Positive Behavioral Interventions And Supports Implementation Research Articles

Developments in the Implementation of Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports in Australian Schools

Education jurisdictions across Australia have significant experience with initiating and building the implementation of positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) in schools. This column describes the nature of the Australian education system and contextualizes the way PBIS had been implemented. Future directions to enhance the scaled implementation of PBIS across Australia are also presented.

Funding PBIS Implementation Through ESSA Title IV, Part A Funds

School-wide positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) is an approach for establishing the systems needed to implement and sustain evidence-based practices to improve student outcomes. When implemented with fidelity, PBIS has been shown to reduce unwanted behaviors, reduce bullying, increase academic achievement, and improve perceptions of school safety. Because of its effectiveness, many administrators and educators at the state and local level seek multiple ways to fund PBIS implementation efforts. One potential source of federal funding includes Title IV, Part A funds from the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 (ESSA). A 2018 survey on how districts planned to use their Title IV, Part A funds found that 63% said they planned to use a portion of their allotment on making students safer. When asked how they planned to use their Title IV, Part A funds to improve student health and safety, 61% of districts reported they planned to spend them on PBIS. To assist interested State Educational Agencies (SEAs) and Local Educational Agencies (LEAs), this document provides background details on ESSA and answers common questions about its use to fund PBIS.

Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports in Secure Care Juvenile Justice Settings: Feasibility and Sustainability

The success of positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) in typical schools has led to interest in applying PBIS in alternative settings, including secure care programs for incarcerated juveniles. PBIS holds promise for positively impacting youth behavior in this context. In this discussion article, we describe unique characteristics of secure care and strategies to enhance PBIS implementation and sustainability.

Sustaining and Scaling Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports: Implementation Drivers, Outcomes, and Considerations

Positive behavior interventions and supports (PBIS) was first introduced with the reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act in 1997. In this article, we describe the 25-year history of the PBIS implementation experience, including the core features of PBIS as a multitiered framework and the process and outcomes for implementing PBIS across over 26,000 schools. We also summarize the national outcome data of PBIS implementation and conclude with a discussion of future directions and considerations, focusing on sustainability and scaling.

Developing culturally responsive social, emotional, and behavioral supports

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to illustrate an interdisciplinary system of targeted student supports, drawing from social and emotional learning (SEL), culturally responsive practices (CRP) and positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS). While these approaches are not often synthesized in research literature, innovative educators are integrating multiple theories and practices to achieve better outcomes for students. Design/methodology/approach The paper uses a descriptive, participatory case study method, including quantitative and qualitative data from a three-year period. The author was a participant in the change process, as well as an observer documenting the outcomes. The case study takes place in a Spanish/English bilingual elementary school. Findings PBIS was a strong influence in the three-year systems change process, due in part to the availability of free, research-based tools. The educators adapted PBIS practices to incorporate SEL, and CRP approaches in several instances. Quantitative data show the increase in PBIS implementation fidelity and one student’s progress with a targeted intervention. Qualitative data illustrate the creative, interdisciplinary and contextualized adaptations made by the team. Originality/value Guidance is available for educators seeking to implement SEL, CRP and/or PBIS approaches in isolation. To a lesser extent, integrated models are emerging in the literature. There is a need for more descriptive, real-world case examples of how these approaches are implemented and adapted in practice. This study provides educators with one example that can offer examples and implications for practice.

Ten Tips to Consider When Creating and Screening PBIS Films

School personnel can benefit from creating and sharing their own positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) videos. PBIS videos can (a) introduce a new initiative to faculty and students, (b) teach specific school or class expectations, (c) reinforce appropriate student and staff behavior, and (d) celebrate PBIS implementation successes. This discussion article lists and describes strategies that can be used to create and screen PBIS videos. Examples of school personnel using PBIS videos are included.

Examining the Relative Utility of PBIS Implementation Fidelity Scores in Relation to Student Outcomes

There are several widely used Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) implementation fidelity measures, including the Schoolwide Evaluation Tool (SET), but there is limited empirical investigation substantiating the association between specific fidelity cut point scores and student outcomes. This article examined different SET cut points in reference to school-level outcomes across 180 elementary, middle, and high schools participating in randomized trials of PBIS. Specifically, we examined the implementation fidelity achieved in the sample, as well as within each school level (i.e., elementary, middle, and high). Using the binary complier index, we examined the association of each of three SET cut points with behavioral and academic outcomes using t tests and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses. Although the t tests did not provide confirmation of one specific cut point, post hoc analyses suggested that the cut point may need to be tailored to school levels. There was moderate convergence between implementation on one scale (i.e., responses to behavioral violations) and academic achievement, based on ROC curve analyses for the 70% and 80% cut points. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

