Choosing the Right Supervisor: Why School-Based Experience Matters

Sara Jones, MS, BCBA, LBS — 3 minute read
The BCBA exam is notably a hard exam to pass, but before one can even contemplate sitting for it, there’s another daunting task: Supervised Fieldwork. Many ABA programs leave you to find your own supervisor to fulfill the requirements of fieldwork, and it is important to find the right supervision fit. Your supervision experience will help shape the kind of BCBA you become. Likewise, the quality of your supervisor will have a long-lasting impact on your clinical skills, ethical decision-making, and confidence as a future behavior analyst. But for individuals interested in working in a school setting, finding the right supervisor can often be especially challenging.
When looking for personal supervision, it is important to consider not only whether a supervisor is qualified but also whether they have the experience and knowledge to prepare you for the specific environment in which you hope to work. A supervisor may be an excellent BCBA, but still may not be the best fit if their experience is limited to clinic or home-based services.
When looking for personal supervision, it is important to consider not only whether a supervisor is qualified but also whether they have the experience and knowledge to prepare you for the specific environment in which you hope to work.
Sara Jones, MS, BCBA, LBS 
Compared with the number of BCBAs working in clinics or home-based settings, there are fewer positions available for a school-based BCBA. It can be difficult to find someone who truly has the experience and knowledge needed to work effectively within a school setting. Many people believe that because they once attended school themselves, they understand how schools operate - this is a gross underestimation of what the public school system, especially special education, is and does. Special education is a complex system with its own laws, procedures, terminology, and expectations. School-based BCBAs often work within special education departments and must understand federal laws, IEP development, behavior intervention plans, collaboration with multidisciplinary teams, and educational decision-making. Unless someone has worked extensively within schools and special education programs, it can be very difficult to understand all of the nuances involved. A quality school-based BCBA will have experience with IEP teams, conducting assessments within school timelines, and collaborating with teachers and administrators. 
Quality supervision provides mentorship, guidance, constructive feedback, and real-world knowledge that helps prepare future BCBAs for success, and should challenge you to grow professionally while also providing support throughout the learning process. 
Sara Jones, MS, BCBA, LBS 
One of the main reasons it is important to find a supervisor with school-based experience is that the role of a BCBA in a school setting is vastly different from that in other settings. School-based BCBAs are often responsible for conducting functional behavior assessments (FBAs), developing behavior intervention plans (BIPs), collecting and analyzing behavioral data, consulting with teachers, and training school staff on behavior management strategies. Often, there are specific timelines for assessments and plans to be completed that they must keep in mind, along with their daily responsibilities, and that’s not even including any significant behavioral events that occur during the day. They must also balance the needs of individual students while considering classroom expectations, district policies, and educational goals. In many cases, BCBAs collaborate simultaneously with teachers, school psychologists, speech therapists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, administrators, and families.

A supervisor who understands all of these responsibilities can provide guidance relevant to the realities of working in schools, rather than relying solely on examples from clinic-based settings. Quality supervision can provide opportunities to gain experience in these areas, including reviewing assessments and behavior plans, discussing ethical situations, conveying behavior data to team members, and learning how to communicate recommendations to educational teams.

Ultimately, finding a quality BCBA supervisor requires thoughtful consideration. While supervision hours are required for certification, the goal should be much more than simply accumulating hours. Quality supervision provides mentorship, guidance, constructive feedback, and real-world knowledge that helps prepare future BCBAs for success, and should challenge you to grow professionally while also providing support throughout the learning process. For those interested in working in schools, finding supervisors who understand the unique challenges and rewards of educational settings can make a significant difference in both the supervision experience and future professional practice. A supervisor with school-based experience can help bridge the gap between the theory of behavior analysis and the practical realities of working within an educational system, making them an invaluable resource for future school-based BCBAs. Taking the time to find a supervisor who understands schools, special education, and interdisciplinary collaboration can ultimately make the fieldwork experience more meaningful and better prepare future BCBAs for success in educational settings.

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Whether you’re a current school-based BCBA with an extra hour or two to spare every week or a current educator aspiring to become a behavior analyst — we’d love to connect with you!
written by

Sara Jones

Sara Jones, M.S., BCBA, LBS, is a Special Education Liaison and Board Certified Behavior Analyst with over 10 years of experience providing behavior-analytic services in both public and private school settings. She holds a Master of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis and a Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience. Sara's professional interests include school-based ABA, support-focused practices, and supporting students through collaborative, data-informed interventions. In her current role within a public school district, she works closely with educators, families, and multidisciplinary teams to promote meaningful outcomes for students. Sara is passionate about BCBA supervision and enjoys mentoring future behavior analysts as they develop their professional skills and clinical expertise.


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