Date of Submission

2026

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Department

Psychology

Department Chair

Jessica Glass Kendorski Ph.D., NCSP, BCBA-D

First Advisor

Barry McCurdy, PhD, NCSP, BCBA-S

Second Advisor

Amanda Fisher, PhD, BCBA-D

Third Advisor

Colleen Katzenmoyer, Ed.D

Abstract

The role of paraprofessionals in education is essential as they work alongside teachers to provide additional support to students within classrooms. Their responsibilities may differ based on the needs of the school, classroom, and student, paraprofessionals often play an important role in supporting students’ behavioral needs. While their roles being prevalent in education, paraprofessionals could benefit from additional training in evidence-based strategies, specifically when working with students with behavioral needs and the application of behavior-specific praise. Considering that teachers typically receive more formal training and work closely with paraprofessionals in the classroom, they are well positioned to provide training support to paraprofessionals as they carry out their responsibilities. Research has shown that performance feedback, when applied to paraprofessionals through a teacher coaching intervention, can increase their use of behavior-specific praise rates. This study will aim to evaluate the effectiveness of a teacher-led coaching intervention and its use of performance feedback to increase paraprofessionals’ rates of behavior-specific praise in secondary special education classroom. This study is intended to increase paraprofessionals’ behavior-specific praise rates through the teacher-led coaching intervention for students receiving special education services under IDEA classifications.

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