Robert C. Hasson (Jr.)
Published: 2011
Total Pages: 274
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Public schools are faced with the ever-increasing pressure of maintaining a safe learning environment while continuously improving student performance. Also, there has been a growing concern among administrators and teachers for implementing an effective discipline plan that will keep students in class and engaged in learning as much as possible. In response, school-wide Positive Behavior Support (PBS) models are growing in popularity to address both of these issues. An effective school-wide Positive Behavior Support model, if implemented correctly, involves an entire school population (students, faculty and school administration). This study focused on the effects of PBS implementation on office discipline referrals and TAKS mathematics and Reading scores comparing two similar suburban intermediate schools; one that implemented a school-wide PBS program and a non-PBS school during a three year period. The quantitative results of this study revealed significant differences were found during specific years of the study for in-school suspensions, out-of-school suspensions, and student TAKS mathematics scores; however, no significant differences were found for DAEP placements and student TAKS Reading scores for all three years of the study respectively. Results from the qualitative inquiry revealed that the experimental school improved TAKS performance each year, experienced a decline in office discipline referrals, developed a strong sense of staff and student loyalty about their school, had minimal teacher turnover, conducted staff trainings with fidelity, and established very clear school-wide expectations among students and staff. Results from the control school revealed no difference in the number of office discipline referrals, an increase in serious student disruptive behaviors, a decline on TAKS performance, inconsistencies in staff trainings, and an increase in teacher turnover. Therefore, it is hard to be certain if PBS implementation made a distinct impact on student achievement during the years of this study. It is recommended that future studies are conducted over longer periods of time to assess the effects of PBS implementation versus the absence of PBS implementation at various school levels and settings.