Precorrection for Youth with EBD in Alternative Education Settings: Implementation Suggestions

Authors

Ashley S. Virgin, Ph.D, Kristine Jolivette, Ph.D., Sara Sanders, Ed.D., Robin Parks Ennis, Ph.D.
  • Ashley S. Virgin, Ph.D (Author) Athens State University image/svg+xml
    Ashley S. Virgin, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Special Education at Athens State University. Her research includes emotional regulation strategies for both youth and facility staff; empowering youth in juvenile justice and residential facilities to increase their resiliency, self-advocacy, and ability to make positive decisions through social-emotional learning (SEL) curriculums and implementation; and preparing pre-service teachers for classroom and behavior management across a variety of educational disciplines. She has multiple peer-reviewed articles currently in-press, as well as 30+ presentations at regional and national conferences focused on her research areas.
  • Kristine Jolivette, Ph.D. (Author) The University of Alabama image/svg+xml
    Kristine Jolivette, Ph.D., is the Paul W. and Mary Harmon Bryant Endowed Professor for the College of Education at the University of Alabama. Her applied intervention and systemic change research focuses on improving facility and educational environments to maximize youth engagement and long-term, positive outcomes related to behavior, academic literacy (reading and writing), and transition services for youth with and at-risk for emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) served in restrictive settings (e.g., juvenile justice facilities, residential treatment facilities, alternative education settings). She is internationally known for her research related to facility-wide positive behavior interventions and supports, self-regulated strategy development, choice-making, low-intensity behavioral strategies, and adapting tiered evidence-based interventions for youth with EBD across educational settings using evidence-based iterative processes and youth/staff voice. She also is known for her multi-decade partnerships which has resulted in tangible and impactful systemic change in the adoption and adaptation of evidence-based interventions with resulting positive youth outcomes. She has managed $15+ million in grants to support this work and has 200+ publications and 450+ presentations/training workshops equipping teachers, staff, and agencies to implement evidence-based interventions to fidelity.
  • Sara Sanders, Ed.D. (Author) The University of Alabama
    Sara Sanders, Ed.D., is an assistant research professor at the University of Alabama. Her research is primarily with students and youth with and at-risk for emotional and behavioral disorders in residential treatment facilities and secure juvenile justice facilities. Dr. Sanders’ research foci include the adaptation and implementation of evidence based academic, behavioral, and social/emotional interventions for youth in restrictive education settings, delivered within a three-tiered framework (e.g., facility-wide positive behavior interventions and supports). She has 50+ publications and 150+presentations on these topics.
  • Robin Parks Ennis, Ph.D. (Author) The University of Alabama
    Robin Parks Ennis, Ph.D., BCBA-D, is a professor in the department of Special Education at the University of Alabama. Dr. Ennis served as a resource and inclusion teacher prior to joining higher education. Her research interests include providing integrated academic, behavioral, and social/emotional needs to address the needs of students with emotional and behavioral disorders. On these topics, she published a book and over 100 peer-reviewed articles. Dr. Ennis has supports schools with training and implementation of multi-tiered system of supports.
https://doi.org/10.64546/jaasep.584
Many of the youth with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) who are served within alternative education settings experience behavioral challenges including displaying behaviors of concern while having difficulty demonstrating the expected behaviors. Through the low-intensity behavioral strategy of precorrection, staff in alternative education settings can proactively assist youth with EBD in reaching behavioral and academic goals. The following article details the eight specific steps of precorrection, including a review of the prior literature, steps for implementation by staff in alternative education settings, and considerations for implementation.

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There are 26 references in total.
Virgin, A. S., Jolivette, K., Sanders, S., & Ennis, R. P. (2025). Precorrection for Youth with EBD in Alternative Education Settings: Implementation Suggestions. Journal of the American Academy of Special Education Professionals, 20(2), 205-217. https://doi.org/10.64546/jaasep.584

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  • Article Type Articles
  • Submitted April 16, 2025
  • Published June 15, 2025
  • Issue Spring/Summer 2025
  • Section Articles
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