Author ORCID Identifier

0000-0001-8996-118X

Date of Award

Spring 4-3-2025

Document Type

Campus Access Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

School Psychology

First Advisor

Brian Daniels

Second Advisor

Stacy L. Bender

Abstract

Schoolwide Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (SWPBIS) is a tiered framework utilized to increase positive student behaviors and decrease undesired behaviors. It is proactive and moves away from historically punitive school discipline procedures. Schools use fidelity checklists to determine if SWPBIS is well implemented, but there are no formal, quantitative means to obtain student acceptability of SWPBIS, specifically regarding Tier 1 practices. Student voice has been captured through focus groups, but a student-specific measure capturing how students feel about the SWPBIS Tier 1 practices received does not yet exist.

The Student Acceptability Measure of SWPBIS (SAM-SWPBIS) was created to incorporate student voice into SWPBIS Tier 1 planning and evaluation. Items were reviewed through two rounds of cognitive interviews with 24 students in grades three through eight and student understanding of item content was measured. Student feedback was utilized to improve item clarity. An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was also conducted utilizing a sample of 215 third, fourth, fifth, and sixth grade students. It was determined that the student acceptability construct was well represented by SAM-SWPBIS items.

This measure offers a quantitative means to obtain student perspectives about SWPBIS. Focus group studies and interviews are limited in who can participate and can be time intensive to conduct and analyze. The SAM-SWPBIS can be efficiently used by schools to determine which implemented practices are well received by their student body and which need improvements. This is in line with Culturally Responsive SWPBIS practices, in which student voice can, and should, be amplified.

Comments

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