An Analysis of Leadership Teams' Perceptions of Positive Behavior Support and the Outcomes of Typically Developing and At-Risk Students in Their Schools

Abstract

Positive behavioral supports (PBS) have been receiving increased visibility and use in schools nationally. In the state of Washington, schoolwide and individualized positive behavioral supports were recommended as a model for schools by the state agencies of education and human service in 1999. Since then, four demonstration schools have been implementing schoolwide PBS strategies and supports targeted to reach the needs of all students in the school. In this article, we report school-level changes as assessed by leadership teams in the school, along with student-level changes in social skills and problem behaviors. Results are reported on a sample of 68 typically developing students and 56 students who were considered at risk of developing emotional or behavioral problems. Results suggest that the schools made consistent progress from 1999-2002 in implementing the schoolwide PBS model and that students' social skills improved while their problem behaviors decreased. In addition, social skills and behavior problems were found to be related to the number of office referrals students received. Finally, student referrals to prereferral and multidisciplinary team meetings were at or below expected levels, and less than 25% of at-risk students were identified for special education services.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Brown, P. , & Johnson, C. (2002). Post-school status report: 2001 graduates. Seattle: University of Washington.

Bullis, M. , & Cheney, D. (1999). Vocational and transition interventions for adolescents and young adults with emotional or behavioral disorders. Focus on Exceptional Children, 31(7), 1-24.

Barringer, C. , & Cheney, D. (1995). Project DESTINY: Creating contexts for social/emotional development: The evaluation of interagency, school-based systems of care. 8th Annual Research Conference Proceedings: A system of care for children's mental health: Expanding the data base. Research and Training Center for Children's Mental Health, Florida Mental Health Institute , Tampa FL.

Cheney, D. , & Barringer, C. (1999). A transdisciplinary model for students' social and emotional development: Creating a context for inclusion. In J. R. Scotti & L. H. Meyer (Eds.), New directions for behavioral intervention: Principles, models, and practices (pp. 154-178). Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes.

Cheney, D. , & Barringer, C. (1995). Teacher competence, student diversity, and staff training for the inclusion of middle school students with emotional and behavioral disorders. Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, 3, 174-182.

Cheney, D. , Barringer, C. , Upham, D. , & Manning, M. (1995). Project DESTINY: A model for developing educational support teams through interagency networks for youth with emotional or behavioral disorders. Special Services in the School, 10, 57-76.

Cheney, D. , Blum, C. , Stage, S. , & Walker, B. (in press). A multivariate analysis of outcome variables of students with and without emotional or behavioral disabilities in schools practicing positive behavioral support. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions.

Cheney, D. , & Osher, T. (1997). Collaborate with families. Journal of Emotional and Behavior Disorders, 5, 36-44.

Cheney, D. , Walker, B. , Jackson, H. , & Stage, S. (1999). School self-assessment and program review. Seattle: University of Washington.

10.

Cheney, D. , Walker, B. , Stage, S. , & Jackson, H. (2000). Assessing schools on positive behavioral supports: The relationship between team perceptions of best practices, student awards/recognition, and student disciplinary actions. Unpublished paper, University of Washington.

11.

Colvin, G. , Kameenui, E. , & Sugai, G. (1993). Reconceptulizing behavior management and schoolwide discipline in general education. Education and Treatment of Children, 16, 361-381.

12.

Crone, D.A. , & Horner, R.H. (2003). Building positive behavior supports systems in schools: Functional behavior assessment. New York: The Guilford Press

13.

Eber, L. , Nelson, M. , & Miles, P. (1997). School-based wraparound for students with emotional and behavioral challenges. Exceptional Children, 63, 539-555.

14.

Epstein, M. , Kutash, K. , & Duchnowski, A. (Eds.). (1998 ). Outcomes for children and youth with emotional and behavioral disorders and their families (pp. 231-259). Austin, TX: PRO-ED.

15.

Epstein, M.H. , & Sharma, J.M. (1998). Behavioral and emotional rating scale: A strength based approach to assessment. Austin, TX: PRO-ED.

16.

Friesen, B. , & Osher, T. (1996). Involving families in change: Challenges and opportunities . In R. J. Illback & C. M. Nelson (Eds.), Emerging school-based approaches for children with emotional or behavioral problems (pp. 187-208). Binghamton, NY: Haworth Press.

17.

Gable, R.A. , Hendrickson, J.M. , Young, C.C. , & Shokoohi-Yekta, M. (1992). Preservice preparation and classroom practices of teachers of students with emotional/behavioral disorders. Behavioral Disorders, 17, 126-134.

18.

Gresham, F. , & Elliot, S.N. (1990). Social skills rating system. Circle Pines, MN: American Guidance Service.

19.

Illback, R.J. & Nelson, C.M. (Eds.). (1996). Emerging school-based approaches for children with emotional or behavioral problems. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.

20.

Irvin, L.K. , Tobin, T.J. , Sprague, J.R. , Sugai, G. , & Vincent, C. (in press). Validity of office discipline referral measures as indices of schoolwide behavioral interventions. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions.

21.

