Family stress is affected by a child's challenging behavior and by the disruption of family routines as a result of the child's disability. Therefore, families with children with disabilities need professional support as they work with their children to decrease their children's behavior problems and to reduce the level of parental stress. This study examines in-home training in Positive Behavior Support using the model of parent-professional collaboration. Parents of 35 children with disabilities and challenging behaviors participated in this research. All participants were on the state of Utah's Family Support waiting list. Graduate students provided behavioral education to families by completing a Functional Behavioral Assessment, developing appropriate interventions, and analyzing intervention data. Children with disabilities experienced a significant reduction in the frequency and severity of their problem behavior as a result of the interventions. There was not, however, a significant increase in parents' perceptions of their limit setting skills nor parental support received. The results of this project may provide motivation for special educators, school psychologists and other specialists to collaborate more with parents in the education of their children with disabilities.

The purpose of this quantitative research was to examine the level of implementation of School-wide Positive Behavior Support (SWPBS) in the State of Florida. The relationship between the fidelity of implementation of SWPBS as measured by the Benchmarks of Quality tool to academic and behavioral outcomes for middle and elementary schools was then analyzed. The academic outcomes for this study included FCAT Reading and Mathematics subtest scores. The behavioral outcomes were measured using the number of Office Discipline Referrals per 100 students and the number of days for Out of School Suspensions per 100 students. The literature review suggests that many outcomes have been associated with implementation of SWPBS. These include a reduction in ODRs and OSS days, increased academic achievement, increased instructional time, decreased administrative time addressing discipline, increased teacher satisfaction, improved peer relationships, and an increase in perceived school safety (Muscott, Mann,& LeBrun, 2008; Lassen, 2006; Landers, 2006; Lassen, Steele, & Sailor,2006; & Luiselli, Putnam, Handler, & Feinberg, 2005). The results of this study found that SWPBS is being implemented with fidelity in the majority of schools in one year and that these schools maintain or increase fidelity over time. Findings also suggest that there may be a relationship between greater implementation and lower ODR and OSS rates and to a lesser extent, academic outcomes. This research adds to the knowledge base regarding SWPBS implementation fidelity and its relationship to academic and behavioral outcomes and may be of use to policy makers, practitioners, and future researchers.

No description available.

The purpose of this study is to explore the professional practices of teachers in both a Positive Behavior Support (PBS) high school and a traditional high school using Charlotte Danielson's (1996) 22 components of teaching responsibility that are clustered into four domains: Domain 1: Planning and Preparation, Domain 2: Classroom Environment, Domain 3: Instruction, and Domain 4: Professional Responsibilities. This comparison serves as a tool to determine if there is any difference in the professional practices of teachers in a high school with Positive Behavior Support and those in a traditional school. The results may be used to examine a variety of means to provide effective staff development and possible PBS implementation strategies. The teacher professional practices data retrieved were attained from teachers and principals of PBS and non-PBS schools. The major views that came forward from the respondents' survey questionnaires demonstrated that teachers and principals from the two schools characterize their professional practices quite similarly. Results from this study confirm the findings of research studies discussed in the literature review. On the whole, there were many similarities in the characterizations and levels of importance of teacher professional practices in the PBS and non-PBS schools. The descriptive data displayed that the PBS school out performed the non-PBS in the majority of the identified student outcomes. This study also noted that effective leadership and staff training are needed to facilitate the implementation of school improvement tools, such as PBS. / Ed. D.

School-wide positive behavior support (SWPBS), a tiered prevention model targeted at making educational environments safe and effective, is swiftly gaining popularity in the United States (Brandt, Chitiyo, May, 2012). This model aims to teach prosocial behavior through positively stated rules and expectations; however, there is little research examining social skills instruction using a tiered model (Schoenfield, Rutherford, Gable, Rock, 2008). This is of considerable concern for children with autism spectrum (ASD) and related social disorders as educators attempt to address the social needs of these students within a SWPBS framework (Sansoti, 2010). The current study aimed to begin exploration into the topic of a tiered social skills training framework for children with autism spectrum and related social/behavioral disorders and their typically developing peers by initial implementation and testing of a primary tier social skills program through the use of a mixed model research design. The program was implemented in two classrooms (1 preschool and 1 kindergarten) in southwest Virginia. A mixed-method research study was conducted to determine whether the program leads to improved classroom environment, improved social functioning for children with ASD or social difficulties (n=8), what qualities of children, teachers, and classrooms affect implementation and results, and what additional changes or elements need to be provided to implement the program without the aid of a researcher. While quantitative results failed to yield significant findings, qualitative results partially supported the use of the program. While the initial results were small to insignificant, they point to important considerations for further refinement of the program. / Ph. D.

