Examining the Impact of PBIS Experience on MTSS Implementation in Secondary Schools: A Mixed Methods Study

Abstract

This sequential explanatory mixed methods study with a complementarity rationale examined the differential experiences of MTSS implementation in three Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS)–implementing and three non-implementing secondary schools in the Midwestern United States. Using a survey and follow-up interviews with a sample of 25 secondary school leadership team (SLT) members, this study sought to understand (1) their beliefs and attitudes toward MTSS prior to implementation and (2) unique barriers to and facilitators of MTSS implementation in secondary education following initial MTSS implementation. Overall, the results of this study indicated that generally, SLT members had positive beliefs and attitudes toward MTSS prior to implementation, which were maintained a year later at follow-up. Additionally, several differential barriers to and facilitators of implementation emerged between PBIS and non-PBIS schools, though shared barriers and facilitators were also evident. Lastly, experience with PBIS differentially impacted the experiences of SLT members from PBIS and non-PBIS schools. Implications for secondary school practitioners, schools, and local educational agencies are discussed.

Keywords

change systems teams training

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Algozzine

Barrett

Eber

George

Horner

Lewis

Putnam

Swain-Bradway

McIntosh

Sugai

(2014). School-wide PBIS Tiered Fidelity Inventory. Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports. www.pbis.org

Alter

(2021). Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS). In Volkmar

F. R.

(Ed.), Encyclopedia of autism spectrum disorders. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-91280-6_102148

Bradshaw

C. P.

Pas

E. T.

Debnam

K. J.

Johnson

S. L.

(2021). A randomized controlled trial of MTSS-B in high schools: Improving classroom management to prevent EBDs. Remedial and Special Education, 42(1), 44–59. https://doi.org/10.1177/0741932520966727

Braun

Kumm

Brown

Walte

Hughes

M. T.

Maggin

D. M.

(2020). Living in tier 2: Educators’ perceptions of MTSS in urban schools. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 24(10), 1114–1128. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603116.2018.1511758

Castillo

J. M.

Batsche

G. M.

Curtis

M. J.

Stockslager

March

Minch

Hines

(2016). RTI Beliefs Scale. https://floridarti.usf.edu/resources/index.html

Castro-Villarreal

Rodriguez

B. J.

Moore

(2014). Teachers’ perceptions and attitudes about Response to Intervention (RTI) in their schools: A qualitative analysis. Teaching and Teacher Education, 40, 104–112. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2014.02.004

Center on PBIS. (n.d.). What is PBIS? https://www.pbis.org/pbis/what-is-pbis

Choi

J. H.

McCart

A. B.

Hicks

T. A.

Sailor

(2018). An analysis of mediating effects of school leadership on MTSS implementation. Journal of Special Education, 53(1), 15–27. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022466918804815

Choi

Shanahan

Casey-Wilke

Johnson

(2024). Implementation drivers of data-based instruction for students with intensive learning needs: A systematic review. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 57(5), 291–302. https://doi.org/10.1177/00222194231220070

10.

Coffey

J. H.

Horner

R. H.

(2012). The sustainability of schoolwide positive behavior interventions and supports. Exceptional Children, 78(4), 407–422. https://doi.org/10.1177/001440291207800402

11.

Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning. (2018). Connecting schoolwide SEL with other school-based frameworks. https://schoolguide.casel.org/resource/mtss-and-pbis-support-programs/

12.

Cook

C. R.

Lyon

A. R.

Kubergovic

Browning Wright

Zhang

(2015). A supportive beliefs intervention to facilitate the implementation of evidence-based practices within a multi-tiered system of supports. School Mental Health, 7(1), 49–60. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12310-014-9139-3

13.

Creswell

J. W.

Plano Clark

V. L.

(2018). Designing and conducting mixed methods research. Sage.

14.

Debnam

K. J.

Pas

E. T.

Bradshaw

C. P.

(2011). Factors influencing staff perceptions of administrator support for Tier 2 and 3 interventions. Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, 21(2), 116–126. https://doi.org/10.1177/1063426611410571

15.

Dillard

(2017). Multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS) and implementation science [Doctoral dissertation, California State University, Long Beach]. ProQuest Dissertations & Theses A&I. https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/multi-tiered-system-supports-mtss-implementation/docview/1935584863/se-2

16.

Dulaney

Hallam

Wall

(2013). Superintendent perceptions of multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS): Obstacles and opportunities for school system reform. AASA Journal of Scholarship and Practice Research Article, 10(2), 30–45. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1010587

17.

Durrance

(2022). Implementing MTSS in secondary schools: Challenges and strategies. SERVE Center at UNC Greensboro. https://region6cc.uncg.edu/mtss/

18.

Every Student Succeeds Act, 20 U.S.C. § 6301 (2015). https://www.congress.gov/bill/114/plaws/publ95/PLAW-114publ95.pdf

19.

Fixsen

D. L.

Blase

K. A.

Naoom

S. F.

Wallace

(2009). Core implementation components. Research on Social Work Practice, 19(5), 531–540. https://doi.org/10.1177/1049731509335549

20.

Fixsen

D. L.

Naoom

Blase

Friedman

Wallace

(2005). Implementation research: A synthesis of the literature. National Implementation Research Network. https://nirn.fpg.unc.edu/resources/implementation-research-synthesis-literature

21.

