Running head: ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY 1

Annotated Bibliography

Melissa Mayer

University of Colorado Denver

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Annotated Bibliography

Bradshaw, C. P., Pas, E. T., Debnam, K. J., & Johnson, S. L. (2015). A focus on

implementation of positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) in high schools:

Associations with bullying and other indicators of school disorder. School Psychology Review,

44(4), 480-498. doi:10.17105/spr-15-0105.1

This study examined the implementation of the multitiered system of supports framework

(MTSS) on bullying and school climate in high schools. The study analyzed the adoption and

implementation of the Positive behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) model in 31 high

schools apart of a larger randomized trial of 58 schools over the span of the two-year trail period.

The 31 high schools spanned 12 Maryland counties. Students completed the MDS3 School Climate

Survey and detailed their experiences with bullying, since bullying is a strong indicator of school

climate at the high school level. In order to gauge the schools’ progress with SWPBIS

implementation, they utilized the SET tool to ensure fidelity. Information regarding the use of

exclusionary discipline practices was provided by the Maryland State Department of Education

(MSDE). Through the use of hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) and analyses of variance

(ANOVA), the study concluded that a baseline prevalence of bullying victimization correlated with

higher levels of PBIS implementation. This study provides valuable information regarding the

implementation of SWPBIS in high schools and more specifically the various barriers and

facilitators behind its implementation. The small sample size of this study limits its ability to be

generalized.

Freeman, J., Simonsen, B., McCoach, D. B., Sugai, G., Lombardi, A., & Horner, R.

(2016). Relationship between school-wide positive behavior interventions and supports and
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academic, attendance, and behavior outcomes in high schools. Journal of Positive Behavior

Interventions, 18(1), 41-51. doi:10.1177/1098300715580992

This study examines the connections between the implementation of school-wide positive

behavior interventions and supports (SWPBIS) and behavior, attendance, and academic outcomes

from high schools across 37 states. The sample size was 883 high schools with an average

enrollment of 1,080 students. SWPBIS fidelity was determined by the Benchmarks of Quality

(BoQ) and the School-wide Evaluation Tool (SET) measures. The behavioral data was gathered

from the School Wide Information System (SWIS). Attendance data was calculated from 12 states

by dividing the number of days all students attended by the total number of school days. Aggregate

percentage proficient data in math, reading, and writing/language subject areas were collected

from state department websites and an academic index variable was created to compare the scores.

Using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), the study found that implementation of SWPBIS with

fidelity was connected to decreased Office Discipline Referrals (ODR)s and increased attendance;

however, it had no impact on academics. This study is valuable because it illustrates the positive

impact that SWPBIS has on behavior and attendance in high school and suggests that academic

impacts of SWPBIS implementation are long-term. This study is limited because of the quasi-

experimental design, missing data, and non-student specific data.

Gage, N. A., Larson, A., Sugai, G., & Chafouleas, S. M. (2016). Student perceptions of

school climate as predictors of office discipline referrals. American Educational Research

Journal, 53(3), 492-515. doi:10.3102/0002831216637349

This study’s goal was to identify the facets of school climate that decrease problem

behaviors and establish a predicative relationship. They identified classes of students based upon

risk for behavioral difficulties illustrated in the number of ODRs and perceptions of school climate.
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The study analyzed the academic, demographic, social, and behavioral profiles of each class. The

sample size was a school district in New England with eight elementary schools, two middle

schools, and two high schools with an enrollment of 8,200 students. The study utilized the Meriden

School Climate Survey-Student Version (MSCS-SV) that had a full-scale reliability of .91 and

SWIF to collect ODR data. They generated a priori model with three classes that mirrored the

MTSS model. The three facets of school climate that impacted the number of ODRs in the tertiary

class was having school-involved parents, feeling safe at school, and having a caring adult at

school that reinforces appropriate behaviors. This study is valuable because it confirms the

important role of school climate within the MTSS/PBIS model. However, it is limited because of

the small sample size and did not account for grade or school type.

