Williams Research Proposal 2009 1.42

THE EFFECT OF POSITIVE BEHAVIOR SUPPORTS ON

DISCIPLINE IN A RURAL HIGH SCHOOL

A Seminar Paper

Presented to

Dr. Emmett Sawyer

Missouri State University

In Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Degree

Master of Arts in Teaching

by

Curtis E. Williams

May 2009

THE EFFECT OF POSITIVE BEHAVIOR SUPPORTS ON DISCIPLINE IN A

RURAL HIGH SCHOOL

School of Teacher Education

Missouri State University, May 2009

Master of Arts in Teaching

Curtis E. Williams

ABSTRACT

This study was conducted to determine if Positive Behavior Supports (PBS) had an effect on discipline in a rural Missouri high school. Office referral data was collected from one year before and the second year after the inception of Positive Behavior Supports. The data was then analyzed to determine if a significant difference existed in the mean number of office referrals issued per day per 100 students, the mean number of days of in school issued per day per 100 students, and the mean number of days of out of school suspension issued per day per 100 students before and after the initiation of PBS. Analysis of the data made clear that after Positive Behavior Supports were implemented, the mean number of office referrals issued per day per 100 students was reduced by 1.1%, the mean number of days of in school issued per day per 100 students increased by 52.4%, and the mean number of days of out of school suspension issued per day per 100 students was reduced by 31.7%.

KEYWORDS: Positive Behavior Supports (PBS), discipline, high school, office referral, in

school suspension, out of school suspension

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

ABSTRACT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ii

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Purpose Statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Rationale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Research Hypothesis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Significance of the Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Assumptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Limitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Definition of Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF THE RELATED LITERATURE . . . . . . 7

Current Practices in Classroom Management and Discipline. . . . . . 7

Positive Behavior Supports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Effects of Positive Behavior Supports on Schools . . . . . . . . 13

CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Instrument and Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Participants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Analyses of Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

CHAPTER FOUR: RESULTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Research Design . . . . . . . . . 21

Statistics . . . . . . . . . . 23

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Office Referrals . . . . . . . . 23

In school suspension . . . . . . . 24

Out of school suspension . . . . . . . 25

CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS . . . . . . . . 27

Summary of Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Summary of Findings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Conclusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

REFERENCES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

APPENDIX A. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Building Principals Permission Letter . . . . . . 47

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CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

One of the major problems that all educators face is the issue of discipline both in and

out of the classroom. The issue of discipline affects the way a classroom is managed, how

much instructional time is lost, what students achieve, educator-student relationships, school

safety, and several other aspects of the educational environment. The federal government

also addresses the issue of classroom discipline in such initiatives as Title IV, which suggests

schools “implement appropriate and effective discipline policies” (U.S. Department of

Education, 2002, p. 50).

Many effective discipline models are available, such as: proximity (Wong & Wong,

2005), assertive discipline (Canter, 1976; Edwards, 2004), non-coercive discipline (Glasser,

2001), and behavior modification (Edwards, 2004; Charles, 2002). A new trend in discipline

is a style that focuses on positive behavior. One positive discipline model focused on

rewarding good and expected behavior is Positive Behavior Supports (PBS) (Rehabilitation

Research and Training Center, n. d.).

Positive Behavior Supports is a proactive behavior management system in which

good student behaviors receive recognition and inappropriate behavior has outlined

consequences and interventions (Rehabilitation Research and Training Center, n. d., p. 1).

Research has shown that PBS reduces the number of office referrals issued, increases

positive contact with students, and improves attendance (Bohanon, H., Fenning, P., Carney,

K., Minnis-Kim, M., Anderson-Harriss, S., Moroz, K., et al., 2006; Lohrman-O’Rourke, S.,

Knoster, T., Sabatine, K., Smith, D., Hovarth, B., Llewellyn, G.,2000; Luiselli, J., Putnam,

R., Sunderland, M., 2002; McCurdy, B., Manella, M., & Eldridge, N., 2003; Carney, 2005).

This study will focus on one rural Missouri high school’s implementation of Positive

Behavior Supports and the effect that PBS has had on discipline.

Purpose Statement

The purpose of this study is to determine the effect that Positive Behavior Supports

has on discipline in a rural high school. This study will specifically address the mean number

of office referrals issued per day per 100 students, the mean number of days of in school

suspension issued per day per 100 students, and the mean number of days of out of school

suspension issued per day per 100 students.

Rationale

Discipline problems and lost instructional time due to discipline problems are issues

with which every educator must deal. The federal government has passed initiatives such as

Title IV to address the ever-increasing problems of discipline and lost instructional time in

public schools by indicating the need for “appropriate and effective discipline policies” (U.S.

Department of Education, 2002 p. 50). In order to reduce problem behavior and increase

instructional time, school districts and high schools have implemented Positive Behavior

Supports.

Since educators have a limited amount of classroom time with their students, every

minute is valuable. If discipline problems, office referrals, and suspensions are minimized,

the time in the instructional environment could be used to its fullest potential. In an effort to

reduce the amount of discipline problems educators have in and out of the classroom,

Positive Behavior Support was enacted in high schools. PBS employs a system in which

good student behavior receives recognition and inappropriate behavior has outlined

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consequences and interventions. A study conducted by Luiselli, et al. (2002) found PBS

reduced office referrals and increased attendance in public schools. This study will examine

the effect that PBS has on discipline in a rural Missouri high school, High School A.

Research Hypotheses

The following null hypotheses were constructed in concurrence with the purpose

statement as a foundation to guide the research study.

Ho1: There is no significant difference in the mean number of office referrals

issued by teachers per day per 100 students using traditional discipline model

and the mean number of office referrals issued by teachers per day per 100

students using Positive Behavior Supports.

Ho2: There is no significant difference in the mean number of days of in

school suspension issued by administrators per day per 100 students using

traditional discipline model and the mean number of days of in school

suspension issued by administrators per day per 100 students using Positive

Behavior Supports.

