Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Abstract

School-wide positive behavior support (SWPBS) has been widely adopted in schools across the nation. One reason might be the availability of statewide training and implementation support infrastructures in many states across the country. However, even with the availability of support, some schools experience barriers typical to systems change activities. The research purpose of this study was to investigate how problems with staff and administrator buy-in of the universal intervention manifest and are resolved from the perspective of internal and external coaches. A second purpose of this study was to investigate the similarities and differences in how external and internal coaches view staff buy-in issues and the process for research. A total of 18 participants (9 external and 9 internal SWPBS coaches) participated in the study. Findings suggest commonalities across the types of (a) barriers participants encountered, (b) climate and systems influences, and (c) strategies used to resolve barriers. The findings also suggest the importance of staff having firsthand successes and the need for universal teams to “stick with” implementation over a period of several years before changes in staff resistance were evident.

Keywords

middle schools universal intervention staff buy-in systems change

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Bambara

L. M.

Nonnemacher

Kern

(2009). Sustaining school-based individualized positive behavior support: Perceived barriers and enablers. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 11, 161–176.

Barrett

S. B.

Bradshaw

C. P.

Lewis-Palmer

(2008). Maryland statewide PBIS initiative: Systems, evaluation, and next steps. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 10, 105–114.

Bogdan

R. C.

Biklen

S. K.

(1992). Qualitative research for education: An introduction to theory and methods. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

Bradshaw

C. P.

Debnam

Koth

C. W.

Leaf

(2009). Preliminary validation of the implementation phases inventory for assessing fidelity of schoolwide positive behavior supports. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 11, 145–160.

Cohen

Kincaid

Elfner-Childs

(2007). Measuring school-wide positive behavior support implementation: Development and validation of the Benchmarks of Quality. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 9, 203–213.

Fixsen

D. L.

Naoom

S. F.

Blasé

K. A.

Friedman

R. M.

Wallace

(2005). Implementation research: A synthesis of the literature (FMHI Publication No. 231). Tampa: University of South Florida, Louis de la Parte Florida mental Health Institute, National Implementation Research Network.

Franzen

Kamps

(2008). The utilization and effects of positive behavior support strategies on an urban school playground. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 10, 150–161.

Giangreco

M. F.

Dennis

Cloninger

Edelman

Schattman

(1993). “I’ve counted Jon”: Transformational experiences of teachers educating students with disabilities. Exceptional Children, 59, 359–372.

Hill

C. E.

Thompson

B. J.

Nutt-Williams

(1997). A guide to conducting consensual qualitative research. Counseling Psychologist, 25, 517–572.

10.

Horner

R. H.

Sugai

Smolkowski

Eber

Nakasato

Todd

W. E.

Esperanza

(2009). A randomized, wait-list controlled effectiveness trial assessing school-wide positive behavior supporting elementary schools. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 11, 133–144.

11.

Huberman

A. M.

Miles

M. B.

(1994). Data management and analysis methods. In Denzin

N. K.

Lincoln

Y. S.

(Eds.), Handbook of qualitative research (pp. 428–444). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.

12.

Kincaid

Childs

Blasé

K. A.

Wallace

(2007). Identifying barriers and facilitators in implementing schoolwide positive behavior support. Journal of Positive Behavior Intervention, 9, 174–184.

13.

Lohrmann

Bambara

L. M.

(2006). Elementary education teachers’ beliefs about essential supports needed to successfully include students with developmental disabilities who engage in challenging behaviors. Research and Practice for Persons With Severe Disabilities, 31, 157–173.

14.

Lohrmann

Forman

Martin

Palmieri

M. J.

(2008). Understanding school personnel’s resistance to implementing SWPBS at a universal level of intervention. Journal of Positive Behavioral Interventions, 10, 256–269.

15.

Mass-Galloway

R. L.

Panyan

M. V.

Smith

C. R.

Wessendorf

(2008). Systems change with school-wide positive behavior supports: Iowa’s work in progress. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 10, 129–135.

16.

Muscott

H. S.

Mann

E. L.

LeBraun

M. R.

(2008). Positive behavioral interventions and supports in New Hampshire: Effects of large-scale implementation of SWPBS on student discipline and academic achievement. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 10, 190–205.

17.

Oskamp

(1991). Attitudes and opinions (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

18.

Peshak-George

Kincaid

D. K.

(2008). Building district-level capacity for positive behavior support. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 10, 20–32.

19.

Pratkanis

A. R.

Breckler

S. J.

Greenwald

A. G.

(1989). Attitude structure and function. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

20.

Strauss

Corbin

(1990). Basics of qualitative research: Grounded theory procedures and techniques. London, England: SAGE.

External and Internal Coaches’ Perspectives About Overcoming Barriers to Universal Interventions

Abstract

Keywords

Get full access to this article

References