Kim, J., McIntosh, K., Mercer, S. H., & Nese, R. N. T. (2018). Longitudinal associations

between SWPBIS fidelity of implementation and behavior and academic outcomes. Behavioral

Disorders, 43(3), 357-369. doi:10.1177/0198742917747589

The study investigated the associations between implementation fidelity of school-wide

positive behavioral interventions and supports (SWPBIS) and student outcomes over time. The

sample size was comprised of 477 K-12 schools throughout 10 states implementing SWPBIS with

varying levels of fidelity and years of implementation. This study proposed that there might be

various patterns of student outcomes linked to varying fidelity across different implementation

stages. To determine fidelity, the study implemented the SET, PBIS Self-Assessment Survey (SAS),

and Team Implementation Checklist (TIC). They utilized state standardized assessment data,

discipline data from SWIS, and student demographic data from the National Center for Education

Statistics (NCES). Using growth linear modeling (GLM), they found that schools with high fidelity

in SWPBIS saw a decline in ODRs and out-of-school suspensions (OSS) over three years and
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schools sustaining implementation illustrated better math performance. This study is valuable

because it reinforces the positive relationship between implementing SWPBIS with fidelity and

the initial reduction of ODRs and OSSs. However, it is limited because the schools were

functioning at high instead of very high levels of fidelity and were adopting the Common Core

State Standards (CCSS) during the study.

Kurth, J. A., & Zagona, A. L. (2018). Involvement and participation of students with severe

disabilities in SWPBIS. The Journal of Special Education, 52(3), 131-141.

doi:10.1177/0022466918766523

The purpose of this study was to examine the inclusion of students with extensive and

pervasive support needs (ESN) in Tier 1 SWPBIS instruction and activities using a survey of

school-based SWPBIS coaches. The study created a 36-question survey based upon the BoQ, SET,

and TIC evaluation tools. The survey was administered anonymously and had an internal

consistency of .789 according to Cronbach’s alpha measure. The sample size consisted of 305

school-based SWPBIS coaches within one state in the Midwest. Using ANOVA, the study found

that many educators are unsure how and if students with ESN participate in SWPBIS activities and

instruction overall. This study is valuable because the results highlight the lack of involvement

and/or awareness of general educators in providing supports and instruction through SWPBIS to

students with ESN. However, this study is limited due to the fact that is was only conducted in one

state, has a small sample size, and focus solely on SWPBIS coaches.

McNeill, K. F., Friedman, B.D., & Chavez, C. (2016). Keep them so you can teach them:

Alternatives to exclusionary discipline. International Public Health Journal, 8(2), 160-181.

This article provides an alternative to exclusionary discipline and an overview of its

shortcomings. The article states that exclusionary discipline is used inappropriately and
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administered in a biased way. Exclusionary discipline was also found to be ineffective and even

damaging to minority students and school climate. The researchers found the above by reviewing

200 of the most relevant articles out of a pool of 9,320. They determined relevancy by searching

“author supplied keywords” that consisted of Suspension OR Expulsion OR Exclusionary

Discipline AND Student OR Education. The article proposes the implementation of reactive

Restorative Justice (RJ) and proactive PBIS in conjunction with student-driven Peer Mediation

(PM) to boost student educational outcomes and improve the educational climate. The article states

that compared to the punitive model the RJ and PBIS approaches are associated with significant

health benefits as well as a reduction in school suspensions by 50-80% within one month to one

year of implementation. This article is useful because it combines constructivist and behaviorist

educational theories in relation to student behavior. However, this article is limited because of the

brevity of the RJ, PBIS, and PM data provided and therefore, serves as a helpful introduction.

Reinke, W. M., Herman, K. C., & Stormont, M. (2013). Classroom-level positive behavior

supports in schools implementing SW-PBIS: Identifying areas for enhancement. Journal of

Positive Behavior Interventions, 15(1), 39-50. doi:10.1177/1098300712459079

This study examined teachers’ utilization of specific classroom-level practices that align

with SWPBIS and the connection between these practices and teacher-reported emotional

exhaustion and self-efficacy in classroom management. The participants were 33 elementary

teachers at three elementary schools within a midwestern school district implementing SWPBIS

with high fidelity. Implementation of SWPBIS fidelity was determined by the SET tool.

