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This study reviews findings for the first randomized controlled trial (RCT) on the Interconnected Systems Framework (ISF) for school mental health (SMH) and Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS). Since its development in the late 2000s, the ISF has been supported by federally funded centers for SMH and PBIS, and, guided by a national workgroup, is being implemented in50 communities in the United States. This experimental evaluation of the ISF involved an RCT implemented in 24 schools in two southeastern states, with the ISF implemented in eight schools, PBIS alone implemented in eight schools, and typically co-located PBIS+SMH implemented in eight schools. Related to very poor implementation, documented by two sources of fidelity data, two ISF schools were dropped from major analyses; hence, the study used a treatment on the treated (ToT; Rubin, 1974) as compared to a more traditional Intent-to-Treat approach (ITT; Lachin, 2000). This is the first paper from this large study, with emphasis here on proximal variables and school discipline. Within schools' multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS), ISF schools delivered more Tier 2 (early intervention) and Tier 3 (treatment) interventions to a greater proportion of students than the other two conditions by the second year of the intervention. There was also a dramatic difference in the provision of interventions by community mental health clinicians in ISF schools (almost half of interventions delivered) as compared to PBIS+SMH schools (around 3% of interventions delivered), underscoring the critical role of the ISF in integrating clinicians into MTSS teams and core school functions in SMH. As compared to the other two conditions, ISF schools also had reduced office discipline referrals (ODRs) and in-school suspensions, as well as reduced ODRs and out-of-school suspensions for African American students. Findings are discussed in relation to future directions of education-mental health system partnerships in improving the delivery and impact of SMH programs and services, demonstrated in the ISF.

A large body of research has reported a positive relation between participation in extracurricular activities (ECAs) and improved academic performance, social competence, and school engagement. This study explored the relation between ECA, social competence, and school engagement for students with and at risk of emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD). Specifically, the study addressed three research questions: (a) Is there a relation between participation in ECA and high school students with EBD’s social competence and school engagement? (b) Is the relation moderated by EBD status, race, gender, or special education status? And, (c) is there a direct link between participation in ECA and students’ social competence and school engagement for youth with EBD? Eighty students with EBD and 21 typically developing students were included based on their participation in a larger study examining interventions for high school students with EBD. Participants were administered a battery of assessments at the end of the school year measuring ECA participation, social competence, and school engagement. We used regression and instrumental variable analyses to address the research questions. Results indicated statistically significant, positive relations between participation in ECA, social competence, and school engagement. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

Schools continue to rely on disciplinary exclusions as a consequence for behavioral rule violations, despite evidence that removing students from instruction for discipline purposes is associated with poor behavioral, academic, and social outcomes. School-wide positive behavior interventions and supports (SWPBIS) is one multitiered support framework used to prevent behavior problems while developing effective and efficient systems for intervening with students who require more support. Prior research suggests implementing Tier 1 of SWPBIS with fidelity is associated with reductions in disciplinary exclusions. In this study, we evaluated the additive effects of implementing Tier 1 and advanced tiers (i.e., Tiers 2 and 3) with fidelity compared with Tier 1 alone for 558 schools in California. Results indicate schools implementing all three tiers with fidelity had significantly lower rates of students receiving one out-of-school suspension, out-of-school suspension incidents, and referrals to law enforcement. We also discuss implications and recommendations for future research.

In reading intervention research, implementation fidelity is assumed to be positively related to student outcomes, but the methods used to measure fidelity are often treated as an afterthought. Fidelity has been conceptualized and measured in many different ways, suggesting a lack of construct validity. One aspect of construct validity is the scoring model of a measure. This methodological case study examined how different decisions in scoring models influence rank ordering of individuals on the construct of interest and influence our perception of the relation between the construct and intervention outcomes. Data for this study came from a large State-funded project to implement multi-tiered systems of support for early reading instruction. Analyses were conducted to determine if the different scoring models are stable in rank ordering participants and if scoring models of dosage and adherence data influence researcher decisions on model building within a multilevel modeling framework. Results indicated that the scoring models resulted in different relations to outcomes with the most commonly used scoring models for both dosage and adherence being the worst performing. A major shift is needed in the way intervention researchers conceptualize, measure, and use implementation fidelity in outcome models—a shift away from the ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach, to an approach more specifically tailored to each intervention.

