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Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) frameworks, formerly known as effective school-wide discipline, started in 2005 as a State initiative to help raise student achievement by addressing the overlapping relationship between classroom conduct and academic achievement (Virginia Department of Education, 2009, superintendent's message). Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports implemented as part of the effective school-wide discipline practices in the Commonwealth of Virginia are seeing strong reductions in referrals and student exclusions/suspensions from school (Ciolfi, Shin, and Harris, 2011). Over 90,500 individual students were suspended or expelled from a Virginia school in 2010-2011; many of them more than once (2011 p.1). As paradigms switch from reactionary to prevention, school-wide approaches to discipline utilizing Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports are becoming more frequently used as a tool to reduce the number of office discipline referrals (ODR) and to keep students in class. Since the state has now 223 schools supporting the PBIS framework from 43 different school divisions, a study of the principles and practices of the most successful high school implementations could help high schools which are struggling with managing student conduct issues. By providing a compilation of those principles and practices that school leaders utilized to implement a highly effective Positive Behavioral Intervention Process, schools could focus on them to more successfully incorporate Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports frameworks in their high schools. Three questions guided the work for this study. First, were there specific principles that the high schools using Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports operated by to successfully implement and reduce office discipline referrals? Secondly, were there certain practices that these high schools also employed which garnered success? Lastly, what artifacts could the successful schools provide demonstrating their successful implementation of Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports framework that would provide benefit to beginning or struggling high schools implementing Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports? A qualitative study was used utilizing the grounded theory method and cross school comparisons of data. Interviewing superintendent-designated leaders from nine high schools that reduced office discipline referrals (ODR), uncovered the principles and practices common to the successful high schools employing Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports. There were twelve interviews: three group interviews with 2 respondents each and nine individual interviews. The twelve interviews involved 15 people: • four division-level personnel: three were division leaders who were also PBIS Division Coaches and one who was titled PBIS Division Coordinator • eight school administrators (five principals and three assistant principals) • three teachers who also were designated as PBIS School Coaches No interviewee designated by the superintendent refused to be interviewed. Reviews of the data collected were analyzed across all divisions to report these principles and practices. These principles and practices could be shared with new high schools to consider prior to Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports framework programs being implemented. As more high schools employ Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports and are studied regarding reducing the number of office discipline referrals, the Commonwealth of Virginia's Department of Education can utilize these longitudinal data to craft more effective support for the programs across the Commonwealth of Virginia. All data were extracted from the recordings and then charted for common elements. Three principles emerged that led to the theoretical propositions those high schools that reduced ODR had: 1. PBIS Leaders who created a minimal set of school-wide rules. 2. PBIS leaders who believed improving school climate for staff learners improved student behaviors. 3. PBIS leaders who asserted that all school staff must be consistent with application of rules. Additionally the data reviewed were analyzed and the researcher discovered that high schools that reduce office discipline referrals (ODR) have common practices where: 1. PBIS leaders recognized positive behaviors and defined the expectations to the school. 2. PBIS leaders involved other learning community members and empowered students. 3. PBIS leaders analyzed and disaggregated data to inform their procedures. 4. PBIS leaders trained staff members and promoted school expectations. Additionally the data collected from the 12 interviews had respondents stating the single greatest obstacle that they encountered while implementing PBIS to reduce ODR which led to more implications for practice. Thus, the following lists the top obstacles that all respondents referred to in their interviews: 1. Nine interviews had respondents who listed the top obstacle as establishing consistency in both staff participation and rule application. 2. Six interviews also had respondents that listed finding time to implement PBIS strategies and interventions was their greatest obstacle. 3. One interview had a respondent who also stated finding funding was his main obstacle. Providing these data enabled high schools interested in implementing PBIS to be aware of these obstacles so those schools may avoid the pitfalls encountered as high schools employed PBIS frameworks to reduce ODR. However, all twelve interviews were noted with success stories that respondents felt were directly related to their reduction of ODR. 1. Six interviews had respondents that reported enhanced relationships between students, teachers, and administrators (within the school). 2. Seven interviews had participants that described how student successes enhanced school pride and school promotion. 3. Three interviews had respondents that discussed the improved relationships with community partners and parents. / Ed. D.

