THE IMPACT ON THE CULTURE AND BELIEFS IN AN ALTERNATIVE SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT WITH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF POSITIVE BEHAVIOR INTERVENTIONS AND SUPPORT
Abstract
This study explores the implementation of Positive Behavior Interventions (PBIS) in an
alternative school located in a large, urban, inner-city school district. It focused on determining the consistency of the implementation with the culture and climate of the staff and the school and the reduction of office discipline referrals and suspensions.
PBIS provides an operational framework for providing a system for improving student
behavior outcomes to ensure that all students have access to the most effective implemented instructional and behavioral practices. Across the country, thousands of schools are implementing PBIS as a way to improve school culture, safety and climate. Sugai and Horner (2006), the architects of the PBIS framework, claimed that the framework consisted of four integral elements:
1. Data for decision-making
2. Measurable outcomes supported and evaluated by data
3. Practices with evidence that these outcomes are achievable
4. Systems that efficiently and effectively support implementation of these practices
The results of this mixed-methods study determined that there was a reduction in the
number of office discipline referrals since the implementation of PBIS, and the culture and
climate of the staff perceptions increased. However, PBIS is relatively new to this particular school in addition to the school district. It is still too early to determine the long-term effects of the implementation.