Is PBIS Evidence-based?

George SugaiOSEP Center on PBIS

University of Oregon

Center for Behavioral Education & Research

University of ConnecticutAugust 5, 2008

www.cber.org www.pbis.org

George.sugai@uconn.edu

Purpose

Is PBIS Evidence-based Practice?

• What is PBIS?

• How is evidence-based determined?

• What is PBIS evidence?

www.pbis.org

Horner, R., & Sugai, G. (2008). Is school-wide positive behavior support an evidence-based practice? OSEP Technical Assistance Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Support.

http://www.pbis.org/files/101007evidencebase4pbs.pdf.

Evidence Basics

Why evidence-based?

• Maximize outcomes

• Minimize harm

• Increased accountability

• Increase efficiency

• Improve decision making

• Improve resource use

Basic Approach• Start w/ what has greatest likelihood of

addressing (evidence-based) confirmed problem/question

– Explained/supported conceptually/empirically

• Adapt to local context/culture/need

• Monitor regularly & adjust based on data

• Adapt for efficient & durable implementation

4 Evaluation Criteria• Effectiveness

– Has/will practice produced desired outcome?

• Efficiency– What are costs (time, resources, $) to implement

practice?

• Relevance– Is practice & outcomes appropriate for situation?

• Conceptually soundness– Is practice based on theory?

Identify practicethat addressesneed/problem?

Is practiceresearchbased?

Specify features ofneed/problem

Is evidence ofeffectiveness

available?

Can practicebe adapted?

Implement &monitor effects

Consider anotherpractice

No No

Yes

Yes

No

Is adequateprogress

observed?

No

Yes

Improve efficiency& sustainability of

practiceimplementation

Review questions& data on regular

basis

Does problemexist?

Yes

No

Yes

Start

Basic Practices Evaluation

Identify practicethat addressesneed/problem?

Specify features ofneed/problem

Review questions& data on regular

basis

Does problemexist?

Yes

No

Start

Identify practicethat addressesneed/problem?

Is practiceresearchbased?

Is evidence ofeffectiveness

available?

Can practicebe adapted?

Consider anotherpractice

No No

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Can practicebe adapted?

Implement &monitor effects

Yes

Yes

Is adequateprogress

observed?

No

Yes

Improve efficiency& sustainability of

practiceimplementation

Design Questions• Has functional or cause-effect

relationship been demonstrated & replicated?

• Have alternative explanations been accounted & controlled for?

• Have threats or weaknesses of methodology been controlled for?

• Was study implemented w/ fidelity/accuracy?

Research Designs

• Experimental - RCT & SSR

• Evaluation - Descriptive w/ baseline

• Case Study - Descriptive w/o baseline

• Testimonial - No/Limited data

Results Questions• Who were subjects?

– How much like my participants?

• Where was study conducted?

– How much like where I work?

• What measures were used?

– Do I have similar data?

• What outcomes were achieved?

– Are expected outcomes similar

Effectiveness Logic

• Significance (“believe”)

– Likelihood of same effect by chance

• Effect Size (“strength”)

– Size of effect relative to business as usual

• Consequential Validity (“meaning”)

– Contextually meaningful

SWPBS/PBIS

Primary Prevention:School-/Classroom-Wide Systems for

All Students,Staff, & Settings

Secondary Prevention:Specialized Group

Systems for Students with At-Risk Behavior

Tertiary Prevention:Specialized

IndividualizedSystems for Students

with High-Risk Behavior

~80% of Students

~15%

~5%

CONTINUUM OFSCHOOL-WIDE

INSTRUCTIONAL & POSITIVE BEHAVIOR

SUPPORT

SYST

EMS

PRACTICES

DATASupportingStaff Behavior

SupportingStudent Behavior

OUTCOMES

Supporting Social Competence &Academic Achievement

SupportingDecisionMaking

Basics: 4 PBS

Elements

Agreements

Team

Data-based Action Plan

ImplementationEvaluation

GENERAL IMPLEMENTATION

PROCESS

Classroom

SWPBSSubsystems

Non-classroom Family

Student

School-w

ide

1.Common purpose & approach to discipline

2.Clear set of positive expectations & behaviors

3. Procedures for teaching expected behavior

4.Continuum of procedures for encouraging expected behavior

5. Continuum of procedures for discouraging inappropriate behavior

6. Procedures for on-going monitoring & evaluation

School-wide

• Positive expectations & routines taught & encouraged

• Active supervision by all staff– Scan, move, interact

• Precorrections & reminders

• Positive reinforcement

Non-classroom

• Classroom-wide positive expectations taught & encouraged

• Teaching classroom routines & cues taught & encouraged

• Ratio of 6-8 positive to 1 negative adult-student interaction

• Active supervision• Redirections for minor, infrequent behavior errors• Frequent precorrections for chronic errors• Effective academic instruction & curriculum

