More than 20,000 primary- and secondary-level schools, which represent 20% of all schools in the United States, are implementing school-wide positive behavior supports (SWPBS) to enhance socially desirable behavior and promote a decline of problematic behavior among students. The overall efficacy of the 3-tier SWPBS framework is well documented. However, a paucity of empirical research addresses the use of check in/check out (CICO), a Tier 2 intervention, for youth who present as quiet and withdrawn, and who are at risk of academic and social disengagement. Accordingly, this quasi-experimental, nonequivalent groups study assessed the overall effectiveness of CICO and considered the differential effects of conducting a functional behavior assessment (FBA) at the secondary level of SWPBS. Twelve students from 1 middle school formed the convenience sample. Analysis of covariance repeated across time, with the preintervention scores being the covariate, was used to assess between group differences in the students' internalizing behaviors on the Behavior Assessment System for Children-Second Edition (BASC-2) Self-Report, teachers' BASC-2 ratings of adaptive skills, and office discipline referrals. Paired sample t tests were conducted to assess within-group effects. Findings indicate that CICO was an effective intervention for students presenting with a pattern of internalizing behaviors. For participants in the experimental group, a significant effect was found on the functional communication scale. Social change implications include educators having a better understanding of how Tier 2 interventions can be enhanced to meet diverse needs and that inclusion of youth's self-reports is needed when determining effects of supports.

Disruptive classroom behavior has led many schools to implement positive behavioral strategies intended to create orderly learning environments. Despite initiation of such a strategy, an elementary school in the mid-Atlantic region still experienced an increase in office referrals and a decline in student achievement. The purpose of this mixed methods case study was to investigate the connections between a blended behavior program and student behavior and academic achievement, as well as staff perceptions about their experience with the program, and the degree to which the practices were implemented with fidelity. Skinner's behavioral theory served as the theoretical basis for the investigation. Office referrals and standardized math scores of 72 students were analyzed across 3 years, including the year before and the 2 years following the implementation of the blended behavior program, to determine whether significant differences existed within-subjects. Interviews were conducted with 9 teachers, representing kindergarten-6th grade, to explore staff perceptions of the blended behavior program. Quantitative results indicated a reduction in referrals after the 1st year of implementing the blended program and an improvement in math achievement after the 2nd year. While a decline in math scores occurred the 1st year of implementation and an increase the 2nd year, the difference in net performance rendered the results inconclusive to determine the influence of the program on achievement. Qualitative results revealed inconsistencies in the way teachers implemented the program initiatives. This study contributes to positive social change by providing stakeholders a deeper understanding of the blended program and increasing staff capacity to manage challenging behaviors.

Disruptive behaviors in elementary schools are a serious concern for teachers. With mounting pressure from school district administrations, state and federal government agencies, and the communities in which these schools reside, teachers often struggle to determine the best path to achieve consistent student engagement. When inappropriate behaviors are not managed effectively, academics suffer. Positive behavior interventions and supports (PBIS) have been shown to be effective in reducing such behaviors. Professional Learning Communities (PLC) have also become very common in schools as teachers are organized into teams to collaborate and plan learning opportunities and methods for the instruction and assessment of students. The present study examined the effects of PBIS implementation through the PLC on the teaching staff in 7 elementary school classrooms. This is a case study in which selected teachers were observed and interviewed to determine their level of and concerns regarding implementation and subsequent adoption level. Results indicate that the teachers all have unique experiences with PBIS and related interventions that either reduce their use or support their belief that it is an effective system. Their PLC collaboration is also discussed as it was proposed to be the medium and data catalyst for implementation. Limitations and implications of this study for researchers and practitioners are discussed.

