Positive Behavior Support and Student Response to the Behavior Education Program

School-wide positive behavior supports (SWPBS) is an evidence-based systematic approach that views problem behaviors in a positive, preventative manner. Once a school-wide discipline system is in place, an intermediate-level intervention can be implemented to support the 5% to 15% of students who are at-risk of engaging in more severe behavior. Students who do not respond to universal behavioral approaches and need extra support can benefit from a targeted group intervention like the Behavior Education Program (BEP), which is based on a daily check-in check-out system providing students with immediate feedback on their behavior. This research study described the effectiveness of the Behavior Education Program on student problem behavior with seven elementary-aged school students. The findings confirmed that the BEP resulted in an improvement in behavior, and a reduction in the number of office discipline referrals for the majority of students who received the intervention. Limitations of the study were presented, as well as implications for school social work practice