Classroom

• Behavioral competence at school & district levels

• Function-based behavior support planning

• Team- & data-based decision making

• Comprehensive person-centered planning & wraparound processes

• Targeted social skills & self-management instruction

• Individualized instructional & curricular accommodations

Individual Student

• Continuum of positive behavior support for all families

• Frequent, regular positive contacts, communications, & acknowledgements

• Formal & active participation & involvement as equal partner

• Access to system of integrated school & community resources

Family

Funding Visibility PoliticalSupport

Training Coaching Evaluation

Local School Teams/Demonstrations

PBS Systems Implementation Logic

Leadership Team

Active & Integrated Coordination

PBIS Evidence

Base

VIOLENCE PREVENTION?• Surgeon General’s

Report on Youth Violence (2001)

• Coordinated Social Emotional & Learning (Greenberg et al., 2003)

• Center for Study & Prevention of Violence (2006)

• White House Conference on School Violence (2006)

• Positive, predictable school-wide climate

• High rates of academic & social success

• Formal social skills instruction

• Positive active supervision & reinforcement

• Positive adult role models

• Multi-component, multi-year school-family-community effort

90-School RCT StudyHorner et al., in press

•Schools that receive technical assistance from typical support personnel implement SWPBS with fidelity

•Fidelity SWPBS is associated with▫Low levels of ODR

▫ .29/100/day v. national mean .34

▫Improved perception of safety of the school ▫ reduced risk factor

▫Increased proportion of 3rd graders who meet state reading standard.

RCT Project TargetBradshaw & Leaf, in press

• PBIS (21 v. 16) schools reached & sustained high fidelity

• PBIS increased all aspects of organizational health

• Positive effects/trends for student outcomes– Fewer ODRs (majors + minors)

– Fewer ODRs for truancy

– Fewer suspensions

– Increasing trend in % of students scoring in advanced & proficient range of state achievement test

Elem With School-wide PBS

-5

0

5

10

15

20

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

Schools

Ch

an

ge

fro

m 9

7-9

8 t

o 0

1-0

2

Elem Without School-wide PBS

-6

-4

-2

0

2

4

6

1 2 3 4 5 6

Schools

Ch

an

ge

fro

m 9

7-98

to 0

1-02

4J School District

Eugene, Oregon

Change in the percentage of students meeting the state standard in reading at grade 3 from 97-98 to 01-02 for schools using PBIS all four years and those that did not.

0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1

Mea

n P

ropo

rtio

n of

S

tude

nts

Met SET (N = 23) Not Met SET (N =12)

Central Illinois Elem, Middle SchoolsTriangle Summary 03-04

6+ ODR

2-5 ODR

0-1 ODR

84% 58%

11%

22%

05%20%

SWPBS schools are more preventive

National ODR/ISS/OSS July 2008

K-6 6-9 9-12# Sch 1756 476 177# Std 781,546 311,725 161,182# ODR 423,647 414,716 235,279

ISS # Evnt 6 38 38avg/100 # Day 12 49 61OSS # Evnt 6 30 24avg/100 # Day 10 74 61  # Expl 0.03 0.29 0.39

24091,254,4531,073,642

July 2, 2008

ODR rates vary by level

July 2, 2008

A few kids get many ODRs

SWIS summary 07-08 July 2, 20082,717 sch, 1,377,989 stds; 1,232,826 Maj ODRs

Grade Range # Schools Mean Enroll.

Mean ODRs/100/ sch day

(std dev.)

K-6 1,756 445 ..35 (.45)

1/300 day

6-9 476 654 .91 (1.40)

1/100 /day

9-12 177 910 1.05 (1.56)

1/105/day

K-(8-12) 308 401 1.01 (1.88)

1/100 /day