Ho3: There is no significant difference in the mean number of days of out of


traditional discipline model and the mean number of days of out of school


Behavior Supports.

Significance of the Study

Current punitive methods of discipline, which include measures such as in school

suspension (ISS) and out of school suspension (OSS), remove students from the instructional

3

setting. To address increasing problem behaviors and the problem of lost instructional time

due to ISS and OSS, High School A decided to implement Positive Behavior Supports (PBS).

PBS is a behavior management system that recognizes students who demonstrate good

behavior and follow expectations. Inappropriate behavior has outlined consequences and

interventions for repeat offenders (Rehabilitation Research and Training Center, n. d.). This

system was set in place to reduce the amount of office referrals and thereby increase the

amount of time the students are in the instructional environment.

The conclusions drawn from this study may help administrators and educators to

decide if PBS would aide in the reduction of disciplinary problems and referrals, and increase

instructional time in a secondary school setting.

Assumptions

For the purpose of this study the following assumptions will be made:

1. All high school staff and administration will implement Positive Behavior Supports

consistently.

2. It will be assumed that the subjects in the study are representative of typical high

school students and teachers from a rural high school.

3. It will be assumed that accurate records of office referrals issued, in school

suspension (ISS) and out of school suspension (OSS) were kept and collected.

4. It will be assumed that ISS and OSS were appropriately issued for disciplinary

actions per school district policies and procedures.

5. All educators enforce school policies as written in the school handbook.

6. An educator issues referrals fairly and appropriately to all students.

7. A decrease in behavioral problems and/or office referrals will increase a students’

4

instructional time.

8. Students who are not issued out of school suspension attend school regularly.

9. Major discipline infractions results in out of school suspension for the student in

violation.

Limitations

For the purpose of this study the following limitations will be assumed:

1. The study will be limited to data taken from one rural high school in Missouri.

2. The data collected will be limited to the 2003-2004 and 2007-2008 school years.

3. The study will be limited to office referral data that indicates only the type of offense

and the date issued.

4. The study will be limited to discipline data that indicates only the type of punishment

issued, either in school suspension (ISS) or out of school suspension (OSS) and the

date issued.

Definition of Terms

For the purpose of this study the following definitions will be made:

1. Office referral: A building-approved document issued to a student who has

demonstrated problem behavior that is not in compliance with district, building,

and/or classroom policies and rules.

2. Positive Behavior Supports (PBS): “Positive Behavior Supports is a collaborative,

assessment-based process to develop effective, individualized interventions for

individuals with challenging behavior. Support plans focus on proactive and

educative approaches” (Rehabilitation Research and Training Center, n.d. p. 1).

5

3. Problem behaviors: Any behaviors exhibited by a student that are deemed

unacceptable according to district, building, and classroom policies and rules.

4. Out of school suspension (OSS): A punishment in which students are completely

removed and barred from the high school for a set amount of time. Students may or

may not complete homework while placed in OSS; the decision is at the discretion of

the administration and depends on the severity of the infraction.

5. In school suspension (ISS): An in school program in which students are separated

from peers and a traditional classroom setting as a form of punishment. Students in

ISS may complete homework for full credit while in the ISS environment.

6. Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA): A problem solving process that helps to

gather information about problem behavior for an individual (Florida’s Positive

Behavior Supports Project, 2008).

7. A high school is compromised of grades nine through twelve.

6

CHAPTER 2

REVIEW OF THE RELATED LITERATURE





suspension issued per day per 100 students. The topics covered in this chapter are: (a) current

practices in classroom management and discipline, (b) Positive Behavior Supports, (c) effects

of Positive Behavior Supports on schools, and (d) summary.

Current Practices in Classroom Management and Discipline

Several different styles of classroom management are present in the field of

education; the following styles are discussed for the purpose of this study: proximity (Wong

& Wong, 2005), assertive discipline (Edwards, 2004), non-coercive discipline (Glasser,

2001), and behavior modification (Edwards, 2004; Charles, 2002).

Proximity

According to Wong and Wong, an effective educator manages through procedures

and routines that provide structure to a classroom (Wong & Wong, 2005). A key component

in the Wong and Wong classroom management style was, “Effective educators manage their

classrooms. Ineffective educators discipline their classrooms” (p. 83). The proximity style

focuses on the educator planning ahead to have procedures in place before discipline

problems arise and on controlling problem behaviors through proximity. If educators do not

plan ahead, they only worry about the day’s lesson and do not consider classroom

management (Wong & Wong, 2005). The Wongs believe discipline is managed through

7

procedures in which positive and negative consequences are established so that educators

discourage negative behavior and reward positive behavior.

Assertive discipline

Canter& Canter (1976) outlined an assertive classroom management plan that focuses

on punishment of problem behavior and reinforcement of appropriate, positive behavior.

Assertive management is a system in which punishment for misbehavior of students is

consistently enforced. Assertive management is easy to use and effective in controlling

classroom behavior. However, assertive management puts an educator in a more authoritative

role, which could hinder student-educator relationships (Edwards, 2004). Assertive

management directs the classroom utilizing a punishment and reward-based system. An

educator rewards students who display appropriate behaviors and meet classroom

expectations with praise. On the other hand, educators must invoke penalties for those

students who display problem behaviors or fail to meet classroom expectations (Charles,

2002).

Non-coercive discipline

Non-coercive discipline focuses on the belief that behavior is an attempt to control

oneself to meet five basic human needs: freedom, belonging, survival, power, and fun.

Glasser (2001) required that positive relationships be established between teachers and

students as a means of avoiding problem behaviors. Glasser (2001) also believed educators

should strive to be lead educators as opposed to being boss educators. Lead educators are

educators who provide a stimulating, encouraging, and helpful classroom environment and

befriend their students instead of punishing them. Boss educators are educators who dictate

procedures and orders to students (Charles, 2002).

