainment during the first semester of a longitudinal, cluster randomized controlled trial of the SDLMI, as well as the impact of student disability status and teacher supports for implementing the SDLMI (i.e., online resources vs. online resources + in-person coaching) on goal attainment. Findings suggested the feasibility of engaging students with and without disabilities in rating their goal attainment process during SDLMI in secondary schools, with kappa analysis indicating that, when credit is given for at least partial agreement between students and teachers, there is a fair amount of interrater agreement using conventional interpretation criteria. Importantly, however, conclusions drawn about the impact of student (i.e., disability status) and teacher factors (i.e., teacher implementation supports) on goal attainment outcomes are impacted by whether student or teaching ratings of goal attainment are utilized as the outcome measure. Implications for future research and practice are described.

The What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) provides school personnel with information on the amount and quality of evidence for educational programs, policies, and interventions. Over a decade ago, the WWC expanded their review procedures to include single-case research methods. Originally included as pilot standards, the recent updates elevated single-case research to a more prominent role for informing the development of evidence reviews and practice guides. While we applaud the removal of the pilot designation, our review of the updated procedures revealed concerns that, in our estimation, systematically favor studies based on nonexperimental criteria and inadequately address many issues and challenges with single-case research methods while overlooking other important concerns. As such, we are concerned that the current procedures will reduce the quality of information drawn from single-case research and disseminated to school personnel. In the following commentary, we describe these concerns and provide solutions-based recommendations for strengthening the standards and review process.

We examined changes in burnout across three timepoints in one school year, in a sample (N = 230) of special educators serving students with emotional-behavioral disorders, in 15 school districts selected through stratified random sampling at the national level. Emotional exhaustion decreased at each timepoint in the school year and personal accomplishment increased from fall to spring. Latent growth curve modeling did not produce latent trajectories of burnout among teachers; however, cross-lagged panel structure equation modeling revealed that emotional exhaustion and personal accomplishment had both direct and indirect effects on depersonalization. Differences in burnout were significant by race/ethnicity but not by gender. Participants reported higher emotional exhaustion, lower depersonalization, and higher personal accomplishment than a national sample. We provide implications for researchers and practitioners.

Special education teacher (SET) burnout is a significant concern, especially for SETs serving students with emotional–behavioral disorders (EBD), as they tend to experience higher burnout than other teachers. Working conditions, especially social support, have the potential to ameliorate burnout, but prior research has not articulated the sources and types of social support that are most important. The authors conducted a longitudinal study, surveying 230 SETs serving students with EBD at three time points across one school year. Data revealed administrative support, adequacy of planning time, and autonomy in fall predicted emotional exhaustion and personal accomplishment in winter and spring. Associations between working conditions and burnout components were partially mediated by SETs’ perceptions of workload manageability. SET change in well-being due to COVID-19 during the early months of the pandemic was not associated with burnout. The authors discuss implications, limitations, and directions for future inquiry.