Improving Behavior and Reading Levels: Students’ Response to Two Years of Participation in a Teacher Administered Elementary Level School-Wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports Program

Abstract

The purpose of this quasi-experimental within-group study was to determine the impact of a teacher administered All Children Experiencing Success, School-Wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports program on students’ measured externalizing behavior categories and reading instructional levels. Third-grade, fourth-grade, and fifth-grade students were identified at pretest with moderate ( n = 18), mild ( n = 22), and low ( n = 46) disruptive externalizing behaviors. Students participated for two school years in this highly structured program designed to improve the culture, context, and curriculum of the research elementary school. The null hypothesis was rejected in the direction of student Universal Behavior Screen Category improvement at posttest where following two school years of program intervention students demonstrated moderate ( n = 1), mild ( n = 24), or low ( n = 61) levels of externalizing behaviors with X 2 (2) = 17.40, p < .0001. Furthermore, null hypotheses for improved reading instructional levels were rejected in the direction of significantly improved although below grade level performance reading scores over time for students with moderate externalizing behaviors where t (17) = 2.38, p < .01, and mild externalizing behaviors where t (21) = 2.63, p < .01. The null hypothesis for students with low externalizing behaviors reading instructional levels was also rejected in the direction of significantly improved meets grade level performance reading scores over time where t (45) = 2.92, p < .003. Establishing overarching behavior expectations that are clear, simple, easy to understand, and focused supported a safe, respectable, and responsible school wide core belief system. The goal was to reduce punishment and create a positive student self-regulated behavior replacement school environment. Student deportment, civility, and learning improvement may be expected when these proactive conditions are extant.