Effectiveness of Positive Behavior Support as an Alternative to Traditional Disciplinary Practices
Safran, Stephen and Karen Oswald, “Positive Behavior Supports: Can Schools Reshape Disciplinary Practices?,” Exceptional Children, Vol. 69, No. 3 (2003).
The authors begin by providing an overview of positive behavior supports (PBS) and how school–based teams can apply information obtained from archival records — such as discipline reports, absence rates, suspensions, etc. — to help design interventions. Then, the authors look at various studies which document the efficacy of interventions when targeted towards three primary levels: school wide supports for all children; specific setting supports within schools; and supports for individuals with chronic behavior difficulties.
The research examined by the authors suggests that universal school–wide PBS methods that utilize multiple measures including archival data, direct observations, teacher ratings, and consumer satisfaction inventories, have resulted in extremely positive outcomes for many students across all grade levels. Furthermore, PBS designed for specific settings—hallways, cafeterias, passing periods—has demonstrated positive change using such strategies as active supervision, pre–correction, and group contingencies. Unfortunately, the research suggests that social skill instruction may have limited utility. Finally, in a majority of the studies, interventions geared towards individual students were successfully implemented. However, the use of universal school–wide supports to improve individual chronic behavior remains largely unsubstantiated.