North Carolina Positive Behavior Support Initiative Partners’ Update February 2009 Heather R. Reynolds NC Department of Public Instruction Bob Algozzine Behavior and Reading Improvement Center http://www.dpi.state.nc.us/positivebehavior/ The North Carolina Positive Behavioral Support Initiative is part of the North Carolina State Improvement Program funded through IDEA. Questions regarding the program should be directed to Heather Reynolds [Positive Behavior Supports Consultant] [hreynolds@dpi.state.nc.us].

North Carolina Positive Behavior Support Initiative Who Is Providing Support? STATEWIDE PROFESSIONAL SUPPORT One full-time Consultant and eight part-time Regional Coordinators support implementation of PBS in NC. The Consultant is in the Behavior Support and Special Programs Section of the Exceptional Children Division at the NC Department of Public Instruction. The Regional Coordinators are hosted by LEAs or another agency in their region and spend 1/3 of their time working with the PBS implementation in that school system or Charter School. The primary role of these professionals is to coordinate training, support trainers/coaches/coordinators in LEAs, and facilitate the evaluation of the statewide initiative. http://www.ncpublicschools.org/positivebehavior/coordinator/ Regional Coordinators support implementation throughout the state. Information about trainings in their regions can be obtained from each coordinator. http://www.dpi.state.nc.us/positivebehavior/coordinator/

North Carolina Positive Behavior Support Initiative Who Is Receiving Training and Support? More than three-fourths of the counties in the state have at least one school participating in the North Carolina Positive Behavior Support Initiative. During the past year, individuals, schools, and systems receiving support continued to grow with PBS programs implemented in more than three-fourths of the counties in the state. North Carolina also has an active Positive Behavior Support Leadership Team that includes state and local representation as well as professionals from college and university professional development programs and community agencies. The team has a focused Action Plan and meets regularly to define and refine the work being done in North Carolina’s PBS schools. The PBS Regional Coordinators co-lead three subcommittees that are working on coaching and training, evaluation, and visibility and political support. The work of the subcommittees and the PBS Leadership Team is also greatly expanding North Carolina’s capacity to support the schools implementing and evaluating efforts to improve academic and social behavior in its schools. State PBS Coordinator Heather R Reynolds

North Carolina Positive Behavior Support Initiative Who Is Receiving Training and Support? Currently, about 93% of the 115 counties and local education agencies in the state have at least one school participating in the North Carolina Positive Behavior Support Initiative. Positive Behavior Support started in August of 2000 as a part of North Carolina’s federally-funded State Improvement Program that included seven centers focusing on reading, one center addressing mathematics, and one center targeting improvements in social behavior. The primary purposes of the grant were professional development of school personnel and systems change. Steady growth in the number of Local Education Agencies implementing PBS has been evident in North Carolina.

North Carolina Positive Behavior Support Initiative Who Is Receiving Training and Support? Steady growth has been evident in the number of schools that have implemented PBS and current estimates suggest that about 85% are still implementing. Steady growth has been evident in the number of schools implementing PBS in North Carolina. Type ECH/Preschool Elem Mid/Jr. High K (8-12) Alt./Ctr. NC Total n 2 449 180 62 10 34 737 Percent of NC Total 0.27% 60.92% 24.42% 8.41% 1.36% 4.61% 100.00%

North Carolina Positive Behavior Support Initiative Who Is Receiving Training and Support? Improving and sustaining the effort has been supported with continued state funding and local education agencies are contributing to support the effective programs in their schools. Improving and sustaining North Carolina’s PBS Initiative has been supported with increasing amounts of targeted state funding in recent years.

North Carolina Positive Behavior Support Initiative To What Extent Have Practices Changed? Average [07-08] scores on SET subscales varied across levels of schools (N=200) and were generally higher for elementary (n=117) than middle (n=49), high (n=18), or combined (n=15) enrollment schools. Average scores on SET subscales varied across levels of schools and were generally higher for elementary (n=117 or 59% of total) than middle, high, or combined enrollment schools.

North Carolina Positive Behavior Support Initiative To What Extent Have Practices Changed? More schools reported SET scores and they were generally higher for 2007-2008 than for the previous school year. Scores were generally higher during the 2007-2008 than the 2006-2007 school year; and, during the current reporting year, 16% more schools (70% vs. 54%) documented both SET total and Expectations Taught subscale scores at or above the 80% target criterion reflecting a high level of implementation of schoolwide positive behavior support.

North Carolina Positive Behavior Support Initiative To What Extent is There an Impact on Student Behavior? Office discipline referral data (majors) from schools implementing PBS in North Carolina [07-08] compare favorably with national averages. Available data from schools implementing PBS in North Carolina compare favorably with national averages.

North Carolina Positive Behavior Support Initiative To What Extent is There an Impact on Student Behavior? There has been a consistent decrease in reported suspensions across schools implementing PBS over the past three years. Disciplinary offenses often dealt with using short-term suspensions which can last up to ten days almost always have a negative impact on achievement and progress; suspending students from schools takes valuable time teachers can devote to instruction and administrators can spend on other leadership activities. There has been a consistent decrease in suspensions across schools implementing PBS in North Carolina over the past three years.

North Carolina Positive Behavior Support Initiative To What Extent is There an Impact on Student Behavior? Levels of behavior risk in schools implementing PBS were comparable to widely-accepted expectations and better than those in comparison schools not systematically implementing PBS. Levels of behavior risk evident in schools implementing PBS in North Carolina were comparable to expectations guiding similar practices across the country and they were better than those evident in comparison schools not systematically implementing PBS.

North Carolina Positive Behavior Support Initiative To What Extent is Implementation Affecting Outcomes? Rates of office discipline referrals in schools that met SET expectations were lower than in schools that did not meet them. Rates of office discipline referrals were lower in schools that met SET expectations; small differences evident during early years of statewide implementation (2005-2006) increased in recent years, consistently favoring schools with high levels of implementation support.

North Carolina Positive Behavior Support Initiative To What Extent has Academic Performance Changed? While achievement differences were not statistically significant across schools with different levels of implementation, effect sizes reflecting practical differences were large (.55 for reading and .98 for mathematics). Although the difference was not statistically significant, End-of-Grade Achievement scores were higher in schools that met SET expectations.

North Carolina Positive Behavior Support Initiative To What Extent has Academic Performance Changed? [A]chievement causes [B]ehavior? [B]ehavior causes [A]chievement? [Context causes [A]chievement and [B]ehavior? The relationship between reading achievement and office discipline referrals in a sample of 44 schools was statistically significant.

North Carolina Positive Behavior Support Initiative Website http://www.dpi.state.nc.us/positivebehavior/ Annual Performance Reports Available http://www.dpi.state.nc.us/positivebehavior/data/evaluation/ The North Carolina Positive Behavioral Support Initiative is part of the North Carolina State Improvement Program funded through IDEA. Questions regarding the program should be directed to Heather Reynolds [Positive Behavior Supports Consultant] [hreynolds@dpi.state.nc.us].