Positive Behavioral Interventions And Supports Research Articles

Educators’ Perceptions on the Involvement of Students With Complex Support Needs in PBIS: The Role of Educational Placement

Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is an evidence-based practice that promotes positive academic and behavioral outcomes for all students and is intended to support the needs of all students across three tiers of support. However, research suggests students with complex support needs have limited access to Tier 1 PBIS. Teachers’ perceptions of the appropriateness of PBIS to meet the needs of students with complex support needs has been hypothesized to impact the extent to which educators provide access to Tier 1. Using data from a national survey of 644 educators, we sought to determine the extent to which educational placement of students with complex support needs impacted teacher perception of the importance of providing Tier 1 PBIS. Our results suggest educators across placements agree students with complex support needs should be involved in PBIS, including acknowledgment systems and response and data plans. Educators differed in their ideas of how to teach school-wide rules and expectations and how to document behavioral violations. We discuss implications of these findings for research and practice.

School Teams’ Reported Implementation of Family–School Partnerships in PBIS: Current Practices and Opportunities for Growth

Despite the potential benefits of integrating family–school partnerships into school-wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), many barriers persist that limit a school’s ability to engage in meaningful family–school partnerships. These barriers to implementation suggest the importance of understanding the extent to which school teams can overcome these obstacles and promote family–school partnerships in PBIS. The present study adds to the literature by evaluating school teams’ reported implementation of different recommended practices in family–school partnerships in PBIS. Specifically, school teams in the U.S. state of Massachusetts (N = 79) participating in a 3-year PBIS implementation training program completed a survey (65% response rate) where they reported the extent to which they were implementing family–school partnership practices in PBIS across a variety of domains. Findings suggest relative strengths (i.e., communication, resources) and opportunities for growth (i.e., shared decision-making) in schools’ implementation of family–school partnership strategies in PBIS. We also found school characteristics related to increased enrollment and greater racial diversity of the student body posed additional challenges for school staff in ensuring high fidelity implementation of family–school partnership strategies in PBIS. We end with suggestions for researchers and practitioners to boost implementation of key features of family–school partnerships in PBIS via equitable and culturally responsive implementation strategies.

Advocating for Disciplinary Reform Through a Systematic Review of School Discipline Laws and State Guidance Across the United States

We conducted a systematic documentary content analysis of state laws and state education agency (SEA) disciplinary guidance from all 50 states in the United States. We focused on zero tolerance policies, mandates for review of disproportionality in discipline data, the utilization of school resource officers in discipline, corporal punishment, and prevention. Knowledge of practices throughout the United States is critical for school psychologists to advocate for socially just disciplinary practices and reform. Most state laws require zero tolerance practices for weapons and drug related offenses, yet very few mandate zero tolerance for minor offenses such as insubordination or disrespect. Only nine states require SEAs to review data for disproportionality or require school districts to remedy disproportionality when it is present. Eleven states allow for school resource officers to be involved in discipline outside of high-level safety concerns. Additionally, 23 states still allow corporal punishment in schools. Many states offer guidance to districts on the implementation of multitiered systems of support (MTSS), positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS), restorative practices, progressive discipline, and classroom-based interventions. Implications for school psychologists advocating for disciplinary reform at the local, state, and national level will be discussed. Impact Statement The researchers conducted a systematic national content analysis of school discipline laws and SEA guidance documents. We hope that the findings about school disciplinary laws and SEA guidance in each state will assist school psychologists in targeting their advocacy and reform efforts for more equitable and proactive disciplinary practices at the local, state, and national level.

A Systematic Review of the Evaluation of Social Validity in Experimental Examinations of Tier 2 Schoolwide Positive Behavior Interventions

Positive behavior interventions and supports (PBIS) is a three-tiered framework shown to improve student behavioral outcomes. There has been considerable investment in scaling up Tier 1 PBIS but less focus on scaling Tier 2 supports. Having greater insight into teachers,’ students,’ and families’ perceptions regarding the social validity of Tier 2 interventions may further facilitate the scale-up of this more resource-intensive level of the multitiered model. The primary objective of this systematic literature review was to evaluate the social validity of Tier 2 interventions in 48 experimental studies, 65% of which systematically assessed social validity. Almost all studies reporting social validity data surveyed student participants and teachers (94%). Results indicated teachers and students primarily reported positive perceptions regarding Tier 2 interventions, although some teachers expressed concerns with effectiveness of the outcomes. Findings provide insights that can help promote the scale-up and broader dissemination of Tier 2 supports.