8

Glasser (2001) focused on discipline that is non-punitive in nature. He indicated that

problem behaviors arise when students feel disconnected, and that a connection can be made

through a relationship with an educator. Glasser suggested making personal and caring

relationships with students and offering to help them work through their problem behavior

(Charles, 2002; Glasser, 2001). If a serious disruption did occur, Glasser’s model calls for

isolation near the classroom—not as a punishment, but as a form of self reflection—or a

classroom meeting in which a plan is developed to resolve present and future problems

(2001).

Behavior modification

Behavior modification is a practice in which student behavior is purposefully shaped

by reinforcement (Charles, 2002). Behavior modification emphasizes that punishing students

only encourages the problem behavior educators are trying to stop. To eliminate such

unwanted behavior, educators should stop reinforcing the unwanted behavior through

punishment and reinforce the expected, positive behavior (Edwards, 2004). Behavior

modification encourages educators to overlooking minor disciplinary infractions in hopes

that the issues will extinguish themselves. Good behavior must be constantly reinforced

immediately after the action has taken place to be effective. Negative behavior will

eventually disappear, or be extinguished, by failing to reinforce it. Behavior modification is

focused on the principle that constant positive reinforcement will encourage wanted behavior

and that unwanted behavior will extinguish itself through the educator failing to recognize it

(Charles, 2002).

Positive Behavior Supports

Positive Behavior Supports is an alternative behavior modification intervention that

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suggests unconventional, positive approaches to punitive discipline practices. Positive

Behavior Supports is focused on educating students on behavioral issues, not simply trying to

eliminate unwanted behavior. This approach is centered on student growth and development

through positive interactions and relationships with teachers and peers (Jackson & Panyan,

2002).

“Positive Behavior Supports is defined as a collaborative, assessment-based process

to develop effective, individualized interventions for individuals with challenging behavior.

Support plans focus on proactive and educative approaches.” (Rehabilitation Research and

Training Center, n.d., p. 1). Seven essential components of PBS are stated by Richter (2007):

1. Administrative support, participation, and leadership.

2. Common purpose and approach to discipline.

3. Clear set of positive expectations and behaviors.

4. Procedures for teaching expected behavior.

5. Continuum of procedures for encouraging expected behavior.

6. Continuum of procedures for discouraging inappropriate behavior.

7. Procedures for ongoing monitoring. (p. 7)

Richter (2007) suggested that PBS teams use assessment data to guide management

decisions, focus on a variety of behavioral supports, and concentrate on long-term

achievement.

According to Sugai, G., Horner, R., Dunlap, G., Hieneman, M., Lewis, T., Nelson, C.,

et al. (2000), the following assumptions must be made before the implementation of Positive

Behavior Supports: (a) fluency in social skills, (b) not all students have the competence to be

responsible for their own learning, (c) natural consequences are not always effective, and (d)

10

students are not necessarily self-motivated by social and academic success.

Universal expectations and policies

PBS is focused on the perspective that behavior is learned, is directly related to social

factors, and can be changed. The guiding principles of Positive Behavior Supports

emphasize supports for all students, prevention, and continuous improvements (Sugai, et al.,

2000). One school’s teacher handbook states that “PBS is based on the idea that students

learn appropriate behavior in the same way they learn to read—through instruction, practice,

feedback, and encouragement.” PBS establishes universal, building wide, positive behavioral

expectations that are clearly stated and defined, and include example behaviors (2007, p. 4;

Irvin, I., Tobin, T., Sprague, J., Sugai, G., Vincent, C., (2004). Teachers and administrators

regularly taught, reviewed, and recognized behavioral expectations for all students

throughout the building, not just in the classroom. Knowing and meeting expectations was

focused more upon as opposed to concentrating on the punishment of students who did not

follow rules (Flannery, K., Sugai, G., 2005; McCurdy, et al., 2003).

According to Jackson & Panyan (2002), universal policies for conduct and

expectations are developed for the whole student body and applied building wide to

encourage wanted behaviors and outcomes. Said policies must shift focus away from rules

that express what is unacceptable, or negative expectations, and formulate rules based on

what is expected, or positive expectations (Jackson & Panyan, 2002; Warren, J., Edmonson,

H., Griggs, P., Lassen, S., McCart, A., Turnbull, A., et al. 2003). When positive universal

expectations, as opposed to negative expectations, are applied to troublesome areas such as

the lunch room and hallways, benefits will likely include increased safety and students that

are more responsible. By formulating positive expectations, emphasis is placed on the needs

11

and rights of others throughout the entire building. This focus promotes membership and

responsibility in the educational community for both teachers and students.

Recognition when expectations are met

The recognition of meeting expectations and displaying good behavior is a key

principle of Positive Behavior Supports. Students were continuously recognized in various

ways including social praise, notes sent home to parents, certificates, drawings, food

coupons, small prizes, homework passes, movies, listening to music, class parties, and grade-

specific awards. School wide celebrations such as a school wide dance, a party with food and

a disc jockey, special assemblies, permission to wear hats, and free tickets to the movies were

also utilized (Lohrman-O’Rourke, et al., 2000; Bohanon, et al., 2006; Carney, 2005). School

wide celebrations were dependent on meeting a pre-determined goal in office discipline

referral reduction for the entire student body or specific grade levels (Bohanon, et al., 2006;

Carney, 2005).

In an inner city elementary school, rewards called “keys” were given to students who

displayed appropriate and expected behavior. The keys could be traded in for various prizes.

Students who repeatedly performed expected behaviors could be invited to join the Gold Key

Club. Members of the Gold Key Club were further rewarded with group activities such as

trips and movies (McCurdy, et al., 2003). “Cool tickets” that include expectations were used

in a high school as a means of reinforcement of meeting expectations of the school. These

tickets could be exchanged for snacks and drinks in the lunchroom. At the end of the school

year all “cool tickets” were entered in a raffle for prizes including books, food coupons at

local restaurants, tickets to sporting events, and hand held electronics (Carney, 2005).

