Implementing Positive Behavior Support Systems in Early Childhood and Elementary Settings

Dr. Melissa Stormont has been involved in special education and psychology for over 15 years. Dr. Stormont has worked to support children with behavioral problems as a teacher, behavioral consultant, and through teaching teachers and conducting research in higher education. Currently, Dr. Stormont is an Associate Professor in Special Education at the University of Missouri. Dr. Stormont has published extensive research related to the educational and social needs of young children who are vulnerable for failure including children with behavior problems, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, and children who have limited resources due to poverty. Dr. Stormont’s research has included a focus on family and school factors that contribute to risk and resiliency. She has published over 30 articles and book chapters in these areas.

Dr. Timothy J. Lewis has been involved in special education for over 20 years. Dr. Lewis has taught students with emotional and behavioral disorders in high school, elementary, and self-contained psychiatric settings. At present, Dr. Lewis is Professor and Associate Dean for Research, Development, and Graduate Studies at the University of Missouri. Dr. Lewis has been involved with developing school-wide systems of behavioral support for over 15 years. He has worked directly with school teams around the world, secured several federal grants to support his research and demonstration efforts, and is a frequent contributor to the professional literature examining various aspects of Positive Behavior Support. His specialty areas include social skill instruction, functional assessment, and proactive school-wide discipline systems.

Rebecca S. Beckner is an early childhood behavior consultant with the public schools in Columbia, Missouri. She has been a family and individual counselor and owned a childcare center for ten years, specializing in the care of children with behavioral concerns. Becky currently participates in the evaluation of young children in the area of social/emotional/behavioral functioning and serves children with severe behavior problems and their families. She also facilitates several local Program-wide Positive Behavior Support teams in the public schools, Head Start, and community day cares. Becky has twenty years of experience consulting with teachers on behavior management and providing workshop and in-service training to teaching staff and parents on subjects such as Positive Behavior Supports, social skills, strategies for supporting children with significant behavioral difficulties, resiliency, and communicating with parents. Becky is a certified trainer of Program-wide Positive Behavior Support and has traveled throughout the country supporting teams as they implement the approach. She is also working on her dissertation at the University of Missouri (Special Education-Behavior Disorders) on implementing the PBS approach to improve at-risk behavior of preschool children, and is teaching courses on early childhood assessment and working with families.

Nanci Johnson is currently a Positive Behavior Support Facilitator for the Columbia Public Schools. She previously worked as part of the Missouri Positive Behavior Support initiative, collaborating to develop state training materials, conducting school based research and providingconsultation both in and out of the state. Nanci has taught parenting education, pre-school, kindergarten, first grade, as well as college level coursework. She has special interest in systems based school change, development of communities of practice to support effective instructional practices, and instructional leadership.