Title: The Role of Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) for Addressing Racial Disparities in School Discipline
1The Role of Positive Behavioral Interventions and
Supports (PBIS) for Addressing Racial Disparities
in School Discipline
- Amanda J. Petersen, Wilder Research
- Aaron Barnes, MDE
- PBIS Summer Institute 2016
2Agenda
- Introduction and Activity
- Research questions
- Key findings from literature on discipline
disparities - Impact of PBIS on discipline disparities
- Strategies to reduce disparities
- Discussion and networking
3Before we start
4ActivityPair Share
- Talk with your table/person next to you about
your perspectives - Where do you come from?
- Why youre here and engaged in this work
- Also, what needs to be acknowledged and applied
moving forward (in this presentation and beyond)
5Research Questions
- In what ways do positive behavior initiatives
bolster education equity? In which ways do they
fall short? - What can be done at the school level and
community level to engage families and community
members in creating a positive school climate?
What types of things could PBIS school teams do
to engage parents and community members in dialog
about positive behavior interventions and
supports and positive school climate? - In what ways to initiatives like PBIS need to
improve so they are more culturally responsive,
appropriate, and inclusive to all students,
especially of students of color?
6Literature review findingsin a nutshell
- PBIS is an evidence-based practice that has been
proven to reduce the overall number of ODRs in a
school that implements PBIS with fidelity - Horner, 2009
- Bradshaw et. al, 2010
7Literature review findingsin a nutshell
- There is not a strong body of evidence to suggest
that all schools implementing School-wide PBIS
close discipline disparity gaps - Mixed bag of results
- Some studies found that PBIS was not correlated
to closing discipline disparity gaps - Other studies indicated PBIS as a contributor to
specifically closing discipline disparity gaps
8Documented effects of PBIS on discipline
disproportionality
- Vincent et al., 2011
- Statistically significantly lower Black-White ODR
disproportionality in 72 schools implementing
SWPBIS than in 81 schools not implementing SWPBIS - Vincent et al., 2009
- Decreases in ODRs seen across racial/ethnic
groups in 69 schools implementing SWPBIS - Scott, 2001
- Larger decreases in suspensions for Black
students when SWPBIS implemented - McIntosh et al., 2014
- Sustained decrease in suspensions over eight
years of SWPBIS implementation in an Indigenous
school
9Which PBIS Features are Most Related to Equity?
- Tobin Vincent, 2011
- Examined change in Black-White Relative Risk
Index for suspensions in 46 schools - Two key predictors of decreased
disproportionality - Regular use of data for decision making
- Implementation of classroom SWPBIS systems
10Promising leads exist, but more work needed
11Onward strategies from the literature
12Strategy 1 Use the PBIS Framework as a foundation
13Slide
- A 5-point
- Intervention
- Approach to Enhance Equity in School
Discipline
http//www.pbis.org/school/equity-pbis
14Details of the 5 point approach
- Use engaging academic instruction to reduce the
support gap (achievement gap) - Implement a behavior framework that is
preventive, multi-tiered, and culturally
responsive - Collect, use, and report disaggregated discipline
data - Develop policies with accountability for
disciplinary equity - Teach neutralizing routines to address implicit
bias
15Starting with a PBIS Foundation
- Proactive, instructional approach may prevent
problem behavior and exposure to biased responses
to problem behavior - Increasing positive student-teacher interactions
may enhance relationships to prevent challenges - More objective referral and discipline procedures
may reduce subjectivity and influence of cultural
bias - Professional development may provide teachers
with more instructional responses
16Strategy 2 Use disaggregated discipline data to
inform decisions
17SWIS Schools and Ethnicity Data
Source McIntosh, Eliason, Horner, and May Have
schools increased their use of the SWIS ethnicity
report? Feb 2014
18Strategy 3 Use implementation fidelity data to
identify areas of need
19PBIS Cultural Responsiveness Companion(Leverson,
Smith, McIntosh, in prep)
- Based on the TFI TIER 1 scale
- Identifies 15 critical features of behavior
support
20Example Team Composition
21Strategy 4 Involve family and community
22Strategy 4 Involve family and community
- Involve family and the community in PBIS
initiatives - Planning/defining a school or districts PBIS
program - Including parents/community members on the PBIS
team - Using staff and student surveys to gauge buy-in
- Being open, transparent, and willing to share
discipline data with the community - Get community input to decide which data should
be prioritized
23Student input and satisfaction surveys(McIntosh,
2016)
24Strategy 5 Culturally responsive teacher training
25The pure and simple truth is rarely pure and
never simple.
26Discussion/Networking
- Does your school use strategies to help reduce
discipline disparities? If yes, what strategies
does your school implement to help reduce
discipline disparities? Why do you think schools
choose not to implement these strategies/what are
the barriers to implementing them? - What practices (discussed today or additionally)
might be incorporated into or along side PBIS to
increase cultural responsiveness and promote
positive outcomes for all students? - Does your school pull data from your behavioral
tracking system by race/ethnicity? If yes, in
what ways has this been helpful for you or your
school team? If no, what are the barriers to
doing this? - What actions could PBIS school teams make to
further engage parents and community members in
dialog about PBIS and positive school climate to
ensure these initiatives support positive
outcomes for racial and disability disparities in
discipline?
27Acknowledgements for Ongoing Work, Materials and
Resources
- PBIS Center Disproportionality Workgroup
- Timberly Baker
- Aaron Barnes
- Alondra Canizal Delabra
- Yolanda Cargile
- Erin Chaparro
- Soraya Coccimiglio
- Tai Collins
- Bert Eliason
- Erik Girvan
- Steve Goodman
- Clynita Grafenreed
- Ambra Green
- Beth Hill
- Rob Horner
- Don Kincaid
- Milaney Leverson
- Tim Lewis
- Kent McIntosh
- Kelsey Morris
28THANK YOU!!!
- Amanda J. Petersen
- amanda.petersen_at_wilder.org