An ethnographic case study was used to examine roles of a principal in implementing and maintaining positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) in one North Dakota elementary school. Observations, school documents, and semi-structured interviews were analyzed to identify the role of a principal. Skinner's reinforcement theory and…

The urban classroom environment presents unique challenges related to student behavior and classroom management. This dissertation investigates the effectiveness of Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) as a proactive approach to addressing these challenges. The study examines the impact of PBIS implementation in urban schools,…

A wide body of literature has documented the disproportionality in exclusionary discipline rates (Gregory et al., 2010; Losen et al., 2015; Office of Special Education Programs, 2020; Skiba, 2014; Welsh & Little, 2018). Students with disabilities or other minority backgrounds are removed from their classrooms at higher rates than their peers…

Given the broad framework of the Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports model, its barriers to adaptability and implementation in schools have affected an increased emphasis on exploration and measurement of treatment integrity. A tool directly linked with a model of treatment integrity is the Implementation Beliefs Assessment (IBA;…

The problem at a high school in the southeastern United States is that students with disabilities struggle to demonstrate appropriate behaviors despite the implementation of School-Wide Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports (SWPBIS). Current research findings have suggested that although SWPBIS includes strategies for students with…

Youth violence in both the juvenile justice system and in juveniles with intellectual disabilities is a significant and costly problem in the United States. An increasingly large number of youth with intellectual disabilities are being placed in secure juvenile justice facilities without specialized resources. In addition, these facilities are…

The problem statement for this project-based learning was loose coupling, when applied to the PBIS framework, translates into major gaps with district-wide implementation of Tier II and Tier III interventions. Additionally, lack of superintendent-adaptive schools' knowledge and practices impact fidelity of implementation. Tier II and Tier III…

The purpose of this quantitative study was to better understand school wide Positive Behavior Intervention and Support (SwPBIS) implementation through a multi-dimensional conceptual lens of leadership efficacy. This study examined the relationship amongst the PBS team, faculty commitment, and student behavior outcomes within 71 Elementary schools…

Treatment integrity is a critical component to fully understanding the relationship between implementation of evidence-based interventions and student outcomes. Research shows that school-based implementers require support beyond what is typically provided to consistently implement interventions with adequate levels of treatment integrity, and…

The failure of Positive Behavior Interventions & Supports® (PBIS) to resolve behavior issues among primary grade students at a single charter elementary school in the southeastern United States was the problem that guided this study. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore how primary teachers and administrators identified…

There are gaps in the literature between implementation research and organizational learning describing how local school systems successfully implement initiatives that change practices within school sites. Until recently, there has been a pattern for federal and state policies to overlook the role of the local school district in impacting school…

This qualitative research study was developed around the problem that teachers are resistant to change when implementing educational initiatives that are new to them. "Rather than blame teachers and ask, 'Why do teachers resist?' perhaps those of us who lead change should ask, 'What can we do to make it easier for teachers to implement new…

Today the school-wide behavior management program, Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports, or PBIS, follows the Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) framework when addressing students with behavior challenges in general education classrooms. PBIS provides a collaborative framework of problem solving and evidence-based strategies, thus…

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore how K-12 teacher perceptions about Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports (PBIS) influenced their use towards non-white students, students with disabilities, lower socioeconomic students, and limited English proficiency students. With the well documented suspension…

Families whose child has recently received a diagnosis of autism are a unique population in particular need of support and guidance. These parents often experience feelings of stress, fear, and uncertainty, which can be further complicated by challenges with understanding and navigating services. It may be especially important to consider parent…