The District-Wide Value of BCBA Supervisees within the Public School System

Erica Conklin, MA, BCBA — 3 minute read
Throughout the last decade of working in the realm of behavior analysis within the public education framework, I’ve been fortunate to watch our behavior support structure within my district grow from a team of one BCBA to a framework of twelve (and growing!) amazing practitioners, including BCBAs, BCaBAs, and behavior technicians. 

Often, when discussing our behavior team’s growth, I get asked: “How did you get the buy-in from your district to support this expansion [which includes an increase in the number of employees we provide BCBA supervision to]?” Of course, a big part of my answer is that our growth is largely due to our fantastic leadership within our administration! While luck was on our side there, we also made some very intentional decisions along the way that facilitated buy-in to grow the number of BCBA practicum students on our team.

Decision #1: Go Slow To Go Fast 

Our team didn’t grow from one member to twelve overnight! We grew methodically and with intention over a period of ten years. When we think of intentional growth, we worked to ensure that, while we had to be responsive to the ever-growing need for behavioral support within the district, we weren’t just adding “another set of hands” into the bustling world of behavior referrals. We wanted to ensure that we had the right people, with the right skill set, to best support our students and staff. 

Time and again, one of the strongest factors in ensuring the right skill set was often adding behavior technicians to our team who were also BCBA practicum students. This brings about the additional need for BCBA supervision. To champion this, we asked ourselves, “What value does a BCBA Practicum student in the role of behavior technician or specialist add to the district as a whole?” That answer was easy: They bring a passion rooted in science and a willingness to expand their thinking, which aids district-wide behavior change throughout the district!  
When we think of intentional growth, we worked to ensure that, while we had to be responsive to the ever-growing need for behavioral support within the district, we weren’t just adding “another set of hands” into the bustling world of behavior referrals. We wanted to ensure that we had the right people, with the right skill set, to best support our students and staff. 
Erica Conklin, MA, BCBA

Decision #2: Data Or It Didn’t Happen

After setting the stage for intentional growth within our team that values the skill set of BCBA Practicum students, how did we get buy-in from those who make decisions? We started with data. 

Administrators must look at decisions from that “10,000-foot view.” While a success story of one student may tug at the heartstrings, it doesn’t show the “big picture” change. Data does. When looking to gain support to grow our team, data was the key.  

Data that I have found compelling includes: 

  • The number of behavior support referrals from year to year 
  • Growth in our special education numbers- specifically the students who have been served in program settings 
  • An increase in referrals for general education behavior support 
  • Data on behavioral structures in neighboring schools 
  • Okay, so some tugging on the heartstrings is helpful… including anecdotal data, such as impact statements from teachers, parents, and administrators on the effect our team had on their building, classroom, or student, which helps support the need for the structure's growth. 

Administrators must look at decisions from that “10,000-foot view.” While a success story of one student may tug at the heartstrings, it doesn’t show the “big picture” change. Data does. 
Erica Conklin, MA, BCBA

Decision #3: Collaboration


  • Meetings, workgroups, and input from our administrators, teachers, and BCBA’s  
  • When your voice is heard and your input valued, you are more open to change. It’s as simple as that! 

The bottom line is that when we offer quality school-based supervision as part of our behavior technician role, we get technicians who are able to make a substantial difference in our schools on a daily basis. The use of data and collaboration over time to demonstrate the effectiveness of growing our behavior framework in the manner described above has led to broad, organization-wide change and value across the district. 
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Erica Conklin

Erica Conklin is an educator, administrator, and school-based BCBA specializing in Practical Functional Assessment, Skill-Based Treatment, and effective inclusion practices in general education settings. She has been a resource teacher, self-contained teacher, autism teacher, professional learning developer and presenter, district behavior support coordinator, and supervisor of behavioral capacity building in the education sector. Outside of her professional work, she enjoys reading, interior design, and gardening, and is a mom to two tweens who enjoy baseball, dance, and orchestra. Erica is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst with her Bachelor of Arts in Special Education - Learning Disabilities, Master of Arts in Special Education - Autism, Certificate in Applied Behavior Analysis, and is a Level 6 Certified Trainer in Practical Functional Analysis and Skill-Based Treatment.

EDITED BY Heather Volchko

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