Running head: CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT AND PBS 1

Implementing PBS in the Classroom

Lindsey M. Springer
University of New England
April 20, 2014














IMPLEMENTING POSITIVE BEHAVIOR SUPPORTS 2

Table of Contents
Introduction
Problem Statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Research Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Hypothesis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Literature Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Classroom management. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Classroom strategies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
PBS.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
SWPBS7
PBIS.8
Conclusion...9
Methodology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Research design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Data Collection Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
Data Analysis 12
Sample Selection12
Action Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14



IMPLEMENTING POSITIVE BEHAVIOR SUPPORTS 3

Problem Statement
Successfully managing a classroom is a challenge that many new and veteran teachers
alike struggle with on a daily basis. Depending on the dynamic of the classroom, the teacher's
management style, the number of students in each class and other variables, many disruptions
hinder the learning process, adversely affecting student success, and thus contributing to multiple
disciplinary referrals. In addition, motivation or student engagement is also negatively impacted
by those less successful students who are chronic disruptions in the classroom.
Research Questions
Upon further review of student motivation and success in the classroom, the researcher
has considered the impact of classroom management styles specifically focused on positive
discipline in order to minimize the number of disciplinary referrals and increase academic
success in the classroom. Will PBS reduce the number of discipline referrals and will students
perform better academically with the implementation of PBS?
Hypothesis
Implementing positive discipline is the most effective way to successfully manage a
classroom to minimize disruptions, increase student motivation, and contribute to student success
in the classroom.



IMPLEMENTING POSITIVE BEHAVIOR SUPPORTS 4

Literature Review
One of the biggest challenges facing teachers is classroom management. In order for
students to be successful, they must be provided with the least restrictive environment. To
ensure this, teachers must establish a management style that is conducive to meeting the needs of
their students while simultaneously reflecting their own values and beliefs. Because students
come from such diverse backgrounds, teachers must be adequately prepared to deal with many
variables. Successfully managing a classroom is important both to the teachers and the students.
Disruptive behaviors from even one student can hinder the learning for everyone in the
classroom. Because ability levels drastically vary, it is critical to reach all students. This begins
with classroom management. A successful classroom needs a firm but fair teacher who is able to
control disruptive behaviors. Chronic disruptive behaviors result in disciplinary referrals to the
administration. To help minimize and or limit these disruptions and referrals, positive discipline
strategies coupled with progressive disciplinary actions are needed.
Classroom Management
Teaching is a challenging profession due to ever changing mandates, initiatives,
standards, etc. However, teachers indicate that classroom management is the most challenging
component in part due to the least amount of training. Poorly managed classrooms result in
negative effects for both teachers and students and increase the stress level for both. Disruptive
behaviors hinder learning by disrupting the flow of the lesson adversely affecting the process of
teaching and learning (Parsonson, 2012).Teachers report lower levels of self-efficacy in
classroom management in classes where student misbehavior and high stress levels are present.
Nearly half of new teachers leave the profession within 5 years, many citing student
misbehavior as a primary reason for leaving (Reinke, Hermna, & Stormont, 2013, p. 40).
IMPLEMENTING POSITIVE BEHAVIOR SUPPORTS 5

According to Shook (2012), 20% of new teachers leave the field within 1 year, and 42% leave
within the first 5 years due to ineffectively managing student discipline. In a poorly managed
classroom, students receive less academic instruction and suffer behaviorally and socially as well
(Reinke et al., 2013).
In order to successfully manage a classroom, teachers must first develop classroom rules
and expectations that are appropriate, positive, and systemically taught. Most classroom rules
and expectations align with that of the school climate as a whole providing consistency in both
the classroom and the school. Implementing effective rules allows for the teacher to focus more
on instruction thus reducing problematic behaviors. When students are engaged in academic
instruction, they have higher levels of achievement (Reinke, Hermna, & Stormont, 2013, p. 41).
Effective and rigorous instruction promotes student engagement and reduces disruptive
behaviors.
Reinforcing appropriate behavior is an important element in establishing successful
classroom management. Responding to student misbehavior punitively generally proves to be
ineffective and thus intensifies the existing problem. Teachers who interact with their students
positively and provide praise, experience higher levels of academic achievement and lower
levels of disruptive behaviors. Additionally, praising students has been shown to increase
student motivation. According to Reinke, Hermna, & Stormont (2013) even the most
challenging students engage in more positive, compliant behavior, on average, than negative
behavior (p.41). By reinforcing the positive behavior, students acknowledge what is appropriate
both academically and socially.

