APBS Awards
E.G. "Ted" Carr Memorial and APBS Leadership Awards
The Association for Positive Behavior Support presents several awards each year in concurrence with the International Conference on Positive Behavior Support--the E.G. "Ted" Carr Memorial Awards and the APBS Leadership Award(s). In addition, at each year's International Conference for Positive Behavior Support, APBS awards two scholarships to students who present scholarly work at the Reception/Poster Session. These awards are given to students who present original research or original research-based practitioner or teacher education information. These awards are presented in memory of E.G. "Ted" Carr who was a pioneer in the development of Positive Behavior Support. Sadly, Ted and his wife were killed in an automobile accident in June of 2009. Please read the tribute to Ted by former board member Glen Dunlap and Rob Horner.
Dr. Edward Carr in the psychology building at Stony Brook University.
(Newsdsay File Photo / Kathy Kmonicek / January 5, 2006)
E.G. "Ted" Carr Award Nominations
E.G. "Ted" Carr Practitioner Award
The Association for Positive Behavior Support (APBS) is seeking nominations for the 2023 E.G. "Ted" Carr Practitioner Award. This award is given to a practitioner whose work in positive behavior support demonstrates outstanding achievements in mentorship, service, and commitment to the application of positive behavior support principles and technology in the field. We are seeking nominations for individuals who have used positive behavioral supports to make a positive impact on the world, whether in traditional educational programs (e.g., early childhood, K-12 schools) or other settings (e.g., home, adult services, community programs).
Nomination requirements
- Holds a current position that promotes the application of positive behavior support principles and technology
Applicants will be evaluated based upon the following criteria listed below:
- Positive impact on the field through singular or multiple achievements (e.g., innovative implementation, significant improvements in high need areas as evidenced by data outcomes, recognition by local organizations, etc.).
- Positive behavior support service-related activities as indicated by participation and leadership in professional associations at the local, state, and/or national levels (e.g., leadership, committees, speaker at regional, national, and international PBS conferences, contributor/reviewer, publications in practitioner-oriented journals, magazines, and/or newsletters).
- Contributions to the field in the form of mentorship to individuals to build skill capacity in the application of positive behavior support principles and technology.
- Leadership ability to inspire, problem-solve, and move a system forward while working collaboratively and productively with colleagues.
The winner will be recognized at the 2023 APBS Conference in Jacksonville, FL and will be invited to present at that conference.
Nominations may be submitted by any APBS member. To be considered, the following materials must be submitted by the nominating APBS member by October 21, 2022:
- A letter of nomination that states why the applicant is deserving of the award in terms of contributions to PBS (e.g., important contributions and impact) and includes:
- Nominee’s formal educational background
- Nominee’s experiential background including number of years in career
- Nominee’s accomplishments in career, for example, but not limited to:
- Actions, products, systems change efforts, time range, outcomes and relation to positive behavior support
- Impact of actions, products, systems change efforts on the school/district/state/agency/community/family
- A template of a sample letter of nomination is available here: sample letter of nomination.
- Current resume or curriculum vitae of the practitioner being nominated
- If applicable, any products or materials that support the nomination
Materials should be submitted via this Google Form: Submit nomination
If you have any questions about the nominations or have any problem with the Google forms, feel free to contact Stephanie Martinez at sam2@usf.edu
E.G. "Ted" Carr Initial Researcher Award
The Association for Positive Behavior Support (APBS) is seeking nominations for the 2023 E.G. "Ted" Carr Initial Researcher Award. The annual award is given to an early career researcher whose work in positive behavior support reflects conceptual sophistication, applied relevance, and promise of substantial contribution to the field. Preference will be given to candidates whose applications reflect commitment to positive behavior support as demonstrated through presentations or other scholarly involvement with the Association for Positive Behavior Support, including the annual conference. Their work may influence the use of positive behavior support in one or more of the following settings: home, early childhood, K-12, community, and/or adult services.
Nomination requirements
To qualify for the award, the nominee must have earned a doctorate no more than five years before the submission deadline and have products that reflect evidence of research accomplishments, such as peer-reviewed journal articles.
The winner will be recognized at the 2023 APBS Conference in Jacksonville , FL and will be invited to present at that conference.
Self-nominations will be accepted. To be considered, nominees must submit the following materials by October 21, 2022:
- One-page, single-spaced statement of why the applicant is deserving of the award in terms of research and contributions to PBS
- Curriculum vita
- Up to two publications or other examples of scholarly work
Materials should be sent via this Google Form: Submit nomination
If you have any questions about the nominations or have any problem with the Google forms, feel free to contact Stephanie Martinez at sam2@usf.edu
2023 APBS Award Winners
Don Kincaid, 2023 APBS Leadership Award Winner
Dr. Donald Kincaid directs the Florida Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports Project at the University of South Florida and the Florida Center for Inclusive Communities, a University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities. Dr. Kincaid helped form the Association for Positive Behavior Support, and served on the APBS Board for many years, with three terms as APBS President.
Shiralee Poed, 2023 APBS Leadership Award Winner
Dr Shiralee Poed is an Associate Professor within the School of Education at the University of Queensland. She is also the Chair of the Association for Positive Behaviour Support Australia. Her career spans more than 30 years, and includes working in both Australian universities and primary, secondary and special schools.
