Exploring Views and Professional Learning Needs of Comprehensive, Integrated, Three-Tiered (Ci3T) Leadership Teams Related to Universal Behavior Screening Implementation.
Ci3T teams feel ready to screen, but they need hands-on help linking the numbers to classroom decisions.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Sutton et al. (2022) asked 165 Ci3T team members how they feel about universal behavior screening.
The survey covered how doable the task is, how clear the steps are, and what training they still need.
What they found
Teams said the screening is feasible and they understand the basics.
Their biggest wish was help mixing the screening data with other school data to pick the right supports.
How this fits with other research
Jackson et al. (2025) looked at general-ed teachers who work with autistic students. They found low support and poor climate for using any EBP, a darker picture than the upbeat Ci3T teams.
Pulos et al. (2024) also surveyed teachers and saw the same gap: staff like the idea of evidence tools but feel under-trained.
Vivanti et al. (2025) zoom out and say even perfect screening tools sit on the shelf without policy fixes. Together the four papers show staff confidence is only step one; real use needs training plus system backing.
Why it matters
You can feel good that school teams buy in to universal screening, but don’t stop at the green-light survey. Ask what happens next: do they have time, coaching, and a clear rule for turning numbers into action? Schedule a mini-workshop that walks the team through one real data set and ends with a written decision rule. That single hour turns friendly attitudes into actual practice.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Research conducted to date has highlighted barriers to initial adoption of universal behavior screening in schools. However, little is known regarding the experiences of those implementing these procedures and there have been no studies conducted examining the experiences of educators in different stages of implementing various tiered systems of supports. Universal screening is foundational to a successful Comprehensive, Integrated Three-Tiered (Ci3T) model of prevention-an integrated tiered system addressing academics, behavior, and social and emotional well-being. Therefore, the perspectives of Ci3T Leadership Team members at different stages of Ci3T implementation were solicited through an online survey that sought to understand (1) current school-based screening practices and (2) individual beliefs regarding those practices. A total of 165 Ci3T Leadership Team members representing five school districts from three geographic regions across the United States, all of whom were participating in an Institute of Education Sciences Network grant examining integrated tiered systems, reported the screening procedures were generally well-understood and feasible to implement. At the same time, results highlighted continuing professional learning may be beneficial in the areas of: (1) integrating multiple sources of data (e.g., screening data with other data collected as regular school practices) and (2) using those multiple data sources to determine next steps for intervention. We discuss educational implications, limitations, and directions for future inquiry.
Education & treatment of children, 2022 · doi:10.1080/09362830903235375