PBIS in Schools

Educational leaders have implemented positive behavior interventions and supports (PBIS) in schools across the nation to address behavior competence. Most educators have witnessed the evidence of its success in both managing behavior and improving academic outcomes. PBIS is a framework that incorporates evidence-based practices to support students by addressing their mental health and social/emotional needs. Using a culturally relevant and trauma-informed approach, PBIS can help support Students of Color, disciplinary sanctions, and the penal system. The proactive framework has been around for more than 20 years, teaching students behavioral expectations and reinforcing their positive actions. Despite this empirical approach, some teachers remain in favor of the punitive way of disciplining students. In contrast, others have adapted their mindsets to embrace rethinking discipline as a teaching opportunity like learning to read and write. These teachers agree with many scholars that social behavior is learned.

Hidden in Plain Sight: The Silent Voices of America’s Third-Class Citizens

When compared to their peers, African American students fare poorly in the following three areas: attendance, student achievement, and disciplinary sanctions (Davis & Jordan, 1994; Fenning & Rose, 2007; Ford & Moore, 2013). California schools have committed to closing the achievement gap by making efforts to eliminate exclusionary practices hindering student access to socially relevant pedagogy; however, an examination of indicators of student success for young Black girls is needed to ascertain the effectiveness of PBIS (Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports) policies and practices (Robinett, 2012). Black girls are impacted socially and academically by the absence of disciplinary practices designed to bridge the achievement gap for all students, the failure of teachers to pedagogically connect with struggling populations, and the existing educator biases indicating a failure to socially connect with disenfranchised populations (Bradshaw et al., 2009). The deficiencies amongst educators have left young Black girls hidden in plain sight. This study seeks to determine if and how Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) affects Black girls.

Does SWPBIS Increase Teachers’ Collective Efficacy? Evidence From a Quasi-experiment

Teachers’ collective efficacy is predictive of students’ success. School-Wide Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports implementation requires the whole team to set itself common goals regarding behavior management. The main purpose of this study was to investigate the medium-term effects of a SWPBIS intervention on teachers’ collective efficacy. Nine schools and 139 teachers and staff members (n intervention = 74, n control = 65) took part in the study. The study shows that SWPBIS implementation has a positive effect on teachers’ collective efficacy both for primary and secondary schools at post-test 1 (ES = +0.80) and 2 (ES = +0.71). Differences are observed at baseline and at posttests according to the educational level. The link between subscales of a school climate instrument and teachers’ collective efficacy is also investigated. The “structure for learning” subscale explains the greatest variance in collective efficacy.

The Effects of Co-Teaching Zones of Regulation on Elementary Students’ Social, Emotional, and Academic Risk Behaviors

Student misbehavior is a significant concern in the current classroom. Teachers nationwide have implemented several approaches to reduce student misbehavior, including School-wide Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) and co-teaching. However, since misbehaver still disrupts learning, research is still needed to find a classroom intervention that will reduce misbehavior in a classroom to prevent students from under achieving, disruption of peers’ learning and teacher burnout. Zones of Regulation focuses on self-regulation, while addressing sensory processing, executive functioning, and emotional regulation. This experimental study tested the effects of co-taught Zones of Regulation on students’ Social, Academic, and Emotional Behavior Risk Screener (SAEBRS). Fifty-six early elementary students (48% female) were assigned randomly to either the experimental group, which received co-taught direct instruction with Zones of Regulation or the control group, which received standard instruction with a morning meeting. It was predicted that the experimental group would score higher on the SAEBRS than the control group. Although results showed no statistical difference on the SAEBRS scores between the two groups, more students in the experimental group moved from “at risk” to “not at risk”. This study suggests additional research needs to be conducted to determine if co-taught Zones of Regulation instruction is an effective intervention for reducing misbehavior.

