K. Brigid Flannery

Relationships between Academics and Problem Behavior in the Transition from Middle School to High School.

Given the increased risk factors in the transition from middle school to high school, this study tracked academic and school discipline records for students receiving general and special education services as they transitioned from Grade 8 to Grade 9. The authors employed analysis of variance and structural equation modeling to determine the significance and strength of the relationship between academic skills and behavior variables. Results indicated significant interactions between academic scores and office discipline referrals, both within and across grades. When controlling for the direct effects, crossover effects of Grade 8 discipline referrals on Grade 9 academic scores remained statistically significant, though effects of Grade 8 state reading assessment scores on Grade 9 discipline referrals did not. Results are discussed in terms of improving school environments and academic instruction to prevent school failure.

School-Wide Positive Behavior Support in High School: Early Lessons Learned.

School-wide positive behavior support (SWPBS) is designed to promote positive teaching and learning climates supporting positive social behavior and academic achievement. As a proactive school-wide approach, all students and all staff across all settings are considered. This approach has been implemented in more than 5,000 schools across the United States to date, primarily in elementary and middle schools. High schools are complex organizations with multiple administrators, large numbers of staff and students, and varied expectations related to academic achievement and successful diploma completion. Although key features of SWPBS are similar across schools, specific implementation strategies often are different in high schools. In this article, the authors first delineate the critical features of SWPBS and then present results from a survey of sample high schools implementing SWPBS. They use survey results as a foundation from which to provide guidelines to school teams attempting to implement SWPBS in high schools.

The relationship between predictability and problem behavior for students with severe disabilities

Two single-case studies were conducted to examine the extent to which signaled (predictable) and unsignaled (unpredictable) events were associated with changes in the level of problem behavior during instruction. Two students with moderate-to-severe intellectual disabilities and autism participated in the study. Each student was nominated for the study based on a teachers report that problem behaviors were much more likely when novel or unsignaled events occurred. Functional assessments were conducted with each student and the specific predictability features (signals) associated with low and high levels of problem behavior were identified. Multi-element and reversal designs were employed to examine the extent to which increased predictability was associated with reduced problem behavior. Results supported the use of functional assessment procedures to determine whether signals that provide information about the content, duration, timing, and/or consequences of future events could reduce problem behaviors.

Using Observational Data to Provide Performance Feedback to Teachers: A High School Case Study.

Educators face ongoing pressure to improve student outcomes, especially with regard to academic achievement and social behavior. One viable strategy for supporting and improving instructional practices is to conduct classroom observations and provide performance feedback. Researchers have shown performance feedback to be effective in the workplace, institutions, and educational settings. The present case study on a high school teacher provides preliminary promising information of the relevance and effectiveness of the combination of a classroom observation and a performance feedback process that focused on the relations among 3 key variables: classroom instructional settings, instructional practice, and classroom student behavior. The authors used a process based on the observational data that identified when students were off task and pinpointed the corresponding setting categories and the teachers instructional actions. The authors provided performance feedback to the teacher on the basis of these findings. Then, the teacher made changes in the identified setting categories and teacher actions, resulting in substantial gains in class engagement and a reduction in problem behaviors.

The Impact of Person Centered Planning on the Content and Organization of Individual Supports

Person Centered Planning (PCP) is an approach to designing support that is guided by the individual with disabilities (or his/her advocates) that receives support, builds from personal strengths and vision, and results in practical action plans. While PCP procedures have been advocated strongly and adopted widely, there is little empirical documentation of the impact of the approach on the quality of resulting plans or the perceived impact of support on the lives of people with disabilities. The present study provides an analysis of the impact that the use of PCP had with ten transition-age students receiving special education services. Interviews with eight educators and ten students/parents indicated that PCP training was associated with (a) increased use of PCP procedures, (b) increased number of written goals supported outside the school-time, (c) increased number of non-paid individuals scheduled to provide support, and (d) higher satisfaction with the planning process by educators and students/parents.

A Description of Elementary Classroom Discipline Referral Patterns.