Multitiered support for professional development (MTS-PD) is a framework for applying a three-tiered support system to teacher classroom management professional development through targeted trainin...

Inappropriate behaviors often occur in non-classroom settings, such as lunchrooms, due to the increased volume of students with fewer supervising adults. As such, there is a need for effective and efficient behavior management interventions that can be implemented in these environments. To address frequent disruptions in an urban elementary lunchroom, McCurdy et al. (J Sch Psychol 47:39–54, 2009) developed a team-based interdependent group contingency called the Lunchroom Behavior Game (LBG) and observed decreased disruptions, while staff and students found the intervention highly acceptable. Given this success, we replicated the LBG in an elementary school in a mid-sized Southeastern city. LBG implementation was staggered across three lunch periods using a multiple-baseline design across subjects. The rate of disruptive behaviors decreased in all lunches following LBG implementation and remained at lower levels during maintenance observations; however, implementation fidelity and student acceptability were low. Specific implementation issues encountered and recommendations for future research are discussed.

School-wide positive behavior interventions and supports (SWPBIS) is widely implemented across the United States. Evidence suggests that SWPBIS, when implemented with fidelity, has a significant and positive impact on schools, including lower suspensions and higher reading and mathematics achievement. A critical component of this research is measuring fidelity of SWPBIS implementation in schools. In this study, we re-evaluated the reliability and validity of a widely used fidelity tool, the Tiered Fidelity Inventory (TFI), within a single-state sample. Using data from 693 schools in California, we found a hierarchical factor structure based on subscales and tiers fit the data best when controlling for the multilevel nature of the data; however, there was no relation between the latent fidelity variables and changes in suspensions. Implications of these results are discussed, including different approaches to scoring and conceptualizing fidelity of implementation for SWPBIS, along with considerations for future research using the TFI.

The Latinx population is the largest group of racially and ethnically diverse students in the United States. Although disproportionality in school discipline has been documented for Latinx students, findings related to such disparities have been inconsistent. We examined disciplinary exclusion practices involving students with and without disabilities who are Latinx across the United States using risk ratios (RR) and weighted mixed-effect models. We leveraged data from the Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) data set for the 2015 to 2016 academic school year, which included data from more than 94,000 schools. The CRDC is collected by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights every 2 years. All U.S. public schools are required to submit data to the CRDC. Results suggest that Latinx students with and without disabilities were statistically significantly more likely to receive exclusionary discipline than White students, but less likely than Black students. Implications for research and practice are provided.

The Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) framework is currently implemented in more than 25,000 schools across the globe. Its implementation has demonstrated positive impacts on a number of behavioral and academic outcomes. A growing evidence base has found that PBIS has been particularly effective at reducing both in- and out-of-school suspensions. This article describes concerns with the use of suspensions, defines PBIS, and outlines how schools can implement and use PBIS to reduce suspensions.

Student academic deficits and problem behaviors have long been demonstrated to be closely related. What is not as clear is the degree to which teacher behaviors are predictive of both academic and behavioral outcomes. Using direct observations of teachers in over 1500 unique elementary and secondary classroom instructional settings, rates of identified evidence-based teacher instructional behaviors were used as independent variables to predict both academic and disciplinary outcomes for students at the school level. Results showed that a school’s mean rate of teacher provided opportunities for student response and positive feedback during instruction were significant predictors for lower school-wide suspensions and higher percentage of students scoring in the proficient and distinguished level on state academic assessments. Implications of these relationships as a means of preventing student failure in school are discussed along with recommendations for future study.

Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is a multitiered system of support for behavior used in many schools across the world. Researchers have begun adapting and evaluating Tier 1 of PBIS for students placed in alternative education (AE) settings. The purpose of this review is to synthesize these evaluations. We systematically searched two electronic databases to find potential studies of Tier 1 PBIS in AE settings. We screened 47 full texts, 19 of which met all inclusion criteria. Most studies (16 of 19, 84%) evaluated student behavioral outcomes, while seven studies (37%) evaluated academic outcomes alone or in addition to behavioral measures. Overall, restraints and seclusions generally decreased following Tier 1 implementation, but behavioral incident changes were variable and academic outcomes only improved for students enrolled continuously throughout the studies. The findings of this review support the need for continued evaluations of Tier 1 in AE settings using more rigorous methodologies and metrics that account for rolling admissions. The observed reductions in restraints and seclusions are promising for students and practitioners given the poor outcomes associated with these consequences.

The use of restraint and seclusion in schools puts students at risk of injury or, in extreme cases, even death. As a result, advocacy organizations and the U.S. Department of Education have develop...

Disciplinary exclusions, particularly out-of-school suspension and expulsions, are a pressing concern for schools, as research demonstrates that they are associated with myriad deleterious outcomes such as increased risk for poor academic achievement, school dropout, and contact with juvenile justice. Research suggests that School-Wide Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (SWPBIS), a prevention and intervention framework for addressing school-based problem behavior, can have a significant and meaningful impact on reducing the likelihood of student suspensions and expulsions. In this study, we conceptually replicated a series of previous studies conducted in other states and examined the effect of universal SWPBIS on disciplinary exclusions in California. Using propensity score matching, we examine differences in suspension and expulsion rates for 98 schools implementing universal SWPBIS with fidelity and 98 comparison schools not implementing SWPBIS. Results suggest that schools implementing SWPBIS with fidelity have significantly fewer suspensions. No effects were found for expulsions. Implications and recommendations for future research are discussed.

The objective of this study was to assess the rates of disciplinary exclusion for American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) students with and without disabilities, relative to Black, Hispanic/Latino, and White students, using 2015–2016 national level data from the U.S. Department of Education’s Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC). We utilized quantitative analysis, including rates and weighted risk ratios, to assess disproportionality in disciplinary exclusions in terms of suspensions and expulsions. AI/AN students were disproportionately represented in exclusionary discipline practices, most substantially in comparison to White students, while AIAN students with disabilities were disproportionally represented in terms of suspension and expulsion risk compared to both Hispanic/Latino and White students, but not compared to Black students. The risk for AI/AN students, with and without disabilities, was highest for expulsion, the most extreme form of disciplinary exclusion. AI/AN students with and without disabilities remain overrepresented in exclusionary discipline. The Largest disproportionality was evident comparing AI/AN students and White students, with AI/AN students nearly nine times more likely to receive an in-school suspension, more than 10 times more likely to receive an out-of-school suspension, nearly 16 times more likely to receive more than one out-of-school suspension, and more than 30 times more likely to be expelled. Implications and recommendations to address issues related to this overrepresentation in disciplinary exclusion are provided.

School leaders react to inappropriate behaviors by excluding students, despite research suggesting an association with poor student outcomes. Students with disabilities are frequently subjected to these practices. One framework that has been proposed to reduce the reliance on reactive discipline procedures is schoolwide positive behavior interventions and supports (SWPBIS). In this study, we replicated several state-level quasi-experimental studies with discipline data from California. Using propensity score matching, we compared 544 schools implementing SWPBIS with fidelity and 544 schools that had never been trained. We found statistically significantly fewer out-of-school suspensions and days missed due to out-of-school suspensions across all students. Students with disabilities were statistically significantly less likely to be sent to alternative settings due to behavior in schools implementing SWPBIS with fidelity, with an effect size of −0.65. These results replicate and extend prior findings.

Active supervision—defined as circulating, scanning, interacting with students, and reinforcing demonstrations of expected academic and social behaviors by a teacher or other staff member—is often considered a component of safe and secure schools. Yet, the evidence base supporting the effectiveness of active supervision has not been synthesized or evaluated for its quality. Therefore, we conducted an evidence-based review and meta-analysis of empirical research evaluating the effects of active supervision in schools. We identified 12 research studies evaluating active supervision, assessed the quality of each study, and calculated effect sizes for student behaviors, including disruptive behavior. Results from the four studies meeting data requirements for estimating standardized mean difference effect sizes suggest that, on average, active supervision reduced problem behavior by almost 2.0 standard deviation units. Only four studies met the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) design standards and the results of those were mixed, thus not meeting the WWC evidence-based criteria. Limitations and recommendations for future research are discussed.

