TATE Training Provides Educators with Knowledge & Skills to Identify Improvement Areas of FBAs & BIPs

What is the TATE?

The Technical Adequacy Tool for Evaluation (or more commonly referred to as the TATE) was developed to measure the technical adequacy (quality) of completed FBAs (Functional Behavior Assessments) and BIPs (Behavior Intervention Plans). It can provide scores and patterns that help identify specific FBA/BIP areas needing improvement. We wanted to take a moment to recap two TATE learning opportunities showing an increase in participant knowledge of 18 essential components: understanding of how to use the TATE: and Comfortability using the TATE!

Essential components of adequate FBA/BIPs are presented along with the rationale for including each. The training session itself is intended for educators who are responsible for implementing FBA/BIPs or who are supervising educators who implement FBA/BIPs. It was delivered via a 2-hour pre-recorded content review followed by a live virtual session where individuals:

Identified essential features for effective FBA/BIP processes
Described the purpose and use of the TATE
Applied a scoring rubric to case examples
Discussed further use of the evaluation in their individual settings.

NDMTSS offered two opportunities to engage in the TATE training (July/August 2020 and January 2021) and connected with 31 individuals from multiple districts/schools and special education units across the state. Educators ranged from special education coordinators, school psychologists, speech language pathologists, board certified behavior analysts, and special education teachers!

Increased participant knowledge of 18 essential components

Data positively showed that the training was very effective at increasing participants’ knowledge regarding the 18 essential components of technically adequate functional behavior assessments (FBAs) and behavior intervention plans (BIPs).

29% – PRIOR to the training, only 29% of participants indicated being at least “mostly understanding” of the essential components.
86% – AFTER the training this increased to 85.7%, with 28.6% having a “strong understanding.”

Increased understanding of how to use the TATE

Additionally, the training was effective at increasing educators’ understanding of how to use the TATE tool to analyze the quality of FBAs and BIPs in their practice.

14% – PRIOR to the training, only 14% of participants reported being at least “mostly understanding” of how to do this
86% – AFTER training the number increased to 86%, with 29% indicating having a “strong understanding.”

Comfortability using the TATE

When it comes to comfortability using the TATE, two-thirds of participants indicated feeling at least “mostly comfortable” after the training, with no participants indicating not feeling comfortable at all.

Additional participant feedback showed:

100% of participants reported that the content provided was “very valuable” (80.0%) or “valuable” to them in their position/role.
A vast majority of participants (85.0%) reported at least “moderate” increases in their knowledge and skills as a result of the training.
95.0% indicated that they would be able to apply what they learned to a moderate extent or more, with 40% indicating to a “great extent.”
95.0% of participants reported that what they learned would have at least a “moderate” impact on those they serve, with half indicating it would have a “substantial” impact on them.