Overview
The goal of Project BASIC is to build and optimize an adaptive intervention within a multitiered system of supports (MTSS) model to improve elementary school students’ academic and behavior outcomes. The overall intervention will consist of various combinations of academic (reading or math) and behavior (self-regulation) strategies designed to improve academic engagement and learning. Behavior problems and academic problems often co-occur, as learning difficulties may lead to frustration and behavior problems may distract students from learning and lead to lower academic achievement. Academic engagement (on-task and sustained attention to the teacher or assigned activity) is a key behavior that may help integrate both academic and behavioral interventions, given its impact on both learning and behavior in school. The research team will examine embedding an intervention to improve self-regulation skills, which are critical to academic engagement, within existing academic interventions. The integrated self-regulation and academic interventions will occur within the context of MTSS. Ultimately, this adaptive system aims to improve students’ academic and behavioral skills, as well as longer-term outcomes including achievement and teacher-student relationships.