Report to the NAU Graduate College January 2012 Graduate Certificate in Positive Behavior Support

The numbers used to answer each question below were obtained from the Graduate College website when possible or from Peoplesoft, and reflect years 2007 – 2011.

1. Enrollment history of the certificate (number enrolled each fall semester) The PBS Certificate enrolls students throughout each year allowing them to begin the program either in the fall or spring. So the numbers reported here reflect total new enrollment each year: 2007 = 16, 2008 = 21, 2009 = 26, 2010 = 38, 2011 = 39, with a total of 140.

2. Whether the certificate is meeting the enrollments projected in the original proposal. The original proposal did not forecast enrollment projections. However the enrollment history has far surpassed all expectations. When the original proposal was first submitted, there was no requirement for Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBA) services. There were only a handful of BCBA’s in the state, little interest among school districts to hire BCBA’s and no licensure of behavior analysts. All of this has changed and the demand for behavior analysts has grown dramatically.

3. Statistics on the number of certificates awarded (from the Graduate College website) 2007 = 8, 2008 = 8, 2009 = 11, 2010 = 14, 2011 = 26, for a total of 67. Many more applications for graduation arrived in the late fall of 2011, due to repeatedly contacting students who had completed courses but never filed the applications to graduate. Many arrived too late for the December 2011 deadline. So, although 67 certificates were awarded, 96 students had actually completed all certificate classes by the end of the 2011.

4. Whether the program is fulfilling goals of the certificate program as stated in the original proposal and whether any changes in the program are needed We are definitely fulfilling our goals. The original certificate proposal was based on the fact that there was a need in the field for a new level of service professional that had the training to conduct functional behavioral assessments and develop and oversee the implementation of positive behavior support plans for persons with developmental disabilities and behavior or learning challenges. At the time of the proposal, the state Division of Developmental Disabilities had just introduced a new service code called Habilitation Behavioral – Master’s (Hab-M). We designed the certificate to meet those criteria. At that time there were fewer than a dozen people in the state who met either those qualifications or the qualifications of a BCBA. Since the development of this graduate certificate program, the Hab-M service has continued to grow, insurance providers now reimburse BCBA’s for behavior analysis services for children with autism spectrum disorders, many school districts are trying to hire BCBA’s, and the state Division of Behavioral Health Services now recognizes licensed behavior analysts as qualified behavioral health professionals. The number of BCBA’s in AZ has grown to 64 (17, or 27% were trained by NAU), and the number of licensed behavior analysts is now 61 (12, or 20% were trained by NAU). So not only are we providing the training needed for specialized service providers to meet the needs of a very challenging population, but our graduates are going on to become employable professionals with relevant certifications and licenses.

5. The impact of the certificate on the department’s graduate degree program(s) The Institute for Human Development (IHD) had only started offering graduate certificates a few years before the PBS certificate program began, and the number of students was small. Due to the rapid growth of the PBS program, the number of students to approve, advise, teach and graduate, has grown dramatically. IHD is not a recognized degree-granting department, but because we filled a need in the state, and the demand for the PBS certificate has grown, we must now operate like a degree-granting department.

6. The impact of certificate on the department’s resources and any needed changes in resources Resources are tenuous and stretched very thin. The one person responsible for creating the program and courses has been funded entirely through grants since the beginning. No state or university monies pay for the time required to: develop/revise courses, secure necessary approvals, recruit/mentor part-time instructors, approve/advise students, remain current in the field, ensure the program meets state needs, and market to relevant professionals, service providers, schools, state agencies. The continual search for grant funding to pay for such professional personnel time has become more and more difficult. Furthermore, since the success of the NAU PBS certificate, both ASU and UA have developed competing programs. This has affected IHD is several ways: 1) We must continually ensure the highest quality in our courses; 2) We must remain informed of all related state and legislative actions that might affect our graduates (BCBA’s, licensed BA’s, service codes, etc), 3) We must market the PBS certificate, and 4) We must balance the work-load of part time instructors so they don’t leave NAU for ASU or UA. Both universities pay more. This program could not exist without the support of NAU’s Extended Campus (EC) that pays the part-time instructors. But all of our instructors are certified or licensed professionals with full time careers. The amount NAU pays for someone at the assistant professor level is $2190. The hours required to teach a three- credit class are far greater than the pay. Many teach for just a few semesters and then leave. We have had nine different part time instructors over the years. We currently have four.

7. Whether most certificate students enroll in the certificate alone or in addition to another NAU degree program. A total of 204 students have been accepted into the PBS certificate so far. Seventy-three (73) of the 204 (or 36%) of the students also have another NAU master’s degree program listed on their transcripts as either completed or in progress. Some of these students learn about the PBS certificate after initially enrolling in another degree program. But some come to NAU primarily for the certificate and then choose a master’s degree secondary to that. The implication is that the PBS certificate produces some enrollment in other graduate degree programs (e.g., Special Education, Human Relations, School Psychology) with numbers not reflected in this report.

8. Numbers of full-time and part-time students and their reasons for enrolling in the certificate In 2007 there were 16 part time and 0 full time students. In 2008 there were 20 part time and 1 full time students. In 2009 there were 22 part time and 4 full time students. In 2010 there were 37 part time and 1 full time students. And in 2011 there were 39 part time and 0 full time students. The primary reason to enroll in the PBS certificate is to obtain the BCBA.

9. Average length of time to earn the certificate Of all 96 students who have completed the classes, the average length of time to finish was 4½ semesters. Some students were completing another degree at the same time. But others would have completed sooner had we been able to offer more sections of each class more often. Our inability to do so relates to # 6 above.

Respectfully submitted by Daniel Davidson, Project Director