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…

Research from the field has indicated that when a multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS) is implemented within education settings, these data-driven frameworks can promote positive student academic and behavioral outcomes, as well as safe and optimal school climates (Ockerman et al., 2012, Sugai & Horner, 2009; Ziomek-Daigle, 2016). As school…

This qualitative case study explores how urban high schools implement a district-initiated student-voice program, referred to as Student Advisory Committees, intended to improve school climate. The study uses an implementation science framework to analyze interview data from principals and advisors in 22 urban high schools. An iterative, top-down…

Through a lens of cultural capital, this dissertation explored the complex implementation of Section 504 policy in public high schools, focused on how school-level characteristics and the state-level litigious educational environment impact the qualifying rates of 504 plans. This study of the 2017-18 school year employed data from national…

This series of evaluation briefs explores the relationship between (a) school climate (as measured by the Brief School Climate Survey for elementary and secondary students), (b) student-level demographics, and (c) PBIS Fidelity (as measured by the Tiered Fidelity Inventory (TFI). All briefs in this series include the same introductory information…

Creating safe and supportive environments where students engage in prosocial behaviors is a priority and Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) are used to achieve these goals. This study investigated relationships between PBIS fidelity, school climate, and office discipline referrals (ODRs). Participants were 204,701 students in…

An account of a persistently failing New York City high school's rapid transformation. Urban Assembly School for Green Careers had a 39% graduation rate in 2013 and ranked in the bottom 1% of high schools citywide. As a transformation strategy, the school employed an innovative educational design known as Learning Cultures, which distributes…

Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is an evidence-based framework for promoting positive school climates and improving student social and behavioral outcomes. Yet secondary schools have lagged behind elementary schools in their adoption and implementation of PBIS. The transition from elementary to middle school is marked by a…

A smart learning environment (SLE) encompasses the use of advanced technology and smart pedagogical teaching skills tailored to suit students with diverse learning needs. In recent years, some countries, such as the United Arab Emirates (UAE), have formulated policies to implement SLE in their education systems. Since students are the intended…

My Vital Cycles® is a holistic ovulatory menstrual health literacy program for adolescent females. A whole school approach was used when trialled in one single-sex secondary school in Perth Australia. This study investigated the enablers and barriers for its future implementation from the perspective of the school's teachers, nurses and…

Many schools, school districts, and provincial education authorities in Canada are collaborating with Indigenous communities to indigenize content and provide progamming to improve Indigenous student success. With a focus on high school achievement in the area of Indigenous education at the cultural interface of Indigenous communities and…

Powerful learning environments (PLEs) are based on a social constructivist theory of learning, providing a stimulating, resource-rich and inquiry-supportive environment for student self-regulated learning. Fidelity of implementation (FOI) for such PLEs is dependent on several factors, the most critical factor being the teacher's belief system,…

The prevalence of mental health issues among adolescents is alarmingly rising. Using mobile phones as tools for promoting mental health can complement school-based health promotion efforts. However, for widespread reach, schools must systematically implement these tools and the students themselves may play an important role in achieving this.…

A case study was implemented in one rural district as it transitioned to a trauma-informed environment. A theoretical framework based on the literature framed the data collection around the seven themes of awareness, positive culture, intentional instruction, restorative practice, self-care, mental health support services, and professional…

School-Wide Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports is a framework that aims to improve school culture and climate, students' behavior and attendance. As the program is largely spreading, comparative studies showing its efficacy on students' outside the United States are needed. In addition, there is a need for studies examining SWPBIS…