Decreasing Disciplinary Referrals Utilizing Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports

Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) emerged from the Inclusion Movement and Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) (Carr, 2012; Horner & Sugai, 2015) and is a three-tiered framework of evidence -based behavioral interventions (Lewis et al. , 2016) that helps students succeed academically, behaviorally, and socially (Sugai & Simonsen, 2012) by developing appropriate, life-long coping skills. Its purpose is to provide “both the whole-school social culture and additional tiers of behavior support intensity needed to improve educational and social outcomes for all students”( Horner & Sugai, 2015, p.80) by using data to inform decisions. The program where I work as a school administrator, in response to federal and state requirements and the need for a better whole-child program, trained staff to implement PBIS to build positive, effective, learning environments where students develop life-long coping skills. Data was collected, summarized, and used to inform decisions about students, environment, and instruction In my study, I review data at this self-contained, separate school to understand the impact that PBIS had on disciplinary referrals. Information may help school leaders determine the effectiveness of PBIS in this setting when used with students who display serious behaviors