PBIS is has been consistently correlated with reductions in student exclusion including suspensions, expulsions, poor attendance, and high school dropout rates. However, school-wide strateg...

The objective of this study was to determine the current national results regarding school discipline for Black students. There are decades of data demonstrating the discriminatory discipline faced by Black children and adolescents in America’s K-12 public education system. Yet, there is limited research focusing exclusively on Black students with disabilities and no publically available research documenting the analysis of Black students with and without disabilities at the national level. The method was a quantitative analysis using rates and weighted risk ratios. The results indicated that ∼10% of Black students received a suspension, compared with 2.5% for all other racial/ethnic groups. For students with disabilities, ∼23% of Black students received a suspension, compared with ∼9% for Hispanic and White students with disabilities, almost 6% for Asian students with disabilities, and 21% for Native American students with disabilities. Risk ratio results vary by comparison group. Black students with and without disabilities continue to be grossly overrepresented in exclusionary discipline compared to their proportion within the population. Implications for research, policy, and practice are provided.

Bullying continues to be a major concern in U.S. schools and is the focus of myriad prevention and intervention efforts. Researchers have recently cited school-wide positive behavior interventions and supports (SWPBIS) as a prevention framework for reducing school-based bullying. Therefore, we examined the effect of universal SWPBIS implemented with fidelity on students’ self-report of bullying victimization. We used school-level propensity score matching to compare 76,248 students’ self-report of bullying victimization in 118 schools that implemented SWPBIS with fidelity and 118 matched comparison schools. Random-effects regression models found no statistically significant difference between treatment groups on students’ self-report of bullying victimization. Recommendations and limitations are discussed.

Quality professional development (PD) can be a great benefit to teachers who need help with classroom management implementation. PD programs have better outcomes when there is follow-up after skill instruction. Providing PD within a multitiered support (MTS) framework can make PD delivery more efficient for schools. We describe an MTS-PD program and its empirical support. We also provide specific recommendations for developing an MTS-PD implementation team, data collection systems, and classroom management skills for training.

A large body of research supports the efficacy of small group reading interventions for students in Grades K through 3. However, there are few studies evaluating the effects of supplemental Tier-2 intervention implemented within a response to intervention (RTI) or multitiered systems of support (MTSS) framework. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of providing Tier-2 supplemental intervention to students in Grades 1 through 3 identified as experiencing reading difficulties ( n = 318) in four elementary schools across four different school districts that were selected to participate in a state MTSS initiative. The supplemental intervention was evaluated using a regression discontinuity design, and results indicated statistically significant overall effects on measures of phonemic awareness and word decoding and no discernable effects on reading fluency and comprehension. Results suggest that supplemental reading intervention implemented within MTSS frameworks can impact key reading outcomes when intervention significantly increases instructional intensity.

This study explored the effects of School-Wide Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (SWPBIS) on school suspensions and behavioral incidents for elementary and intermediate schools in Georgia implementing with fidelity by comparing results with a propensity score–matched comparison group of schools that never received SWPBIS training. Significant decreases in suspensions and disciplinary exclusions were found in schools implementing with fidelity compared with matched comparison schools. Schools implementing SWPBIS with higher fidelity had fewer out-of-school suspensions and disciplinary incidents than schools implementing with lower levels of fidelity, but both groups had significantly fewer suspensions and incidents than the comparison group. When converted to standard mean difference effect sizes, results indicated medium to large effects. These findings suggest that SWPBIS is an effective model for reducing disciplinary exclusions and disciplinary incidents and that implementing SWPBIS with fidelity can result in meaningful improvements on student behavioral outcomes in schools.

