Northeast Briefs & Resources

Community-Centered Approaches to Safety and Well-Being

To help K–12 educators and community leaders learn from the evidence base and from examples of how some communities have effectively focused on safety and well-being, this resource provides the following: 1. Context—an introduction to community-centered approaches to safety and well-being; 2. Essential Ingredients for Collective Care and Well-Being—evidence-based key definitions and discussion; 3. Guiding Questions for Educators and Their Teams—questions to guide reflection and planning; and 4. A Tool for Taking Action—a structured set of recommendations and practical, evidence-based resources to engage further

Authors: NATALIE WALROND, REBECA CERNA, GISELLE FARRELL, BRANDI SIMONSEN (UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT), AND KENT MACINTOSH (UNIVERSITY OF OREGON)

Integrating School Resource Officers within a Multi-tiered System of Support Framework

The purpose of this brief is to guide schools and district leadership teams on the effective integration of SROs within the MTSS/PBIS framework. This brief does not endorse or recommend the general use of law enforcement or SROs in schools. Instead, this brief provides guidance related to (a) the decision to employ an SRO for schools or districts considering this approach, and (b) improving the experiences and outcomes of students, educators, and SROs in LEAs that have already employed an SRO.

Authors: JAN NEUREUTHER, JENNIFER FREEMAN, AARON ENGEL, CURT TEFF, MICHELLE LEGARE, KEITH HULLENAAR, JANELLE HUGHES, ROBERT SUSI, & NIKOLE HOLLINS-SIMS

Considerations for States and Districts Preparing for and Responding to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Actions

Schools and districts across the country are supporting students, families, and communities impacted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) actions. We offer some considerations to support planning for impacts and responding to events. These considerations are (a) based on lessons learned in our broader crisis response efforts and in impacted districts and (b) meant to prompt action planning. These considerations are not legal advice or directives. Local impacts and resources will differ, and district leadership teams should guide decision-making and direct specific school response efforts in consultation with state education agencies, legal experts, and local law enforcement.

Supporting Effective Classroom Practices for Students with Disabilities with Classroom Support System (CSS)

In this demonstration, we implemented the CSS in two self-contained classrooms (Spencer, 2013) to support educators and students with diverse needs. With brief training and targeted feedback, teachers improved their use of evidence-based practices, and student on-task behavior increased. The CSS can be a valuable tool for any setting where teachers need coaching support and a clear plan to build positive, engaging classrooms.

Authors: FINA M. ROBERTSON, ROBERT F. PUTNAM, BRANDI SIMONSEN, & MARY JANE WEISS

Effective District Supports for Advanced Tiers Implementation

In this brief, we introduce Southbridge Public Schools, describe districtwide systems and data developed to support Tier 2 and 3 PBIS, and highlight how these efforts improved access to interventions and students’ outcomes in the district’s elementary and middle schools.

Authors: MEREDITH DERIAN-TOTH, KELLY WILLIAMSON, KATHERINE MEYER, & ANNA ROBERT

Coaching Classroom PBIS to Support Educators and Students

In this brief, we introduce Southbridge Public Schools, describe districtwide systems and data to support classroom PBIS, and highlight how these efforts enhanced educators’ practice and supported students in the district’s three elementary schools.

Authors: MEREDITH DERIAN-TOTH, KELLY WILLIAMSON, JOE LABARBERA, & BRANDI SIMONSEN

Scaling PBIS Districtwide to Support All Students, Including Students with Disabilities

This evaluation brief describes how a district in receivership (state takeover) invested in PBIS to (a) enhance their systems to support staff, (b) implement evidence-based practices to support students, (c) use data to guide their implementation, and (d) ensure equitable supports for all students, including students with disabilities, to experience improved outcomes. We introduce Southbridge Public Schools, describe districtwide support structures, and highlight how these efforts supported the middle school to improve students’ experience and outcomes.

Authors: MEREDITH DERIAN-TOTH, KELLY WILLIAMSON, KATIE MEYER, SARAH HOULE, TOBEY DUBLE MOORE, & BRANDI SIMONSEN

Improving Tier 3 Implementation and Outcomes in a High-Needs School

This brief summarizes a model demonstration examining the impact of both (a) improved Tier 3 implementation fidelity, as measured by Tiered Implementation Fidelity (TFI) and the Self-Assessment Survey (SAS) 4.0, and (b) an improved implementation of individual behavior support practices in a high-needs elementary school in a rural area in the northeast. The information learned from this model demonstration may assist others working in and supporting schools in similar settings.

Authors: ST. JOSEPH, S., PUTNAM, R., RACINE, J., WEST. J., & CASAVANT, A.

Establishing a Rural Regional Cohort: Supporting Fidelity of PBIS Implementation in Rural Schools

This demonstration features the collaborative work of a state-funded project matching university-based PBIS trainers with school level implementers in a rural setting. Strategies and lessons learned when implementing PBIS with fidelity during challenging times is shared. The information learned from this regional example highlights the need for considering adaptations to support the culture and context of rural settings while maintaining robust levels of fidelity and sustaining momentum for continued implementation.

Authors: KAREN ROBBIE, COURTNEY ANGELOSANTE, JIM ARTESANI, LAURA KERN & HEATHER PESHAK GEORGE

Promoting Positive Discipline Approaches and Reducing Restraint and Seclusion: The American School for the Deaf’s Model of Success

This brief describes a school’s transformation from using ineffective and punitive disciplinary practices to implementing effective and proactive responses to behavior by installing the PBIS framework in a unique setting. Specifically, this demonstration highlights the work of the PBIS school leadership team at the American School for the Deaf (ASD) and describes ASD’s use of PBIS strategies in alignment with the Six Core Strategies© to reduce their use of restraint and seclusion.

Authors: KAREN V. WILSON, CHEYENNE E. RHODES, LAURA KERN, & HEATHER PESHAK GEORGE

PBIS Academy Model Demo Brief: Impact of Statewide Support Model on High-Needs Schools

An evaluation of a state-wide support model targeting high-needs schools across the state of Massachusetts. This evaluation brief reviews the state-wide model in addition to reviewing both discipline and academic outcomes.

Authors: FEINBERG, A.B., MEYER, K., EVERETT, S., ROBBIE., PIERCE. A., SHOR, R., RICOTTA, A., & FISCHER, S.

Advanced Tiers in High School: Lessons Learned from Initial Implementation

An increasing number of high schools have adopted Tier 1 PBIS; however, implementation of advanced tiers of PBIS in high schools is less common and specific guidance is scarce. To address this need and better understand the level of support needed to successfully implement advanced tiers of PBIS at the high school level, the National Center on PBIS is conducting a model demonstration with a cohort of four high schools. The intent of this brief is to share lessons learned related to strengths and challenges that have influenced the initial implementation of advanced tiers of support for schools and lessons learned for district leaders and trainers to consider when supporting high schools.

Authors: MEYER, K., EVERETT, S., HANDLER, M., FREEMAN, J.

Building Momentum for PBIS Implementation in High Need Districts

Building district capacity for implementing PBIS in high need school districts is challenging. This practice brief summarizes the lessons learned one year into an intensive 5-year partnership with Southbridge Public Schools, a district identified as high-need. The intent of the brief is to provide district leaders, trainers, and state leaders with lessons learned and suggestions they may consider when supporting high need LEAs.

Authors: JENNIFER FREEMAN, TAMIKA LA SALLE, MARGARET FERRICK, MEREDITH DERIAN-TOTH, JENNIFER BOUCKAERT, & ADAM FEINBERG