POSITIVE BEHAVIOR INTERVENTION AND SUPPORTS (PBIS): IMPROVING STAFF BUY-IN WITH PBIS IN A RURAL DISTRICT IN THE MIDWEST

Many schools have implemented School-Wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) to address student behavior and social-emotional issues. Historically, the implementation of PBIS has been most prominent at the elementary level; however, more secondary schools have implemented PBIS in the past few years. Staff buy-in of PBIS at the secondary level proved more challenging because of secondary school barriers. This improvement science study used qualitative research to explore what factors contributed to or hindered staff buy-in of PBIS and whether transformational leadership improved buy-in. Participants included seven staff at BEMHS. Qualitative data was derived from a focus group and themes emerged to show what supported and hindered staff buy-in. Three themes emerged that supported staff buy-in. First, PBIS focused on promoting positive behaviors indicating school culture has improved since PBIS implementation. Secondly, PBIS has improved student behavior and culture. Thirdly, transformational leadership did promote staff buy-in. Three themes emerged that hindered staff buy-in. Staff needed more professional development to better understand the referrals and the referral system. The second theme analyzed that hindered staff buy-in was the concern with PBIS, positive students got less recognition in the program. The final theme indicated more support was needed for staff to embrace the attitude of PBIS as a beneficial intervention, so fidelity improves. The discussion results were used to determine the next steps to develop a Plan, Do, Study, Act (PDSA) cycle for BEMHS. The PDSA was a 90-day plan which included staff surveys, data analysis, and module training for staff

The Impact Positive Behavior Supports (PBIS) has on the Wellbeing of the Child: A Correlational Study

Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports (PBIS) promotes the instruction of appropriate behaviors and actions including strategies that focus on social, emotional and behavioral development in students. This project was designed to examine and assess the impact of a PBIS program on student perception of school safety. The study examined and assessed the impact of PBIS through elementary student responses to an individual questionnaire administered by the school counselor. The same questionnaire was administered in two schools in southeastern South Dakota, one that does not implement a PBIS program (Group A) as well as one that implemented a PBIS program four years ago (Group B). Students completed the questionnaire at the beginning of the year at both schools. This program evaluation involves group comparisons of three measures of school safety: feeling respected, having conflict resolutions skills, and the perception of safety, utilizing a quasi-experimental study. Preliminary results from one of the measures indicates that children in the PBIS school reported feeling safer than children at the non-PBIS school significantly more. The results supporting PBIS as an effective framework for improving school culture may increase interest for PBIS implementation among school administrators