School discipline continues to be a challenge for schools, resulting in loss of instructional time for both teachers and students. With respect to discipline actions, school suspension is one of the most widely used, yet research continues to demonstrate an empirical link between receipt of suspension and poor student outcomes, including increased risk of dropping out of school. Therefore, interventions with empirical support for reducing school-wide disciplinary actions are needed. This study examined the effect of school-wide positive behavior interventions and supports (SWPBIS) on disciplinary actions using quasi-experimental design analysis. We (propensity score) matched 593 Florida schools implementing SWPBIS with fidelity with 593 Florida schools that have never been trained. Overall, we found statistically significantly fewer out-of-school suspensions for students with disabilities and Black students within schools implementing SWPBIS with fidelity and an effect size of −0.55, indicating meaningful improvements.

In 2014, adult correctional systems supervised an estimated 6.8 million individuals in the United States with 1 in 36 adults (or 2.8%) being under some form of correctional supervision. Unfortunately, not only are the number of individuals connected to the correctional system and the outlined disparities based on minority status worrisome, there is also the persistent concern of repeat offending. Given the fact that the most recent comprehensive meta-analysis examining predictors of adult offender was published in 1996, a current systematic review and meta-analysis focusing on United States samples of all types of re-offense is necessary for identifying current predictors of adult recidivism with U.S. studies from 1994 through 2015. Specifically, the questions addressed in this meta-analysis include (a) which attributes predict general, sexual, and violent recidivism for adults in the American justice system, and (b) are some characteristics more influential than others? We determined the following domains are statistically significant predictors of recidivism: age (r = .02), antisocial personality scales (r = .13), criminogenic needs (r = .10), distress (r = .06), family criminality (r = .18), family rearing (r = .16), gender (r = .19), history of antisocial behavior (r = .12), risk scales (r = .17), social achievement (r = .05), and substance abuse (r = .07). Implications are provided.

Teachers’ classroom management practices have a direct impact on their students’ probability of success. Evidence-based classroom management practices include (a) active instruction and supervision of students (i.e., teaching), (b) opportunities for students to respond, and (c) feedback to students. In this study, we examined the degree to which teachers implemented evidence-based classroom management practices and whether there was a relationship between use of those teacher behaviors and students’ time engaged in instruction and rate of disruptions. Using latent class analysis, we identified four groups of teachers from 1,242 teacher–student dyads in 65 elementary schools, with one group of teachers demonstrating very low rates of classroom management practices. We then modeled the predictive relationship of being in classrooms with low rates of classroom management practices and student engagement and disruptive behavior within a multilevel framework. Results indicate that students in classrooms with low rates of classroom management practices were statistically significantly less engaged in instruction, whereas no differences in disruptions were found. The results are discussed within the context of prior research, students with or at risk for emotional and/or behavioral disorders, and study limitations.

Though converging empirical evidence strongly supports the role of language in explicit false belief understanding (FBU), there is a lack of consensus on the theoretical basis of this link. This debate has centered on whether complement syntax is required for FBU or whether general language skills are sufficient. Although hundreds of investigations have confirmed the role of language in FBU, the precise role of complementation and general language remains unclear. In the present review, we selectively examine through both meta-analysis and qualitative analysis, only studies that utilize both complementation and general language measures in typically and atypically developing children (e.g., children with autism). These analyses supported the general language hypothesis, but not the complementation hypothesis in typically developing children. In contrast, the complementation hypothesis was supported in the children with autism, as well (children with deafness and SLI). Together, these results suggests there are different linguistic pathways for developing FBU in typical and atypical children. These alternate routes may be attributable to differences in children's ability to benefit from social interactions in acquiring FBU. Finally, we discuss suggestions for future research including methodological choices in research design, language assessments, and populations.

Publication bias involves the disproportionate representation of studies with large and significant effects in the published research. Among other problems, publication bias results in inflated omnibus effect sizes in meta-analyses, giving the impression that interventions have stronger effects than they actually do. Although evidence suggests that publication bias exists in other fields, research has not examined the issue in special education. In this study, we examined the inclusion of gray literature, testing for publication bias, the extent to which publication bias exists, the relation of including gray literature to the presence of publication bias, and differences in effect size magnitude for gray literature and published studies among 109 meta-analyses published in special education journals. We found the following: (a) 42% of meta-analyses included gray literature, (b) 33% examined publication bias, (c) meta-analyses not including gray literature were more likely to reflect publication bias, and (d) published studies had larger effect sizes than gray literature. We discuss implications and recommendations for research and practice.