Abstract There remains a focus on how schools provide support to students with behavioral problems who require special education services. Previous researchers and practitioners have used office discipline referrals to identify needs and strengths, and to evaluate the effectiveness of school-wide discipline efforts. This article extends the use of office discipline referrals to examine patterns across several elementary schools from two different states. Office discipline referrals originating from these elementary school classrooms were evaluated across (a) behaviors, (b) administrative decision, (c) grade level, and (d) month of year. Results suggest while some variability exists across individual schools, stable patterns for schools and states emerged. Description of office discipline referral patterns and implications for decision-making, establishing effective classroom systems, and future research are presented.

School Disciplinary Responses to Truancy: Current Practice and Future Directions.

Truancy, or unexcused absence, is a common problem facing nearly all high schools across the United States and other nations. Understanding how schools typically respond to student truancy and the relative effectiveness of these responses is an important, yet relatively unexplored area. Using a national extant dataset, this study examined which school disciplinary responses are most effective in reducing the reoccurrence and growth in truancy among ninth-grade students. Results revealed group differences in the odds of truancy reoccurrence. After controlling for student-level factors, out-of-school suspension (OSS) was found to significantly decrease the probability of future truancy. However, longitudinal growth models revealed that repeated and ongoing exposure to OSS actually accelerated the growth in truancy. Implications for schools and directions for future research are discussed.

Improving Employment Outcomes of Individuals With Disabilities Through Short-Term Postsecondary Training

Young adults with and without disabilities who complete postsecondary education, including occupational training, significantly improve their employment rates and financial well-being. This study examined employment outcomes and predictors of success for transition-aged and adult vocational rehabilitation consumers who participated in a college short-term training program. This program included key characteristics, making it a unique postsecondary option: an individualized design, a primarily worksite-based curriculum, and a focus on the existing labor market and employment. Results demonstrated successful participants had higher wages and worked more hours per quarter as well as more quarters during the first year after exit. Critical predictors for positive results were receipt of financial support, career services, and vocational coursework. The need for extensive work-related accommodations reduced the likelihood of success.

Utilizing Positive Behavior Supports in High School Settings to Improve School Completion Rates for Students with High Incidence Conditions.

The integration of primary, secondary, and tertiary interventions through positive behavior supports (PBS) can provide benefit for students, staff, and families (Bohanon et al., 2006; Turnbull et al., 2002). However, there is limited application of PBS to high schools settings (Sugai, Flannery, & Bohanon, 2004). However, preliminary data is promising (Bohanon et al., 2006) and this article describes the benefits of providing PBS in high school settings for all students, including those with high-incidence disabilities. The authors focus on school-wide supports associated with creating an environment that improves the general school expectations and positive interactions between students and teachers. Specifically, this article will focus on how implementation of PBS may be related to improvement in student behavior, school climate, and subsequently improved rates of school completion. A successful completion of school enhances the likelihood that students will have improved post-secondary outcomes.

Building Functional Curricula for Students With Severe Intellectual Disabilities and Severe Problem Behaviors

People with severe intellectual disabilities who engage in dangerous behaviors present a major challenge. When building support plans (e.g., IEPs, IHPs) for these individuals, the severity of their harmful behaviors often overshadows all other support objectives. Recently, however, leaders in the field have encouraged a reevaluation of our strategies for delivering support (Touchette, 1989a; Wacker, 1989). We are encouraged to use functional analysis assessment procedures more prescriptively (Carr, Taylor, Carlson, & Robinson, 1989; Donnellan, LaVigna, Negri-Shoultz, & Fassbender, 1989; Durand & Crimmins, 1987; Favell, 1990; Iwata, Dorsey, Slifer, Bauman, & Richman, 1982; Mace et al., 1988; Meyer & Evans, 1989; Van Houten et al., 1988; Wacker et al., 1990) and to apply our technology of instruction in an effort to teach appropriate behaviors that achieve the behavioral function of the dangerous behaviors (Bailey & Pyles, 1989; Carr, 1988; Carr, Robinson, & Palumbo, 1990; Durand, 1990; Horner & Billingsley, 1988). This effort reflects a return to the roots of applied behavior analysis (Baer, Wolf, & Risley, 1968, 1987) and emphasizes that the content of instruction is an important concern for the reduction of problem behaviors. We are moving into an era in which durable, generalized behavior change is the standard for success, and where instructional technology will be viewed as among the most powerful approaches for reducing severe problem behavior.