Nicolette Grasley-Boy, 2023 E.G. "Ted" Carr Initial Researcher Award Winner
Dr. Nicolette (Nikki) Grasley-Boy is currently an Assistant Research Professor at the Juniper Gardens Children’s Project at the University of Kansas. Her research interests include schoolwide positive behavior interventions and supports, multi-tiered support for professional development, and supporting students with emotional/behavioral disorders by identifying malleable factors and evidence-based interventions using advanced statistical methodologies and applied single-case research.
Angus Kittelman, 2023 E.G. "Ted" Carr Initial Researcher Award Winner
Angus Kittelman, PhD, is a Research Associate within Educational and Community Supports, a research unit at the University of Oregon. His current research focuses on (a) positive behavior interventions and supports (PBIS), (b) implementation science, and (c) applied behavior analysis. He has served as a project coordinator and data analyst on multiple federally-funded research grants and is a co-principal investigator of a federally-funded grant designed to scale-up a Tier 1 intervention to improve academic and social-emotional outcomes for students in high schools. Angus teaches graduate courses in behavior and classroom management and single-case research design.
Ashley Greenwald, 2023 E.G. "Ted" Carr Practitioner Award Winner
Dr. Ashley Greenwald is a Licensed Behavior Analyst and an Associate Research Professor at the University of Nevada, Reno. Dr. Greenwald is the Project Director/Principal Investigator of the Nevada PBIS Technical Assistance Center. Dr. Greenwald has over a decade of experience in positive behavior support implementation and project management and has received more than $19 million in grant funds to support these efforts.
Kristy Ritvalsky, 2023 E.G. "Ted" Carr Practitioner Award Winner
Kristy Ritvalsky, MPH, is a Sr. Training and Consultation Specialist with the Northeast and Caribbean Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (MHTTC), at Rutgers University. Having led large-scale grant projects for over 18 years and working with various stakeholders to implement school-wide positive behavioral interventions and supports and school mental health, she has identified and leveraged the strengths of inner-city schools and communities. She uses her extensive knowledge and collaborative consultation style to bridge the gap between theory and practice to help meet students' behavioral and mental health needs.
2022 APBS Award Winners
Dr. Patti Hershfeldt, 2022 E.G. "Ted" Carr Practitioner Award Winner
Dr. Patti Hershfeldt is the Co-Director of the Center for Social Behavior Support @ Old Dominion University Patti co-chairs the APBS HS Network that supports high schools with implementation of SW PBIS/MTSS and aims to bridge connections between fellow implementors and researchers. Additionally, she has a strong professional focus on equity and student voice. Patti is a former high school special education teacher of 15 years and a mom to 2 daughters.
2022 E.G. "Ted" Carr Outstanding Poster Winners
Is PBIS Implementation Across Time/Tiers Related to Student Substance Possession?
Sean Austin, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR
This presentation will review findings and implications of a study examining how PBIS implementation across all three tiers and year-over-year improvements in tier 1 implementation is linked to student substance possession on campus.
Contributions of School Climate in Implementing Positive Support Practices for LGBTQ+ Youth
John Gallo, Derek Bueffel, James Whisenhunt, Caitlin Wild, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR
Survey findings regarding the frequency, acceptability and use of LGBTQ+ affirming practices (GSA, Policy, Visual Support, etc.) in schools, and their relationship to school climate, social support, and teacher bias.
Professional Development on FBA and Behavior Intervention Plans: A Systematic Review
Alex Carlson, Shanna Hirsch, Catherine Griffith, Clemson University, Clemson, SC; Mark Samudre, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC
We provide an overview of a systematic review of the existing literature related to professional development on FBA and BIP. We will describe our procedures for searching the literature and report findings and future directions.
2021 APBS Award Winners
Stefanie LaPolla, 2021 E.G. "Ted" Carr Practitioner Award Winner
Stefanie LaPolla brings a range of experiences within the fields of psychology and education to her current position as the Supervisor of Multi-Tiered System of Supports for Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) in northern Virginia. In this role, she oversees the implementation of Response to Intervention, Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports, and Social Emotional Learning across all schools within the division. She is also responsible for the leadership of collaborative teams, professional learning to school based leaders and staff, and ongoing data collection, analysis and reporting as it relates to strategic actions and programmatic goals related to implementation and integration of data, systems, and practices. Prior to this position, she served as a Nationally Certified School Psychologist and PBIS Coordinator for LCPS. Stefanie holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology with Studies in Education from Juniata College, Master’s degree in School Psychology from Towson University, an endorsement in Administration and Supervision PreK-12, and is finishing her Doctor of Education degree with Shenandoah University. She has presented at the local, state, and national levels and is a published researcher.
Shanna Hirsch, 2021 E.G. "Ted" Carr Initial Researcher Award Winner
Shanna Hirsch, PhD., BCBA-D, is an assistant professor of Special Education at Clemson University. Prior to arriving at Clemson, she was a special educator and behavior analyst. These experiences provided her opportunities to work with dynamic educators and see firsthand how positive behavior interventions and supports(PBIS) can improve the lives of students and teachers. Her scholarship focuses on three lines of research related to special education: (a) identifying effective instructional methods for preservice and in-service teachers in the areas of classroom management and functional-assessment based interventions, (b) developing university-district research-practice partnerships, and (c) integrating technology to support PBIS.
2021 E.G."Ted" Carr Outstanding Poster Winners
At each year's International Conference for Positive Behavior Support, the Association for Positive Behavior Support awards two scholarships to students who present scholarly work at the Reception/Poster Session. These awards are given to students who present original research or original research-based practitioner or teacher education information.
