AccessMyLibrary provides FREE access to over 30 million articles from top publications available through your library.

Schoolwide application of positive behavior support in an urban high school: a case study.

Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions

| June 22, 2006 | Bohanon, Hank; Fenning, Pamela; Carney, Kelly L.; Minnis-Kim, Myoung Jinnie; Anderson-Harriss, Sarah; Moroz, Kristyn B.; Hicks, Kira J.; Kasper, Beverly B.; Culos, Carrie; Sailor, Wayne; Pigott, Therese D. | COPYRIGHT 2006 Sage Publications, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan.  All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)Copyright

Abstract: 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.

**********

The application of positive behavior support (PBS) to urban settings has been examined on a schoolwide basis (Turnbull et al., 2002; Warren et al., 2003) for groups (Turnbull et al., 2002) and individual students (Edmonson & Turnbull, 2002; Turnbull et al., 2002). However, there has been limited work to date that has applied PBS to settings that are both urban and secondary. We will focus on the features of high school settings that make implementation of PBS distinct from that of elementary and middle schools.

Purpose

As stated in Warren et al. (2003), "Positive behavior support includes a broad range of systematic and individualized strategies for achieving important social and learning outcomes while preventing problem behavior" (p. 80). The application of this approach leads to at least three outcomes for students: (a) improved academic achievement, (b) enhanced social competence, and (c) safe learning and teaching environments (Office of Special Education Programs, 2002). In sum, this approach should lead to improved quality of life for teachers, students, staff, and family members through the combination of (a) valued outcomes, (b) behavioral and biomedical science, (c) evidence-based procedures, and (d) systems change (Carr et al., 2002). The "system" of PBS includes implementing and assessing universal interventions (e.g., supports all students), interventions for groups of students who need additional support (e.g., classroom levels, function-based interventions; Hawken & Horner, 2002; Leedy, Bates, & Safran, 2004), and intensive supports for individual students (Colvin, 1991; Lewis & Sugai, 1999; Walker et al., 1996).

Schoolwide PBS Framework

The framework used to conceptualize this study was the schoolwide Positive Behavior Support: Implementers' Blueprint and Self-Assessment (OSEP, 2002) developed by the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) Center on PBS. This "system" provides a framework and includes at least eight unique features. The steps outlined in the blueprint are as follows: organizing your team to assess needs and guide supports; organizing your data collection system to observe before you intervene (Edmonson, 2000); analyzing, describing, and prioritizing to determine areas of need and logical next steps; specifying measurable outcomes to determine what you want your building to look like in the future (McCart & Sailor, 2003); and selecting evidence-based practices. Table 1 provides a list of these schoolwide practices.

Related articles from newspapers, magazines, journals, and more
Conceptualizing functional behavior assessment as prevention practice within...
Magazine article from: Preventing School Failure Scott, Terrance M. Caron, Deborah B. September 22, 2005 700+ words
...integral component of a positive behavior support approach to preventing...constant at all levels of positive behavior support, the considerations for...levels of a system of positive behavior support. KEY WORDS: functional...
Making behavior intervention planning decisions in a schoolwide system of...
Newspaper article from: Focus on Exceptional Children Scott, Terrance M. September 1, 2003 700+ words
...for success (Scott & Eber, 2003). A POSITIVE BEHAVIOR SUPPORT SYSTEM Early identification and intervention...effectively at the schoolwide level through systems of positive behavior support (PBS). PBS is a proactive, systemic, and...
Evaluation of a Comprehensive Behavior Management Program to Improve...
Magazine article from: Education & Treatment of Children Metzler, Carol W. Biglan, Anthony Rusby, Julie C. Sprague, Jeffrey R. November 1, 2001 700+ words
...school-wide behavior management practices. The Effective Behavior Support program involved working with school staff to clarify rules...appropriate social behavior, increase positive reinforcement for positive behavior, consistently provide mild consequences for rule violation...
STATE EDUCATION OFFICIALS TO HONOR 130 MISSOURI SCHOOLS FOR SUCCESSFUL ADOPTION...
News wire article from: US Fed News Service, Including US State News July 5, 2009 700+ words
...successful adoption of "positive behavior support," a comprehensive approach...fourth annual Schoolwide Positive Behavior Support Summer Institute, sponsored...Center for Schoolwide Positive Behavior Support. More than 1,100 educators...
Building district-level capacity for positive behavior support.(Report)
Magazine article from: Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions George, Heather Peshak Kincaid, Don K. January 1, 2008 700+ words
...schools adopt school-wide positive behavior support (SWPBS) as a model for...expand upon School-wide Positive Behavior Support: Implementers' Blueprint...systems level planning; positive behavior support; school wide; systems...
Positive Behavior Support Is the Progressive Alternative to Restraints and...
Newspaper article from: Biotech Week June 10, 2009 700+ words
...students. In contrast, Positive Behavior Support (PBS) has emerged in...AAIDD) titled Designing Positive Behavior Support Plans (Second edition...Timothy P. Knoster. "Positive Behavior Support is effective. Rather...
Measuring school-wide positive behavior support implementation: development and...
Magazine article from: Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions Cohen, Rachel Kincaid, Don Childs, Karen Elfner September 22, 2007 700+ words
...Abstract: School-wide positive behavior support (SWPBS) has been implemented...such as school-wide positive behavior support (SWPBS). School-wide...general initiative called positive behavior support (PBS), a "systems...
Parenting with positive behavior support; a practical guide to resolving your...
Magazine article from: Reference & Research Book News August 1, 2007 700+ words
...9781557668653 Parenting with positive behavior support; a practical guide to...child caregivers can use positive behavior support (PBS) to manage normal...psychology, literacy, and positive behavior support, public school districts...
For more facts and information, see all results
©2009 Gale, a part of Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.
About us | FAQs | Contact us | Privacy policy | Terms and conditions
Other Gale sites: Encyclopedia.com | HighBeam Research | Acquire Content | Books & Authors | Goliath | MovieRetriever | Smart QandA