12

Problem behaviors

An element used in Positive Behavior Supports to deal with problem behaviors is

called a Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA) (Lewis, n. d.). A Functional Behavior

Assessment is an assessment that helps identify the purpose of unwanted behavior. Once the

purpose of the unwanted behavior is identified, interventions can be planned to address the

unwanted behavior (Jackson & Panyan, 2002; McCurdy, et al., 2003). A Functional

Behavior Assessment is used in situations with students who have repeated behavioral

problems to try to help correct those issues (Lewis, n. d.). If the Functional Behavior

Assessment did not lead to the desired change in behavior, a more thorough Functional

Behavior Assessment in addition to direct observation was performed (McCurdy, et al.,

2003).

Disciplinary actions, such as parent-teacher conferences and after school detentions

were used for problem behaviors. Peer mediation and behavioral contracts were also used for

students who require a more rigorous intervention (Luiselli, et al., 2002). Students with

continual problem behavior were sent to an accommodation room, which is a neutral setting

where problem behaviors can be addressed by the student and a staff member. Once in the

accommodation room, the student must complete a behavior response form to be sent home

to the parent, which addresses why the student was sent to the accommodation room and

what the student will do in the future to avoid the same consequence. A behavior response

form is a method of teaching replacement behaviors (McCurdy, et al., 2003).

Effects of Positive Behavior Supports on Schools

The Bangor Area School District is a rural district located in Pennsylvania. This

school district implemented Positive Behavior Supports to address character education and to

13

teach the skills needed to succeed in a diverse world (Lohrman-O’Rourke, et al., 2000). The

Bangor Area School District also used PBS to track and reduce discipline referrals and to use

the referral data as an early warning system for identifying repeated problem behavior. Since

the implementation of PBS in the Bangor Area School District, discipline referral data has

reduced 30 to 40 %.

The Tigard-Tualatin School District is a suburban school district near Portland,

Oregon, that has a student population of 11, 291 students who are mostly Caucasian and

come from middle-class homes (Sadler, 2000, p. 243). The Tigard-Tualatin School District

documented a decrease in the number of referrals in one year by 35 %. The school district did

see a change in the types of referrals being written as well.

“Inappropriate behaviors decreased from 33% of the total to 12%, disruptive behavior

increased from 11% to 35%, and aggressive behavior decreased from 10% to 4%.

Minor behavior incidents (e.g., tardies, truancy) remained relatively stable at about

19% to 20% of total referrals”.

Luiselli, et al. (2002) described the effects that Positive Behavior Supports had on a

rural, middle- to upper class middle school in Massachusetts. The school observed positive

effects over several academic years, including an increased attendance; diminished problem

behaviors; more frequent, positive contact with students; and a 55 % drop in detentions

issued in the fourth year as compared to the first year (Luiselli, et al., 2002).

In their study of an inner city elementary school, McCurdy, Manella, and Eldridge,

(2003) indicated that the implementation of Positive Behavior Supports reduced office

discipline referrals by 46 % after the second year of inclusion in the school discipline plan.

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Moreover, the school recorded a 55 % reduction in office discipline referrals per student over

the same two-year period.

According to Bohanon, et al. (2006), a study in which Positive Behavior Supports

was initiated in an urban high school in the Chicago public school system with a diverse

student population of 1,800 students. The findings indicated referrals issued declined 20 %

by the end of third year of execution as well as a significant drop in referrals for serious

disobedience (Bohanon, et al., 2006). Bohanon, et al. (2006) described the preliminary

results as very encouraging. They also suggest future work is needed in planning individual

and group supports and long-term evaluations that focus on the continuance of PBS in

secondary schools. The study conducted by Bohanon, et al. (2006) was one of the first to

implement and evaluate PBS in a high school setting, therefore, the existing data concerning

the planning of individual and group supports and long-term viability of PBS in secondary

schools is very limited.

Summary

Current discipline models all have defined consequences and support positive

behavior. Each model had consequences to deal with problem behaviors and reinforcement

elements to acknowledge expected behaviors. The differences in these models lie in the

structure of each. Wong and Wong (2005) expect teachers to be proactive so as to prevent

problem behaviors. Edwards (2004) stipulates that problem behaviors should be resolved

with punishment after the fact. Glasser (2001) required that positive relationships be

established between teachers and students as a means of avoiding problem behaviors.

Edwards (2004) and Charles (2002) focused on reshaping behaviors through reinforcement

of positive behaviors and punishment for negative behaviors. Each of these models relied on

15

the use of positive and negative reinforcement through alternate methods and to varying

extents.

Positive Behavior Supports deals with reinforcement as well. PBS is a proactive

behavior management system in which positive student behavior is recognized

(Rehabilitation Research and Training Center, n. d., p. 1). In the PBS model, universal

expectations were established within the building and then directly taught to students. When

students followed these expectations, their behaviors are reinforced through recognition

incentives. Likewise when students failed to meet universal expectations, outlined

consequences are utilized and plans are formed to prevent future behavioral issues. Repeat

offenders were handled on an individual basis as educators evaluate the reasons behind the

negative behavior and formed plans for the student involved in order to eliminate said

negative behavior. Research has shown that PBS reduced the number of office referrals

issued, increased positive contact with students, and improved attendance (Bohanon, et al.,

2006; Lohrman-O’Rourke, et al., 2000; Luiselli, et al., 2002; McCurdy, et al., 2003). As a

result of these findings, the PBS model clearly had a direct link to reduction in both office

discipline referrals and the time spent in suspension environments; thus, this model of

discipline has shown to increase the amount of positive, productive time spent in the

educational environment not causing disruptions.

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CHAPTER 3

METHODOLOGY





suspension issued per day per 100 students. The topics covered in this chapter are: (a)

instrument and design, (b) site of the study, (c) participants, (d) procedures, and (e) data

analysis.

Instrument and Design

A causal comparative study was conducted using data from 2003-2004 and 2007-

2008 to determine the effect PBS had on discipline in a rural high school in Missouri. The

administrative staff at High School A provided the office referral data, which did not identify

individual students; the only information listed was the type of incident and date.

