NCJ Number
244450
Date Published
December 2012
Length
29 pages
Annotation
This report presents findings from an assessment of the effectiveness of a Texas program designed to improve academic performance and social behavior for juvenile offenders by emphasizing the use of data for informing decisions about the selection, implementation, and progress-monitoring of evidence-based behavioral practices, as well as organizing resources and systems so as to improve implementation (Sugai and Simonsen, June 19, 2012).
Abstract
Called Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), this program for students in education programs for youth supervised by the Texas Juvenile Justice Department (TJJD) has been mandated by the Texas legislature. Systemic and anecdotal data indicate that PBIS has been effective in curtailing an upward trend in problem behaviors in TJJD schools, as well as in promoting a continuum of pro-social behaviors that has improved students' academic performance. TJJD's PBIS sustainability plan includes orientation and ongoing training for students and staff, a robust data management system for continued team-based decisionmaking, quality and timely interventions, and continued partnerships with institutions of higher education for guidance and proper implementation. The PBIS framework has a number of defining characteristics. Foremost among them is the use of student outcomes as the basis for practice selection, data collection, and intervention evaluations. These outcomes are academic and social behaviors, as well as individual and small group performance. In addition, rather than focusing on specific packaged or programmed interventions, the PBIS framework highlights specification and adoption of evidence-based and research-based practices that characterize packaged programs. These practices are organized to support students in achieving positive outcomes in academic performance and in complying with well-defined behavioral expectations. Sections of this reports discuss the implementation report of December 2010; data collection, disaggregation, and analysis; and datasets for social behavior. Extensive tables and figures and a 17-item bibliography