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.

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An Investigation of Concurrent Validity of Fidelity of Implementation Measures at Initial Years of Implementation

Remedial and Special Education ◽

10.1177/0741932518795639 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 40 (1) ◽

pp. 25-31

Author(s):

Caitlin Rasplica Khoury ◽

Kent McIntosh ◽

Robert Hoselton

Keyword(s):

Student Outcomes ◽

Behavioral Interventions ◽

Fidelity Of Implementation ◽

Self Assessment ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

School Practices ◽

Positive Behavioral Interventions ◽

Self Assessments ◽

Positive Correlations ◽

Fidelity Measures

Fidelity of implementation of school practices is crucial to student outcomes. Several types of tools, including self-assessments, are available for measuring fidelity, but little is known regarding the relation of self-assessments of fidelity to fidelity instruments completed with the support of external experts, specifically, during the first few years of implementation. The present study used cross-sectional data from 1,438 schools to examine relations between fidelity self-assessment and team-based fidelity measures in the first 4 years of implementation of School-Wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (SWPBIS). Results showed strong positive correlations between fidelity self-assessments and a team-based measure of fidelity at each year of implementation.

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Enhancing motivation and engagement within a PBIS framework

Improving Schools ◽

10.1177/13654802211002299 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 136548022110022

Author(s):

Michael Petrasek ◽

Anthony James ◽

Amity Noltemeyer ◽

Jennifer Green ◽

Katelyn Palmer

Keyword(s):

School Environment ◽

Student Outcomes ◽

Behavioral Interventions ◽

School Setting ◽

Positive Behavioral Interventions ◽

Motivation And Engagement ◽

Core Features

A motivating and engaging school environment has been associated with several positive student outcomes. Consequently, schools have an opportunity and responsibility to promote a culture that supports students in developing and maintaining their motivation, engagement, and self-improvement. Efforts to promote such a culture can be embedded within a Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) framework. In this paper, we begin by describing motivation and engagement, and discussing the relevance of these concepts in schools. Next, we introduce the traditional PBIS framework, highlighting research and core features. Third, we propose how PBIS can be enhanced by incorporating a focus on relationships, engagement, and motivation in the school setting. Finally, we conclude with recommendations for school teams seeking to implement this approach.

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Involvement and Participation of Students With Severe Disabilities in SWPBIS

The Journal of Special Education ◽

10.1177/0022466918766523 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 52 (3) ◽

pp. 131-141

Author(s):

Jennifer A. Kurth ◽

Alison L. Zagona

Keyword(s):

General Education ◽

Student Outcomes ◽

Behavioral Interventions ◽

Severe Disabilities ◽

General Educators ◽

Support Needs ◽

Positive Behavioral Interventions ◽

Tier 1 ◽

Tiered System ◽

Students With Severe Disabilities

With more schools implementing Schoolwide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (SWPBIS) and achieving valued student outcomes associated with these efforts, the inclusion of students with extensive and pervasive support needs (i.e., “severe” disabilities) in this tiered system must be considered. These students remain programmatically and physically separated from general education instruction and activities. Given that SWPBIS is implemented in general education settings and it is designed to support all students, the purpose of this study was to investigate SWPBIS coaches’ perceptions of the involvement of students with extensive support needs in SWPBIS processes and procedures within one state. Findings suggest the coaches believe that students with extensive support needs are physically and programmatically separated from Tier 1 SWPBIS instruction and activities, with few general educators expressing participation in facilitating their involvement. Implications and recommendations for these findings are provided.

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Reducing Coercion in Schools

10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199324552.013.24 ◽

2015 ◽

Author(s):

Robert R. Horner ◽

Kent McIntosh

Keyword(s):

Behavioral Interventions ◽

School Discipline ◽

School Level ◽

The Core ◽

Whole School ◽

Positive Behavioral Interventions ◽

Punitive Discipline ◽

Detrimental Impact ◽

Core Features ◽

Systems Of Support

The use of punitive discipline systems in schools establishes the foundation of coercive dynamics. Adults all too often establish aversive contingencies that inadvertently prompt and maintain unwanted behavior by students. Three recent themes in addressing school discipline systems include (1) emphasizing reward of desired behavior above punishment of undesired behavior, (2) implementing systems of support at the whole-school level, and (3) introducing a “multitiered” approach to discipline systems that matches the level of support to the need of the student. These three themes are linked within a schoolwide approach labeled “positive behavioral interventions and supports” (PBIS). The chapter presents the core features of School-wide PBIS and describes how those features reduce the detrimental impact of coercive dynamics.