Self-Assessment Survey: Evaluation of a Revised Measure Assessing Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Self-Assessment Survey (SAS) 4.0, an updated measure assessing implementation fidelity of positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS). A total of 627 school personnel from 33 schools in six U.S. states completed the SAS 4.0 during the 2021–2022 school year. We evaluated data demonstrating the measure’s reliability (internal consistency, interrater reliability between PBIS team and non-team members), internal structure, and convergent validity for assessing implementation of Tier 1, 2, and 3 systems. We found strong internal consistency (overall and across subscales) and evidence regarding the internal structure as a four-factor measure. In addition, we found the SAS 4.0 (overall score and subscales) to be statistically significantly correlated with another widely used and empirically evaluated PBIS fidelity measure, the Tiered Fidelity Inventory (TFI). We found a statistically significant correlation between the SAS 4.0 and the SAS 3.0 for the Schoolwide Systems subscale but not other subscales. We discuss limitations given the current sample and describe implications for how PBIS teams can use the measure for school improvement and decision making.

Welcome to the Destruction of Special Education in the Name of Ideology

ABSTRACT Special education stands at a pivotal juncture, confronting both existential challenges and transformational opportunities. The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) is not upholding its mandate of promoting the Individualized Education Program (IEP). I underscore the centrality of the IEP in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and argue that the continuum of alternative placements (CAP) is essential for delivering individualized, intensive instruction that may not always be feasible in general education settings. The emergence of Disability Critical Race Theory (DisCrit) has added to the vulnerability of special education as a discipline. Special education is built on a long tradition of scientific research, and the unbridled assault by some DisCrit devotees on special education practices supported by research, such as positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) risks denying students the benefit of effective treatments. Ultimately, advocates for students with disabilities must support IDEA and its core components.

Revisiting the Percentage of K-12 Students in Need of Preventive Interventions in Schools in a "Peri-COVID" Era: Implications for the Implementation of Tiered Programming.

As the public health framework has been implemented in schools through multi-tiered systems of support, as in Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), a prominent interpretation has been that 80% of students will benefit from universal or Tier 1 schoolwide behavior support, around 15% will require added selective or Tier 2 targeted support, and 5% will require the more intensive selective or Tier 3 intervention. The PBIS framework also emphasizes the use of tiered logic, with strengthened efforts at the universal and selective levels when student behavioral or mental health needs exceed expected levels. The prediction that 5% of students will require indicated support was based mostly on students at risk for discipline encounters (i.e., office discipline referral data) and, more recently, systematic screening data, but this percentage remains an interpretation of the public health framework. Further, epidemiologic data over the past decade show that rates of childhood mental health disorders have risen and are even higher now as schools struggle to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic-much higher than 15% and 5% for selective and indicated levels. Thus, we believe it is time to revisit projections of the number of students in need of Tier 2 and Tier 3 support. In this position paper, we review the evidence for escalating youth mental health needs and discuss the implications for the tiered prevention framework in schools. We describe strategies to expand the availability of preventive intervention supports beyond Tier 1 efforts and conclude with recommendations for practice, policy, and research in this peri-COVID recovery era.

Finding Common Ground: Using Focus Groups to Define Values Among Prisoners and Staff

Positive effects of Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports (PBIS) frameworks have been reported in juvenile justice facilities but have not yet been extended to adult prisons. As part of initial PBIS development in a large prison in the United Kingdom, this study utilized focus groups to investigate the valued outcomes considered most important to prison officers and prisoners. We found that although prisoners and staff largely shared the same values, there were meaningful differences in their relative priorities, reflecting the disparate roles that each play in the functioning of the prison. Focus groups also revealed possible contextual barriers to PBIS implementation in this setting. We conclude that input from both parties is essential in designing values-based support strategies that are aligned across key stakeholders. We discuss how focus groups might inform PBIS intervention planning and how our findings point to specific research gaps in applying PBIS in adult prisons.

