Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions

Check-in/check-out (CICO) is a Tier 2 behavioral intervention that has demonstrated effectiveness for students with challenging behavior in a variety of educational settings. Existing research has focused primarily on testing the intervention’s effectiveness and the role of behavioral function in moderating response to intervention. Only a handful of studies have included examinations of different procedures for fading CICO to promote maintained behavioral change. These have included decreasing the frequency of teacher feedback, using a mystery motivator to thin the schedule of reinforcement, and increasing goal contingencies over time. In this study, two middle school females with conduct problems were identified for participation in CICO with goal modification. During intervention, the first modification entailed setting the CICO card goal for each participant based on averages obtained on the CICO card during baseline rather than the commonly used 80% goal. Then, predetermined decision rules about how to modify subsequent goals were executed according to student progress. Effects on student behavior were evaluated using a changing-criterion with withdrawal design, and scores on the CICO card improved and classroom problem behavior decreased for both participants. Limitations and recommendations for future research are discussed.

In this analysis of extant data from 3,011 schools implementing school-wide positive behavioral interventions and supports (SWPBIS) across multiple years, we assessed the predictive power of various school characteristics and speed of initial implementation on sustained fidelity of implementation of SWPBIS at 1, 3, and 5 years. In addition, we partitioned variance in whether schools sustained SWPBIS at the school, district, and state levels. Results showed that the largest differences in fidelity were at the state level. In addition, school characteristics (particularly grade levels served) and speed of initial implementation were significant but small predictors of sustained implementation. Results are discussed in terms of effective supports at the state and district levels, as well as addressing types of schools at greater risk of abandonment, such as high schools.

Full stakeholder support for any innovation can be difficult to achieve, particularly in complex systems such as middle and high schools. Increasingly, obtaining middle and high school teacher support for Schoolwide Positive Behavior Supports (SWPBS) is identified as a challenging yet crucial element of implementation. The reasons behind these challenges are not well understood; thus, the purpose of this study was to attain a better understanding of the SWPBS-related needs and concerns of middle and high school teachers. Thematic analysis was used to analyze open-ended concerns statements and statements of need from teachers working in 19 middle and high schools. Regardless of SWPBS implementation level, the most prevalent concerns pertained to staff support and consensus, and the most prevalent needs were related to collaboration. There were high levels of consistency in concerns and needs, with a few differences found in the concerns and needs statements of teachers in implementing and low-implementing schools. Full results, limitations, and implications for future research and practice are discussed.

This study examined the viability of a brief, parent-reported strengths and needs assessment as the first step in a multiple-gating approach to proactive positive behavior support for families. The Positive Family Support–Strengths and Needs Assessment (PFS-SaNA) was designed to collaboratively engage parents early in the school year in a home–school coordinated Positive Family Support (PFS) system. In this study, we evaluated the reliability and validity of the PFS-SaNA in the context of public middle schools. Findings suggest that the 14-item, unidimensional PFS-SaNA shows convergent validity with teacher ratings of risk. It can be easily and cost-effectively used by school personnel when parents register their children for school at the beginning of each school year.

Implementation of school-wide positive behavioral interventions and supports (SWPBIS) in K–12 schools is well documented in the literature. However, far less documentation can be found in the literature related to its implementation with students with significant intellectual and other developmental disabilities being served in either typical or alternate school settings. The purpose of this study was to highlight features of implementation of SWPBIS in alternate educational settings serving students with significant disabilities. Special education administrators situated in alternate educational settings across one Midwestern state completed a questionnaire indicating level of implementation of various SWPBIS components. Results indicated that although most respondents were engaged in implementation of SWPBIS, overall implementation was fairly low. Limitations and implications of the study for implementing the components of SWPBIS with students with significant disabilities are discussed.