Fading students from individual break plans to small group breaks: A preliminary study of a Tier 2 intervention

Background: Across educational settings, Tier 2 interventions have the potential to be both an effective and efficient way to support students when implementing a school-wide positive behavioural support (SWPBS) framework. That is, when appropriate, Tier 2 supports might be offered before individualised Tier 3 behavioural interventions, or once a student has maintained appropriate behaviour while receiving an individualised intervention.
Method and materials: In the current study, four male students educated in a small alternative school in the US were offered academic breaks via a Tier 2 break plan after responding well to a Tier 3 individualised break intervention. Student progress was measured as percentage of points earned on a daily points sheet that was completed by school staff.
Results: All four participants maintained appropriate behaviour upon receiving breaks in a small group compared to receiving breaks individually.
Conclusions: In addition to maintenance of students' behaviour, staff saved a substantial amount of time providing group breaks rather than individual breaks. The study provides an empirical example of how to maximise the efficiency of service delivery in schools implementing a SWPBS approach.