Flannery

K. B.

McGrath Kato

(2017). Implementation of SWPBIS in high school: Why is it different? Preventing School Failure: Alternative Education for Children and Youth, 61(1), 69–79. https://doi.org/10.1080/1045988X.2016.1196644

22.

Freeman

Simonsen

McCoach

D. B.

Sugai

Lombardi

Horner

(2016). Relationship between School-Wide Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports and academic, attendance, and behavior outcomes in high schools. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 18(1), 41–51. https://doi.org/10.1177/1098300715580992

23.

Freeman

Miller

Newcomer

(2015). Integration of academic and behavioral MTSS at the district level using implementation science. Learning Disabilities: A Contemporary Journal, 13(1), 59–72. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1080597.pdf

24.

Grebing

E. M.

Edmunds

J. A.

Arshavsky

N. P.

(2023). The relationship between buy-in and implementation: Measuring teacher buy-in to a high school reform effort. Evaluation and Program Planning, 97(1), 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2023.102224

25.

Kuh

G. D.

Ikenberry

S. O.

Jankowski

N. A.

Cain

T. R.

Ewell

P. T.

Hutchings

Kinzie

(2014). Using evidence of student learning to improve higher education. Wiley.

26.

Lesh

J. J.

Roberts

Cavitt

Morales

D. L.

(2021). Urban secondary school administrators and faculty perceptions of multitiered system of supports/response to intervention. NASSP Bulletin, 105(4), 225–249. https://doi.org/10.1177/01926365211060798

27.

Levitt

H. M.

Motulsky

S. L.

Wertz

F. J.

Morrow

S. L.

Ponterotto

J. G.

(2017). Recommendations for designing and reviewing qualitative research in psychology: Promoting methodological integrity. Qualitative Psychology, 4, 2–22. http://doi.org/10.1037/qup0000082

28.

Maher

J. M.

Markey

J. C.

Ebert-May

(2013). The other half of the story: Effect size analysis in quantitative research. CBE Life Sciences Education, 12(3), 345–351. https://doi.org/10.1187/cbe.13-04-0082

29.

Martinez

Kern

Hershfeldt

George

H. P.

White

Flannery

Freeman

(2019). High school PBIS implementation: Student voice. OSEP TA Center on PBIS. https://www.pbis.org/resource/high-school-pbis-implementation-student-voice

30.

Mason

E. N.

Benz

S. A.

Lembke

E. S.

Burns

M. K.

Powell

S. R.

(2019). From professional development to implementation: A district’s experience implementing mathematics tiered systems of support. Learning Disabilities Research & Practice, 34(4), 207–214. https://doi.org/10.1111/ldrp.12206

31.

McIntosh

Goodman

(2016). Integrated multi-tiered systems of support: Blending RTI and PBIS. Guilford Press.

32.

Metz

Bartley

(2012). Active implementation frameworks for program success: How to use implementation science to improve outcomes for children. Zero to Three, 32, 11–18. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1002634

33.

Moir

(2018). Why is implementation science important for intervention design and evaluation within educational settings? Frontiers in Education, 3, 292953. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2018.00061

34.

National Association of School Psychologists. (2016). Integrated model of academic and behavioral supports. https://www.nasponline.org/Documents/Research%20and%20Policy/Position%20Statements/Integrated_Model_of_Academic_and_Behavioral_Supports.pdf

35.

National Implementation Research Network. (2023). Implementation stages overview. https://implementation.fpg.unc.edu/resource/implementation-stages-overview/

36.

Plano Clark

V. L.

Ivankova

N. V

. (2015). Mixed methods research: A guide to the field (Vol. 3). Sage.

37.

Scott

T. M.

Gage

N. A.

Hirn

R. G.

Lingo

A. S.

Burt

(2019). An examination of the association between MTSS implementation fidelity measures and student outcomes. Preventing School Failure: Alternative Education for Children and Youth, 63(4), 308–316. https://doi.org/10.1080/1045988X.2019.1605971

38.

Smith

(2018). A mixed methods comparative analysis of the implementation of the multi-tiered systems of support in Missouri elementary public schools [Doctoral dissertation, Lindenwood University]. Digital Commons at Lindenwood University. https://digitalcommons.lindenwood.edu/dissertations/121

39.

Song

S. Y.

Miranda

A. H.

Radliff

K. M.

Shriberg

(2019). School psychology in a global society: Roles and functions. NASP Publications.

40.

Steed

E. A.

Leech

N. L.

Shapland

(2022). Early childhood teachers’ inclusion in their elementary school’s social emotional multitiered system of supports: A mixed methods study. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 25(2), 95–107. https://doi.org/10.1177/10983007221120282

41.

Werts

M. G.

Carpenter

E. S.

Fewell

(2017). Barriers and benefits to response to intervention: Perceptions of special education teachers. Rural Special Education Quarterly, 33(2), 3–11. https://doi.org/10.1177/875687051403300202

42.

Zhao

Fils-Aime

(2022). Response rates of online surveys in published research: A meta-analysis. Computers in Human Behavior Reports, 7, 100206. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chbr.2022.100206

Supplementary Material

Please find the following supplemental material available below.

For Open Access articles published under a Creative Commons License, all supplemental material carries the same license as the article it is associated with.

For non-Open Access articles published, all supplemental material carries a non-exclusive license, and permission requests for re-use of supplemental material or any part of supplemental material shall be sent directly to the copyright owner as specified in the copyright notice associated with the article.

0.00 MB

0.03 MB