Breadcrumb: BCBA › Target configuration

Configure a target's measurement and mastery

Change how a target is measured, how several runs in a session are scored, when it counts as mastered and whether it then moves on by itself.

Applies toBCBAOrg Owner

Each target in a plan has settings that decide how aides collect it and when it counts as mastered: the number of trials in a DTT run, the count or rate to reach, the steps of a task analysis, and how many sessions in a row the learner must meet the bar. You can change them at any time, for example to raise the threshold or add a step, and choose whether a target that meets its criteria moves to its next phase on its own.

Before you start

You do this in the web app, as a BCBA or an org owner. Aides see the settings but cannot change them.
The treatment plan must be Active.

Open the settings

You can open a target's settings from two places:

The target's details page. Open the treatment plan, go to the Goals tab and select the target's name. In the Configuration section, select Edit configuration.
The goals list. On the Goals tab, select the gear (Edit configuration) on the target's row. The settings open in a window.

Change the settings

Change the Target Name, Description or Notes if you need to. The name needs at least 3 characters. Parent Instructions shows only when the goal is assigned for home practice.
Change the settings for the target's type:
- DTT: Trials Per Run, Prompts Allowed and the Prompt Levels, the Mastery Threshold (the percentage of correct independent responses) and Consecutive Sessions.
- Frequency: the Context / Activity, the Mastery Count, the Measurement Direction (Increase or Decrease) and Sessions Required.
- Rate: the Rate unit, the Probe Duration (leave it empty for Untimed), the Measurement Direction, the rate to reach and Sessions Required.
- Latency: the Latency Threshold (seconds) and Consecutive Sessions.
- Duration: the Target Duration, the Mastery Duration and Sessions Required.
- Task analysis: the Task Steps (2 to 30), Track Prompt Levels, Mastery steps required and Consecutive sessions for mastery.
- For every type except Generic, turn on Count different days to read the sessions count as consecutive days. Every session on a day must meet the bar, so one failing session fails that day, and days without a session for the target are skipped.
- Generic targets have no measurement settings; you change their status by hand.
Under Session score, choose how several runs in one session combine into the score used for mastery and charts: Pooled (totals), Average of runs, Best run or Last run. The type default is marked, for example Type default (Pooled (totals)).
Turn Automatic State Transition on if the target should move by itself once it meets its criteria. Then pick where it goes under When mastery criteria are met, transition to: Generalization, Maintenance or Mastered. This option is not shown for Generic targets or for targets already in generalization or maintenance. New targets start with your clinic's default destination; a change here affects only this target.
Select Save Changes, or Cancel to discard your edits.

On the details page, the section shows the new settings again. From the goals list, the window closes and Target updated appears. If something is missing or out of range, the field shows what to fix and nothing is saved.

The Configuration section of a DTT target's details page in edit mode, with the DTT settings, Session score and Automatic State Transition — Editing a DTT target's settings.

Changing the rate unit

A rate target is measured Per minute or Per hour. Changing the unit empties the rate to reach, so enter it again in the new unit. Saving also clears the target's regression floor and any rates you set for a single context or for maintenance; those then follow the target's rate. Once the target has any data, from a session or from the parents, the unit is locked and the field says The rate unit cannot change once data has been collected for this target.

The edit form of a rate target with the Rate unit field locked because data has been collected — The rate unit is locked once data exists.

Counting days instead of sessions

Use Count different days when the plan states the criterion in days, for example "80% across 3 consecutive days". The count you set is then a number of days, each with every session passing:

A day is your clinic's calendar day, in the clinic's timezone. A session belongs to the day it starts.
Two passing sessions on the same day count as one day.
One failing session fails its whole day and starts the count again, even when another session that day passed.
Days without a session for the target are skipped and do not break the count.
Only completed sessions count. A submitted session waiting for review is left out until you complete it.

The goals list then shows the criteria in days, for example 80% × 3 days, and the Configuration section shows Count different days with Yes or No.

Good to know

Once a task analysis target has data from a session, you cannot save any change to it, not even its name. Saving shows an error.
You can change the description, notes and parent instructions but not empty them. An emptied field keeps its old text after saving.
The instruction an aide reads for a latency target cannot be changed here.
Settings for one generalization context or for maintenance are set separately: see Override mastery for a context or maintenance.

What happens next

The new settings apply to data collected from now on. Data already collected is not changed.
Mastery is checked each time a session with this target is completed, against the settings saved at that moment. Saving does not check it again straight away, so a lower threshold, or turning Count different days on or off, takes effect after the next completed session. A target that is already mastered never moves back.
When the criteria are met, a target with Automatic State Transition on moves to the phase you chose. With it off, the target shows Criteria Met and its details page asks you to change the status yourself.