How Positive Behavioral Supports and Social-Emotional Curriculum Impact Student Learning

Many American students are subject to adverse effects of complex and chronic childhood trauma resulting in gaps within social-emotional competencies. This case-study research examined the impacts of one research- based proactive approach to student behaviour using Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS), Second-Step Learning Curriculum, and staff trauma-informed/ACES training in one Midwest rural Kansas Elementary School. The over-arching research question was, What are the impacts of implementing Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports (PBIS) system, in conjunction with the Second Step Social-Emotional Learning Curriculum? Three sub-questions emerged: 1) What is the impact of PBIS and SEL Curriculum on disciplinary referrals? 2) How is PBIS/SEL affecting teaching/learning? and 3) How is PBIS/SEL affecting building climate/morale? Data collection and analysis included: Skyward-in-school/out-of-school suspensions; a Likert scale staff-questionnaire on PBIS and Social-Emotional Learning Curriculum (Second Step) implementation; staff open-ended questionnaire; principal interview and researchers’ critical reflections. Analysis of ODRs data from the academic years (2015-2018) indicate a decrease of in-school/out-of-school suspensions. Data collection received a 78.6% response rate. Results confirmed 93% of staff agree or strongly agree that students understand the Trailway Ticket System (Tier 1 PBIS intervention that reinforces positive student behaviors indicated on the building matrix), while 87% of staff agree or strongly agree they understand and consistently enforce the incentive/Tier 1 system. 74% of staff reported a positive school climate, and 60% reported strong/positive teacher morale. Findings suggest more resources for optimal program implementation to continue student success.

Identifying and Examining School Approaches to Family Engagement Within Schoolwide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports

The purpose of this study was to identify and examine how schools implementing schoolwide positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) were engaging families in their Tier I PBIS systems. In addition, reported implementation of practices and the availability of resources were examined in relation to fidelity of PBIS implementation. Participants included PBIS Leadership team representatives from 302 schools across three states. Findings revealed the most common ways in which schools (a) communicated with families about their PBIS systems, (b) worked with families to support PBIS at school, (c) supported family use of PBIS at home, and (d) built partnerships to support PBIS. Finally, communicating with families about PBIS and supporting families to help their child follow school expectations were related to fidelity of PBIS implementation. Implications and future research directions are discussed.

Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports in High Schools: A Case Study From New Hampshire

ABSTRACTThe quality of a school’s social environment is critically related to student outcomes, including academic performance, attendance, student behavior, and high school completion rates. New Hampshire engaged in a dropout prevention initiative between 2006 and 2012 that focused on implementation of the multitiered Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) framework combined with an intensive, student-driven school-to-adult life transition intervention for the highest-need youth. This article presents a case study of how one high school in New Hampshire implemented PBIS at all three tiers of support: schoolwide, targeted, and intensive. The case study includes a description of practices implemented by the school, school- and student-level outcomes pre- and postimplementation, the coaching and training support provided to school staff, and successes and challenges experienced by the school. The discussion ends with recommendations for practice and research of PBIS implementation in high schools.

“It Takes a Village”: A Case Study of Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports Implementation in an Exemplary Urban Middle School

Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is a widely implemented, culturally responsive framework using prevention and intervention activities to promote a safe school climate and positive academic and behavioral student outcomes. Using a qualitative single-case study design, authors provide a rich description of PBIS implementation in an exemplary urban middle school based on school documents and the voices of several school leaders; authors also examine the corresponding role of the school counselor. Results included positive school outcomes and the emergence of five themes: the importance of administrative leadership, proactive PBIS practices, creating consistency, building community, and school counselor integration.

The Impact of Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports on Teachers’ Perceptions of Teaching Conditions and Student Achievement

Previous research suggests that Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) can reduce student disciplinary office referrals and out-of-school suspensions, especially when implemented with fidelity. Existing research is mixed as to whether PBIS also contributes to improvements in student achievement, but at least one study has found that PBIS leads to improvements in teachers’ perceptions of overall organizational health, an effect that may help facilitate improvements in student learning. This study uses the TELL (Teaching, Empowering, Leading, and Learning) Kentucky survey to analyze teacher perceptions of their working conditions between PBIS and non-PBIS schools, and among schools varying in level of PBIS implementation fidelity. Furthermore, because the TELL Kentucky survey has been shown to predict increases in student achievement, this study examined the relationship between PBIS implementation and student test score outcomes. Teachers in PBIS schools reported higher levels of student and faculty understanding of behavioral expectations and a stronger atmosphere of professional trust and respect. Although there were no significant differences in student achievement levels between PBIS and non-PBIS schools, analysis did reveal that student academic outcomes were significantly higher at high- and medium-fidelity PBIS schools than low-fidelity PBIS schools. Significance, limitations, and implications for practice are discussed.

