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  4. BEST in CLASS

BEST in CLASS

Lab DetailsDr. Kevin Sutherland

Director: Dr. Kevin Sutherland
Location: Oliver Hall, 1015 W. Main St., Room 4083, Richmond, Virginia 23220
Phone: (804) 827-2652
Email: kssuther@vcu.edu, secristm@vcu.edu
Website: https://bestinclass.soe.vcu.edu/
Twitter: @BiC4Behavior 

Our lab has several ongoing research projects, with funding from the Institute of Education Sciences (IES), the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and the University of Virginia. We are investigating an indicated intervention, BEST in CLASS-Elementary, in Richmond and Florida, with our partners at the University of Florida (PI Dr. Maureen Conroy). This Tier 2 intervention targets reductions in problem behavior of young students with and at-risk for emotional/behavioral disorders (EBD) via improving teacher-student interactions and relationships. This intervention is adapted from the preschool BEST in CLASS intervention, which has been named an evidence-based program by the National Institute of Justice (learn more), as well as being officially listed in the Institute of Education Sciences' What Works Clearinghouse (learn more).

We also have ongoing studies examining the social networks of young students with and at-risk for EBD led by Dr. Kristen Granger, a former lab member who is now an Assistant Professor at Vanderbilt University. In addition we are examining teacher sustainment of implementation and factors associated with teacher fidelity of implementation (NIMH), developing a teacher report measure of universal classroom management practices (IES), conducting a meta-analysis and distillation of teacher-delivered practice element in elementary classrooms (IES), and conducting an evaluation of STREAMin3, an integrated early childhood curriculum developed at the University of Virginia. 

Students in our lab have a number of ongoing projects related to interventions in school settings. We host weekly research sharing meetings, giving students and lab members an opportunity to pitch ideas and share current research findings. Our lab is interdisciplinary and includes faculty and students from psychology, education, special education, educational psychology and social work.

BEST in CLASS mission

We value our community-engagement and work to increase the capacity of schools, and particularly teachers, to meet the academic, social, emotional and behavioral needs of traditionally underserved children.