Pamela Fenning

Schoolwide Application of Positive Behavior Support in an Urban High School: A Case Study

The nuances of the application of schoolwide positive behavior supports (PBS) in an urban high school setting were investigated. Impact of implementation was measured using qualitative interviews and observations, including the School-wide Evaluation Tool (SET), Effective Behavior Support Survey, Student Climate Survey, and office disciplinary referrals. The results indicated that schoolwide PBS was implemented in an urban high school setting with some success. The overall level of implementation of PBS reached 80% as measured by the SET. Staff and teachers increased their level of perceived priority for implementing PBS in their school. A decrease in monthly discipline referrals to the office and the proportion of students who required secondary and tertiary supports was noted. These findings seem to indicate that PBS may be an important process for improving outcomes for teachers and students in urban high school settings.

Effects of School-Wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports and Fidelity of Implementation on Problem Behavior in High Schools

High school is an important time in the educational career of students. It is also a time when adolescents face many behavioral, academic, and social-emotional challenges. Current statistics about the behavioral, academic, and social-emotional challenges faced by adolescents, and the impact on society through incarceration and dropout, have prompted high schools to direct their attention toward keeping students engaged and reducing high-risk behavioral challenges. The purpose of the study was to examine the effects of School-Wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (SW-PBIS) on the levels of individual student problem behaviors during a 3-year effectiveness trial without random assignment to condition. Participants were 36,653 students in 12 high schools. Eight schools implemented SW-PBIS, and four schools served as comparison schools. Results of a multilevel latent growth model showed statistically significant decreases in student office discipline referrals in SW-PBIS schools, with increases in comparison schools, when controlling for enrollment and percent of students receiving free or reduced price meals. In addition, as fidelity of implementation increased, office discipline referrals significantly decreased. Results are discussed in terms of effectiveness of a SW-PBIS approach in high schools and considerations to enhance fidelity of implementation.

Call to Action: A Critical Need for Designing Alternatives to Suspension and Expulsion.

This study presents the findings of a content analysis of 120 high school-level, written discipline policies collected from six states. Suspension was commonly offered as a response for all behaviors, including minor ones. Discipline policies varied by state in terms of the degree to which suspension was featured. Based on these findings and related literature, it is argued that a call to action is needed to address the long-standing punitive nature of school discipline. Two recommendations are offered for schools to engage in as part of a process to overhaul school discipline: (a) review and alter discipline policies so they contain alternatives to traditional school suspension, and (b) implement and evaluate proactive alternatives to suspension to build a database of evidence-based options that could replace exclusionary discipline practices.

Written Discipline Policies Used by Administrators

ABSTRACT The purpose of this article is to draw on the findings of two related studies about school discipline. The first study, a national survey of school law issues, indicated that over 37% of administrators report handling discipline either frequently or daily. The results of the second study, a content analysis of 64 written codes of conduct commonly used to make discipline decisions, were that these documents were primarily punitive in nature with an emphasis on suspension and expulsion. Implications of the study are that administrators spend excessive time handling discipline issues using punitive policies. Suggestions are made for future research about discipline policies and the ways in which they are used in schools. Implications for the creation of more proactive policies will be made.

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.

Rationale for Designing School Contexts in Support of Proactive Discipline

This introduction to a special issue of the Journal of School Violence briefly describes current challenges in school discipline and its relation to school violence as a rationale for designing prevention-oriented school contexts. School discipline is a critical issue, as disruptive behaviors significantly impact school climate and classroom instruction. Suspension is the most common school discipline response for problem behaviors ranging from mild to severe. However, suspension is ineffective in teaching alternative proactive behaviors, and may have the opposite effect of exacerbating undesirable behaviors. The special issue is intended to advance erudition about the application of suspension versus other discipline strategies in schools. Scholarship about the use of school suspension and viable alternatives (e.g., restorative justice and social cognitive approaches) is presented and critically discussed.

A Case Example of the Implementation of Schoolwide Positive Behavior Support in a High School Setting Using Change Point Test Analysis

The purpose of this case study was to expand the literature base regarding the application of high school schoolwide positive behavior support in an urban setting for practitioners and policymakers to address behavior issues. In addition, the study describes the use of the Change Point Test as a method for analyzing time series data that are dependent in nature. The authors used an existing case study example to guide the implementation of the intervention. The overall implementation of positive behavior support reached full fidelity during the final year. Focused professional development may have been related to changes in statistically significant office discipline referral trends. Implications for practice, future research, and policies are addressed.

Integrating Proactive Discipline Practices into Codes of Conduct

Abstract The purpose of this article is to advocate for proactive content in discipline codes of conduct. Proactive discipline codes integrate Positive Behavior Support (PBS) strategies (Sugai & Horner, 2002) and attend to the academic needs of students (McEvoy & Welker, 2000). Proactive discipline codes of conduct have meaningful participation by key stakeholders (Noonan, Tunney, Fogal & Sarich, 1999). The limited efficacy of traditional reactionary approaches commonly found in discipline codes are reviewed (McEvoy & Welker, 2000; Skiba & Peterson, 1999). Following this, an argument is presented for a new proactive stance in the development of written codes of conduct. Specific examples of content are presented in a table.

Implementing Schoolwide Positive Behavior Support in High School Settings: Analysis of Eight High Schools

Schoolwide positive behavior support (SWPBS) is a systems-level intervention designed to prevent the occurrence of problem behavior and increase social competence. A growing body of research documents that SWPBS reduces problem behavior and improves academics (e.g., McIntosh, Chard, Boland, & Horner, 2006), yet documentation of the feasibility of implementing SWPBS in high school settings is lacking. The current study examines implementation of universal SWPBS components in eight high schools serving over 15,525 students across a three-year period. Our findings were that improvements in implementation were evident between baseline and the end of year one, yet the implementation of SWPBS practices took a minimum of two years to achieve statistically significant and meaningful changes. These results suggest that unique aspects of the high school context may present specific implementation challenges.

School Consultants as Agents of Social Justice: Implications for Practice: Introduction to the Special Issue

This article introduces the special topic issue “School Consultants as Agents of Social Justice: Implications for Practice.” In this overview, a brief history of recent developments in education and psychology as relates to social justice research and advocacy is provided and the argument is advanced that school consultants have much to contribute to this emerging social justice discourse. A brief overview of different definitions of social justice is provided and the guest editors provide their own definition, an adaptation of Norths (2006) conceptualization, as a frame for this issue. Finally, a preview of each article within this issue is provided. Collectively, these writings provide multiple perspectives on ways in which a social justice orientation can be translated to effective consultation practice as well as advice for future directions.