From Consultation to Student Outcomes: The Role of Teacher Knowledge, Skills, and Beliefs in Increasing Integrity in Classroom Management Strategies

Classroom behavior management strategies are effective in reducing impairment and improving functioning in children with or at risk of ADHD. Although these interventions are well established, there is significant concern about the integrity with which teachers implement these strategies. Possible barriers to integrity include limitations in teachers' knowledge of ADHD and classroom management strategies, limitations in classroom management skills, and beliefs that may interfere with intervention implementation. We hypothesize that these barriers are malleable and can be targeted in school-based consultation programs. In this paper, we describe the development of a multi-component consultation package designed to address teacher knowledge, skills, and beliefs as a mechanism for enhancing intervention implementation integrity and student outcomes. Using a case study design, we examined the hypothesized relationships between the consultation strategies, intervention integrity, and student outcomes. Results provide initial support for the multi-component package and our theory of change. Limitations that will inform continued development of the package are discussed.