Benjamin Building with students walking in the entrance

Supporting inclusive classroom Practices, Interventions, Research, and Leadership (SPIRAL)

Current Projects

The skeleton of a house with the words "Project FRaME" inside

Project FRaME: Using Feedback, Reflection, and Multimedia to Teach Evidence-Based Practices for Effective Classroom Management

Project Activities: Through this project the research team will iteratively develop and pilot test a multimedia, multicomponent instructional approach for use in teacher preparation coursework to support teacher candidates’ knowledge and implementation of evidence-based classroom management practices

Funding: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Research, National Center for Special Education Research 

Principal Investigators: Drs. Michael Kennedy, Shanna Hirsch, Sarah Nagro, Peter Youngs and Catherine Bradshaw

Selected Publications from Project FRaME:

Hirsch, S. E., Kelley, M., & Qualls, L. W. (2025). Preparing the next generation of educators to implement classroom positive behavior interventions and supports. In T. J. Lewis, B. Simonsen, K. McIntosh, and H. P. George (Eds.), Handbook of positive behavior supports, 2nd edition. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-96102-1_18

Speight, R., Hirsch, S. E., Kennedy, M., Michaud, C., Qualls, L., & Aigotti, S. (2025). Supporting rural educators implement proactive classroom management: A professional development study. Teaching and Teacher Education. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2025.105317

Youngs, P., Hirsch, S. E., Nagro, S., & Kennedy, M. (2023). Approaches to teaching classroom management at 33 universities: More commonality than difference? Teacher Education and Special Education. 46(4), 284-299. https://doi.org/10.1177/08884064231170577

Hirsch, S. E., Larson, K., Beahm, L., & Bradshaw, C. P. (2022). Adapting classroom management for delivery across contexts: A focus on urban, rural, and online settings. In E. Sabornie and D. Espelage (Eds). Handbook of classroom management: Research, practice, and issues, 3rd edition (pp 128-151). Routledge. 

Qualls, L., Carlisle, L., & Day, J., & Hirsch, S. E. (2022). Selecting and integrating high-quality videos into preservice education. Journal of Special Education Preparation, (2)1, 38-47. DOI: 10.33043/JOSEP.2.1.38-47

Nagro, S., Hirsch, S., & Kennedy, M. J. (2020). A self-led approach to improving classroom management practices using video analysis.  Teaching Exceptional Children, 53(1), 24-32.  doi: 10.1177/0040059920914329

For additional information, please visit the project website: https://www.buildtheframe.com/

Critical components of a functional behavioral analysis: A modified delphi study. Retrieved from https://osf.io/5rwcx/ The study will utilize a modified Delphi method, a well-established process that uses the collective judgment of experts to reach consensus on complex issues. Here's an overview of the process:

Critical Components of FBA-BIP: A Modified Delphi Study

Drs. Hirsch and Duble Moore are leading a modified Delphi study to reach consensus around the key components of the FBA-BIP process. 

 

 

Here's an overview of the process:

  1. Literature Review: The primary investigators have conducted a review of existing literature to identify potential critical components (i.e., features) of FBAs and BIPs.
  2. Expert Panel: A panel of 30-40 experts will provide feedback on these features. The feedback process will involve multiple rounds, with each round allowing experts to rate and refine the importance of each feature based on their professional judgment.
  3. Feedback Iteration: After each round, the feedback will be analyzed and summarized by the primary investigators and shared with the group to allow for further refinement. This iterative process will continue until a consensus on critical features is reached (we envision 3-4 rounds).

IRBNet Package: 2383535-1

KIRB: 2350

Preparing School Leaders to Implement Effective Special Education Systems That Improve Student Outcomes (LEAD)

Project LEAD: Preparing School Leaders to Implement Effective Special Education Systems that Improve Student Outcomes

Partnering with Vanderbilt University and the University of Texas at Austin, the University of Maryland is providing a fully funded PhD program in special education. This opportunity is made possible by a U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Program (OSEP) funded training grant. Core faculty members at the University of Maryland include Drs. Jade Wexler, Veronica Kang, and Shanna Hirsch. 

Please reach out to us if you are interested in becoming a LEAD Scholar!

LEAD Grant Flyer v5 (1).pdf