Barriers and Facilitators for PBIS Tier 2 Implementation
Carlson Coogler, Sara McDaniel & Kelly Guyotte, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL
Using interview data from eight participants, we will outline barriers and facilitators to PBIS Tier 2 implementation. Results include considerations on teacher, administrator and student buy-in; the framework; logistical barriers; and, the benefits of support.
View/Download Poster (PDF)
Student Choice Interventions: A Meta-Analysis of Current Literature
Eleanor Hancock, Alyssa Van Camp & Joseph Wehby, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN_
Student choice is a useful intervention to improve behavior of students with and at-risk for disabilities. Researchers will present findings from a meta-analysis on student choice, with a focus on utilizing choice in classrooms.
View/Download Poster (PDF)
2020 APBS Award Winners
Barry L. McCurdy, 2020 APBS Leadership Award Winner
APBS is pleased to honor Rob Horner and George Sugai as co-recipients of the 2020 APBS Leadership Award
Dr. Barry McCurdy is the Founding Director of the Devereux Center for Effective Schools and the Director of Training for Devereux’s APA-Accredited Internship in Health Service Psychology. He earned a Ph.D. in school psychology from Lehigh University, and has held both clinic- and university-based training appointments during his career. Dr. McCurdy's primary research interest in the treatment of disruptive behavior disorders has led to several prevention initiatives in urban schools and alternative education programs, including the adaptation of multi-tiered systems of support for urban and alternative settings, school-based behavioral health for urban settings and the development of evidence-based training programs for teachers of students with emotional and behavioral disorders. Dr. McCurdy is an active member of a number of professional organizations concerned with behavior analysis and positive behavior support, and currently serves on the board for the Association for Positive Behavior Support.
George Sugai, 2020 APBS Leadership Co-Award Winner
APBS is pleased to honor Rob Horner and George Sugai as co-recipients of the 2020 APBS Leadership Award
George Sugai is Emeritus Professor in the Neag School of Education at the University of Connecticut. In May 2019 he retired as Carole J. Neag Endowed Chair and Professor with tenure in School of Education at University of Connecticut. His research and practice interests included school-wide positive behavior support, behavioral disorders, applied behavior analysis, organizational management, and classroom and behavior management, and school discipline. He has been a classroom teacher, program director, personnel preparer, and applied researcher. Currently, he is Senior Advisor for the OSEP Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports.
Rob Horner, 2020 APBS Leadership Co-Award Winner
Rob Horner is an emeritus professor of special education at the University of Oregon. His research has focused on applied behavior analysis, positive behavior support, multi-tiered instructional systems, equity in education, and systems change. He has worked for the past 20 years with George Sugai in development and implementation of school-wide positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS). Over 27,000 schools are implementing PBIS nationally. Rob was one of the founding board members for APBS.
Erika McDowell, 2020 E.G. "Ted" Carr Early Career Practitioner Award Winner
Erika L. McDowell is a former NJ governor’s award recipient and honors graduate of Howard University and New York University. Currently, she is pursuing an EdD from Drexel University in Educational Leadership and Management, slated for completion in June 2020. In her professional role at The School District of Philadelphia, she is an Executive Director in the Office of Student Support Services in which she designs, creates, and delivers educational materials for employees that enhance cultural awareness and increase skills in various areas of operational competence. Erika has also served as the Director of PBIS (positive behavior intervention and supports) and Youth Court for the school district. Other positions previously held include assistant principal and teacher. Her in-depth experience includes restorative practices, positive behavioral supports, conflict resolution, classroom management, bullying prevention, and behavioral data support. Ms. McDowell is committed to nurturing the minds and gifts of urban school leaders and youth nation-wide.
2019 Ted Carr Outstanding Poster Winners
At each year's International Conference for Positive Behavior Support, the Association for Positive Behavior Support awards two scholarships to students who present scholarly work at the Reception/Poster Session. These awards are given to students who present original research or original research-based practitioner or teacher education information.
Meeting Adolescents Where They Are: Tier 1 Efforts in Unique Settings
Ashley Thoma,University of Massachusetts Amherst
The Effect of Exercise on On-Task Behavior in High School
Colleen Commisso, Lehigh University
2019 APBS Award Winners
Dr. Renee Bradley, 2019 APBS Leadership Award Winner
Renee Bradley, Ph.D., has over thirty years of experience in special education. She began her career as a teacher of students with emotional and behavioral disabilities. During those eight years she worked in a variety of settings from self-contained to an inclusion program to providing homebound services working with children preschool through high school. Renee worked at the South Carolina Educational Policy Center for two years prior to joining the University of South Carolina Special Education Program as a Clinical Instructor in the Graduate School. During her time there she coordinated the master’s student teaching experience and taught a variety of courses. As an experienced consultant and trainer on a variety of education issues including: behavioral supports and interventions, juvenile justice, instructional strategies, teacher training and school leadership. Renee has a reputation as an effective deliverer of research based and practical information with a strong sense of the real world. In 1997, Renee joined the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs as a program specialist on the National Initiatives Team. In 1998, she became the Special Assistant to the Director of Research to Practice and now serves as the Deputy Director. Among her responsibilities she is the project officer for the National Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions. She coordinated the OSEP LD Initiative and served as the project officer for the National Research Center on Learning Disabilities and the IDEA Partnership Project. She has written and contributed to numerous publications, serves on several professional publication boards, and is a frequent presenter on special education issues. Renee has a bachelors and masters in special education from the College of Charleston and her Ph.D. in Leadership and Policy from the University of South Carolina.
