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.

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.

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Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a developmental disorder known for deficits in language and social skills. It is often associated with maladaptive behaviors. Studies have indicated that these behaviors in children lead to increased stress, anxiety and depression in mothers. This study examines the effects of parent-implemented Positive Behavior Support (PBS) and behavioral activation (BA) on reducing problem behaviors and increasing maternal wellness. The single subject study was conducted with three mothers (between the ages of 30 and 45) and their three children (between the ages of 5 and 7) with autism spectrum disorder. The results of this study demonstrate that while PBS implementation does reduce problem behaviors, it does not significantly impact maternal well-being. Results indicated that two of the three mothers were able to implement PBS interventions and their children demonstrated significant behavioral improvements. These mothers also engaged in high levels of valued activities both at baseline and during intervention and showed few depression symptoms. The third mother was not able to implement the interventions and her child demonstrated little behavioral progress. This mother showed signs of depression and did not make gains in this area. Further research may want to examine the relationship between behavioral activation and respite care, as well as the role of socioeconomic status.

Challenging behavior in preschool is a serious concern for teachers. In recent years, positive behavior support (PBS) has been shown to be effective in reducing such behaviors. Class-Wide Function-related Intervention Teams (CW-FIT) is a specific program for implementing PBS principles in classroom settings. CW-FIT is a group contingency that utilizes social skills training, teacher praise, and positive reinforcement to improve student behavior. Students are taught specific social skills and then work in teams to earn a group reward based on the use of these skills. CW-FIT has been shown to be effective in elementary classrooms but has not yet been evaluated with other age groups. The present study examined the effects of CW-FIT implementation on teacher praise rates and student engagement in four preschool classrooms with 55 total students. A single-subject, multiple-baseline design with embedded reversals was used to evaluate impact. Results indicate that CW-FIT increased teacher praise rates and student engagement while reducing student disruptive behavior. Both teachers and students found CW-FIT to be socially valid. The present study indicates promising results for the implementation of CW-FIT in a preschool setting.

Challenging and disruptive student behavior is a major concern for all teachers, including those who teach art. Unfortunately, there is a lack of research and resources available for art teachers to manage student behavior. School-wide positive behavior support (SWPBS) is a framework that has been shown to improve student behavior. Class-wide Function-Related Intervention Teams (CW-FIT) is an intervention that utilizes SWPBS principles including group contingency, social skills instruction, teacher praise, and positive reinforcement and has been shown to be effective in general education classrooms. This is the first study of CW-FIT in elementary art classrooms and examined the effects of the intervention on teacher praise-to-reprimand rates and student on-task behavior in three classrooms. The first classroom utilized an AB design while the other two used a reversal (ABAB) design to evaluate impact. The results indicated the teacher was able to implement CW-FIT with fidelity, increase praise-to-reprimand ratios, and increase group on-task behavior. Finally, both the teacher and students found it to be socially valid. Limitations and implications of this study for researchers and practitioners are discussed.

Parents who have children with challenging behavior may feel stressed, overwhelmed and at a loss for solutions. Challenging behavior can cause problems with children’s relationships with others and their school success. There are many resources for schools and children with special needs; however, resources for parents for young children (ages 3 to 5) with challenging behavior are limited. This study examined the impact of a 6-week intervention to coach parents to use strategies that encouraged children to develop skills that helped them to express frustration and solve problems in positive ways. Parents were better able to understand what the children were communicating with their behaviors, and what supports they needed in order to get their needs met in an appropriate way. Challenging behavior decreased for the children who participated. They also were better able to communicate their needs and handle disappointment.

Being a teacher is not an easy job. There is an increased emphasis on evidence-based methods. Teacher praise is an effective classroom management tool. Behavior specific praise statements is a low intensity teacher delivered strategy where teachers say or write the precise behavior exhibited and how it met an expectation or affected academic/social achievement. This study aimed to increase Behavior Specific Praise Statements among three teachers in Mathematic, English and Social subject studies on student’s social behavior as a group. An intervention consisting of an hour of counseling, post-it notes, and self-registration was given. The teachers decided their own pre-set criteria. Two teachers sat a criterion of three and one teacher sat a criterion of six. The results showed that the intervention had an effect on the teachers use of BSPS. However, one teacher did not reach the pre-set criteria. Practical implications are discussed.

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).