Get Involved with PRIME

Now recruiting for the 2024-2025 school year.

We’re a grant-funded research team from UConn and Columbia University dedicated to supporting K-5 teachers in delivering behavior support plans for students with challenging classroom behaviors.

Through the PRIME-2 study, K-5 teachers receive individual consultation to support their delivery of a behavior plan tailored to their students’ needs.

Funded by the US Department of Education Institute of Education Sciences, we are investigating the effectiveness of consultation-based strategies to support K-5 general education teachers’ delivery of student behavior interventions.

We prepare teachers to feel skilled and confident in their use of positive behavioral approaches to student behavior management. 

Our study is rooted in a positive, evidence-based approach. This means that our behavior plans emphasize the use of equitable, data-driven practices that aim to reinforce and increase the likelihood of positive student behaviors, rather than focusing on punitive responses. We help teachers integrate these positive, evidence-based methods into their classroom to best support their students.

  • K-5 general education teachers in CT and the greater NYC area.

    Teachers will nominate a student in their class to participate. Student participants:

    • Demonstrate mild to moderate challenging behaviors in the classroom that may benefit from an individual behavior intervention.

    • Do not currently receive (and are not currently in the evaluation process to receive) special education services that address behavioral goals.

  • Each teacher will work individually with a PRIME-2 consultant, with whom they will have three to six 30-75 minute meetings and brief (<5 min) weekly check-ins.

    Teachers will deliver recommended behavior support strategies.

    Teachers will be asked to complete surveys about their experiences.

    Teachers will participate in the study for up to 25 weeks.

  • Teachers will receive compensation for their time.

    Challenging student behaviors may decrease.

    Teachers may gain skills in delivering behavioral interventions.

    Teachers will receive:

    • A behavior assessment report

    • A written behavior support plan

    • Summary report(s) of student outcome data

    Parents will receive:

    • A summary report of their child’s data and behavior plan

“The collaborative spirit of the PRIME team fostered a strong partnership with our school and fostered a community of problem-solving and curiosity for our staff. Their support has been invaluable.”

— Elementary School Principal

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This research study is approved by the University of Connecticut Institutional Review Board (IRB; Protocol # HR21-0171) and sponsored by the Institute for Education Sciences (IES), award number: R324A210266