Independent observers conducted direct observations of teacher and student behavior. The

observations included student disruptive behavior and teachers’ use of harsh reprimands, explicit

reprimands, general praise, specific praise, and opportunities to respond utilizing the Multi-Option
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Observation System for Experimental Studies (MOOSE). The Classroom Ecology Checklist, the

Teacher Sense of Efficacy Scale, and the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) were also used. The

study found that teachers with higher rates of general praise felt more efficacious than teachers

that had higher rates of disruptive behavior in their classrooms. These results indicate that a high

number of teachers implement features of SWPBIS in the classroom. This study is valuable

because it provides support for effective classroom management techniques and highlights the

challenges of implementing SWPBIS features in the classroom that increase teacher efficacy. This

study is limited by its small sample size preventing generalizability.

Ryoo, J.H, Hong, S., Bart, W.M., Shin, J., & Bradshaw, C.P. (2018). Investigating the effect

of school-wide positive behavioral interventions and supports on student learning and behavioral

problems in elementary and middle schools. Psychology in the Schools, 55(6), 629-643.

doi:10.1002/pits.22134

This article explores the behavioral and academic impacts of the School-wide Positive

Behavior Interventions and Supports (SW-PBIS) model using a quasi-experimental design within

the State of Minnesota. The study utilized the Propensity Score Matching Method (PSMM) to

determine the 32 elementary and 34 middle schools that would be included. The scaled score data

sets included the math and reading student achievement scores taken from the Minnesota

Comprehensive Assessment-Series II (MCA-II) standardized test. The in-school and out-of-school

suspension data was gathered from the U.S. Department of Education Office of Civil Rights. The

study found that the MS SW-PBIS did not have significant positive impacts on student academic

or behavioral outcomes over time. The article asserted that SW-PBIS must first improve student

behavioral outcomes before it can improve student academic outcomes and that more intensive

behavioral interventions might be necessary. This article is useful because it casts a critical eye on
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SW-PBIS by analyzing student outcomes. However, there are major limitations. While this study

utilized the SET measure to ensure that the schools included were fully implementing SW-PBIS

with fidelity, it only examined one cohort and took a narrow view of student academic achievement

based solely upon the MCA-II.

Simonsen, B., & Sugai, G. (2013). PBIS in alternative education settings: Positive support

for youth with high-risk behavior. Education and Treatment of Children, 36(3), 3-14.

doi:10.1353/etc.2013.0030

The purpose of this article is to explain how parallel features and challenges of public

schools and alternative education (AE) settings support the use of a PBIS framework as a way to

support the needs of youth who display high-risk behavior. The article states that because AE’s

face many of the same challenges that general education settings face, evidence supports the

adoption of PBIS in general education settings, and developing evidence suggests that PBIS can

be effectively implemented in AE settings that include juvenile justice facilities, alternative schools,

residential programs, and day treatment programs that PBIS can be effectively implemented in

AEs. PBIS in AE settings simply required each tier to contain more intensified interventions. This

article is valuable because it reinforces the concept that a continuum of evidence-based practices

that first and foremost considers the needs of all youth from all education professionals across all

settings is beneficial for all students. This article is limited because empirical research on the

implementation and usefulness of behavior support practices in AE settings is still lacking.

Vincent, C., & Tobin, T. (2011). The relationship between implementation of school-wide

positive behavior supports (SWPBS) and disciplinary exclusion of students from ethnic

backgrounds with and without disabilities. Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, (19)4,

217-232. https://doi.org/10.1177/1063426610377329
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The study examined disciplinary exclusion data from 77 schools implementing SWPBS.

The variables of interest included student disability and ethnicity status, the number of ODRs, as

well as SWPBS implementation. The data was generated from the Effective Behavior Support

(EBS) survey and the SWIS. Of the 77 schools in the sample size there were, 38 elementary schools,

23 middle schools, seven high schools, four K-8/12 schools, and five alternative schools. The data

collected from the schools spanned two consecutive years. The study analyzed the frequency and

duration of out-of-school suspensions and expulsions. They used the IDEA 2007 regulations to

define long-term exclusion (exceeding 10 days in one school year). The study found that SWBPS

implementation in the classroom significantly reduced exclusions in elementary schools, SWPBS

implementation in non-classroom settings significantly reduced exclusions in high schools, and

overall exclusions were reduced including ODRs for students with disabilities. However, White

students benefited the most and African American students were still overrepresented in long-term

exclusions for students with disabilities. This study is valuable because it illustrates the overall

positive results of SWPBS and highlights the persistent problem of overrepresentation. This study

is limited because the small sample size prevents generalizability.