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine a problem of practice present in an actual school district. The study examined School-Wide Positive Behavior Support Implementation as it relates to the recidivism rates of students of color in the in-school suspension setting. Over the course of one school year, the perceptions of seven middle school teachers, three parents, and two administrators were explored in a suburban middle school in Southeast Texas. Although In-school suspension programs exist in every American public school to some degree, little research has been done in regards to the academic outcomes associated with those who are frequently placed in this campus based disciplinary alternative educational placement. In many of these "placement" many of the students assigned are not afforded access to instructional materials, supplies, or a certified teacher. Since the enactment of the federal No Child Left Behind Act (2001), the achievement gap has been discussed and studied. However, few studies have been done to understand how the current practices in in-school suspension contribute to the achievement gap specifically among students of color. This study examined key stakeholder's perceptions of School-Wide Positive Behavior Supports, and In-school suspension as a vehicle for referral reduction and removal of middle school students from their academic setting. The participants were "key-stakeholder" parents, teachers, and administrators who educate students at Caden Middle School. Findings from this problem of practice indicated that not only was the campus not imploring consistent practices and interventions related to and promoted by the SWPBS system in the in-school suspension setting, many of the staff members teachers and administrators alike did not adhere to the philosophical tenants of the SWPBS within the general classroom setting. The research presented in the record of study, identified gaps in both perceptions and understanding among key stakeholders in regards both in-school suspension and the school-wide positive behavior support systems at Caden Middle School. Results of this from this problem of practice found a severe disconnect in understanding the purpose and rationale of SWPBS among the administrators, teachers, and parents that participated in this study. Furthermore, the variance in the "self-sense making" done by each of the stakeholder groups after campus leadership failed to communicate, support, and sustain district expectations for program implementation with fidelity. Initiatives implemented through the investigation of the questions related to this problem of practice assisted in providing relevant professional development to re-solicit teacher and staff buy-in, prioritization of organization goals, and engaging teacher leadership to re-implement SWPBS to countermand system practices that were contrary to the district's original expectations.

Most school based initiatives are not implemented long-term and do not reach sustainability (McDermott, 2000; Mirel, 1994; Rice & Malen, 2003). Schools are implementing School-Wide Positive Behavior Support (SWPBS) as an initiative to target social emotional development and behavior. Schools that have implemented SWPBS have experienced decreases in rate of Office Discipline Referrals (ODR), In-School Suspension (ISS) and Out-of-School Suspension (OSS) (e.g. Bohanon et al., 2006; Childs et al., 2009; Lassen et al., 2006). Research has also shown that schools that implement with a higher degree of fidelity have better outcomes (Childs et al., 2009; Florida's Positive Behavior Support Project, 2009). However, it is not known what mediating factor(s) assist with schools with implementation of Tier 1 PBS at a higher degree of fidelity. This study examined action plans that schools developed during their initial training of Tier 1 PBS, to determine if the action plans are one of the possible mediating factor(s). There are differences between the quality of action plans developed by schools implementing with a higher degree of fidelity compared to schools implementing with a lower degree of fidelity. Based on a path analysis, the action plans are not a mediating factor between fidelity of implementation and student outcomes (i.e. office discipline referrals, In-School Suspension, and Out-of-School Suspension).

Students with persistent challenging behaviors are associated with negative school, community, and transition outcomes. The presence of challenging behavior is due in part to social skills deficits that are in need of remediation. Although social skills interventions are commonly provided to this student population, they are often ineffective at promoting behavior generalization and maintenance, which is necessary for improving social outcomes and developing social competency. Social skills interventions also fail to consider the individual characteristics of social skills deficits when they are conceptualized. Function-based social skills and replacement behavior interventions may be effective at addressing these concerns. This dissertation study investigated the effects of function-based social skills and replacement behavior interventions on the problem behavior of three students who attended a public elementary school in rural Central Texas. Results show an experimental effect for two of the three participants when observation data on challenging behaviors for baseline and treatment phases were compared. Generalization of behavior change was also measured for all three participants, with analysis of observation data indicating a positive effect for two of the three participants. vi Maintenance of behavior change was strong for two participants. The limited effectiveness of the intervention for one participant may be explained in part by the absence of intervention components that may have been critical to student success. Lower levels of implementation fidelity also may explain the limited effectiveness of the intervention. A social validity measure indicated that participating teachers and an assistant teacher viewed the interventions positively. A comparison of pre and post intervention scores on the teacher report form of the Behavior Assessment Scale for Children show some improvement in student composite scores, particularly Externalizing Behaviors. However, student composite scores still fell in the Clinically Significant or At-Risk range. / text