Teachers of students with emotional and/or behavioral disorders (EBD) are less experienced and more likely to have emergency certification than teachers of students with other disabilities. Yet, to date, research has not examined the relation between the academic achievement of students with EBD and characteristics associated with highly qualified teachers (teachers’ education level, certification status, and years of experience). Using a nationally representative longitudinal data set of students with disabilities, this study examined the relation between teacher characteristics and the academic achievement of students with EBD. Using hierarchical linear modeling, the study found low academic achievement for students with EBD, null effects for change in achievement across time, and null effects for the relation between (a) teachers’ educational level, certification status, and years of experience and (b) student academic achievement. Results indicate further research is needed to examine whether and how teacher characteristics may impact the academic achievement of students with EBD.

A survey study of 248 educators in four states was conducted to identify respondents' formal training, use, and perceived effectiveness of 37 evidence-based classroom management practices within four general categories: (a) antecedent-based, (b) instructionally based, (c) consequence-based, and (d) self-management. Results indicated that, on average, only one in three respondents received formal training in most of the practices. However, 91% of responding educators reported formal training with antecedent-based practices, while just over half received formal training in self-management strategies. Results also indicated that formal training significantly predicted use of practices, but not perceptions of effectiveness. We describe implications for improving preservice and in-service teachers' formal training on evidence-based classroom management practices, as well as implications for practicing teachers.

The relationship between school-wide positive behavioral interventions and supports (SWPBIS) and school-level academic achievement has not been established. Most experimental research has found little to no evidence that SWPBIS has a distal effect on school-level achievement. Yet, an underlying assumption of SWPBIS is that improving social behavior and reducing problem behavior increasingly exposes all students to classroom instruction and the opportunity for academic success. Therefore, we examined the average treatment effect of SWPBIS implemented with fidelity on the treated schools by leveraging 10 consecutive years of school-level academic achievement data. All elementary schools in Florida (~2,033 schools), including an average of 235 schools implementing SWPBIS with fidelity each year, were included in this study. We estimated a two-level mixed-effects regression model, with schools nested in districts across time, and modeled the percentage of students at or above grade-level benchmark on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) reading and mathematics. Results indicate that schools implementing SWPBIS with fidelity had statistically significantly more students at or above grade-level benchmarks, however the effect sizes were small. The results are discussed within the context of distal effects and the fact that few evidence-based academic interventions have demonstrated larger effects when experimentally evaluated.

Successful instruction is contingent upon effective classroom management. Unfortunately, not all teachers are effective classroom managers and many require in-service professional development (PD) ...

Although there is widespread agreement about the practices associated with multitiered systems of support (MTSS) frameworks in beginning reading, we often underestimate the systems and infrastructure that schools need to implement and sustain these practices. The real work of developing these systems often happens in the detailed-oriented and often messy world of schedules, routines, meetings, and materials. The purpose of this article is to describe a K-3 reading initiative where school teams serving high percentages of students at risk for reading difficulties "delved into the details" to work to overcome the complexities inherent in implementing multitiered reading supports in high priority schools.

Students with disabilities are disproportionately involved within the bullying dynamic. Few studies have investigated the bullying involvement of youth with disabilities over time. The current study evaluated the victimization and perpetration rates of 6,531 students in Grades 3 through 12, including 16% with disabilities, over the course of 3 years. Results revealed that students with disabilities experienced greater rates of victimization and engaged in higher levels of perpetration than their peers without disabilities over time. In addition, the discrepancy in victimization and perpetration rates between youth with and without disabilities remained consistent longitudinally. Results from this study support the recommendation that students with disabilities should receive direct instruction in social and communication skills to buffer these adverse experiences.