There is ever-increasing pressure on school officials to provide a safe school environment that is conducive to learning. There is also a growing concern from teachers and administrators that many students are unrecognized for their continual appropriate behavior(s), in part, because of the attention consumed by both challenging students and students with exceptional talents and abilities. In response, a School-Wide Positive Behavior Support (SWPBS) approach is growing in popularity to address both of these issues. SWPBS is implemented across an entire school population and involves all individuals whether they are challenging, exceptional, or typical. The initial research shows encouraging results and supports the effectiveness of a School-Wide Positive Behavior Support program. This study focused on the development, implementation, and results of a SWPBS program at a rural high school. Data collected included office daily referrals, suspensions, expulsions, attendance, and the number of reinforcers (Mo-Bucks) distributed by staff. Outcome data indicated that compared to the year prior to the SWPBS program's implementation, there was a reduction in office daily referrals, a reduction in expulsions, and an increase in attendance. The results of this 3-year study supported the effectiveness of SWPBS as an intervention for reducing disruptive behaviors at the high school level for typical students as well as for students with special needs.

This study surveyed a national sample of school psychologists (N = 105) regarding their training and skills in function-based behavior support planning. Specifically, this study aimed to determine (a) the function-based behavior support planning competencies practicing school psychologists possess and (b) factors that are related to their level of competency (e.g., prior training). School psychologists were asked to identify strategies as function-based, neutral, or contra-indicated when provided with a brief vignette. School psychologists also reported on demographic characteristics and pre-service and post-graduate training in behavior support planning. Currently, very little is known about the function-based behavior support planning competencies school psychologists possess. This study is among the first to directly assess the ability to link the function of behavior to relevant support strategies. Results of the study indicate that an alarming proportion of school psychologists did not meet the criterion for proficiency on this measure. Interestingly, the current study did not find statistically meaningful differences of performance based on characteristics of prior training. Implications for improving function-based behavior support planning competencies of school psychologists and strategies for improving student supports are discussed.

Students who exhibit disruptive and inappropriate behaviors are a challenge for schools, as teachers and administrators are most often held responsible for managing these behaviors. This study was designed to evaluate School-Wide Positive Behavior Supports (SWPBS) when used in a rural middle school setting. Research indicates that using SWPBS in an individual school over a period of time can decrease the amount of disruptive behaviors in the school while also increasing attendance and academic scores. However, little longitudinal research exists concerning the use of SWPBS within middle school settings across a system. Through the use of quantitative methods, this study included examining overall effect on office disciplinary referrals (ODRs), suspensions, and expulsions under the 3 categories of schools as well as faculty and student perceptions (current year only) of SWPBS. While there was no significant difference found among ODRs, expulsions, or suspensions among the 3 school categories through ANOVA analysis, the study did highlight the need for further evaluation of how schools implement SWPBS. A one-way, chi-square analysis of faculty perceptions did not show a significance among the three school categories, while student perceptions did show significance and a follow-up pairwise comparison was conducted. The student survey analysis suggests that students in either a school with the SWPBS plan or without a plan are 3 times more likely to have a negative attitude toward the behavioral school policies than schools with a partial SWPBS plan. The analysis on perceptions indicates the need for further faculty and student questioning in future research. The primary significance of this study is that it addresses the use of SWPBS in various middle school settings and in various stages of use (full plan, partial plan, or no plan). This study also evaluates data from two years before the SWPBS implementation as opposed to just one year. The study highlights issues related to middle school students and how school systems might better serve those students.

No description available.

No description available.