An investigation of the effect of the Strong Start curriculum on three general outcome behaviors as measured by direct behavior ratings

The present study investigated the effectiveness of the Strong Start curriculum in improving three general outcome behaviors. A review of the applicable literature suggests that children with mental health and behavioral needs are underserved within schools. As such, there has been a growing movement within education to implement systemic approaches to behavioral intervention. Behavioral RtI, or school wide positive behavioral support (SWPBS), is a multi-tiered system of intensifying interventions based on individual student need. An important component of SWPBS is the regular collection of progress monitoring data using high quality data collection tools. The present study utilized direct behavior ratings to document behavior changes in student participants from baseline levels to post-intervention levels. Data were collected on a daily basis and were analyzed using effect size and percentage of non-overlapping data points. Students were selected for participation in the small group implementation of Strong Start using the Systematic Screening of Behavior Disorders. The study utilized a quasi-experimental single-case research design.;The results of the study suggest that Strong Start may have a positive effect on the three general outcome behaviors. Half of the students demonstrated measurable gains in all three general outcome behaviors. As such, Strong Start may have some utility as an intensive small group Tier 2 intervention within a SWPBS model.