Koren, P. , DeChillo, N. , & Friesen, B.J. (1992). Measuring empowerment in families whose children have emotional disabilities: A brief questionnaire. Rehabilitaion Psychology, 37, 305-321.

22.

Lewis, T.J. , & Sugai, G. (1999). Effective behavior support: A systems approach to proactive school-wide management. Focus on Exceptional Children, 31, 1-24.

23.

Malmgren, K. , Edgar, E. , & Neel, R. (1998). Postschool status of youths with behavioral disorders . Behavioral Disorders, 23, 257-263.

24.

March, R. , Hawking, L. , & Green, C. (2003). Schoolwide behavior support: Creating urban schools that accommodate diverse learners. Journal of Special Education Leadership, 16, 15-22.

25.

May, S. , Ard, W. , Todd, A. , Horner, R. , Glasgow, A. , Sugai, G. , et al. (2002). Schoolwide information system. Eugene: University of Oregon, Educational and Community Supports.

26.

McCurdy, B. , Mannella, M. , & Eldridge, N. (2003). Positive behavioral support in urban schools: Can we prevent the escalation of antisocial behavior. Journal of Positive Behavioral Interventions, 5, 158-170.

27.

Messick, S. (1988). The once and future issues of validity: Assessing the meaning and consequences of measurement. In H. Wainer & H. Braun (Eds.), Test validity (pp. 33-45). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum Associates.

28.

Reynolds, C. , & Kamphaus, R. (1998). The Behavior Assessment System for Children. Circle Pines, MN: American Guidance Service.

29.

Rose, L. , & Gallup, A. (2001). The 33rd annual Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup Poll of the public's attitudes toward the public schools. Phi Delta Kappan, 81, 41-59.

30.

The State of Washington's Children, Washington Kids Count Project. ( 2001). Seattle: University of Washington .

31.

Sugai, G. (2002). A blueprint for implementing schoolwide PBS at the state, region or district level. Keynote address at the Schoolwide Positive Behavior Support Conference: An Implementer's Forum on Systems Change, Naperville, IL.

32.

Sugai, G. , & Horner, R. (1999). Discipline and behavioral support; practices, pitfalls, and promises. Effective School Practice, 17, 10-22.

33.

Sugai, G. , & Homer, R. (2001, June). School climate and discipline: Going to scale. Presentation at the National Summit on the Shared Implementation of IDEA. Washington, DC.

34.

Sugai, G. , & Homer, R. (2002). The evolution of discipline practices: Schoolwide positive behavior supports. Child and Family Behavior Therapy , 24, 23-50.

35.

Sugai, G.M. , Kame'enui, E.J. , Horner, R.H. , & Simmons, D.C. (2002). Effective instruction and behavior support systems: A schoolwide approach to discipline and early literacy. Washington, DC: Office of Special Education Programs .

36.

Taylor-Greene, S. , Brown, D. , Nelson, L. , Longton, J. , Gassman, J. , Cohen, J. , et al. (1997). Schoolwide behavioral support: Starting the year off right. Journal of Behavioral Education, 7, 99-112.

37.

Todd, A.W. , Homer, R.H. , Sugai, G. , & Colvin, G. (1999). Individualizing schoolwide discipline for students with chronic problem behaviors: A team approach. Effective School Practices, 17(4), 23-82.

38.

U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs. (1998). Twentieth annual report to Congress on the implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Fifteenth annual report to Congress on the implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Washington, DC: Author.

39.

U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs. (2000). Twenty-second annual report to Congress on the implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Fifteenth annual report to Congress on the implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Washington, DC: Author.

40.

U.S. Department of Education. (2003). No child left behind website. Retrieved February 19, 2003, from http://www.ed.gov/offices/OESE/reference&www.nochildleftbehind.gov.

41.

Utley, C. , Kozleski, E. , Smith, A. , & Draper, I.L. (2002). Positive behavior support: Proactive strategy for minimizing behavior problems in urban multicultural youth. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 4(4), 196-207.

42.

Walker, B. , & Cheney, D. (in press). Bringing functional behavior assessment and positive behavior support plans to life in general education classrooms. Behavioral Disorders.

43.

Walker, H.M. , Horner, R.H. , Sugai, G. , Bullis, M. , Sprauge, J.R. , Bricker, D. , et al. (1996). Integrated approaches to preventing antisocial behavior patterns among school-age children and youth. Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, 4(4), 194-209.

44.

Walker, H. , & Severson, H. (1990). Systematic screening of behavior disorders (SSBD): A multiple gating procedure. Longmont, CO: Sopris West.

45.

Warren, J.S. , Edmonson, H. , Griggs, P. , Lassen, S. , McCart, A. , Turnbull, A. , et al. (2003). Urban applications of schoolwide positive behavior support: Critical issues and lessons learned. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 5, 80-91.

46.

Washington State Task Force on Behavioral Disability. (1999). Toward a comprehensive system of care, an investment strategy for children and youth in Washington state. Olympia : Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction .

47.

Wehby, J.H. , Symons, F.J. , & Canale, J.A. (1998). Teaching practices in classrooms for students with emotional and behavioral disorders: Discrepancies between recommendations and observations. Behavior Disorders, 24(1), 51-56.