Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions

As educators move into a new era of educational reform, it becomes imperative that teachers use evidence-based instructional practices shown to be effective for students with disabilities. One area that plays a role in this process is secondary transition. The National Secondary Transition Technical Assistance Center has identified 63 evidence-based practices for teaching secondary students with disabilities. One critical component in this process is the dissemination and implementation of these practices with high fidelity. Methods for disseminating and implementing these practices with high fidelity are discussed.

This article describes the emergence and influence of evidence-based practice and data-based decision making in educational systems. Increasingly, educators and consumers want to know that resources allocated to educational efforts yield strong effects for all learners. This trend is reflected by the widespread influence of evidence-based practice (EBP) in education and the demand for data-based decision-making models like response to intervention (RtI). This article describes the ways in which EBP and RtI can be used to improve efficacy, efficiency, and equity of educational services. The article concludes with concrete recommendations for implementing RtI.

It has been 10 years since No Child Left Behind (NCLB), with its emphasis on scientifically based instruction as a means for improving the educational outcomes of students, was signed into law. In this article, we review the basic tenets of evidence-based practice as they apply to education as well as the progress that has been made in identifying, implementing, and evaluating evidence-based interventions since NCLB. We conclude that the greatest threat to evidence-based education is poor implementation of interventions. If evidence-based interventions are not implemented well, then the expected benefits are not likely to be realized.

Criteria for evaluating behavior support programs are changing. Consumer-based educational and behavioral programs, such as School-Wide Positive Behavior Support (SWPBS), are particularly influenced by consumer opinion. Unfortunately, the need for and use of social validity measures have not received adequate attention in the empirical literature related to these increasingly utilized behavioral programs. The purpose of this article is to illustrate the importance of social validity and to present an in-depth discussion of its history, merits, and practical applications relevant to the expanded scope of Positive Behavior Intervention and Support, specifically, SWPBS. In addition, the importance of social validity in bridging the gap between research and practice is discussed; current limitations are noted; and suggestions are made for future direction regarding this critical area of assessment.

This report documents the reliability and validity of scores on the Preschool-Wide Evaluation Tool (PreSET), an assessment used to measure program-wide implementation of the universal level of positive behavior interventions and support (PBIS) in early childhood settings. Initial analyses of descriptive statistics, item, subscale, and total correlations and tests of internal consistency reveal that the PreSET meets or exceeds basic psychometric criteria for measurement tools used in research. The PreSET had strong subscale intercorrelations, high interobserver agreement, positive correlations to conceptually related subscales on the Teaching Pyramid Observation Tool, and sensitivity to implementation change. Overall, the PreSET demonstrates strong promise as a tool that generates reliable and valid scores to use in the assessment of program-wide implementation of universal PBIS in early learning environments.

The purpose of this study was to empirically investigate a family-centered approach to positive behavior support (PBS) that was designed to be culturally responsive to families of diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds. A Japanese mother and a child with autism were the primary participants. Multiple research methods were used. A single-subject withdrawal design evaluated the functional relation between parent implementation of a culturally informed PBS plan and improvements in child behavior and participation in a dinner routine. Qualitative case study methods guided an understanding of the family’s culture, the mother’s perspectives on the PBS plan and outcomes, and the interventionist’s perspectives on the provision of behavior support to the family. Quantitative results documented a functional relation between implementation of the PBS plan and improvements in child behavior and participation in the dinner routine. Qualitative results provided a rich description of the parent’s and interventionist’s experience and perspective. Three themes emerged: (a) developing a rapport informed by family culture; (b) working with a cultural guide to facilitate understanding the family’s cultural values, beliefs, and parenting practices; and (c) accommodating the mother’s cross-cultural values and beliefs. Contributions to the literature and implications for behavior interventionists working with families of diverse cultural backgrounds are discussed.