PRELIMINARY OUTCOMES AND CHALLENGES TO IMPLEMENTING SCHOOL-WIDE POSITIVE BEHAVIOR INTERVENTIONS AND SUPPORTS IN 30 GREEK PRIMARY SCHOOLS

<p>School-Wide Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (SWPBIS) is an evidence-based three-tier school-wide framework for preventing and treating challenging behavior in schools, improving overall school climate, and promoting teachers' teaming and collaboration. SWPBIS outcomes, such as the decrease of students' behavioral problems and improvement of teachers' cooperation, have been well established across various educational systems in many countries. The purpose of this qualitative study is to investigate stakeholders' perceptions about the preliminary outcomes and challenges of the SWPBIS Tier 1 implementation in 30 Greek primary schools. A semi-structured focus group was conducted with stakeholders from Greek primary schools about their experiences from the implementation of SWPBIS Tier 1 during the 2019-2020 school year. Three key categories were identified: (a) perceptions about the initial SWPBIS outcomes, (b) implementation challenges, and (c) suggestions on additional supports. Practical implications and results are discussed in terms of how they can be used in sustaining SWPBIS in the Greek context.</p><p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/edu_01/0774/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

The Additive Effects of Implementing Advanced Tiers of SWPBIS With Fidelity on Disciplinary Exclusions

Schools continue to rely on disciplinary exclusions as a consequence for behavioral rule violations, despite evidence that removing students from instruction for discipline purposes is associated with poor behavioral, academic, and social outcomes. School-wide positive behavior interventions and supports (SWPBIS) is one multitiered support framework used to prevent behavior problems while developing effective and efficient systems for intervening with students who require more support. Prior research suggests implementing Tier 1 of SWPBIS with fidelity is associated with reductions in disciplinary exclusions. In this study, we evaluated the additive effects of implementing Tier 1 and advanced tiers (i.e., Tiers 2 and 3) with fidelity compared with Tier 1 alone for 558 schools in California. Results indicate schools implementing all three tiers with fidelity had significantly lower rates of students receiving one out-of-school suspension, out-of-school suspension incidents, and students referred to law enforcement. We also discuss implications and recommendations for future research.

Are Breaks Better? A Comparison of Breaks Are Better to Check-In Check-Out

Identification and validation of effective Tier 2 interventions that address a wide range of student-level factors is critical to the sustainability of positive behavior interventions and supports (PBIS). Within the context of check-in check-out (CICO), function of behavior affects outcomes for many students, especially for those who engage in problem behavior to escape from tasks. Therefore, more research is needed to understand if and how we can support students with escape-maintained behavior. Breaks are Better (BrB) is a modified version of CICO that includes a system for taking breaks. The current research on BrB is limited but promising. The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of CICO to BrB. Using a multitreatment design, we compared the effects of each intervention by measuring problem behavior and academic engagement across five elementary students who engaged in problem behavior to escape from tasks. Overall results were mixed and ranged from strong effects of BrB to no differential effects. However, despite the results, teachers and students consistently rated BrB as being a more preferable intervention. We conclude with limitations and implications for practice.

Tier 2 Behavior Interventions: By the Student, for the Student

Research suggests that students are more invested in behavior interventions when they are involved in the development process. Tier 2 behavior interventions in a positive behavior interventions and supports (PBIS) framework can be tailored to embed student involvement and meet individual student needs. The purpose of this article is threefold. First, it explores the importance of student involvement throughout the development and implementation of behavior interventions. Second, a case is made for embedding student involvement at the Tier 2 level of support. Finally, suggestions and examples are provided to aid educators and practitioners with improving student involvement in implementing several common Tier 2 interventions. Using this model can empower students to take charge of their own interventions, resulting in more meaningful learning experiences.

Leveraging Positive Behavior Supports to Improve Engagement in Virtual Settings

High-levels of classroom engagement and on-task behavior have been linked to positive outcomes for students. In traditional classroom settings when levels of on-task behaviors are low, teacher integration of Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) can facilitate improvement in student engagement. PBIS strategies such as creating clear routines and expectations, explicit instruction on expected behaviors, acknowledging behavior, and a high level of opportunities to respond have demonstrated efficacy for improving engagement across grade levels. As teachers increasingly adjust their teaching to virtual platforms these evidence-based practices should continue to be a part of their instructional repertoire. Unfortunately, teachers may have little experience in leveraging such practices to improve engagement in virtual classrooms. With the recent shift to virtual instruction due to the pandemic, it is important teachers are equipped with knowledge and skills to implement PBIS in virtual classroom settings to improve student outcomes. This manuscript provides a how-to guide to support teachers and administrators in effective and efficient use of PBIS in online platforms to bridge the gap in practice. Steps and an implementation checklist are included to improve virtual learning engagement by utilizing tools within online platforms such as Zoom and GSuite to clarify virtual expectations and increase student demonstration of expected behaviors.