IMPLEMENTING POSITIVE BEHAVIOR SUPPORTS 6

Classroom Strategies
Teachers and students alike bring a wide range of backgrounds and experiences into the
classroom. It is important to target systemic interventions as opposed to individual interventions.
Strategies such as clear and simple rules and expectations, frequent praise, seating arrangements,
pacing of instruction, etc. are generally common knowledge to teachers. However, it is important
the teachers be consistent in their practices and application of these strategies in order to enhance
learning and minimize disruptive behaviors (Parsonson, 2012). Intentional and organized use of
classroom management procedures reduces the likelihood of problematic behaviors in the
classroom. Use of positive reinforcement is essential to encourage and maintain appropriate
behavior and academic learning (Parsonson, 2012, p. 21).
PBS
Positive Behavior Support (PBS) also known as SWBIS (school-wide positive behavioral
interventions) or PBIS (Positive Behavior Intervention System) is a behavior management model
that uses positive reinforcement as opposed to punitive measures. According to Caldarella,
Shatzer, Gray, Young, & Young (2011), PBS is now used as a behavioral tool to increase
success and personal satisfaction in academic, employment, social, recreational, community, and
family environments(p.3). The purpose of PBS is to decrease problem behaviors in a positive
way thus increasing the amount of academic learning and student engagement in the classroom.
PBS is comprised of 5 core strategies. These include creating common expectations, direct
instruction of the expectations to the children, recognizing and addressing behavior that meets
expectations, imposing consequences for behavior that does not meet expectations, and
collecting data on the PBS implementation and making decisions based on that data. Data helps
to monitor the progress of PBS in order to make informed decisions. Collections of data include
IMPLEMENTING POSITIVE BEHAVIOR SUPPORTS 7

discipline referrals and incident reports, suspensions and expulsions, as well as attendance
records and interviews with administrators, teachers, and students. Based on the data, PBS can be
altered as needed (McKevitt, Dempsey, Ternus, & Shriver, 2012).
Teachers who implement PBS into their classrooms create a positive environment that
encourages students to be active participants and that promotes academic and social interaction.
According to Strout (2005), implementation of PBS at the classroom level involves all
stakeholders-those with interest and experience in that setting (e.g., teachers, paraprofessionals,
students, and parents) (p.3). It is critical to note that students are integral components of the
stake-holders. Students are more apt to be successful when they take ownership thus promoting
accountability. Teachers can implement PBS into their classroom by manipulating their
classroom to prevent behavioral issues. Rearranging seats and/or furniture to create a safe and
orderly classroom, organizing classroom routines and making smooth transitions during lessons,
defining and fine-tuning classroom expectations are a few ways that teachers can create a
positive learning environment. However, some behavior problems can still arise even with the
most effective and well-managed classroom using PBS. Therefore, it is important to continually
assess and refine procedures as needed. Most importantly, teachers need to be consistent in their
implementation in order to ensure success (Strout, 2005). According to (McKevitt, Dempsey,
Ternus, and Shriver, 2012), to ensure sustainability, PBS must become part of the culture of the
program (p.18).
SWPBIS
School-Wide Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports is an effective universal style
of classroom management that over 14,000 schools across the United States currently implement.
School-wide PBS is a three-tiered framework for implementing school-wide practices and
IMPLEMENTING POSITIVE BEHAVIOR SUPPORTS 8

systems aimed at preventing behavioral problems (Sugal, 2009, p.37). These tiers include
exposure to a positive school climate based on the academic mission of the school. Research
has shown the impact of SW-PBIS in reducing problem behavior and increasing academic
performance (Reinke, Herman, & Stormont, 2013). Effective schools will reach 70%-80% of
students, but about 20%-30% will need more individualized interventions. The second tier deals
with more individualized or small group help often targeting social skills, cognitive-behavioral
counseling, and conflict management. The third tier involves adult contact and monitoring such
as one-on-one meetings with a counselor or special educator or even bringing in the school
psychologist. The goal of PBS is to be a positive, proactive approach to help prevent problematic
behaviors (Sugal, 2009).
SWPBS has been found to be effective in elementary schools; however, new studies
show success in middle and high schools as well. The guiding principles apply to all settings.
These principles focus on preventing behavior problems, providing continuous support,
allowing for real application in natural school settings, assessing data for consistent improvement
based on that data, and organizing systemic change. Compared to schools that do not implement
SWPBS, SWPBS schools are more supportive, corrective, and assistive with behavioral issues.
Non SWPBS schools use more punitive measures and are unfamiliar with alternate methods for
dealing with non-compliant students and disruptive behaviors (Caldarella, Shatzer, Gray, Young,
& Young, 2011).
PBIS
PBIS, PBS and SWPBS are based on the same premise of promoting positive behavior.
All three are essentially the same models that follow the three tiers by developing a universal,
targeted, and intensive system of positive behavior support. All three models are non-curricular
IMPLEMENTING POSITIVE BEHAVIOR SUPPORTS 9

