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…

Given the increasing number of individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), there is a critical need to develop programs that facilitate positive behavior outcomes during the transition to adulthood. Furthermore, many adults with ASD do not have access to intervention programs due to remote locations, lack of qualified personnel,…

Over the past several decades, public schools across the United States have experienced an increasingly visible diversity rift between student enrollment and teaching faculty. The number of students from diverse backgrounds continues to grow while educator ranks continue to become more homogeneous. This diversity rift presents several challenges…

This descriptive analysis of policy content examined local school district policies on physical restraint and seclusion in one Midwestern state that did not have state legislation on these topics to determine whether districts had policies and, if so, whether their content included recommended principles from the U.S. Department of Education. No…

School-Wide Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (SWPBIS) relies on effective implementation of Tier 1 practices to ensure accurate identification of students in need of more intensive supports at Tier 2 or Tier 3. While measures of school-level fidelity are widely used, measures of classroom-level implementation of Tier 1 supports are…

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…

This is the first systematic review of the school outcome literature for behavior interventions used with middle school students exhibiting disruptive behaviors. A total of 51 investigations (published between 2000 and 2020) including 6,498 students and 264 implementers were coded on four dimensions (i.e., sample, interventions, methodology, and…

Intensive, individualized interventions are certainly the hallmark promise of special education. In a multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS), tier 3 interventions are the most intensive and require individualized delivery to address the learning and behavioral needs of students who are most often identified for special education services. MTSS,…

To better understand the supports needed to positively impact student outcomes, the Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) has been examining several model demonstrations of PBIS implementation in schools residing within high need Local Education Agencies (LEAs). In particular, this brief provides an initial examination on…

Responsive circles, a restorative practices (RP) strategy, have the potential to help improve school climate through supporting conflict resolution and community building; yet, little research exists on this practice. This mixed-methods study examined how educators in four urban schools (two elementary, one middle, and one high school) used…

Given the authority of state government over public education, one means of narrowing the best-practice to actual-practice gap in education is by putting forth clear state guidance and recommendations to schools. To date, however, little is known about the national landscape of procedural guidance that is readily available to practitioners looking…

Michael George's career has focused on children and youth with significant behavior and emotional challenge. His career has spanned experiences as a direct service provider, university professor, and teacher trainer. George has led an effort to provide competent and caring teachers to a population who greatly need such teachers. George shares his…

Many studies have demonstrated that when teachers are trained to increase their use of praise, student misbehavior improves; however, few studies have examined teachers' natural use of praise and no study has examined the relation between teachers' natural use of praise and classroom behavior. The purpose of the current study was to examine…

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…

In this 3-year prospective study, we tested the extent to which school-, practice-, and district-level variables predicted sustained implementation for schools in various stages of implementation of school-wide positive behavioral interventions and supports (SWPBIS) Tier 1 (universal) systems. Staff from 860 schools in 14 U.S. states completed a…