The office referral data from the 2003-2004 school year was compared to the office

referral data from the 2007-2008 school year. The data from the 2003-2004 school year was

taken one year before the implementation of PBS and the data from the 2007-2008 school

year was taken three years after PBS was implemented. The 2007-2008 data was chosen

because it was the most current data. All of the data taken was under the same building

principal. The validity of the data to be collected may be skewed due of the variations in the

approach that individual educators and staff used to address problem behaviors as well as

policy modifications.

Once the office referral data was collected, they were analyzed to determine the mean

17

number of office referrals issued per day per 100 students, the mean number of days of in

school suspension issued per day per 100 students, and the mean number of days of out of

school suspension issued per day per 100 students. The data from the 2003-2004 and 2007-

2008 school years were then compared using a t-test of independent means assuming unequal

variances at the alpha level of 0.05 level to determine if any significant change occurred in

the prescribed areas.

Participants

The study took place in a rural Missouri school district. The school district has four

elementary schools, one junior high, one senior high school, and one alternative school. The

total student population of the district was 4,593 students (Missouri Department of

Elementary and Secondary Education, 2008). This study focused on the school district’s high

school, designated as High School A.

Limited student diversity was present in the school district (approximate numbers as

of 2000): Caucasians, 95 %; African American, 1 %; Hispanic, 2 %; Native American, 1 %;

and Asian, 1 %. Considerable diversity was seen at the socioeconomic level; approximately

46% of the students are on free and reduced lunch. The average percentage of students

eligible for free and reduced lunch in the state of Missouri was 42 % (Missouri Department

of Elementary and Secondary Education, 2008).

The high school was located in a community of 12,155, in which most of the

community members work in manufacturing jobs (US Census Bureau, 2008). The area was

mostly composed of below-average wage earners with a median household income of

$27,668; the median household income of the state of Missouri was $37,934. According to

the 2000 Census, approximately 40.1 % of households in the city had an income of less than

18

$25,000 at that time (Missouri Census Data Center, 2008).

Procedure

The researcher identified the topic of the study in SFR 690, a course in the Master’s

of Arts in Teaching program. The proposal was then written and submitted to the professor in

EDC 686, a course in the Master’s of Arts in Teaching program, for approval. Once approval

was granted, the researcher submitted an application to the Institutional Review Board. Upon

approval from the Institutional Review Board the researcher then submitted an informed

consent document to the building principal requesting access to the archived data needed for

the study. Once access was granted the researcher collected and analyzed the data and

reported the findings of the study in chapters four and five of this research paper.

Data Analysis

Once the office referral data were collected, they were analyzed to determine the

mean number of office referrals issued per day per 100 students, the mean number of days of

in school suspension issued per day per 100 students, and the mean number of days of out of

school suspension issued per day per 100 students for the 2003-2004 and 2007-2008 school

years. The data was then examined in order to determine if any significant change occurred

in the number of office referrals issued per day per 100 students and the mean number of

days of ISS and OSS issued per day per 100 students, respectively. A two tailed t-test of

independent means assuming unequal variance at the p ≤ 0.05 level was used to determine

the significance of the data. The results were then used to ascertain the difference and percent

change in the mean number of office referrals issued per day per 100 students, the mean

number of days of in school suspension issued per day per 100 students, and the mean

19

number of days of out of school suspension issued per day per 100 students before and after

the inception of PBS at High School A.

20

CHAPTER 4

RESULTS






research design, (b) statistics, (c) office referrals, (d) in school suspension, and (e) out of

school suspension.

Research design

This study was designed to test the following null hypotheses that were constructed in

concurrence with the purpose statement used to guide this study.


issued by teachers per day per 100 students using traditional discipline model and

the mean number of office referrals issued by teachers per day per 100 students

using Positive Behavior Supports.

Ho2: There is no significant difference in the mean number of days of in school

suspension issued by administrators per day per 100 students using traditional

discipline model and the mean number of days of in school suspension issued by

administrators per day per 100 students using Positive Behavior Supports.

Ho: There is no significant difference in the mean number of days of out of school


discipline model and the mean number of days of out of school suspension issued

21

by administrators per day per 100 students using Positive Behavior Supports.

A causal comparative study was conducted using data from 2003-2004 and 2007-

2008 to determine the effect Positive Behavior Supports has had on discipline in a rural high

school in Missouri. The procedure the researcher used is as follows. The researcher identified

the topic of the study in SFR 690, a course in the Master’s of Arts in Teaching program. The

proposal was then written and submitted to the professor in EDC 686, a course in the

Master’s of Arts in Teaching program, for approval. Once approval was granted, the

researcher submitted an application to the Institutional Review Board. Upon approval from

the Institutional Review Board the researcher then submitted an informed consent document

to the building principal requesting access to the archived data needed for the study.

The office referral data from the 2003-2004 school year was compared to the office

referral data from the 2007-2008 school year. The data from the 2003-2004 school year was

taken one year before the implementation of PBS and the data from the 2007-2008 school

year was taken three years after the implementation of PBS. All of the data taken was under

the same building principal. The office referral data taken was analyzed to determine the

mean number of office referrals per day per 100 students, the mean number of days of in

school suspension issued per day per 100 students, and the mean number of days of out of

school suspension issued per day per 100 students. The data from the 2003-2004 and 2007-

2008 school years was then examined to determine if any significant change occurred in the

number of office referrals issued per day per 100 students and the mean number of days of

ISS and OSS issued per day per 100 students, respectively. The significance of the data was

tested via a t-test of independent means assuming unequal variances at the p ≤ 0.05 level. The

student body in 2003-2004 was 1,394 and the student body in 2007-2008 was 1,601, which

22

translates to a 15% increase in student body population.

Statistics

There were three sets of data for each of the 2003-2004 and the 2007-2008 school

years that were obtained from the high school administration. The data obtained was in the

form of total incidents per day that occurred at High School A. The incidents were

categorized as either (a) total office referrals issued, (b) total days of in school suspension

issued, or (c) total days of out of school suspension issued. The data was compared using a

two tailed t-test of independent means assuming unequal variance at the level of p ≤ 0.05.

