An Examination of Critical features of Positive Frameworks: Impact in Rural Environments for School-based Practitioners

The Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 requires the examination of schools to determine which factors of school quality relate to improved student outcomes. Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is one such framework that proposes to create a positive school climate through school-wide principles of applied behavior analysis. These practices aim to create an environment that is more conducive for academic endeavors. Discovering ways to understand the use of universal prevention systems in rural schools is vital due to increased student need as well as professional shortages in education settings. This study examined the relations between school-level critical features of PBIS and standardized measures of reading and math achievement in schools in a rural, