Schools implement school-wide positive behavior support systems to enforce rules, shape maladaptive behaviors, and promote positive climate where students’ wellbeing can improve. A way to reduce disruptive behaviors is with Accept. Identify. Move (AIM) curriculum with reinforcement system and social-emotional components. Statistical t-test of between group of Intervention Classroom and Control Classroom, within Intervention Classroom group, and within Control Classroom group to evaluate changes in psychological flexibility changes after students received the AIM intervention and control classroom intervention. The between group and within Intervention Classroom group t-test produced statistically significant results, and the within Control Classroom group produced no statically significant results. An ABA design was used to evaluate the effectiveness of the two classrooms receiving separate interventions. This study suggests that the AIM intervention can help students develop physiological flexibility skills and decrease disruptive behaviors in the classroom setting.

School professionals are faced with addressing social behavioral concerns across multiple school settings with growing frequency. There is a need for efficient and effective methods to support students exhibiting challenging behavior. Tier -II interventions, such as Check-in/Check-out, can be implemented efficiently in schools with sufficient systems in place. However, these interventions are generally more effective for students whose problem behavior is more sensitive to adult attention. This study evaluated the effects of the Academic and Behavior Check-in/Check-out (ABC) intervention, a Tier-II intervention designed to provide additional support for students emitting behavior that is more sensitive to escape from academic tasks, relative to CICO using an ABAB reversal design. Functional assessment procedures corroborated that the behavior of three middle school students was in part motivated by escape from tasks. Implementation of ABC with all subjects resulted in improvements in academic engagement and reductions in problem behavior relative to CICO. Additionally, the ABC intervention was implemented with high fidelity and was rated favorably by stakeholders.

The implementation of schoolwide positive behavioral support (SWPBS) programs is becoming increasingly common in schools across the nation. Although a primary assumption of SWPBS is that schoolwide administration of positive supports to students who meet behavioral expectations will result in fewer behavior problems, surprisingly few studies have investigated the effects of various positive reinforcement rates (RR) on office discipline referral rates (ODR). This study investigated the relationship between RRs and ODRs among schools (N = 44) implementing SWPBS programs with high fidelity. Results revealed no significant differences in RRs or ODRs between Title I and non-Title I schools but did reveal a significant difference in the ratio of RRs to ODRs between the top and bottom ODR quartile schools. Overall, RRs were slightly associated with a decrease in ODRs. Results also suggested schools did not appropriately respond to schoolwide RR and ODR data. The present status of SWPBS data collection and utilization procedures is presented and practical implications are discussed.

Discipline is of increasing concern to school stakeholders in districts around the world. It is especially concerning in a district of a southern U.S. state, where a zero tolerance policy calls for the removal of disruptive students from the classroom. Students, teachers, administrators, and other district officials may benefit from effective implementation of Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS), a positive discipline program that includes educators using data for instructional and discipline decision making. In the local district, little is known about the teachers' opinions regarding the PBIS implementation. The purpose of this project study was to gain insight on the teachers' assessment of the implementation of PBIS at Middle School A (MSA) and Middle School B (MSB) to benefit the PBIS program at MSA. The research questions addressed teachers' assessments of the PBIS implementation. Based on the theory of operant conditioning, a quantitative cross-sectional survey design was used to collect data using the PBIS Self-Assessment Survey. Survey data were analyzed descriptively and inferentially using an 1-way ANOVA. Applying the appropriate subscales of the survey instrument, MSA teachers scored the Classroom Setting System as in place and each of the other three systems (i.e. School-wide, Non-Classroom, and Individual Student Systems) as partially in place. MSA teachers (n = 22) also scored their PBIS systems higher than the teachers did at MSB (n = 22). Through the application of the resulting policy recommendation that indicates positive changes for MSA's PBIS program, student academic achievement and behavior may improve. In addition, through policy implementation, stakeholders in other districts may improve the implementation fidelity of their PBIS program with the objective of positively influencing students.

This study sought to evaluate the effect of participation in the Student-Guided Supports (SGS) curriculum on student behavior. The SGS curriculum was designed to teach students a set of simple behaviors to prompt and reinforce supportive teacher behavior. Student use of the SGS behaviors was hypothesized to initiate a constructive cycle of student-teacher interactions that increase teacher display of supportive behaviors and student display of SGS behaviors and academic engagement. Results of the study provided evidence of a functional relation between participation in the SGS curriculum and increased student use of requests for teacher feedback. They also provided evidence of a functional relation between student requests for feedback and teacher provision of feedback. While this study did not provide evidence of the establishment of constructive cycles of support it did offer the following: a) high school teachers typically engaged in low levels of the identified support behaviors, and b) students were able to reliably elicit these supportive behaviors by engaging in relatively simple prompting behaviors. Potential implications of the results and future research are discussed.

Unlock the power of positive behavior intervention supports for your students Behavior Management: Principles and Practices of Positive Behavior Supports provides readers with a thorough overview of behavior analysis and PBIS theory and applications. Using vignettes and student examples, the book shows teachers how to achieve optimal behavioral and learning outcomes for their students–regardless of the challenging behavior exhibited. Chapters address universal tools such as reinforcement, meaningful instruction, and student progress monitoring. Behavior support plans demonstrate how to implement techniques for students at all levels and abilities across learning environments Referencing the latest research in the field, the 4th Edition expands its coverage of prevention, schoolwide PBIS, and student progress monitoring. / https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu_books/1187/thumbnail.jpg

The current training model for paraeducators traditionally consists of single-day workshops, emails, newsletters, in-service meetings or other similarly isolated and infrequent tips or no training at all. Such practices have caused many paraeducators and teachers to cite a lack of efficient and effective training as one of the major difficulties in their job. The purpose of the study was to establish a causal relationship between the independent variable: the direct instruction of precorrection through modeling and guided practice with bug-in-the-ear feedback and the dependent variable, the performance or nonperformance of positive behavior support strategies in the classroom. The study took place at an urban middle school located in northern Utah. The study's three participants were paraeducators who worked in a self-contained classroom for students with severe disabilities. The intervention consisted of a three-phase lesson for each of the three target skills: (a) a training phase, (b) an independent phase, and (c) a follow up phase. Data indicate a positive functional relation between the intervention and the acquisition and maintenance of the desired skills. On average, participants performed more than 90% of the steps of the desired behaviors across all phases of the intervention and maintained the skills over time in a natural setting after relatively little instruction, no additional time outside of the classroom, and with materials already available at most schools. The success of this training model and its flexible framework further suggest that its use could be expanded in multitudinous ways. As this is the first known study of its kind, there are now numerous avenues of new research possibilities both in the area of paraeducator training, but also teacher training and even training in other work industries. This is an exciting new avenue for research and the improvement of working conditions and the delivery of instruction in schools.

Nonemergency transportation drivers play a critical role in helping individuals with Intellectual Disabilities (ID) gain access to community integration opportunities. Challenging behaviors can limit access to enrichment opportunities and possibly increase the likelihood that individuals with ID will be isolated from community enrichment activities. The purpose of this study was to determine if positive behavior support training improved nonemergency transportation drivers' perceptions of challenging behaviors displayed by individuals with ID. For purposes of this study, perception was defined as staff (driver) beliefs about the causes of challenging behavior. A convenience sample of 52 nonemergency transportation drivers was chosen from a Logisticare provider list using local zip codes. Data were collected using the Challenging Behavior Attribution Scale (CHABA) before and after training using the Positive Behavior Support Curriculum 2nd Edition. A 2-way ANOVA revealed no statistically significant differences in perception before or after training. Analysis of the data indicated that training had no impact on driver perception of challenging behavior. The drivers who participated in this study appeared to have positive perceptions of challenging behavior, and, as a result, no statistically significant results were found. Perhaps the results of this study might lead community organizations that support individuals with ID to include transportation drivers in team meetings when there are concerns regarding challenging behavior. The drivers' positive perceptions regarding challenging behaviors may be an asset to support teams in developing positive behavior support strategies that improve the quantity of life for persons with ID.

The School-wide Positive Behavior Intervention Support model (SWPBIS) continues to gain widespread use across schools in the U.S. and abroad. However, despite its widespread use across schools and the large body of research demonstrating its utility, little research has examined the implementation process to see what factors contribute or inhibit its successful implementation. Informed by Rogers’ diffusion theory, this study examined factors that may influence the sustained implementation of the SWPBIS. These factors are relative advantage, compatibility, complexity, trialibility, and observability. Results of this study indicated that the relative advantage and observability of SWPBIS may explain school personnel’s willingness to continue with its implementation. These results led to some important implications for practitioners involved in the implementation of the SWPBIS. Limitations and recommendations for future research are also provided.

abstract: Student behavior problems continue to be a nationwide concern, despite decades of practice with a myriad of disciplinary systems. Students who frequently engage in problematic behaviors are at-risk for a variety of negative life outcomes. School-wide positive behavior interventions and supports (PBIS) is an evidence-based system of school-wide reinforcement and disciplinary procedures that relies on a problem-solving model from a systems perspective. Research based on the implementation of PBIS in schools has found positive effects pertaining to decreases in problem behaviors, increases in academics and attendance, and improved school safety and staff satisfaction. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of PBIS systems change at varying years of implementation in three middle schools using a cross-sectional design on student outcome variables including office discipline referrals, major disciplinary actions, attendance rates, and academic achievement, along with school climate factors related to teacher burnout. Analysis of variance, non-parametric analysis of variance, and visual analyses were used to evaluate the effects of PBIS at varying years of PBIS implementation. The number of ODRs and major disciplinary decisions issued were greatly decreased with each year of PBIS implementation. Analyses of student academic performance and attendance varied by school and level of PBIS implementation and appeared to be influenced by additional variables, such as socioeconomic status. The length of PBIS implementation was associated with lower teacher ratings of emotional exhaustion and higher school climate ratings. Implications for research and educational practice are addressed. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Educational Psychology 2014