Trauma-Informed PBIS: How Educators Can Combine Evidence-Based Practices for Behavior Management With Trauma-Informed Care

Overwhelming events such as neglect, abuse, and violence impact students in a number of ways. Typically, students who have experienced trauma demonstrate significant deficits in skills that promote emotional and behavioral regulation. When these deficits are displayed in the classroom, learning can be significantly disrupted for the survivor and also for his or her peers. Research shows that using evidence-based practices (EBPs) for managing challenging classroom behavior is the most efficient approach to improving outcomes for students. Positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) is a well-researched, multi-tiered framework for behavioral support that has been used in many districts throughout the United States for over 30 years. Many EBPs for classroom behavior management fit well within the framework of PBIS, allowing educators to systematically implement the strategies and use the data they collect for decision-making. This article outlines specific EBPs that fit within the PBIS multi-tiered model and highlights how these examples of sound classroom and behavior management are a cornerstone of a trauma-informed classroom.

28.1 Increasing Access to Mental and Behavioral Health Supports in Schools Through Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS)

28.1 Increasing Access to Mental and Behavioral Health Supports in Schools Through Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS)

28.4 Improved Fidelity of Evidence-Based Practices Utilizing a Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) Framework for Individuals With ASD

28.4 Improved Fidelity of Evidence-Based Practices Utilizing a Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) Framework for Individuals With ASD

Unsnarling PBIS and Trauma-Informed Education

We posit that Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) serves as a way to label, punish, and surveil students, which is antithetical to trauma-informed education. We put existing critiques of PBIS in conversation with literature on trauma-informed education, critical analyses rooted in social justice and draw on our experiences as educators. Grounded in a human-centered pedagogical orientation, we propose that educators advocate against the use of PBIS in their schools and instead focus their efforts on culturally sustaining pedagogies, systemic trauma-informed practices, and affirming practices based on asset views of students and communities.

Components of a Successful Classroom: A Factor Analysis for Initial Validation of a Measure Assessing Tier 1 Classroom Management

The literature has identified the use of data-based, problem-solving as an essential element in the promotion of positive behavior interventions and supports (PBIS) within the classroom. The Components of a Successful Classroom (CSC) tool is an instrument which has undergone initial validation to support its use for measuring critical features of Tier 1. This study provides initial support for the validation of this classroom management observation tool as part of a problem-solving consultation framework by examining the extent to which items on the CSC tool sample the constructs of interest in classroom management. Behavioral consultants utilized the tool to evaluate Tier 1 behavior management strategies implemented by teachers in the classroom. An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted to determine factor structure of the classroom management observation tool. Findings of the EFA supported a unidimensional construct best measured with three factors (i.e., preventive supports, feedback provision and engagement, and expectations and consequences). Currently, this tool may be useful to practitioners by guiding general education consultation after identifying main concerns in teacher’s implementation of Tier 1 supports and supporting implementation of PBIS practices in the classroom.

Character Education in Primary Schools and the New Implementation Education Method of Positive Behavioural Interventions and Supports (PBIS) in the Czech Republic

Character Education in Primary Schools and the New Implementation Education Method of Positive Behavioural Interventions and Supports (PBIS) in the Czech Republic

Including students with autism within the PBIS framework: Recommendations for research and research-informed practice

There is increased focus on narrowing the research-to-practice gap in education for students with autism. Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is an evidence-based and widely implemented framework designed to improve outcomes for all students; however, relatively little attention has focused specifically on using the PBIS framework to guide intervention and assessment for autistic students. This commentary’s purpose is to describe the utility of PBIS as a viable school-based model for the use of evidence-based practice (EBP) in autism. We aim to demonstrate how EBP for students with autism may be integrated within the PBIS framework, discuss critical concerns for students with autism within this model, and provide suggestions for future research and practice on improving educators’ capacity to implement EBP for this student population.

Translating School Faculty Experiences Using PBIS into Recommendations for Practice.

Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is a behaviorally based framework that seeks to improve student outcomes in schools. This framework is implemented at differing levels of intensity within a school based on students' unique needs. Special education teachers and school psychologists are integral pieces of PBIS implementation. Within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, these service providers may face unique challenges in implementing PBIS principles in schools, particularly due to new or adapted role demands and increased feelings of burnout. The current study examined special education teachers' and school psychologists' perceptions of their schools' practices related to PBIS in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic within five dimensions of understanding and school-based support, as well as overall satisfaction with PBIS in their school. Opportunities for professional development and the presence of PBIS teams emerged as major contributors to faculty satisfaction; however, only about half of participants indicated access to these resources. Special education teachers indicated higher levels of satisfaction with their administrative support and school communication practices when compared to school psychologists. Best practices and reflections from interview participants are discussed.