Dr. Blair Lloyd, 2018 Ted Carr Early Career Researcher Award Winner
Blair Lloyd, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Special Education at Vanderbilt University. Her research focuses on individualized assessments and interventions for students with persistent challenging behavior and methods to improve direct observation measures of behavior and behavior-environment contingencies. Dr. Lloyd is currently a principal investigator on an IES-funded project to develop a decision framework to support special educators and behavior specialists incorporate hypothesis testing in functional behavior assessments. She is also a co-principal investigator on a technical assistance grant funded by the Tennessee Department of Education to build capacity for multi-tiered systems of behavior support in schools across the state. She teaches courses on the experimental analysis of behavior and single case research design.
Jim Finch, 2019 Ted Carr Early Career Practitioner Award Winner
Jim Finch, Ed.D., is in his 12th year as the principal at Mary Persons High School and has been in education for 25 years. Dr. Finch received his Bachelor of Science in Education from Georgia Southern University in 1994 and a Masters of Education in Educational Leadership from Georgia College and State University in 2001. Dr. Finch received his doctorate from Valdosta State University in 2015.
Dr. Finch sits on the state Board of Directors for the Georgia Association of Educational Leaders (GAEL) as well as on the Board of Directors for the Georgia Association of Secondary School Principals (GASSP). Dr. Finch is the GASSP President-elect for the 2018-2019 school year. Previously, Dr. Finch served as State Coordinator for GASSP and the state of Georgia’s advocacy delegate to NASSP during the 2014-2017 school years. He is a member of the PAGE Principal Leadership Network and serves as the AAAA representative for the Georgia High School Association’s (GHSA) Board of Trustees.
Dr. Finch helped lead the Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports initiative in his district at a time when few were implementing PBIS in high schools. Through support from local and state PBIS personnel, Mary Persons High School is considered a model school for PBIS in Georgia. Dr. Finch has also helped lead the statewide PBIS strategic plan in Georgia and has also consulted with the Georgia Professional Standards Commission to help develop the first PBIS endorsement to certificated personnel in Georgia.
Dr. Finch’s wife, Kelli, is a real estate agent in the middle Georgia area. They have four children – Kennedy, a 2018 graduate of Mary Persons and freshman at Georgia Southern University, Jimbo, a junior at Mary Persons, Carli, a 2nd grader at TG Scott, and Max, a kindergarten student at TG Scott.
Ruth Payno-Simmons, 2019 Ted Carr Early Career Practitioner Award Winner
Ruth Payno-Simmons, Ph.D.,, (formally Ruth Riddle) provides consulting and technical assistance for various state and local educational entities. Her work involves collaborating with a team of experts at the state and national level in developing and delivering professional learning content and resources to address significant disproportionality involving discipline, race, and ethnicity in PBIS schools. Additionally, Dr. Payno-Simmons supports educators in centering equity in their work as they recognize institutionally oppressive and supportive practices that shape school climate and the identities of students they serve. Dr. Payno-Simmons’ experience as a researcher, teacher, principal, and central office administrator has provided her with a broad depth of knowledge and expertise in culturally sustaining practices, multi-tiered systems of supports (MTSS), school-wide positive behavior supports (SWPBIS), and implementing sustainable equitable educational systems. In her past role as building principal, Dr. Payno-Simmons worked with her staff to implement sustainable systems that focused on promoting equitable learning which earned the state designation of Rewards School for closing the opportunity gap between the top 30% and bottom 30% students performing on the state assessment. Dr. Payno-Simmons leadership experiences over the last decade include coordination of K-12 educational programs, instruction, curriculum, staff professional development at all levels, school improvement, district accreditation, and evaluation of systems, assessment, and processes.
2018 Ted Carr Outstanding Poster Winners
At each year's International Conference for Positive Behavior Support, the Association for Positive Behavior Support awards two scholarships to students who present scholarly work at the Reception/Poster Session. These awards are given to students who present original research or original research-based practitioner or teacher education information.
Is it Working? Using Data and Technology to Improve Behavior
Sara Estrapala, Ashley Rila, and Allison Bruhn, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA
We will describe the results of a recent study examining the effects of technology-based self-monitoring and data-based individualization on students’ behavioral outcomes and teacher perceptions of usability and feasibility.
Diffusion of Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports within School Districts
Angus Kittelman and Kent McIntosh, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR
Presenters will share results from a national study examining the rate of change in the diffusion of PBIS in over 600 schools districts during their first five consecutive years of PBIS implementation.
2018 APBS Award Winners
Dr. Virginia Walker, 2018 Ted Carr Initial Researcher Award Winner
Virginia L. Walker, PhD, BCBA-D, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Special Education at Illinois State University. Dr. Walker began her career as a special education teacher of students with low incidence disabilities in Atlanta, Georgia before attending the University of Virginia where she worked on several federally-funded grants involving research in the areas of multi-tiered models of positive behavioral interventions and support and teacher preparation in the area of low incidence disabilities. Building upon this work, Dr. Walker’s line of research as an Assistant Professor has focused on three general themes: positive behavioral interventions for students with low incidence disabilities, supports planning to enhance the inclusion of students with low incidence disabilities, and effective training practices for school staff supporting students with low incidence disabilities. Dr. Walker serves as an editorial review board member of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, one of the primary publications of the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, and Research and Practice for Persons with Severe Disabilities, the primary publication of TASH.
