Disciplinary and Achievement Outcomes Associated With School-Wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports Implementation Level

Abstract

A positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) framework has been associated with a variety of positive student and school outcomes. However, additional research would be useful to further understand the relationship between school-wide (i.e., Tier 1) PBIS implementation level and student outcomes. This study examined whether there were differences in discipline and academic outcomes based on Tier 1 PBIS implementation fidelity level in 153 Ohio schools when accounting for key covariates. Schools with higher implementation fidelity were found to evidence a significantly lower number of out-of-school suspensions per 100 students than schools with lower implementation fidelity when accounting for demographic covariates. However, a significant trend was not evidenced for the academic achievement outcome variable. Limitations and implications of this study are discussed.