Effects of the universal positive behavioral interventions and supports on collective teacher efficacy

AbstractThere is a rich literature about the benefits of the Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) for schools. However, evidence on teacher‐related outcomes is relatively limited. The current study examines the effect of the PBIS Tier 1 implementation on collective teacher efficacy (CTE). Participants were 530 teachers from 60 primary schools in Cyprus and Greece, who completed the Collective Teacher Efficacy Belief Scale (CTEBS) before and after a 1‐year PBIS implementation. The Greek language version of the instrument was tested and validated. Results were in line with the original two‐dimensional structure of instructional strategies and behavioral management, with adequate internal consistency (ω = 0.89 and ω = 0.87, respectively). Multilevel analyses showed that premeasurement and Tier 1 implementation fidelity along with selected teachers’ demographic characteristics accounted for a considerable amount of variance of CTE's both dimensions (30.84% and 25.43% for instructional strategies and behavioral management, respectively). The results suggest that PBIS Tier 1 training and subsequent implementation contributes to teachers’ collective belief that they can provide quality teaching opportunities and manage unexpected behaviors as a team. Schools are encouraged to consider the application of whole‐school approaches for improvement and actively engage all school staff in their efforts. Implications for practice and further research are discussed.

Classified Staff and the Implementation of Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports: A Case Study

Guided by normalization process theory, our qualitative case study explored classified staff members’ perceptions of their role in the implementation of School-Wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports in schools within a large urban US school district. Analysis reveals that classified staff members’ gleaned knowledge of positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) and their role in implementation haphazardly through the trickle-down of secondhand, informal information from certified staff (administrators and teachers). This practice limited staff members’ understanding of roles, tasks, and responsibilities in implementation (individual specification) and the shared understanding of PBIS (communal specification). To the extent that classified staff members were internalizing PBIS practices (e.g., positive reinforcement for meeting behavior expectations), informants described their use as commonsensical but not due to any formal training opportunities provided to them. District and school leaders triangulated this finding, describing classified staff members as integral to PBIS implementation but providing no explicit, purposeful, and consistent plans to include them. In terms of policy and practice implications, we recommend that schools and districts implementing PBIS or any other school- or district-wide initiative be inclusive and strategic, involving classified staff in their exploration of possible initiatives, decision-making, planning, training, and evaluation. Educational leaders who opt to exclude classified staff members formally in their districts and schools’ collective efforts to implement school-wide initiatives do not fully leverage valuable human resources.

Adaptation of Universal Behavioral Supports Within an Alternative Education Setting

Alternative education (AE) settings support students with significant social–emotional and behavioral needs. Such settings often implement individualized programming; however, this presents challenges with staffing resources and training. Application of systems to address behavior on a schoolwide level could simplify training, increase staffing flexibility, and decrease use of crisis response procedures. This 2-year, descriptive case study provides an implementation example of universal behavioral supports based on a Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) framework within an AE setting. Over the course of the study, a reduction in staff use of restraint and seclusion procedures was observed. Additionally, staff perceived the framework favorably. Implementation steps are described, along with differentiation of the framework to meet the needs of a heterogeneous student population within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

긍정적 행동중재와 지원(PBIS)의 2단계 지원이 발달장애 중학생의 사회적 기술에 미치는 효과

연구목적: 본 연구는 긍정적 행동중재와 지원(positive behavior interventions and supports, PBIS)의 2단계 지원이 발달장애 중학생의 사회적 기술에 미치는 효과를 살펴보기 위해 수행되었다. 연구방법: 지적장애 학생 1명과 자폐스펙트럼장애 학생 1명이 참여하였다. 사회적 기술은 질문하기, 요구하기, 칭찬하기로 설정하였으며, PBIS 2단계 지원은 위험군 학생 선별, PBIS 팀 구성, 교사 전문성 향상, 학급 규칙 지도, 사회성 기술 교수, 토큰 경제로 구성된 다요소전략이었다. 상황 간 중다간헐기초선설계를 사용하여 실험하였으며, 자료는 영상을 관찰한 뒤 사회적 행동 발생률을 측정하는 방식과 사회적 기술 평정 척도(SSRS)를 사용하여 사회적 기술 점수를 평가하는 방식으로 수집되었다. 연구결과: PBIS의 2단계 지원은 발달장애 중학생의 사회적 기술에 일부 효과가 있었다. 결론: 본 연구의 시사점과 제한점을 고려하여 특수교육 현장에서 PBIS의 2단계 지원을 더욱 확대해 간다면 개별화된 3단계 지원이 필요한 학생 수를 감소시킬 수 있을 것이다.