Dr. Therese Sandomierski, 2018 Ted Carr Early Career Practitioner Award Winner
Therese Sandomierski, Ph.D., joined the FLPBIS Project in 2002, starting as a graduate assistant and joining the staff as a full-time technical assistance specialist in 2006. She currently serves as the FLPBIS Project’s co-lead on the disproportionate discipline workgroup, focusing on developing supports and providing assistance to district and school teams as they use a structured problem-solving process to achieve equity in discipline outcomes. Therese also contributes to the ongoing development of the Project’s RtIB database (www.flrtib.org), providing input on reports and new features. Prior to completing her Ph.D. in school psychology on disproportionate discipline outcomes in schools that implement school-wide PBIS, Therese worked as a classroom and research assistant while completing her undergraduate degrees in psychology and behavior analysis. Therese is a member of the Association for Positive Behavior Support and the Florida Restorative Justice Association. Her current interests include positive behavior support, equity, restorative practices, and systems change.
Dr. Kimberly Yanek, 2018 Ted Carr Early Career Practitioner Award Winner
Kimberly Yanek, PhD., is the Assistant Director for PBIS Training and Technical Assistance with the Mid-Atlantic PBIS Network at Sheppard Pratt Health System in Baltimore, Maryland. Through her work with the Mid-Atlantic PBIS Network, she develops curriculum and instructional materials to provide a continuum of support around multi-tiered frameworks, systems change, capacity building and sustainability, coaching, and classroom behavior support systems to state departments, school divisions, and schools. Before joining the Mid-Atlantic PBIS Network, she worked in a similar capacity for the Virginia Department of Education Training and Technical Assistance Centers and served on the VDOE VTSS/PBIS Leadership Team. Her research interests include positive behavioral interventions and supports, positive classroom behavioral supports, function-based thinking, and equity. Her teaching career currently focuses on adult learning and it began in the classroom as a special education teacher.
2017 Ted Carr Outstanding Poster Winners
At each year's International Conference for Positive Behavior Support in March, the Association for Positive Behavior Support awards two scholarships to students who present scholarly work at the Reception/Poster Session. These awards are given to students who present original research or original research-based practitioner or teacher education information.
Using SRSD Persuasive Writing to Improve Writing and Self-Monitoring Skills
Robai Werunga (pictured) and Ya-Yu Lo, University of North Carolina-Charlotte, Charlotte, NC
Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD) has shown effectiveness in supporting writing performance of students with emotional and behavioral disorders, and has the potential to bring collateral effects to their social skill and self-determination development.
Effective Attendance Interventions for High School Students
Sarah Wilkinson, Jennifer Kowitt, and Jennifer Freeman, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT; Angus Kittelman and Brigid Flannery, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR
High rates of absenteeism are linked to high school dropouts. This poster describes a systematic literature review on effective attendance interventions in high schools, as well as presents suggestions for implementation based on the findings.
2017 APBS Award Winners
Dr. Allison Bruhn, 2017 Ted Carr Initial Researcher Award Winner
Dr. Allison Bruhn graduated from Drake University with a B.A. in biology. After a stint as a college softball coach and receiving her master’s in education, she taught middle school science for several years. She earned her Ph.D. in special education from Vanderbilt University and is now an assistant professor of special education at The University of Iowa. She teaches courses on social/behavioral interventions and classroom management. Her research interests include multi-tiered systems of support, data-based decision making, and technology-based self-management to help students improve behavior. She is particularly passionate about helping teachers implement practical, feasible practices to improve student outcomes. Her research is supported by over $1.5 million in federal, state, and local funding, including $1.2 million from the federal Institute of Educational Sciences. In addition to creating a self-monitoring iPad app and training schools in PBIS, she has authored over 40 publications and currently serves on the editorial boards of Teaching Exceptional Children, Journal of Special Education Technology, and Behavioral Disorders.
Dr. Jennifer Freeman, 2017 Ted Carr Initial Researcher Award Winner
Dr. Jennifer Freeman is an assistant professor in the Department of Educational Psychology and is a research scientist for the Center for Behavioral Education Research (CBER) at the University of Connecticut. Dr. Freeman studies the effects of multi-tiered systems of support such as Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) on outcomes at the high school level for high-risk student groups including students with disabilities. She is particularly interested in improving graduation rates across and within student groups. She also studies professional development methods for improving teacher’s use of evidence based classroom management strategies. She currently teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in the special education program. Prior to joining the faculty at the University of Connecticut, she had 10 years of special education teaching experience across grades K-8 in both urban and rural school settings and had served as a K-12 district level consultant working to implement PBIS and Response to Intervention (RtI) strategies.
Dr. Lisa Thomas, 2017 Ted Carr Early Career Practitioner Award Winner
Lisa Thomas, Ph.D., NCSP, recipient of the First Annual Ted Carr Early Career Practitioner Award, is a Consulting and Research Psychologist at the Devereux Center for Effective Schools. She received a Ph.D. in School Psychology from Lehigh University. Dr. Thomas has provided consultation services aimed at developing multi-tiered systems of support within alternative education, behavioral health, and public school settings. She serves on Pennsylvania’s State Leadership Team for School-Based Behavioral Health and State Coordination Team for Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports. She also provides mentorship to several practitioners. Dr. Thomas has published her research in refereed journals and presented at national conferences. Her research interests include interventions for children with and at-risk for behavioral disorders.
