Thanks to a generous state grant, school systems across Kentucky will soon benefit from research conducted at the College of Education and Human Development’s (CEHD) Center for Instructional and Behavioral Research in Schools (CIBRS).
The Kentucky Department of Education awarded a one-year, $1.5 million grant (eligible for annual renewal) to the center to expand its student behavior training programs to every Kentucky school district.
Terry Scott, director of CIBRS, and Amy Lingo, interim dean of CEHD, will use the grant for the Kentucky Academic and Behavior Response to Intervention (KY-ABRI) program.
KY-ABRI will develop video-training modules as well as conduct statewide training sessions and offer on-site support.
“In our research, we apply scientific methods to understand how specific actions can be implemented,” Scott said. “Our goal is to find the best way for teachers to foster student engagement, differentiate instruction, handle disruptive students and promote positive behavior.”
Scott has been working with Jefferson County Public Schools for several years to develop more positive school environments. Using hundreds of JCPS classroom observations, Scott reported recently his findings that more engaged students may be the key to lowering student suspension rates.
Further research into classroom engagement will be conducted as the result of a four-year, $1.4 million total U.S. Department of Education-Institutes for Education Science grant awarded to Scott and Andy Frey, professor in UofL’s Kent School of Social Work. The researchers will study a new method to help teachers improve classroom engagement and positive feedback rates.