RAMP and PBIS: “They Definitely Support One Another”: The Results of a Phenomenological Study (Part One)

Scholars have explored the impact of comprehensive school counseling programs on student outcomes, including those programs that garnered the RAMP (Recognized ASCA [American School Counselor Association] Model Program) designation. A surfeit of empirical examinations of positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) outcomes also are extant. Although researchers have investigated RAMP and PBIS individually and conceptual articles have suggested models for aligning these two frameworks, scholarly investigations of their interaction are scarce. Researchers in this study conducted a phenomenological inquiry with 10 school counselors employed in schools that featured both a RAMP designation and implementation of PBIS with fidelity. The researchers determined four resulting themes regarding school counselors’ lived experiences working in schools with both the RAMP designation and high levels of PBIS implementation: (a) RAMP–PBIS interaction, (b) “the data is amazing,” (c) “part of the [school] culture,” and (d) challenges and benefits.

Including Students With Disabilities in Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports: Experiences and Perspectives of Special Educators

As interest in proactive and systematic approaches to supporting positive student behavior grows, important questions remain about the ways in which special education staff and their students participate in school-wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS). We report findings from a statewide study of 849 special educators addressing (a) their involvement in their school’s PBIS framework, (b) the ways their students with disabilities participate, (c) potential barriers to such participation, and (d) the topics and avenues through which they desire professional development. Special educators rarely participated in school-wide PBIS teams, reported variability in the extent to which their students with disabilities participated in aspects of the school’s framework, indicated that they implemented some features of the framework in their classroom more than others, and highlighted salient barriers to student involvement. The views and actions of special educators working primarily with students with low-incidence disabilities differed from those of teachers working with students with high-incidence disabilities. We discuss implications for research and practice aimed at enhancing the implementation and impact of school-wide PBIS on students with disabilities.

Success For All? The Role of the School Counselor in Creating and Sustaining Culturally Responsive Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports Programs

In 1957, Horace Mann stated, Education, then, beyond all other devices of human origin, is a great equalizer of conditions of men (p. 87). Public education was designed to bridge the inequalities of society such that experiences in schools could ensure all individuals have the opportunity to excel in school and in life. This tenet has been challenged in recent years as the achievement and opportunity gaps in our schools continue to grow. A disproportionate number of youth from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds are not succeeding and may be excluded from public school (Gregory, Skiba, & Noguera, 2010). In 2012, for example, African American students were 3.5 times more likely than their Caucasian peers to be suspended (U.S. Department of Education Office of Civil Rights, 2014). African American, Latino, and Native American students receive harsher punishments for more subjective reasons such as disrespect, insubordination or excessive noise (Losen & Gillespie, 2012). Further, data from the National Center on Educational Statistics show that while the gap is narrowing slightly, African American youth lag behind their Caucasian peers an average of 23-26 points in math and 21-26 points in reading assessments (Vanneman, Hamilton, Baldwin Anderson, & Rahman, 2009).To close these achievement gaps and disparities in discipline practices, important research has linked schoolwide behavior programs and student achievement and engagement outcomes (Lassen, Steele, & Sailor, 2006; Luiselli, Putnam, Handler, & Feinberg, 2005). A recent focus has included schoolwide behavior programs that are multi-tiered in nature, including Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) programs. PBIS programs integrate research-based practice within a three-tier approach, including those at the primary, secondary, and tertiary levels of prevention and intervention. This multi-tiered system of supports has been supported by the American School Counselor Association (ASCA; 2014) and cited as evidence-based practices that have potential in closing the achievement gap (Benner, Kutash, Nelson, & Fisher, 2013). Recent research has focused on how to implement PBIS in culturally responsive ways (Bal, Kozleski, Schrader, Rodriguez, & Pelton, 2014; Greflund, McIntosh, Mercer, & May, 2014) to better impact disproportionality in discipline outcomes that exist in schools today.School counselors with extensive training in data-informed student intervention and school-level systemic change can play integral roles in PBIS implementation and can serve as leaders in the process (Cressey, Whitcomb, McGilvray-Rivet, Morrison, & Shander-Reynolds, 2014; Goodman-Scott, 2014). Goodman-Scott, Betters-Bubon, and Donohue (2015) noted that PBIS programs can be integrated with comprehensive school counseling programs to enhance the role of the school counselor and better improve student outcomes. With knowledge of cultural diversity (Schulz, Hurt, & Lindo, 2014) and data-focused interventions to close the achievement gap (Hatch, 2013), school counselors are poised to ensure that these programs are implemented in ways that combat disproportionality. While literature exists on culturally responsive PBIS (Fallon, O'Keeffe, & Sugai, 2012) and the school counselor's role in PBIS (Goodman-Scott, 2014), there does not exist research examining the school counselor's role implementing culturally responsive PBIS programs, despite their role as multiculturally competent advocates for student equity. This article extends existing research on culturally responsive PBIS by examining longitudinal data from one elementary school that intentionally engaged in culturally responsive practices within PBIS implementation, highlighting the leadership role of the school counselor. To better understand these potential relationships, we will first provide an overview of PBIS. Second, we will provide an overview of research linking PBIS to culturally responsive practice, focusing on how PBIS can combat disproportionality. …

