Abstract:
The purpose of this study was to examine differences between academic and behavioral
outcomes for three cohorts of sixth grade boys enrolled at Starlight Middle School, a large, urban
school in the Midwest. A comparison was made between pre-, partial, and full intervention data,
during three consecutive years of implementation of School-wide Positive Behavior Supports
(SWPBS) as a Tier 1, Response to Intervention (RTI) strategy. This study used an ex post facto
design to examine relationships among variables in three cohorts of sixth grade boys. The
dependent variables were office discipline referrals (ODRs), suspensions, and statewide
standardized test scores from over 200 students in each cohort. The independent variables were
ethnicity, special education, and socioeconomic status (SES).
Quantitative data analysis revealed a significant reduction in the percentage of boys suspended
and in the percentage of boys who received ODRs by Year 3, the year of full SWPBS
implementation. During the study, state standardized test mean scores showed no statistically
significant differences overall or within demographic groups. However, students who received
ODRs or suspensions had statistically significant decreases in mean test scores, compared to
boys with zero ODRs or suspensions. Boys who passed the ELA or mathematics portion of the
state test had statistically significant lower mean rates of ODRs or suspensions, compared to
boys who failed. SWPBS implementation resulted in statistically significant decreases in ODRs
and suspensions for the general population of sixth grade boys, however students who were
Black, receiving special education services, or low-SES status received disproportionate numbers
of suspensions even in Year 3, as other research has found.