2016 APBS Award Winners
Dr. Sara McDaniel, 2016 Ted Carr Initial Researcher Award Winner
Dr. Sara McDaniel is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Special Education and Multiple Abilities at the University of Alabama. She spent six years as a classroom teacher in Georgia and her expertise is in teaching students with challenging behaviors and training practitioners to implement best practices to support these students. Sara is the Executive Director of the Alabama Positive Behavior Support Office and provides PBIS training and coaching to schools and districts across the state. Her research interests include Tier 2 identification and intervention, classroom management, and effective and efficient interventions for students placed in alternative settings..
APBS 2016 Ted Carr Outstanding Poster Award Winners
Poster 117 - Investigating SW-PBIS and Equitable Discipline: Relationships Between Implementation and Referral Categories
Christopher Barclay (pictured), Jose Castillo, Don Kincaid, Robert Dedrick, and Linda Raffaele-Mendez, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL
Equitable school disciplinary practices remain elusive as current practices result in disproportionate referral of racial minority students to the office. Only this study has examined relationships between SW-PBS implementation fidelity, student race/ethnicity, and infraction type.](/conference/presentations/investigating-sw-pbis-and-equitable-discipline-relationships-between)
Poster 113 - Training and Coaching Effects on Teacher Implementation Fidelity of a Self-management Intervention
Tosha Owens (pictured) and Ya-yu Lo, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC
This session addresses the effects of a teacher training and coaching package on the implementation fidelity of a self-monitoring strategy used as a Tier 2 intervention with students identified as at risk or with EBD.
2015 APBS Award Winners
2015 Tedd Carr Initial Researcher Award Winners
Robin Parks Ennis, PhD, BCBA-D, is an Assistant Professor at the Eugene T. Moore School of Education at Clemson University. She earned her BA in secondary education language arts at Birmingham-Southern College in Birmingham, AL, MEd in special education – emotional and behavioral disorders and applied behavior analysis at the Peabody College of Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN, and PhD in special education – emotional and behavioral disorders and positive behavioral interventions and supports at Georgia State University in Atlanta, GA. Prior to entering academia, Dr. Ennis taught special education in resource and inclusive classroom in Birmingham, AL. Her research interests include positive behavioral interventions and supports, academic and behavior interventions, and students with emotional or behavioral disorders. She has published over 30 articles in peer-reviewed journals and has over 70 conference presentations and workshops in these areas. Dr. Ennis also co-authored the book Strategies for Managing Challenging Behavior in Schools to Support Instruction: Honing Your Skills. Dr. Ennis is currently serving as the co-chair of the Professional Development Committee of the Council for Children with Behavioral Disorders and as co-editor of the Council from Exceptional Children – Division of Research newsletter. She also serves on the editorial boards of Behavioral Disorders, Beyond Behavior, Intervention in School and Clinic, and Remedial and Special Education.
Dr. Nicholas A. Gage is an Assistant Professor of Special Education at the University of Florida. He received his Ph.D. in Special Education from the University of Missouri where he studied special education policy, statistical analysis, single-subject research, Positive Behavior Support (PBS), and Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA). In addition to his doctoral studies, Dr. Gage was an Institute of Education Sciences (IES) Post-doctoral Fellow in the Center for Behavioral Education and Research (CBER) at the University of Connecticut working on statistical and methodological advances in the emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) research field. Specific research interests include identification of policies and practices at the national, state, local and classroom level to support the academic, social, and behavioral needs of students with or at-risk for emotional and/or behavioral disorders through rigorous and diverse research practices and his expertise is in supporting schools, districts, and states in leveraging their data resources to best develop effective and efficient systems of support for students' academic and behavioral needs. Dr. Gage's specific expertise includes statistical modeling, research design and methodology, direct observation, single-subject research, and Functional Behavioral Assessment.
2015 Outstanding Poster Award Winners
Investigating the Effects of Tiered Interventions on Behaviors of African American Males
Kimberly Bunch-Crump & Ya-yu Lo, University of North Carolina
This presentation addresses the importance and effects of a peer-delivered culturally and contextually relevant social skill instruction program aiming to improve the social behavior of African American and Latino students within a SWPBS framework.
Implementing Functional Assessment Based Interventions at the Secondary Level: A Cross-Case Analysis
Shanna Hirsch, University of Virginia
This qualitative study compared the FBA/FABIs in students' records with the practices occurring in the classrooms and discussed the situations in detail with the students’ teachers. Findings and implications for practice will be provided.
2014 APBS Award Winners
Fourth Annual Ted Carr Initial Researcher Award
Dr. Wendy Oakes is an Assistant Professor in Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College, Arizona State University. She earned her BS in special education at the University of Maryland, MEd in Educational Leadership from Northern Arizona University, and PhD in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis on emotional and behavior disorders from Arizona State University. Prior to entering academia, Dr. Oakes taught special education for 13 years in self-contained, resource, and inclusive classrooms K-8. Her research and service focus on the examination and use of practices that improve the educational outcomes for young children with and at risk for emotional and behavioral disorders, specifically, schoolwide multi-tiered systems of support for the prevention and systematic response to learning and behavior difficulties, the implementation of evidence-based academic and behavioral interventions, and teacher education and professional development for classroom teachers and school administrators in implementing prevention models with fidelity. She has published 40 papers on these topics. She also co-authored a book on systematic screening of behavior to support instruction across pre-K-12 settings. Dr. Oakes serves as an Associate Editor for Remedial and Special Education and on the executive board for the Council for Exceptional Children - Division for Research.
APBS 2014 Student Poster Award Winners
Effectiveness of Prompting Evidence-based Instructional Practice
Lauren Evanovich, Lindsay Hughes, & Chris Sweigart
University of Louisville
"We present results from a series of studies highlighting the effect of prompting on teacher behavior and the subsequent effects on student engagement. Recommendations are also be made for future research."