This study examined the effectiveness of a school-based intervention process known as Prevent-Teach-Reinforce for children with a combination of externalizing and internalizing behaviors compared to children with only externalizing behaviors. The dependent variables examined were social skills, problem behaviors, and academic engaged time. Data for the current study were taken from archival data collected by the Florida Mental Health Institute that included students in kindergarten through 8th grade. A series of repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to identify differences in improvement on the dependent variables for the two groups of students. Research questions focused on the main effects as well as interaction effects between the type(s) of behavioral problems displayed (i.e., externalizing only, combination of externalizing and internalizing). Behavior problem classification was determined by calculating students' individual subscale scores on the Social Skills Rating Scale. The current study found support for the use of the Prevent-Teach-Reinforce intervention for children with varying behavioral profiles. Significant improvements were found in social skills, behavioral problems, and academic engaged time for students. Additionally, results of this study indicate that internalizing behaviors did not serve as a moderator to treatment effectiveness for students with externalizing behavior problems who received the PTR intervention. That is, improvements were similar for both groups, demonstrating that PTR is a process that can be used in an equally-effective way for both populations.

This study was designed to evaluate a parent training curriculum: Helping Our Toddlers Developing Our Children's Skills (HOT DOCS© ) using archival data collected between August 2006 and April 2007. The evaluation studied the impact of specific components of the parent training program on both participants' knowledge and attitudes and their perceptions of targeted children's behavior. One-hundred-forty-six caregivers of children between the ages of 14 months and ten years of age participated in the parent training program and were included in the analyses. Measures included a pre/post knowledge test, rating scales of child problem behavior, weekly progress monitoring forms for caregiver behavior at home, and a program evaluation survey. Results indicated significant increases in caregiver knowledge following participation in the program. Prior to participation, caregivers' perceptions of the severity of child problem behaviors and deficits in adaptive behaviors were significantly different from a normative sample. Following participation in the program, results showed significant decreases in caregiver perceptions of the severity of child problem behaviors, but no significant differences in child adaptive behaviors. Caregiver feedback indicated high levels of satisfaction with the program.

This study examined the effectiveness of function-based interventions applied within a school for the deaf. The participants were elementary-aged males diagnosed as deaf or hard of hearing (D/HH) who exhibited chronic off-task behaviors throughout the school day. This study was conducted across two phases: (a) a descriptive functional behavior assessment (FBA) was conducted for each participant and (b) individualized function-based interventions were developed based on the results of the FBAs followed by the implementation of the interventions in each classroom using a single-subject, ABAB reversal design. The function-based interventions significantly improved each participant's on-task behavior in his classroom environment. Furthermore, social validity ratings by each teacher revealed that the interventions were effective, easy to implement, and appropriate for each participant. Implications for application of the procedures used in this study with the D/HH population, limitations, and directions for future research are discussed.

Decisions to refer students for disciplinary consequences (Hyman & Perone, 1998), eligibility for special services referrals (Smart, Wilton, & Keeling, 1980), and even suspension or expulsion (Brooks, Schiraldi, & Zeidenberg, 2000), are all likely to be driven by teacher perceptions of student behavior. Yet though there is a wealth of research investigating the mechanisms and consequences of teacher perceptions of student behavior, the accuracy of these perceptions has not been addressed in the literature. This study contrasted staff responses on questionnaires about student behavior by infraction category, school locations, and times with the actual referral counts from each setting to achieve a measure of perceptive accuracy for each participant. The results presented in this study extend the research literature on teacher perceptions by providing strong support for data sharing as a perception-changing mechanism among participants working in schools implementing school-wide positive behavior support (SWPBS). Participants assigned to conditions in which school-wide discipline data were shared had accuracy scores which were statistically higher than those in non-data sharing conditions. However, asking participants to report their perceptions more than once did not increase the accuracy of their responses in a statistically significant way. The application of an experimental research design and the use of appropriate statistical significance tests draw attention to effects which are statistically real. Additionally, the random assignment of participants within schools to one of four conditions provides us with confidence that the intervention, and not some factor, caused the change in accuracy scores among participants.