Research and Demonstration Center on School-Wide Behavior Support
Funded by The Office of Special Education Programs, U.S. Department of Education
Grant No. H324X010015

In recent years, the conditions for teaching and learning in schools have changed dramatically in both general and special education, and public demand for improved learning and behavioral outcomes has become more pressing, especially in the early school years. However, fewer resources, greater social problems, decreased academic performance, increasing school violence, additional school improvement initiatives, growing teacher and administrator shortages, and changing cultural and social mores have forced educators to consider dramatic changes in how schools look and how children and youth are educated. Recent legislation (e.g., IDEA 1997, Safe Schools Act) represents significant opportunities to respond proactively to these challenges and important approaches to improving reading and behavioral outcomes have been established (e.g., positive behavioral interventions and supports, phonics based early literacy), especially in early elementary grades (kindergarten through third grade). In addition, as the intensity of academic and behavior problems increases for students with emotional disturbance and specific learning disabilities, a clear body of evidence indicates that (a) early assessment and identification are possible, (b) risk of dropping out of school and later behavior problems is high, (c) academic recovery is difficult if early remediation is not provided, and (d) specially and individualized designed interventions are needed. Although promising outcomes and demonstrations have been described, comprehensive school-wide and prevention-based approaches involving all students and all staff have not been studied in detail for effectiveness, efficiency, and relevance, especially with respect to systems level implementation factors (e.g., professional development, team-based planning, continuous assessment, continuum of behavior support, sustainability factors).

This Center will demonstrate with approximately 90 schools from representative school districts and states across the nation over a five-year period through experimental and programmatic research methods the effectiveness, efficiency, durability, and relevance of school-wide behavior support. School-wide behavior support is defined as the broad range of systemic and individualized strategies designed to achieve important social and learning outcomes while preventing problem behavior for all students (Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports, 2001).

Although researchers throughout the nation have established demonstrations of school-wide positive behavior support in over 600 schools over the past 10 years, critical questions still exist. Within and across schools, three primary research questions are proposed:

Research and Demonstration Question #1: Does a functional relationship exist between school-wide behavior support and (a) change in the discipline systems within schools, (b) reduction in problem behavior (e.g., rates of office discipline referrals, observed problem behavior, suspensions and expulsions, referrals to special education), (c) academic achievement (e.g., rates of engagement, state-wide test scores, grades, reading rates), and (d) school climate (e.g., staff, student, and parent knowledge and perceptions; quality of school environment)?

Research and Demonstration Question #2: If school-wide behavior support is implemented, does a positive correlation exist between the level and features of a "system" implementation and the durability of school-wide practices and outcomes"?

Research and Demonstration Question #3: What are the comparative benefits compared with the costs of implementing school-wide behavior support?

This Center will be led by researchers at the University of Oregon in collaboration with researchers and school-based implementers in Missouri, Florida, Hawaii, and Illinois. Ninety schools across five states will participate in a research and model/demonstration design. In Year One, 30 schools that have and 60 schools that do not have school-wide behavior support practices and systems in place will be evaluated. In Year Two, school-wide behavior support will be implemented in 30 schools that have been randomly selected from the 60 non-school-wide PBS schools from Year One. In Year Three, school-wide behavior support will be implemented in the remaining 30 schools. In Years Four and Five, the sustained implementation of school-wide behavior support will be monitored and evaluated in all 90 schools. This design specifically allows all schools to receive intervention. More importantly, this design uniquely examines (a) benefit-cost and durability of implementation efforts and outcomes after three to five years and (b) implementation effects within rigorous experimental and programmatic analyses.

This project has several additional unique and noteworthy features. First, Center practitioners and researchers will take advantage of a successful five to six year history of collaborative implementations of school-wide positive supports in participating sites and states. Second, this project proposes a unique, large scale, multi-state controlled demonstration and examination of a proactive school-wide behavior support approach to discipline. Third, attention is focused on the impact of school-wide behavior support on multiple outcome indicators, including literacy and reading achievement scores; office discipline referrals, suspensions and expulsions; special education referrals; and family, staff, and student satisfaction. Fourth, rather than focusing on implementing practices only, equal emphasis is given to systems and data-based decision making aspects of the implementation of school-wide behavior support. Fifth, an examination and demonstration of the benefit/cost factors of school-wide implementation of behavior support is emphasized. Sixth, over the five-year duration of the project all participating schools will benefit from the outcomes of demonstrations and research. Seventh, school-wide behavior support will be implemented and studied by local state and district personnel in close collaboration with Center staff. Finally, dissemination of research and demonstration outcomes and replicable programmatic descriptions of effective practices and systems will be facilitated and made available through a national network of technical assistance centers (e.g., OSEP Center on PBIS) and professional networks (e.g., NASDSE, AFT).

Federal support for this project enables researchers at the University of Oregon and collaborating practitioners and researchers to conduct and coordinate a program of systematic research and demonstration across 90+ schools and five states. Funds will be used to support personnel and resources related to establishing research and demonstration sites; conducting summative and formative data collection procedures; storing, manipulating, and analyzing data; training and technical assistance; providing participant stipends; and disseminating research findings.