High rates of disruptive behavior and disciplinary problems negatively affect school climate and distract students and staff from academic activities and goals. Traditionally, schools have responded to disruptive behaviors with punishment-based interventions or “zero-tolerance” policies, though there is limited evidence that such policies are effective. Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS)—a school intervention widely implemented throughout the United States—aims to promote a healthy school climate and prevent disruptive student behavior by establishing clear behavioral expectations and positive reinforcement. This grant provides a supplement to a U.S. Department of Education-funded group-randomized trial of PBIS in high schools. The federal study focuses on whether the intervention improves student outcomes, as indicated by administrative data and survey reports by students, parents, and school staff at 60 high schools in Maryland. Funds provided by the Foundation will allow researchers to expand the federal study and take an in-depth look at how changes in schools and classrooms drive student outcomes, why the intervention is effective in some places and not others, and the degree of variation in the implementation of the intervention across the different schools. Specifically, the researchers will collect observational data for a number of randomly selected classrooms and non-classroom settings within each school to more richly assess variables related to school safety; student engagement; interactions between teachers, staff, and students; and features of the school grounds, such as cleanliness, lighting, and surveillance equipment. The results will inform policies and programs related to the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Schools Act and advance empirical research on setting-level changes resulting from innovative high school reform models.
Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS)—a school intervention widely implemented throughout the United States—aims to promote a healthy school climate and prevent disruptive student behavior by establishing clear behavioral expectations and positive reinforcement.