An exploratory case study of PBIS implementation using social network analysis

An exploratory case study is presented in which social network analysis (SNA) was used to explore how school teaming structures influence the implementation of School-Wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS). The authors theorized that PBIS leadership teams that include members with connections to all other information-sharing teams (e.g., grade level teacher teams) within schools would enable more comprehensive PBIS implementation. Matrices and sociograms depicting the structure and attributes of school-based teams, PBIS implementation data, and teacher self-reports were analyzed in two schools. Findings suggest that the configuration and positioning of PBIS leadership teams within a school's communication network will influence school-wide implementation and the degree to which teachers accurately articulate school-wide core values and teach core values to their students. Implications for the configuration of PBIS leadership teams and the use of SNA to examine how teams constrain or advance PBIS implementation are discussed.

A Focus on Implementation of Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) in High Schools: Associations With Bullying and Other Indicators of School Disorder

.There is growing interest in the use of a multitiered system of supports framework to address issues related to school climate and bullying. Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is one such model that has received considerable attention; however, nearly all of the extant literature has focused on elementary and middle schools, with limited research on high schools. Furthermore, research on PBIS implementation in high schools, particularly in relation to school context, is scant. The current article examined the adoption and implementation of PBIS in 31 high schools randomly assigned to implement PBIS, within the context of a larger 58 high school randomized trial. We first present descriptive data on the rollout of the core features of PBIS, as measured by a set of research-based implementation tools administered by outside observers. We then explore the extent to which baseline rates of bullying and other school-level indicators of disorder were associated with the adoption of the multitiered PBIS framework over the course of 2 years. Multilevel analyses on the longitudinal implementation data indicated that schools with higher baseline rates of bullying generally implemented PBIS with greater fidelity over time. This suggests that schools with increased bullying may be particularly motivated to adopt PBIS. However, other baseline indicators of disorder were generally not associated with PBIS implementation and thus do not appear to be barriers to adoption. Implications for implementation research and practice in high schools are discussed.

Youth Voice Matters: Perceptions of Facility-Wide PBIS Implementation in Secure Residential Juvenile Facilities

The implementation of the positive behavior interventions and supports (PBIS) framework within secure juvenile facilities is on the rise; however, there is minimal research regarding stakeholder views of PBIS, especially from the youth perspective, within these facilities. This article provides a summary of focus groups conducted across eight secure juvenile facilities in which PBIS was implemented and youth perspective was assessed. Focus groups were conducted with 3–5 youth from each facility using a standard set of questions to determine youth views of PBIS. The authors present themes identified using the constant comparative method in relation to facilitators and barriers to PBIS implementation. In addition, findings are discussed in relation to high-, mid-, and low-performing facilities in relation to fidelity of implementation; as well as youth suggestions for improving PBIS. Limitations as well as future directions are discussed.

Aligning Comprehensive School Counseling Programs and Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports to Maximize School Counselors’ Efforts

School counselors are tasked with contributing to a safe and preventative school climate serving students’ academic, career, and social/emotional needs through comprehensive school counseling program implementation. Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) prioritizes a positive school climate, is widely implemented in the United States, and has been recommended by influential educational stakeholders. School counselors can assist with PBIS implementation; however, no thorough description exists of the alignment between comprehensive school counseling programs and PBIS. In this article, the authors conceptualize this alignment, aiming to increase school counselors’ and stakeholders’ understanding of and advocacy for this alignment to maximize school counselors’ efforts. The article provides school counseling implications and recommendations.

Family Engagement Within Schoolwide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports

Parent educational involvement is an important avenue for enhancing student outcomes. Schools seek myriad ways to include families; however, the parent involvement practices used by schools lack coordination and are disconnected from existing school approaches. Schoolwide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is a systematic and coordinated framework used in more than 19,000 schools to support student behavior. Despite its success, PBIS implementation underemphasizes comprehensive systems for engaging families. The purpose of this article is to present a framework of family engagement within PBIS. The purpose of coordinating and sequencing family engagement within PBIS is to increase the efficiency, effectiveness, relevance, and durability of PBIS by supporting students across settings. Furthermore, this model extends current parent involvement frameworks by coordinating systematic family engagement in education.