There is a long and persistent gap between the academic achievement of White and Black students in America's schools. Further, Black students are suspended from school at a rate that is more than three times greater than White students. While there has been some suggestion that perhaps teacher-student racial matching may be part of a solution, the research does not currently provide adequate support for teacher race alone to be sufficiently effective. This study analyzed 41 Black and White teacher-student dyad mixes in elementary schools and another 41 in a high school to examine how teacher and student race interact in terms of teacher and student behaviors. While Black students were slightly more likely to be off-task and disruptive, both Black and White teachers were found to provide significantly more negative feedback to Black students regardless of their behavior. Implications for teacher practice and future study are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Given the increased interest and implementation of Schoolwide Positive Behavior Support (SWPBS) systems in schools in the United States, practitioners and researchers have become interested in how to improve implementation with students and staff from a wide range of cultural backgrounds. Fallon, O'Keeffe, and Sugai (2012) reviewed the literature on behavior supports and culture and developed a list of recommended practices. To collect information on the perceived acceptability, feasibility, and efficacy of these practices, as well as accessibility to professional development on specific practices, we surveyed school staff members involved in SWPBS implementation across the country. Respondents (n = 330) indicated generally high agreement with the acceptability, feasibility, efficacy, and accessibility of training of culturally and contextually relevant SWPBS recommendations. Variations in these responses are discussed, and recommendations for research and practice are presented.

School climate has been linked with myriad positive student outcomes and the measurement of school climate is widely advocated at the national and state level. However, districts have little guidance about how to define and measure school climate. This study examines the psychometric properties of a district-developed school climate measure that was created in response to state policy pressure and an interest in student perceptions of school climate. Initial evaluation of the Meriden School Climate Survey–Student Version (MSCS-SV), a 38-item scale, indicates evidence of validity and reliability based on principal component analysis and confirmatory factor analysis, test–retest reliability, and comprehensive assessment of internal consistency. Overall, results suggest that the MSCS-SV may be an adequate measure of student perceptions of a broad school climate construct, but more research is warranted.

Antecedent-based classroom management strategies, including teacher-directed opportunities to respond (TD-OTR), have been identified and studied in the literature, but the link between those practices and student outcomes is still developing. This study describes a within-subject interrupted time-series analysis of the relationship between increased TD-OTRs and student-level behavior and academic outcomes. Results indicate a statistically significant positive relationship between increased TD-OTRs and student academic engagement and disruptive behavior, but not academic achievement based a standardized progress monitoring measure. Limitations and future directions are noted.

Effective behavior management is necessary to ensure students are engaged with instruction. Students cannot learn if they are not engaged. Although the relationship between effective behavior management and positive student behavior is well established, the relationship between behavior management and increased academic achievement, including early literacy skills, is still developing. This study examined the collateral effects of high quality implementation of evidence-based behavior management strategies on early literacy growth for students considered at-risk for reading difficulties receiving targeted early intervention. Results indicate that students receiving targeted early literacy skills instruction from very good behavior managers performed statistically significantly better than students receiving instruction from poor behavior managers. Implications and future directions are discussed.

Students with emotional and/or behavioral disabilities (E/BD), including students with emotional disturbance and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, receiving special education services perform significantly worse on academic performance measures than same age peers. Researchers have focused on reading and math performance while less is known about the writing performance of students with E/BD. We examined the writing performance of students with E/BD and compared their writing performance with that of students without disabilities. In addition, we examined the mediating effect of reading performance on differential writing performance for students with E/BD and typical peers. A sample of 114 students with E/BD was compared with both a full sample of 3,187 typical students and 114 students matched with the E/BD students using propensity score matching. Students were compared on their writing and reading performance on the Connecticut State Mastery Test. Results indicate that students with E/BD perform significantly worse than propensity score-matched peers in writing. Mediation analyses indicate that reading performance accounts for ~60% of the total variance of writing performance for students with E/BD. Implications and future directions for researchers are discussed.

