Brief Intervention Group Support (BIGS): A Tier 2 Intervention for Students with Social-Emotional and Behavioral (SEB) Concerns Research Project

This project is a collaboration between the NIU School Psychology program and The Pennsylvania State University, funded by the Institute of Education Sciences.

The purpose of this project is to conduct a pilot study to test the potential efficacy of Brief Intervention Group Support (BIGS), a broad Tier 2 intervention for students with elevated social, emotional and behavioral (SEB) concerns. Within a multi-tiered system of support framework, Tier 2 interventions are provided to at-risk students who need additional intervention, beyond Tier 1 instruction. However, many such interventions are for specific student challenges, which is not an efficient model when problems are complex and schools have limited resources. BIGS was developed as a feasible and efficient way to address a wider range of student SEB needs.

Although BIGS received initial positive feedback from stakeholders, its promise for improving student outcomes has not been tested. As such, this project aims to:

• Evaluate the promise of the fully developed BIGS intervention for improving the social, emotional, behavioral and academic outcomes of students at risk for disabilities.
• Examine key aspects of BIGS implementation including feasibility, social validity, fidelity and costs.

Implemented in collaboration with The Pennsylvania State University, the pilot study of BIGS is being conducted in a local school district and has recently expanded to a new out-of-state school district as well.

What is BIGS?

BIGS is a 12-lesson program designed to teach healthy life skills and routines for stress reduction, social support and goal setting through practice and generalization. BIGS is intended for grades 4-12. Lessons are run by a facilitator, usually a school social worker or school psychologist, with a suggested group size of 4-6 students. BIGS is part of the Social Skills Improvement System, Social Emotional Health and Classwide Intervention Program (SSIS SEH CIP) family.

What is Social-emotional Learning?

Social-emotional learning (SEL) involves five skill domains integrated into children’s learning, home and community environments.

Self-awareness

The ability to understand one’s own emotions, thoughts and values and how they influence behavior.

Self-management

The ability to manage one’s own emotions, thoughts and behaviors effectively in different situations.

Responsible decision making

The ability to make caring and constructive choices about personal behavior and social interactions.

Relationship skills

The ability to establish and maintain healthy and supportive relationships and to effectively navigate diverse settings.

Social awareness

The ability to understand the perspectives of and empathize with others, including those from diverse backgrounds, cultures and contexts.

Source material

Funding Source

Our funding source is the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) for 2023 through 2025. IES is the nation’s leading source for education research and evaluation. The IES award number is R324A230183. More information can be found on the Institute of Educational Sciences website.

Related Links

• SSIS CoLab website
• Penn State project site