The Effects of Function-based Interventions With Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students
Candace Gann, Sarah Gaines, John Umbreit, Shirin Antia, & Carl Liaupsin
University of Arizona
"This study assessed the effectiveness of function-based interventions developed as a result of teacher and student interviews and observations for students diagnosed as deaf or hard of hearing exhibiting challenging off-task behaviors within the classroom."
2013 APBS Award Winners
Third Annual Ted Carr Initial Researcher Award
Russell Lang
Russell Lang, Ph.D., BCBA-D, is an assistant professor of Special Education and the executive director of Texas State University's Clinic for Autism Research evaluation and Support (CARES). He earned a doctoral degree in Special Education with an emphasis in autism spectrum disorders and early childhood developmental disabilities from the University of Texas at Austin.
Dr. Lang completed a post-doctoral researcher position at the University of California in Santa Barbara. He has published over 100 peer-reviewed research papers and book chapters concerning the education and treatment of children with autism and other developmental disabilities. His primary research interest is in the treatment of challenging behaviors and instruction in play skills to children with autism spectrum disorders. Dr. Lang's research is most often conducted in applied settings including children's homes and schools. He serves on the editorial review board for Journal of Development and Physical Disabilities, Developmental Neurorehabilitation, and Behavior Modification and he is a former board member for Journal Applied Behavior Analysis.
The Fourth Annual APBS Poster Session Awards
The 2013 APBS Poster Session Awards honor posters that exemplify “Science, Values, and Vision” in two categories, Research and Practice. APBS Board and Committee members judged the posters during the conference poster session. The winning posters demonstrated the use of the scientific method, adherence to values of person-centeredness, self-determination, and inclusion, and represented an extension of PBIS. Additionally, the posters were attractive and easy to read. The presenters described their poster and/or offered handouts to attendees.
Outstanding Research Poster
Poster 101 - Implementing Self-Regulated Strategy Development Within a Three-Tiered Model of PBIS
The 2013 Research award went to Robin Parks Ennis and Kristine Jolivette of Georgia State University for their poster entitled, “Implementing Self-Regulated Strategy Development Within a Three-Tiered Model of PBIS”. This poster summarized the results of study implementing self-regulated strategy development for persuasive writing for second students with emotional and behavioral disorders in a residential school implementing positive behavioral interventions and supports.
Outstanding Practice Poster
Poster 133 – PBIS in Guam Elementary Schools
The 2013 Practitioner award went to Scott Ross of Utah State University, Nierves Flores of the University of Guam, and Connie Santiago, Carmelita Babauta, Fina Leon Guerrero, Ramona Nelson, and Valorie Alig of the Guam Department of Education. This poster presentation discussed the impact of the implementation of PBIS in a multi-cultural, diverse school district with 26 elementary schools on the Island of Guam.
2012 APBS Award Winners
Second Annual Ted Carr Initial Researcher Award
Todd Haydon
Dr. Todd Haydon is an Assistant Professor in the School of Education at the University of Cincinnati. He received his Ph.D. in special education from the University of Florida. His current line of research involves examining classroom management strategies that modify classroom environments (general education and self-contained classrooms) in order to decrease problem behavior and increase academic outcomes for students with emotional behavioral disorders (EBD). He has published in journals such as Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, Journal of Behavioral Education, Education and Treatment of Children, Journal of Evidence - Based Practices for Schools, Intervention in School and Clinic, and Beyond Behavior. He serves on the editorial boards for Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders and Beyond Behavior. Prior to working in higher education, Dr. Haydon worked as a school social worker and PBIS coach in Alton, Illinois.
Dr. Haydon's Presentation
Elise Pas
Dr. Elise T. Pas is a faculty member at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and is affiliated with the Center for the Prevention of Youth Violence, where she is currently involved with two federally-funded randomized controlled trials of PBIS and the PBIS Maryland Initiative. Her research agenda focuses on the effectiveness and large-scale dissemination of school reform efforts which expand positive behavior supports as a means for improving the classroom and school context. She is interested on the impact these initiatives have on teacher attitudes and perceptions and the organizational health of schools, and subsequently, student behavioral, social-emotional, and academic outcomes. Specifically, her research spans three areas: how teacher characteristics (e.g., efficacy and burnout) influence students' referrals for behavioral or academic concerns, factors influencing the dissemination and implementation of PBIS, and the identification of valid measures of student outcomes.
Third Annual Outstanding Poster Presentation Award
This author demonstrated an excellent design that extended his findings to teacher mentor consultation to increase praise. He also measured the effect of teacher mentoring on teacher praise, student rate of on-task and student to student praise. It was an excellent example of extending our work in new ways and understanding the effects beyond the immediate circumstance. Dr. Carr (Ted) would have been both impressed and pleased.
Poster 115 - Increasing Praise in the Classroom: A Consultation Support Model for New Teachers
Donald Briere, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT
The effects of a within-school-support-model on new-teachers' specific-praise rates during teacher-directed instruction will be summarized. The poster will highlight results from the study, emphasize lessons learned, and provide implications for the field.
