“That’s helpful information, but next time, could you please talk about high schools?” This comment was feedback from a school where I had given a presentation. All of the content was from high schools, but I just forgot to be explicit that all of it was from and for secondary schools. That is where I learned a valuable lesson that if an example did not happen in a high school, it did not happen.
Image from Flickr Creative Commons https://flic.kr/p/25UMFK4
I mean that, in my experience, secondary school staff do not like to have to extrapolate ideas from elementary schools to work in their settings. They prefer content that focuses on secondary settings. When you are looking for examples to help start your schoolwide initiative, I think it helps to find content that matches the level (e.g., grades), and school demographics as much as possible.
If you go to the doctor, you want an intervention that matches your specific needs. Secondary staff seem to fell the same. Over time we have created or identified tools that might be useful to your work implementing schoolwide positive behavior support (PBS) in secondary schools. Here are some tools that might be helpful to your work.
Nation Center in Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports Website:
The National PBIS Center has a very useful page dedicated to high school implementation of PBIS in secondary schools (Link).
High School Specific Research
If you are looking for research on high school positive behavior support, here are a few citations. I know there are many others, but this is just a short list.
Bohanon, H., Gilman, C., Parker, B., Amell, C., & Sortino, G. (2016). Using School Improvement and Implementation Science to Integrate Multi-Tiered Systems of Support in Secondary Schools. Australasian Journal of Special Education, 40(2), 99-116. doi:10.1017/jse.2016.8 http://ecommons.luc.edu/education_facpubs/80/
Bohanon, H. (2015). Changes in adult behavior to decrease disruption from students in non-classroom settings. Intervention in School and Clinic, 15 (1), 12-18. http://ecommons.luc.edu/education_facpubs/39
Bohanon, H., Castillo, J., & Afton, M. (2015). Embedding self-determination and futures planning within a schoolwide framework. Intervention in School and Clinic. 50 (4), 203-209. http://ecommons.luc.edu/education_facpubs/16/
Bohanon, H. & Wu, M. (2014). Developing buy-in for positive behavior support in secondary settings. Preventing School Failure, 58 (4), 1–7. doi: 10.1080/1045988X.2013.798774 http://ecommons.luc.edu/education_facpubs/17/
Bohanon, H., Fenning, P., Hicks, K., Weber, S., Their, K., Akins. B., Morrissey, K., Briggs, A., Bartucci, G., Hoeper, L., Irvin, L., & McArdle, L. (2012). Case example of the implementation of schoolwide positive behavior support in a high school setting. Preventing School Failure, 56 (2), 92-103. [LINK TO ARTICLE: http://ecommons.luc.edu/education_facpubs/7/]
Bradshaw, C. P., Pas, E. T., Debnam, K. J., & Johnson, S. L. (2015). A focus on implementation of Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) in high schools: Associations with bullying and other indicators of school disorder. School Psychology Review, 44(4), 480-498.
Flannery, B. K., Frank, J., McGrath, K. M., Doren, B., & Fenning, P. (2013). Implementing schoolwide positive behavior support in high school settings: Analysis of eight high schools. The High School Journal, 96 (4), 267-282.
Flannery, B. (2009). Implementation at the high school level: What have we learned? Paper presented at the Paper presented at the Oregon Positive Behavior Support Conference, Corvallis, OR. http://www.lblesd.k12.or.us/prog_serv/pbs/events/pbs_march09_event/documents/ImplementationatHSLevelBrigidFlannery.pdf
Flannery, K. B., Fenning, P., Kato, M. M., & Bohanon, H. (2011). A Descriptive Study of Office Disciplinary Referrals in High Schools. Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, 21(2), 138 – 149. doi:10.1177/1063426611419512
Flannery, K. B., Fenning, P., Kato, M. M., & McIntosh, K. (2014). Effects of school-wide positive behavioral interventions and supports and fidelity of implementation on problem behavior in high schools. School Psychology Quarterly, 29(2), 111-124. doi:10.1037/spq0000039
Flannery, K. B., Sugai, G., & Anderson, C. M. (2009). School-wide positive behavior support in high school: Early lessons learned. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 11(3), 177-185. doi:10.1177/1098300708316257
Freeman, J., Simonsen, B., McCoach, D. B., Sugai, G., Lombardi, A., & Horner, R. (2016). Relationship Between School-Wide Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports and Academic, Attendance, and Behavior Outcomes in High Schools. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 18(1), 41-51. doi:10.1177/1098300715580992
Glover, D. (2005). The impact of a school-wide positive behavior support plan on high school student’s perceptions of school climate and peer relationships. Dissertation. Loyola University of Chicago.
Malloy, J. M., Bohanon, H., & Francoeur, K. (2018b). Positive behavioral interventions and supports in high schools: A case study from New Hampshire. Journal of Educational and Psychological Consultation, 1-29. doi:10.1080/10474412.2017.1385398 http://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/IRHIAaVkwDTcckJHhuAp/full
Book: Positive Behavior Support in Secondary Schools: A Practical Guide
I like this book about implementing positive behavior support in secondary schools. It includes useful examples and practical guidance on implementing PBS in high school settings (Link)
Tools for Schoolwide Implementation
- This is a great “Presi” overview of Schoowide PBS implementation from Woodridge State High School in Australia (Link).
- These are some resources that we have used as a part of research studies and coaching to implement schoolwide support for behavior in high school settings. They mostly focus on schoolwide supports (Link)
Getting Started Overview
We put together a workshop on getting PBS started in high schools. This is a link to a recording of a presentation of the materials for a Kansas MTSS Conference (link). This is a link to the Powerpoint (PPT) and Workbook (Word)
Blogs about getting started in high schools
If it is helpful, there are a few other blogs about implementing PBS in high school settings. They include information about starting the year off right and obtaining buy-in from schools (Link)
This blog is indeed not an exhaustive list of high school content. But I wanted to share tools and resources I have found to be helpful to schools. I would like to know about any tools or sites you would recommend. Please feel free to leave a comment here on this post. I wish you the best on your essential work with schools. Oh, and for the school I mentioned, I went back the next year with the same content but with the words “High School” in title…things went much better…