xiii, 99 p. A print copy of this thesis is available through the UO Libraries. Search the library catalog for the location and call number. / School-Wide Positive Behavior Support has emerged as an effective approach to impact challenging student behaviors at the individual level while building and maintaining a positive learning environment for all. Office discipline referrals are widely utilized within the field of School-Wide Positive Behavior Support as a measure of behavior and behavior change at the individual, group and whole school level. Though widely utilized, the validity of office discipline referrals as an outcome measure has received little attention. This study presents evidence of the construct validity of office discipline referrals as an outcome measure of School-Wide Positive Behavior Support. The primary purpose of this study was to provide evidence of the construct validity of office discipline referrals. The concept of a nomological network was utilized and empirical evidence linking various student predictor variables with office discipline referrals was investigated. The study employed case study methodology with an embedded quasi-experimental design to investigate the correlations between ten independent predictor variables and office discipline referrals. The initial analysis produced weak correlations and limited evidence for the proposed network. A second analysis was conducted including attendance as a co-morbid variable with office discipline referrals. This analysis identified stronger, more compelling evidence supporting the existence of a nomological network for office discipline referrals with attendance. Further regression analysis of the predictor variables blocked within four domains (academic, access, socio-economic status, and student group status) found even more evidence supporting the nomological network of office discipline referrals with attendance. The results from this study support the validity of office discipline referrals with attendance as a measure of School-Wide Positive Behavior Support at the high school level. The inclusion of attendance as a measure at the high school level is supported and recommended for schools implementing School-Wide Positive Behavior Support. Academic learning (cumulative grade-point-average) was identified as the strongest predictor variable and adds credibility that an explicit link between academics and behavior exists and should be further investigated within the field of Positive Behavior Support. Finally, this study provides and example of School-Wide Positive Behavior Support implementation at the high school level. / Adviser: Gerald Tindal

This study used a phenomenological design to discover how middle school teachers in northern California perceived the effectiveness of Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) in improving school climate and lowering office discipline referrals. PBIS is a school-wide initiative implemented in schools across the United States as an approach for addressing discipline and promoting a positive school climate. The researcher examined teacher perceptions on effectiveness of PBIS at the middle school level. The district implemented PBIS to align with district initiatives to lower exclusionary discipline practices (office referrals, suspensions, and expulsions) for students, with an emphasis on African American males, students with disabilities, and foster youth. The study used transformative learning theory and teacher self-efficacy to guide the research. The overarching research question explored was: What are middle school teachers’ perceptions about the effectiveness of PBIS? Data were collected from individual semi-structured open-ended interviews; concern statements; and examination of the trends of suspension, expulsion, and office discipline referrals pre-PBIS and post-PBIS. Data analysis revealed that all participants used positive terms to describe their school’s climate. Participants also experienced shared benefits and barriers when discussing PBIS in their school settings. The results of this study support PBIS in middle schools and addressed barriers. The results could be used to guide the decision-making process of those responsible for PBIS at the local school district level as well as at the individual school and classroom levels.

This study reports long-term evaluation of school-wide positive behavior support (SWPBS) in a rurally-located K – 8 and a middle school. With assistance from a university-based PBS project, these schools developed and implemented a SWPBS program. Target positive behaviors (respect, responsibility, cooperation) were operationally defined and directly taught to students. A reward ticket system was used to reinforce students’ positive behaviors. Office discipline referrals (ODRs) and reward tickets were recorded. At the end of each grading period, students with at least 1 ticket attended a school-wide celebration. An A-B case study design analyzed results for five-years for the K-8 and four years for the middle school. Following the first year of SWPBS, ODR rates decreased substantially, correlating moderately with reinforcement tickets given. Compared to two similar schools without SWPBS in the same district, the K-8 school’s had substantially fewer overall ODRs and fewer students with high-risk levels of referrals. ODR reductions resulted in recovering an average 5.25 and 10 student class hours and 11.75 and 25 administrative hours in the elementary and middle schools, respectively. These results replicated and extended effects reported by others. Issues regarding consistent SWPBS implementation and measurement of its effects as well as future research are addressed. [Abstract is from a repeated presentation at the Annual Conference of the Association for Bheavior Analysis International San Antonio, TX]