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Longitudinal Associations Between SWPBIS Fidelity of Implementation and Behavior and Academic Outcomes

Behavioral Disorders ◽

10.1177/0198742917747589 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 43 (3) ◽

pp. 357-369 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Jerin Kim ◽

Kent McIntosh ◽

Sterett H. Mercer ◽

Rhonda N. T. Nese

Keyword(s):

Academic Outcomes ◽

Behavioral Interventions ◽

Implementation Fidelity ◽

Discipline Referrals ◽

Fidelity Of Implementation ◽

Office Discipline Referrals ◽

Positive Behavioral Interventions ◽

School Suspensions ◽

K 12 ◽

And Behavior

The purpose of this study was to examine associations between implementation fidelity of school-wide positive behavioral interventions and supports (SWPBIS) and student outcomes over time. The sample included 477 K–12 schools across 10 states implementing SWPBIS for varying numbers of years and at varying levels of fidelity (but with 78% of schools at or above established fidelity criteria). Results indicate that, in general, schools showed a decline in office discipline referrals (ODRs) and out-of-school suspensions (OSSs) over 3 years. SWPBIS fidelity of implementation was positively associated with initial levels of ODRs and OSSs, and the relations between fidelity and OSSs varied based on years of SWPBIS implementation. Levels of fidelity did not predict change in ODRs or OSSs. Despite no statistically significant associations between fidelity and student academic outcomes, schools that had implemented SWPBIS for 3 years or more had higher achievement in mathematics after controlling for prior achievement.

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Examining the Effects of Schoolwide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports on Student Outcomes

Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions ◽

10.1177/1098300709334798 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 12 (3) ◽

pp. 133-148 ◽

Cited By ~ 347

Author(s):

Catherine P. Bradshaw ◽

Mary M. Mitchell ◽

Philip J. Leaf

Keyword(s):

Student Outcomes ◽

Behavioral Interventions ◽

Positive Behavioral Interventions

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Comparability of Fidelity Measures for Assessing Tier 1 School-Wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports

Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions ◽

10.1177/1098300717693384 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 19 (4) ◽

pp. 195-204 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Sterett H. Mercer ◽

Kent McIntosh ◽

Robert Hoselton

Keyword(s):

Behavioral Interventions ◽

Positive Behavioral Interventions ◽

Tier 1 ◽

Fidelity Measures

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Average Treatment Effect of School-Wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports on School-Level Academic Achievement in Florida

Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions ◽

10.1177/1098300717693556 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 19 (3) ◽

pp. 158-167 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

Nicholas A. Gage ◽

Walter Leite ◽

Karen Childs ◽

Don Kincaid

Keyword(s):

Academic Achievement ◽

Treatment Effect ◽

Grade Level ◽

Behavioral Interventions ◽

Average Treatment Effect ◽

School Level ◽

Underlying Assumption ◽

Achievement Data ◽

Average Treatment ◽

Positive Behavioral Interventions

The relationship between school-wide positive behavioral interventions and supports (SWPBIS) and school-level academic achievement has not been established. Most experimental research has found little to no evidence that SWPBIS has a distal effect on school-level achievement. Yet, an underlying assumption of SWPBIS is that improving social behavior and reducing problem behavior increasingly exposes all students to classroom instruction and the opportunity for academic success. Therefore, we examined the average treatment effect of SWPBIS implemented with fidelity on the treated schools by leveraging 10 consecutive years of school-level academic achievement data. All elementary schools in Florida (~2,033 schools), including an average of 235 schools implementing SWPBIS with fidelity each year, were included in this study. We estimated a two-level mixed-effects regression model, with schools nested in districts across time, and modeled the percentage of students at or above grade-level benchmark on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) reading and mathematics. Results indicate that schools implementing SWPBIS with fidelity had statistically significantly more students at or above grade-level benchmarks, however the effect sizes were small. The results are discussed within the context of distal effects and the fact that few evidence-based academic interventions have demonstrated larger effects when experimentally evaluated.

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Technical Adequacy of the SWPBIS Tiered Fidelity Inventory

Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions ◽

10.1177/1098300716637193 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 19 (1) ◽

pp. 3-13 ◽

Cited By ~ 21

Author(s):

Kent McIntosh ◽

Michelle M. Massar ◽

Robert F. Algozzine ◽

Heather Peshak George ◽

Robert H. Horner ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Behavioral Interventions ◽

Large Scale ◽

Scale Validation ◽

Action Planning ◽

Fidelity Of Implementation ◽

Initial Assessment ◽

Positive Behavioral Interventions ◽

Study Results ◽

Fidelity Measures ◽

Test Retest Reliability

Full and durable implementation of school-based interventions is supported by regular evaluation of fidelity of implementation. Multiple assessments have been developed to evaluate the extent to which schools are applying the core features of school-wide positive behavioral interventions and supports (SWPBIS). The SWPBIS Tiered Fidelity Inventory (TFI) was developed to be used as an initial assessment to determine the extent to which a school is using (or needs) SWPBIS, a measure of SWPBIS fidelity of implementation at all three tiers of support, and a tool to guide action planning for further implementation efforts. In this research, we evaluated the psychometric properties of the TFI in three studies: a content validity study, a usability and reliability study, and a large-scale validation study. Results showed strong construct validity for assessing fidelity at all three tiers, strong interrater and 2-week test–retest reliability, high usability for action planning, and strong relations with existing SWPBIS fidelity measures. Implications for accurate evaluation planning are discussed.

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