and are easily adaptable to fit each individual school climate. Due to the low cost (free through
the National PBIS Technical Assistance Center) and flexibility of PBIS, over 44 states have
developed state-wide systems for training and coordination (Bradshaw & Pas, 2011).
Conclusion
Although classroom management is a continuous struggle for both new and veteran
teachers, both new and veteran teachers alike can continue to improve upon this area using such
methods as PBS. Positive Behavior Support and/or Interventions allow both teachers and
students to be more successful in the classroom. By providing teachers with sufficient training,
they will have the necessary strategies to instruct their students and promote academic
engagement by minimizing disruptions. Fostering an environment that promotes positive
reinforcement encourages positive results behaviorally, socially, and academically. Building
upon school climate, PBS helps teachers, administrators, faculty, and students maintain a safe
and orderly classroom that is conducive to both teaching and learning for everyone involved.







IMPLEMENTING POSITIVE BEHAVIOR SUPPORTS 10

Methodology
Research Design
Classroom management is one of the many challenges of teaching. Just as all students
have different learning abilities and styles, teachers have their own style of teaching. There are
many different styles of classroom management. Some are more effective than others. Research
has shown that one such effective style is School-Wide Positive Behavior Support. The purpose
of this study is to show that by implementing positive behavior support in the classroom,
instructional time can be maximized by reducing disciplinary referrals and thus increasing
student achievement. The researcher will use quantitative data collection techniques to gather
disciplinary referral reports and academic progress reports. Qualitative data will also be collected
in the form of teacher surveys (Appendix A & B) and student surveys (Appendix C).
Data Collection Plan
The researchers plan is to collect questionnaires/surveys related to classroom
management from each teacher at the end of the 2013-2014 school year. Total disciplinary
referral reports following the fourth quarter for the school as a whole for the 2013-2014 school-
year will also be gathered. In addition, the researcher will collect academic progress reports per
class per content department to average a collective score for the 2013-2014 school year. Using
this data, the researcher will then present his or her findings to the faculty at the start of the
following school year (2014-2015).
Following this revelation of data, the researcher will then provide a detailed presentation
of School-Wide Positive Behavior Support including resources/strategies to be implemented by
all teachers for at least the first quarter of the 2014-2015 school-year. At the end of the first
IMPLEMENTING POSITIVE BEHAVIOR SUPPORTS 11

quarter of the 2014-2015 school-year, the researcher will collect and analyze disciplinary referral
data, averages of each content area class for academic progress, as well as teacher and student
surveys to assess the effectiveness of SWPBS.
Table 1
Data Collection Matrix
Data Source
Research Questions 1 2 3
Is SWPBS the preferred Teacher and student Teacher and student
and most effective style surveys(2013-2014) surveys (2014-105)
of classroom management

Will the disciplinary Disciplinary referral Disciplinary referral
referrals decrease with report (2013-2014) report (2014-2015)
the introduction of
a SWPBS?

Will student performance Average of progress Average of progress
increase with SWPBS? reports per content area reports per content area
(2013-2014) (2014-2015)




IMPLEMENTING POSITIVE BEHAVIOR SUPPORTS 12

Data Analysis
After the data is collected, the researcher will organize it accordingly. Both disciplinary
referral data and student academic progress data will be gathered and assessed upon which the
researcher will create bar graphs to present the findings. These bar graphs will show the
comparisons in numbers from one school year to the next. Student and teacher surveys indicating
classroom management styles and preferences will also be organized using bar graphs. All
information will be confidential as no student or teacher names will be used.
Sample Selection
The population the researcher will use for this study is the total number of students in the
building for both school years. This group was chosen due to the title being School-Wide
Positive Behavior Support. Although it is a large population, the researcher will be using average
scores per content area classes to make the data collection more manageable. Disciplinary
referral data will be gathered based on total numbers per year.
Action Plan
The researcher plans to implement the study at the start of the 2014-2015 school year
following data collection including academic progress reports and disciplinary referrals at the end
of the 2013-2014 school year. Using this data, the researcher will present the findings to the faculty
and staff at a professional developmental meeting to later compare and show the effectiveness of
the strategies of SWPBS implemented. This comparison will be presented at the end of the first
marking quarter of the 2014-2015 school year. The researcher will show how disciplinary referrals
have significantly decreased due to the SWPBS strategies implemented in the classrooms. In
conjunction with the decrease in disciplinary referrals, the researcher will then provide the
IMPLEMENTING POSITIVE BEHAVIOR SUPPORTS 13

faculty/staff with data representing increased test scores and increased progress on academic
report cards per each content area and grade level. Overall, the faculty and staff will see the
benefits for all involved when implementing SWPBS.





