There were 174 school days in each of the 2003-2004 and 2007-2008 school years used in

this study. The student body in 2003-2004 was 1,394 students and the student body in 2007-

2008 was 1,601 students.

Office referrals

A t-test of independent means assuming unequal variance at the p ≤ 0.05 level was performed

to determine the significance of the office referral data pertaining to the mean number of

office referrals issued per day per 100 students, specifically addressing the following

hypothesis:





Examination of the office referral data concerning the mean number of office referrals

issued per day per 100 students indicated that the data was not significant, t(346) = 0.17,

p >0.05. This indicated that there was not a significant difference in the mean number of

23

office referrals issued. The mean number of office referrals issued per day per 100 students in

the 2003-2004 school year was 0.481(SD = 0.298) and in the 2007-2008 school year was

0.476(SD = 0.283), respectively. (See Table 1 below.)

Table 1.

T-Test of Independent Means of Office Referrals per Day per 100 Students between the 2003-2004

and 2007-2008 school years t df Sig. (2-tailed)

Office Referrals per Day per 100 Students 0.17 346 .869

*P ≤ .05

In school suspension

A t-test of independent means assuming unequal variance at the p ≤ 0.05 level was

performed to determine the significance of the office referral data pertaining to the mean

number of days of in school suspension issued per day per 100 students, specifically

addressing the following hypothesis:

Ho2:There is no significant difference in the mean number of days of in




Behavior Supports.

Examination of the office referral data concerning the mean number of days of in

school suspension issued per day per 100 students indicated that the data was significant,

t(346) = -4.89, p < 0.01 . This indicated that there was a significant difference in the mean

number of days of in school suspension issued. The mean number of days of in school

24

suspension issued per day per 100 students in the 2003-2004 school year was 0.238(SD =

0.209) and in the 2007-2008 school year was 0.363(SD = 0.273), respectively. (See Table 2

below.)

Table 2.

T-Test of Independent Means of ISS Issued per Day per 100 Students between the 2003-2004 and

2007-2008 school years t df Sig. (2-tailed)

Office Referrals per Day per 100 Students -4.89 346 .000*

*P ≤ .05

Out of school suspension


performed to determine the significance of the office referral data pertaining to the mean

number of days out of school suspension issued per day per 100 students, specifically

addressing the following hypothesis:

Ho3:There is no significant difference in the mean number of days of out of




Behavior Supports.

Examination of the office referral data concerning the mean number of days of out of

school suspension issued per day per 100 students indicated that the data was significant,

t(346) = 1.96, p ≤ 0.05. This indicated that there was a significant difference in the mean

number of days of out of school suspension issued. The mean number of days of out of

school suspension issued per day per 100 students in the 2003-2004 school year was

25

0.260(SD = 0.464) and in the 2007-2008 school year was 0.177(SD = 0.301), respectively.

(See Table 3 below.)

Table 3.

T-Test of Independent Means of OSS Issued per Day per 100 Students between the 2003-2004

and 2007-2008 school years t df Sig. (2-tailed)

Office Referrals per Day per 100 Students 1.96 346 .050*

*P ≤ .05

A summary of the analysis of the office referrals from one year prior and three years

after the inception of PBS is listed in Figure 4.1 below.

Figure 4.1 Incidents per Year Before and After PBS

ISS per day per 100 students

OSS per day per 100 students

Referrals per day per 100 students

2003-2004 0.238 0.260 0.481

2007-2008 0.363 0.177 0.476

Percent change 52.4% -31.7% -1.1%

26

CHAPTER 5

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS






summary of the study, (b) summary of the findings, and (c) conclusions.

Summary of the study

A causal comparative study was conducted using data from 2003-2004 and 2007-2008 to

determine the effect Positive Behavior Supports (PBS) has had on discipline in a rural high

school in Missouri. There was limited student diversity in school district in which the high

school was located (approximate numbers as of 2000): Caucasians, 95 %; African American,

1 %; Hispanic, 2 %; Native American, 1 %; and Asian, 1 %. There were approximately 46%

of the students in the school district on free and reduced lunch. (Missouri Department of

Elementary and Secondary Education, 2008). The community was mostly composed of

below-average wage earners with a median household income of $27,668; the median

household income of the state of Missouri was $37,934 (Missouri Census Data Center,

2008).

The office referral data from one year before the implementation of PBS, the 2003-

2004 school year, was compared to the office referral data taken three years after the

implementation of PBS, the 2007-2008 school year. The student body in 2003-2004 was

1,394 and the student body in 2007-2008 was 1,601, which translates to a 15% increase in

27

student body population.

This study was tested the following null hypotheses that guided this research study.


issued by teachers per day per 100 students using traditional discipline model and

the mean number of office referrals issued by teachers per day per 100 students

using Positive Behavior Supports.

Ho2: There is no significant difference in the mean number of days of in school


discipline model and the mean number of days of in school suspension issued by

administrators per day per 100 students using Positive Behavior Supports.





Behavior Supports.

The office referral data obtained was analyzed to determine the mean number of

office referrals issued per day per 100 students, the mean number of days of in school


suspension issued per day per 100 students. Once the analysis was completed the data from

the 2003-2004 and 2007-2008 school years was then examined to determine if any

significant change occurred in the mean number of office referrals issued per day per 100

students and the mean number of days of ISS and OSS issued per day per 100 students,

respectively. A t-test of independent means assuming unequal variance, variance at the p ≤

28

0.05 level, was used to test the significance of the data.

Summary of findings

Data was compared from one year prior and three years after the inception of Positive

Behavior Supports in a rural high school. Three hypotheses were written to determine if any

significant change occurred in office referrals issued, ISS issued, and OSS issued. Of the

three hypotheses tested two were accepted and one was rejected based on calculated p values

at the 0.05 level. Each individual hypothesis is discussed below.

