Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports Implementation in Secure Care Juvenile Justice Schools: Results of a National Survey of School Administrators

Despite the prevalence of Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) for addressing student behavior in public schools, little information exists on the extent and consistency of implementation efforts in secure juvenile justice (JJ) schools. Reports of fidelity to core PBIS processes and components are needed to determine the ubiquity of comprehensive efforts and link implementation to outcomes. All 301 JJ schools in the United States were sent a survey and we report on responses from 143 (47.5%) principals. The survey focused on (a) use of multitiered systems of behavior supports; (b) organizational leadership and training; (c) expectations and consequences; (d) behavior response, monitoring, and oversight; and (e) crisis prevention and management. Approximately 84% of respondents identified alignment with a multitiered framework for behavioral supports. However, fewer supports were available to youth with more serious behavioral needs (i.e., at Tiers 2 and 3). Additional results, implications, and recommendations are provided.