IMPLEMENTING POSITIVE BEHAVIOR SUPPORTS 14


References
Bradshaw, C. P., & Pas, E. T. (2011). A Statewide Scale up of Positive Behavioral Interventions
and Supports: A Description of the Development of Systems of Support and Analysis
of Adoption and Implementation. School Psychology Review, 40(4), 530-548.
Caldarella, P., Shatzer, R. H., Gray, K. M., Young, K., & Young, E. L. (2011). The Effects of
School-Wide Positive Behavior Support on Middle School Climate and Student
Outcomes. RMLE Online: Research In Middle Level Education, 35(4), 1-14.
McKevitt, B. C., Dempsey, J. N., Ternus, J., & Shriver, M. D. (2012). Dealing with Behavior
Problems: The Use of Positive Behavior Support Strategies in Summer Programs.
Afterschool Matters, (15), 16-25.
Miramontes, N. Y., Marchant, M., Heath, M., & Fischer, L. (2011). Social Validity of a Positive
Behavior Interventions and Support Model. Education And Treatment Of Children, 34(4),
445-468.
Parsonson, B. S. (2012). Evidence-Based Classroom Behaviour Management Strategies.
Kairaranga, 13(1), 16-23.
Reinke, W. M., Herman, K. C., & Stormont, M. (2013). Classroom-Level Positive Behavior
Supports in Schools Implementing SW-PBIS: Identifying Areas for Enhancement.
Online Submission
Shook, A. C. (2012). A Study of Preservice Educators' Dispositions to Change Behavior
Management Strategies. Preventing School Failure, 56(2), 129-136.
IMPLEMENTING POSITIVE BEHAVIOR SUPPORTS 15

Strout, M. (2005). Positive Behavioral Support at the Classroom Level: Considerations and
Strategies. Beyond Behavior, 14(2), 3-8.
Sugai, G. (2009). Beyond the Discipline Handbook: How Schools Can Implement a Positive
Approach to Managing Student Behavior. Education Digest: Essential Readings
Condensed For Quick Review, 75(3), 37-41.



















IMPLEMENTING POSITIVE BEHAVIOR SUPPORTS 16

Appendix A
( Pre SWPBS Teacher Survey)
Strongly
Agree
Agree Strongly
Disagree
Disagree Sometimes Never
I believe classroom
management is
critical to maximize
student success


I am confident in my
ability to manage my
classroom
successfully


I am confident in my
ability to diffuse
potential disruptive
behaviors


I am confident in my
ability to promote
my students social,
emotional, and
academic skills.


I reward students for
academic successes.



I reward students for
behavioral successes

I write multiple
disciplinary reports
daily/weekly/monthly


I believe there should
be a mutual respect
between teachers and
students

I believe that
reprimanding
students for wrong
doings is effective

I believe in firm and
inflexible rules to
ensure student
success




IMPLEMENTING POSITIVE BEHAVIOR SUPPORTS 17

Appendix B
(Post SWPBS Teacher survey)
Strongly
Agree
Agree Strongly
Disagree
Disagree Sometimes Never
I am more
confident about
my ability to
successfully
manage my
classroom with
SWPBS

I am more
confident in my
ability to
diffuse
disruptive
behaviors due
to SWPBS


I am more
confident in my
ability to
promote my
students
academic,
social, and
emotional
skills.


I believe that
SWPBS has
enhanced my
ability to teach
more
effectively.


I believe that
SWPBS has
improved both
my students
and my
outlook/attitude
on teaching and
learning.






IMPLEMENTING POSITIVE BEHAVIOR SUPPORTS 18

Appendix C
( Pre and Post SWPBS Student Survey)
Strongly
Agree
Agree Strongly
Disagree
Disagree Sometimes
I feel
comfortable
and safe in
the
classroom
due to my
teachers
expectations
and rules.


I understand
and agree
with the
classroom
rules and
expectations


My teacher
shows his or
her support
of students
most of the
time.


I feel there is
a mutual
respect
between the
teacher and
the students
in the
classroom.


I feel
confident in
my ability to
be
academically
socially, and
emotionally
successful in
the
classroom
on a daily
basis.