Researchers investigating school-level approaches for bullying prevention are beginning to discuss and target school climate as a construct that (a) may predict prevalence and (b) be an avenue for school-wide intervention efforts (i.e., increasing positive school climate). Although promising, research has not fully examined and established the social-ecological link between school climate factors and bullying/peer aggression. To address this gap, we examined the association between school climate factors and bullying victimization for 4,742 students in Grades 3-12 across 3 school years in a large, very diverse urban school district using latent class growth modeling. Across 3 different models (elementary, secondary, and transition to middle school), a 3-class model was identified, which included students at high-risk for bullying victimization. Results indicated that, for all students, respect for diversity and student differences (e.g., racial diversity) predicted within-class decreases in reports of bullying. High-risk elementary students reported that adult support in school was a significant predictor of within-class reduction of bullying, and high-risk secondary students report peer support as a significant predictor of within-class reduction of bullying.

Reliability of direct observation outcomes ensures the results are consistent, dependable, and trustworthy. Typically, reliability of direct observation measurement approaches is assessed using interobserver agreement (IOA) and the calculation of observer agreement (e.g., percentage of agreement). However, IOA does not address intraobserver agreement, or the withinrater agreement, analogues to internal consistency. One approach to assess both IOA and intraobserver agreement is generalizability theory. This paper describes generalizability theory and provides a case study example of using generalizability theory with direct observation measures in emotional and/or behavioral disorders research.

* Evidence of functional and causal relationships between independent and dependent variables is contingent upon accurate, valid, and reliable measurement (Kazdin, 2011; Shadish, Cook, & Campbell, 2002). Standards for reliability and validity are well established in education (American Educational Research Association [AERA], American Psychological Association [APA], & National Council on Measurement in Education [NCME], 1999), but the application of many of those standards to direct observation is limited (Hintze, 2005), perhaps for good reason (Baer, Harrison, Fradenburg, Peterson, & Milla, 2005). As an example of differences in psychometric criteria between direct observation and other generalized measurement approaches (e.g., rating scales, knowledge tests), review the special education quality indicators for single-subject design research, which is based in principles of applied behavior analysis and relies on systematic direct observation (Horner et al., 2005), and group experimental and quasiexperimental design research (Gersten, Baker, Haager, & Graves, 2005). Horner and colleagues indicate that dependent variables must be operationally defined and assessed for consistency using interobserver agreement, while Gersten and colleagues indicate that dependent variables must have evidence of internal consistency and concurrent validity, constructs rarely addressed in direct observation studies.The validity and reliability of scores resulting from either direct observation or other measurement approaches are necessary requirements of "good" science regardless of experimental design (i.e., single-subject, group experimental). A mismatch between established professional standards of generalized outcomes and direct observation, for example the within-subject repeated single observation scores that violate assumptions of traditional psychometric methods (e.g., assumption of independence inherent in many inferential approaches), is not license to apply direct observation without evidence of accuracy, reliability, and validity. As a remedy, the field of applied behavior analysis established criteria for determining reliability and validity of direct observation methods decades ago, namely interobserver agreement, transparent procedural descriptions, face validity based on complete reporting of operational definitions, and social validity of target behavior (Cooper, Heron, & Heward, 2008; Kazdin, 2011), and the field continues to refine and advance those methods (e.g., Wirth, Slaven, & Taylor, 2014). These criteria are accepted across disciplines and meet federal requirements of high quality research (e.g., Kratochwill et al., 2010), yet challenges remain with direct observation approaches in natural settings, particularly classrooms, including item scaling, observation procedures, and instrumentation (Horovitz & Matson, 2012; McComas, Vollmer, & Kennedy, 2009). To date, little has been written about these concerns or the advances that have been made addressing them in direct observation approaches in research supporting the needs of students with emotional and/or behavioral disorders (EBD) in schools and classrooms.This special issue of Behavioral Disorders is dedicated to addressing challenges and concerns related to direct observation measurement systems in school and classroom settings supporting the needs of students with EBD and describing advances in validity and reliability of direct observation results. The papers herein have been selected as means of highlighting three basic goals for this issue. The initial goal is to present an overview of basic issues related to direct observations in natural settings with students with or at risk for EBD and to provide general recommended considerations for reliable, valid, and generalizaba outcomes. The second goal is to provide a summation of the work that has been done in this area and to draw conclusions as to what we know and where research needs to go. …