Eligibility & Participation

Q: Who is eligible for this professional development opportunity?

A: HIDOE staff working with students who are eligible for special education services and currently receive—or are being evaluated for—ABA services due to significant challenging behavior. Contracted providers can participate as collaborators but must purchase CEUs independently.

Q: Can charter schools participate?

A: Yes, charter school SPED teams are welcome to join.

Q: Will non-classroom teachers (e.g., BATs, district teachers) be able to participate?

A: Yes. If you play an active role in implementation or support (e.g., data collection, materials) and meet portfolio requirements, you are eligible for credit. The same student can be used in multiple portfolios as long as reflections are role-specific and all training activities are completed.

Q: Does the team need a teacher?

A: Ideally, yes. A teacher may not need to participate in initial implementation, but will need to support generalization of skills to the classroom. Teacher involvement is key to long-term success. 

Q: Can RBTs, PPTs, or contracted LBAs participate?

A: Yes. RBTs or support staff are encouraged to participate. Contracted LBAs are welcome as collaborators but will need to purchase their own CEUs and will not submit portfolios.

Q: Can triads (e.g., BA, teacher, and BT) participate instead of a dyad?

A: Yes, if roles are clearly defined and implementation is consistent. Credentialing may be awarded to multiple team members depending on participation level.

Enrollment Process

Q: How do I sign up?

A:

1. Watch the Info Session. 

2. Connect with your team and schedule a meeting with us if you think your student is a good fit. 

3. Follow your district and school protocols for connecting with district support staff, and schedule a consult with us if you are unsure how to proceed.  

4. Complete the site readiness assessment as a team, we highly encourage scheduling consultation with our team before completing it to ensure everyone undestands what is involved. 

Remember completing a form does not guarantee selection. 

Q: What if multiple students from one school are being considered?

A: Submit a separate CARE Considerations Checklist (Ecological Assessment) for each student. Administrator support must be verified for each team.

Q: I’m having trouble accessing the form.

A: Ensure you’re logged into your HIDOE Google account (@k12.hi.us). The form is set to allow responses from HIDOE users with the link. You may also request responder access if you do not have a @k12.hi.us account (e.g., charter schools).

Q: What’s the deadline to complete the Ecological Assessment?

A: We will continue forming new teams on a rolling basis over the next two school years. The 9-credit course sequence for this school year falls along a three-quarter timeline. Initial enrollment is complete, but we will continue accepting teams and extending deadlines for teams who enter during the second quarter of school year 25-26. We will also be offering the course sequence again next school year, and may consider further staggered enrollment as space allows. If you need help, schedule a meeting using the link on the website.

Q: What if I’m continuing with a student from last year’s pilot?

A: We’ll connect with you individually. For new students, complete one form per student.

Credits, CEUs, and Training Format

Q: What credits are available?

A: Up to 9 teacher reclassification credits (in three 3-credit segments) and up to 30 BACB CEUs. If eligible, you may receive both.

Q: Do I have to complete all 9 credits?

A: No. Each 3-credit section has its own requirements. You can earn 3 or 6 credits if unable to complete the full sequence. Each course is a prerequisite for the next.

Q: If I’ve completed Level 1 training already, do I need to redo it?

A: Not if it’s recent. Submit your certificate as part of your portfolio. Refresher viewing is recommended before implementation.

Time & Attendance

Q: What is the schedule like?

A:

• Pre-Fall Break: Zoom sessions approx. every two weeks.

• Post-Fall Break: Weekly Zooms for 12–13 weeks, then bi-weekly during generalization.

• Sessions are scheduled with your cohort based on mutual availability.

Q: Are synchronous meetings during school hours?

A: Possibly. Clusters will determine timing collaboratively.

Q: Do I need to be on Oʻahu to participate?

A: No. All trainings are available online asynchronously. Consultation meetings will be virtual and implementation activities will be embedded into the school day.

Q: What if I’m on leave for part of the course?

A: Most training is asynchronous. As long as you meet portfolio requirements, you may still earn credit.

Credentialing & Implementation

Q: What is credentialing with FTF Behavioral Consulting?

A: FTF credentials recognize training levels in PFA/SBT. Through this course, teams may earn Level 3 (support) or Level 4 (lead) credentials. With additional training, Level 5 is possible. FTF credentials are optional and separate from HIDOE credit requirements.

Q: Where can I learn more about PFA/SBT before the course?

A: Visit practicalfunctionalassessment.com or our PFA/SBT resource page linked on the CARE website.

Team Structure & Administrative Involvement

Q: Who should be on a CARE team?

A: A core team typically includes a behavior analyst, teacher, and RBT or EA. Additional members (e.g., SSCs, counselors, resource teachers) may play supportive roles.

Q: What level of administrator participation is required?

A: An administrator (or designee) must review and support the ecological assessment. They don’t need to attend meetings or directly implement, but should help allocate time and resources.

Q: What if the student is in a district or State program but maybe returning to their home school during the generalization phase?

A: Include the home school administrator in the assessment process. Their alignment will support successful generalization and transition. 

Group Assignment 

Q: How are groups determined? 

A: Group assignments are determined randomly. A pre-populated list of random assignments (36 Test/36 Control) was generated using a randomization formula. This list was frozen. Teams that complete and meet the requirements of the ecological assessment were added in order of timestamp to the pre-populated list.

Q: I was assigned to the control group. Can I still get PD credits and complete the training? 

A: Yes. We have streamlined the waiting period so that both the control and treatment groups can implement the CARE program this school year. The control group will have a 12-week delay before starting SBT+PEAK/AIM relative to the treatment group. Both the control and treatment groups will receive training in universal supports and today's ABA to ensure a consistent baseline environment for both groups. This is the 3-credit foundational course. The Treatment group will move into SBT implementation (course 2) as soon as they are able to, while the control group will wait 12 weeks before starting SBT. Once the treatment group implements 12 weeks of SBT, they will start generalization and treatment extension (course 3). The control group has less upfront work for implementation, but will complete the course over a slightly longer timeline.

Q: What if I was not selected? 

A: Based on the ecological assessment, either the student you selected or other critical ecological factors suggested the process would not be a good fit. We are hoping to continue with ongoing enrollment, so you could try and complete another assessment for a different student or when circumstances that may have limited your success change.  

If based on the info session and FAQs, you believe that you play a role on a team supporting a student who may be a good fit for the intervention process, complete the CARE Considerations and Training Site Assessment Checklist. 

IMPORTANT: Complete only 1 form per potential student as a team. A site Administrator or designee must review the considerations checklist and agree to support the process. For more information about the ecological assessment and if this process is a good fit for your situation, please consult the resources below. 

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