Office referrals


performed to determine the significance of the office referral data pertaining to the following

hypothesis:





Examination of the office referral data indicated that the data was not significant

t(346) = 0.17, p >0.05. This indicated that there was not a significant difference in the mean

number of office referral issued between the 2003-2004 and 2007-2008 school years. (See

Table 1.) The mean number of office referrals issued per day per 100 students between the

2003-2004 school year and the 2007-2008 school year decreased by 1.1%.

The number of office referrals issued per day per 100 students decreased by 0.050

between the 2003-2004 and the 2007-2008 school years. The reduction of office referrals

could be due to the inception of PBS, which educates students regularly on expected positive

29

behavior and, therefore, helps students to make better choices about their behavior. These

better choices, which are consistently praised and rewarded, lead to fewer office referrals

being issued. The reduction in office referrals translated to 8.7 fewer office referrals issued

per year per 100 students. (See Figure 5.1.) The decrease in office referrals also frees up time

for the administration due to the fact that they are dealing with fewer office referrals per day.

Figure 5.1

Mean Number of Office Referrals Issued Per Year Per 100 Students

In school suspension



hypothesis:

30

Ho2: There is no significant difference in the mean number of days of in




Behavior Supports.

Examination of the office referral data indicated that the data was significant t(346) =

-4.89, p < 0.01. This indicated that there was a significant difference in the mean number

days of in school suspension issued between the 2003-2004 and 2007-2008 school years.

(See Table 2.) The mean number of days of in school suspension issued per day per 100

students between the 2003-2004 school year and the 2007-2008 school year increased by

52.4%

The number of days of ISS issued per day per 100 students increased by 0.125

between the 2003-2004 and the 2007-2008 school years. The increase of days of ISS issued

could be due to the implementation of universal expectations throughout the building, which

resulted in all teachers enforcing the same expectations. The implementation of clearly

defined building-wide expectations in the PBS model results in all teachers having the same

expectations whereas with traditional behavioral models expectations tend to vary from

teacher to teacher. Administrators could then be assigning more days of ISS in reaction to

this trend. The overall increase in days of ISS translated to 21.8 more days of ISS issued per

year per 100 students. (See Figure 5.2.)

31

Figure 5.2

Mean Number of Days of in School Suspension Issued per Year per 100 students

Out of school suspension



hypothesis:





Behavior Supports.

Examination of the office referral data indicated that the data was significant t(346) =

1.96, p ≤ 0.05. This indicated that there was a significant difference in the mean number of

32

days of out of school suspension issued between the 2003-2004 and 2007-2008 school years.

(See Table 3.) The mean number of days of out of school suspension issued per day per 100

students between the 2003-2004 school year and the 2007-2008 school year decreased by

31.7%. (See Figure 5.3.)

The number of days of OSS issued per day per 100 students decreased by 0.083

between the 2003-2004 and the 2007-2008 school years. The decrease of days of OSS issued

could be due to the inception of PBS, which educates students regularly on expected positive

behavior and, therefore, helps students to make better choices about their behavior. These

better choices and actions, which are consistently praised and rewarded, lead to fewer major

discipline incidents. The decrease in days of OSS translated to 14.4 fewer days of OSS issued

per year per 100 students (See Figure 5.3.). The researcher assumed the reduction of days of

OSS issued should lead to increased student attendance and increased student performance

due to the increased time in an instructional setting. The increase in student attendance was

not a null hypothesis in this study, but is still an important finding in this study. The

researcher recommends that a longitudinal study be conducted to determine the validity of

this finding.

33

Figure 5.3 Mean Number of Days of Out of School Suspension Issued Per Year Per 100

Students

Conclusions

The following conclusions were attained from the data analyzed from one year prior

and three years after the inception of Positive Behavior Supports in a rural high school. (See

Figure 5.4.)

1. The mean number of office referrals issued per day per 100 students

significantly decreased by 1.1%.

2. The mean number of days of in school suspension issued per day per 100

students significantly increased by 52.4%

3. The mean number of days of out of school suspension issued per day per 100

students significantly decreased by 31.7%.

4. Attendance increased by 14.4 days per 100 students per year due to the

reduction of days of out of school suspension issued per 100 students per

34

year.

Figure 5.4 Mean number of incidents per year per 100 students

Mean number of incidents per year per 100 studentsISS per day per 100

studentsOSS per day per

100 studentsReferrals per day per 100

students

2003-2004 0.238 0.260 0.481

2007-2008 0.363 0.177 0.476Percent change 52.40% -31.70% -1.10%

There were fewer office referrals and days of OSS issued between the 2003-2004 and

the 2007-2008 school years. These results are in agreement with similar results which state

that research has shown PBS to reduce the number of office referrals issued and to improve

attendance (Bohanon, et al., 2006; Lohrman-O’Rourke, S., 2000; Luiselli, J., Putnam, R.,

Sunderland, M., 2002; McCurdy, B., Manella, M., & Eldridge, N., 2003; Carney, 2005).

The aforementioned reduction of office referrals could be due to the inception of

PBS, which educates students regularly on expected positive behavior and, therefore, helps

students to make better choices about their behavior and to know what type of behavior is

expected. These better choices and displayed expected behaviors, which are consistently

praised and rewarded, lead to fewer office referrals being issued and fewer major discipline

incidents; they reduce time that the administration staff has to spend on discipline.

There were more days of ISS issued between the 2003-2004 and the 2007-2008

school years. The increase in days of ISS issued could be due to the implementation of

universal expectations throughout the building, which resulted in all teachers enforcing the

same expectations. The implementation of Positive Behavior Supports results in all teachers

having the same expectations whereas with traditional behavioral models expectations tend

35

to vary from teacher to teacher. Administrators could in turn be assigning more days of ISS

due to the building wide expectations.

There were fewer office referrals issued, fewer days of OSS issued, and more days of

ISS issued between the 2003-2004 and the 2007-2008 school years. The change in discipline

incidents (see Figure 5.5) could be due to the inception of PBS, which regularly educates and

rewards students on expected positive behavior, helps teachers to enforce expectations more

consistently, and supports the implementation of universal expectations throughout the

building. This constant education on expected behaviors helps students to make better

choices about their behavior and to know what type of behavior is expected. These better

choices lead to fewer office referrals being issued and fewer major discipline incidents,

which reduce the amount of time that the administration staff has to spend on discipline.

Overall, after the implementation of Positive Behavior Supports the following

changes in discipline occurred. The number of office referrals issued per day per 100

students declined, the days of out of school suspensions issued per day per 100 students

declined, the days of in school suspensions issued per day per 100 students increased, and a

standard of positive expectations that are consistent throughout the building were established.

Schools that implement PBS can over time expect to gain instructional time with those

students who are typically labeled “at risk” due to their negative behavioral tendencies. PBS

would also help such students to gain a clearer understanding of social expectations and

guidelines that will help them to perform better as citizens in the future because knowing

how to act in school is learned behavior that translates to other areas in life, including the

work environment. Because of these factors, the PBS discipline model provides a great frame

36

work to reduce discipline issues and to increase student attendance—both of which are

important goals in the educational environment.

The researcher recommends that a longitudinal study be conducted to determine if

discipline data becomes more stable over a longer period of time due to the fact that the

guiding principles of PBS will become more embedded in the school and the more consistent

application of discipline policies. To help the stabilization of the discipline data, teachers

would benefit from having yearly in service training as well as educating the new teachers on

the policies and procedures of Positive Behavior Supports.

Figure 5.5

Mean Number of Incidents Per Year Per 100 Students

37

REFERENCES

Bohanon, H., Fenning, P., Carney, K. L., Minnis-Kim, M. J., Anderson-Harriss, S., Moroz,

K. B., Hicks, K. J., Kasper, B. B., Culos, C., Sailor, W., & Pigott, T. D. (2006).

School wide application of Positive Behavior Supports in an urban high school: A

case study. Journal of Positive Behavior Intervention, 8(3), 131-145. Retrieved

March 4, 2008, from EBSCOHost.

Canter, L., Canter, M. (1976) Assertive Discipline. Los Angeles, CA: Lee Canter and

Associates.

Carney, K., (2005). School wide reinforcement systems in high schools. Positive behavior

supports in high schools: monograph from the 2004 illinois high school forum of

positive behavioral interventions and supports (chap. 7). Retrieved January 2, 2009,

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Charles, C. M. (2002). Building classroom discipline (7th ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn and

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Edwards, C E. (2004). Classroom discipline and management (4th ed.). New York, NY: John

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Florida’s Positive Behavior Supports Project. (n. d.). Individual PBS module

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flpbs.fmhi.usf.edu/Packaged/Individual%20PBS%20Module%202%20Functional

%20Behavior%20Assessment.pps

Glasser, W. (2001). Every student can succeed. Chatsworth, CA: The William Glasser

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High School A. (2007). Positive behavior supports teacher handbook. High School A.

Irvin, I., Tobin, T., Sprague, J., Sugai, G., Vincent, C. (2004). Validity of office referral

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Jackson, L., Panyan, M. (2002) Positive behavioral support in the classroom. Baltimore,

MD: Paul H. Brooks Publishing Co.

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problem behavior. Retrieved April 14, 2008, from www.educ.drake.edu/rc/

downloads/Lewis%20FBA.ppt

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(2000). School-wide application of PBS in the Bangor area school district. Journal of

Positive Behavior Intervention, 2(4), 238-240.

Luiselli, J., Putnam, R., Sunderland, M., (2002). Longitudinal evaluation of behavior

support interventions in a public middle school. Journal of Positive Behavior

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McCurdy, B., Manella, M., & Eldridge, N. (2003). Positive Behavior Supports in urban

schools: Can we prevent the escalation of antisocial behavior? Journal of Positive

Behavior Intervention, 5(3), 158-178.

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http://mcdc2.missouri.edu

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annual report of school data: Demographic data Lebanon R-III. Retrieved April 8,

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41

APPENDIX A

Building Principals Permission Letter

42

BUILDING PRINCIPAL INFORMED CONSENT LETTERJanuary 23, 2009Dear Principal,

As a part of the final requirements for a Masters of Arts in Teaching Degree program from Missouri State University, I would like to conduct a causal-comparative research study on the effects of Positive Behavior Supports on discipline in a high school setting to determine if there is a change in office discipline referrals issued after implementing Positive Behavior Supports. The study is being conducted under the supervision of Dr. Emmett Sawyer, director of the Master of Arts in Teaching program.

The study will compare data from the 2003-2004 and 2006-2007 school years. The results of the study will specifically compare office discipline referrals issued, days of in school suspension issued, and the days of out of school suspension issued pre and post inception of Positive Behavior Supports. The data will be presented in a way to protect the identity of the school district, staff, and the students. Participating in the study will have no effect on the school district, the staff, or the students’ academic progress. Participation in the study is strictly voluntary and participants may withdraw from the study at any time without penalty.

Once the study has been completed, the data will be kept for 18 months in a file cabinet at my residence under lock and key. The data will then be shredded and disposed of in an appropriate manner. The resulting information will be presented as part of the comprehensive examination to the researcher’s faculty advisor, guests, and members of the EDC 686 class, a course in the Master’s of Arts in Teaching program. Additionally, there is potential that this information might be shared at a local, state or national conference or published in a professional journal. A copy of the seminar paper will be kept on file in the Reading, Foundations & Technology department office.

I appreciate your consideration of this study. If you require any more information, or have any questions please call me at XXX-XXX-XXXX or email me at [email protected]. You may also contact my university supervisor, Dr. Emmett Sawyer, by email at [email protected],Curtis E Williams

I give my formal consent for the researcher to conduct research analyzing ninth through twelfth grade students’ office referral data in order to determine the effects of Positive Behavior Supports on office discipline referrals issued, days of in school suspension issued, and the days of out of school suspension issued to students pre and post inception of Positive Behavior Supports.

____________________________ ________________Principals’ signature Date

43

Documents

Williams Research Proposal 2009 1.42