Poster 115
Honorable mention (In no particular order):
Poster 111 - Effects of Augmentative and Alternative Communication on Challenging Behavior: A Meta-Analysis
Virginia Walker and Martha Snell, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA
Poster 121 - Increasing Teacher Use of Evidence Based Classroom Management Strategies: Recent Research Updates
Ashley MacSuga, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT
Poster 133 - Effects of a Tier 2 Intervention With Young Children
Robin Drogan and Lee Kern, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA
Poster 140 - Behavioral and Disciplinary Outcomes of PBIS in Texas Secure Juvenile Facilities
Eugene Wang, Texas Tech University, C. Michael Nelson, National Center for PBIS, Brenda Scheuermann and Tichelle Bruntmeyer, Texas State University
2011 APBS Award Winners
First Annual Ted Carr Initial Researcher Award
This year, APBS has established its Initial Researcher Award in honor of one of our founding members, Dr. Ted Carr. Two recipients have been chosen for 2011. The recipients are Scott Ross of Utah State University and Brenna K. Wood of Lehigh University. To learn more about the recipients, please view their biographical sketches below. The award will be presented at the Annual Conference during the opening session.
Scott Ross
Scott Ross, PhD, is a Professor of Special Education at Utah State University, where he teaches courses and conducts research in classroom management, positive behavioral support, curriculum design, and direct instruction. Prior to his work at Utah State, Dr. Ross served as coordinator for the Effective Behavioral and Instructional Support Systems (EBISS) project out of the
University of Oregon, where he trained district personnel around the state in their implementation of Positive Behavior Support and Response to Intervention. In addition, Dr. Ross has spent several years developing and conducting research on a novel approach to bully prevention entitled "Bully Prevention in Positive Behavior Support", which gives students the tools to reduce bullying through the blending of School-wide Positive Behavior Support, explicit instruction, and a redefinition of the bullying construct.
Brenna K. Wood
Brenna K. Wood is an assistant professor of special education at Lehigh University and a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. She received her PhD from the University of Arizona (Emotional/Behavioral Disorders) and her MEd from Peabody College, Vanderbilt University (Early Childhood Special Education). Dr. Wood's current research interests include functional behavioral assessment and the use of PBIS in early childhood environments (e.g., childcare, preschool, home). In particular, she is interested in function-based interventions that include elements to decrease challenging behavior and increase prosocial behavior.
Outstanding Poster Presentation
Poster 125 - Evaluation of Transition Criteria in Emotional Disability Private Schools (EDPs)
Matthew Hoge, Jolenea Ferro, Carl Liauspin, and John Umbreit University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
This session examines the criteria used for students placed in an Emotional Disability Private (EDP) schools to transition to a less restrictive environment. Findings on effective practices and roadblocks to transition will be shared.
Click here for the Poster
Honorable Mentions - Outstanding Poster Presentation
The panel of judges wanted to recognize the following five posters with honorable mentions. These are posted in numerical order for easy organization. Attempts were made to photograph each poster/presenter, but not all were captured. We are posting what was collected during the poster session.
Poster 116 - Comparison of Functional Assessment and Analysis Procedures for Students with Challenging Behaviors
Candace Lane, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ; Linda Garrison-Kane, Wayne Mitchell, David Goodwin, Erin Wilson and Alexandra Beckman, Missouri State University, Springfield, MO
This study assessed functional behavior assessment and analysis procedures for five students exhibiting challenging behaviors within public school classrooms. Results from two experiments confirmed each procedure was effective in identifying function and reducing challenging behaviors.
Poster 116
Poster 116 References
Poster 120 - Facility-wide Positive Behavior Support is Possible for Adults in Traditional Long- Term Residential Programs
James Adkins, Bluegrass Oakwood, Somerset, KY
This poster presentation overviews the evolution of a traditional long-term ICF/MR residential program into a program that is much more congruent with the values, principles, and practices of positive behavior support.
Poster 120
Poster 130 - A Comprehensive Three-Tiered Model of Prevention in Action
Meredith Cox, Wendy Oakes and Kathleen Lane, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
This poster will provide practitioners and researchers with an illustration of how to design and implement an integrated, comprehensive three-tiered model of prevention that will work for every student in their building.
Poster 130
Poster 141 - School-wide Classroom Management Fidelity and Outcomes with Students in Elementary School
Rob Oats, Jay Ringle and Alex Mason, Boys Town, Boys Town, NE; Ray Burke, University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha, NE
This study examines the implementation of a school-wide classroom management program with elementary school students. Results indicated that high program fidelity was significantly related to greater academic engagement and fewer suspensions, but not higher grades.
Poster 141
Poster 145 - Building PBIS in Afterschool Programs: A Collaborative Partnership
Anne Farrell, University of Connecticut, Stamford, CT; Melissa Collier Meek, Kellie Randall and Mamta Saxena, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT ; Shelby Pons, Connecticut State Department of Education, Middletown, CT
This poster presents activities and interim outcomes of collaborative efforts to build PBIS in afterschool programs (ASPs). It includes: an overview; staff training summary; program and fidelity measures; preliminary data; and "lessons learned" and implications.
Poster 145
2010 APBS Award Winners
Outstanding Poster Presentation
Getting Students to School on Time: Effects of a Praise Note Intervention Lynnette Christiansen, Paul Caldarella, and K. Richard Young, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT Is there an easy, effective way to motivate late students to arrive on time? Schools deal with tardiness in punitive ways, but great things can happen when written praise is used to increase ontime behavior.
Click here for the Poster
Temperament-Based Intervention for Surgency: A Case Study Caitlin Walsh and Lauren Adamek, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY Temperament-based strategies were used to modify problematic contexts so that they were a better fit for the temperament style of a highly extraverted child with ASD. Data showing improvement in problem behavior will be presented.
Click here for the Poster