The recruitment and retention of Board Certified Behavior Analysts in public schools represents a critical workforce challenge with direct implications for student outcomes. As school divisions increasingly recognize the value of behavior analytic expertise in supporting students with behavioral needs, the demand for school-based BCBAs has grown substantially.
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Join Free →The Virginia Public Schools Behavior Analyst Network (VAPSBAN) is a statewide network that supports Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) in public schools. One of the initiatives of VAPSBAN has been to provide outreach support to strengthen the quality recruitment efforts for candidates and credentialed Behavior Analysts working in public schools. To help support BCBAs that are new to working in public schools, VAPSBAN created readily available onboarding supports. Many BCBAs are leaving public school divisions despite school division efforts to recruit and retain these professionals. Per the Behavior Analysis Certification Board (BACB), demand for BCBAs in Virginia has increased by 33% from 2020-2021 (US Employment Demand for Behavior Analysis). Public schools in Virginia compete with the private sector for these positions. Many BCBAs need the opportunity for fieldwork experience in the public school setting and ongoing competency assessments upon hire that align with their position duties (Blackman, DiGennaro Reed, Erath, & Henley,2022). Therefore, once they enter the public school workforce, they often need training in the nuances of this setting, as implementation integrity can decrease in the natural environment despite formal training (Blackman et al., 2022). Making sure we onboard BCBAs to the public school setting takes the necessary steps to help retain them in these positions. BCBAs have an ethical responsibility to practice within a defined role and scope of competency. They must also maintain competency and provide effective treatment by collaborating with others. VAPSBAN's onboarding support focuses on understanding the BCBA's role in public schools and collaborating with school division teams. The VAPSBAN Outreach subcommittee developed a video series to combat some of the barriers that school divisions face in retaining BCBAs and supporting recruitment efforts. The committee is in the early stages of launching this initiative and plans to develop behavioral skills training resources for the mentors supporting those early-career BCBAs in their school-based positions.
| Certification Body | Credits | Type |
|---|---|---|
| BACB® | 1 | Ethics |
Selena J. Layden, Ph.D., BCBA-D, LBA is an Associate Professor in the Department of Human Movement Studies and Special Education at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, VA. Dr. Layden also serves as the Executive Director for the Virginia Public Schools Behavior Analyst Network (VAPSBAN) and the Cooperative for Effective Behavior Intervention and Supports (CEBIS). Dr. Layden earned her doctorate degree from the College of William & Mary in Education Policy, Planning, and Leadership with an emphasis in Special Education Administration and her master’s degree in Applied Behavior Analysis from St. Cloud State University in Minnesota. Prior to joining the faculty at ODU, Dr. Layden worked in multiple school divisions focusing on challenging behavior and children with autism spectrum disorder. She was also the Assistant Director of Training at the Autism Center for Excellence at Virginia Commonwealth University. Dr. Layden has published and presented on her research interests which focus on school-based behavior analysts, autism spectrum disorder, providing effective professional development for school personnel, and improving the implementation of evidence-based practices in schools.
Dig into the research behind this topic — plain-English summaries written for BCBAs.
280 research articles with practitioner takeaways
279 research articles with practitioner takeaways
258 research articles with practitioner takeaways
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All behavior-analytic intervention is individualized. The information on this page is for educational purposes and does not constitute clinical advice. Treatment decisions should be informed by the best available published research, individualized assessment, and obtained with the informed consent of the client or their legal guardian. Behavior analysts are responsible for practicing within the boundaries of their competence and adhering to the BACB Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts.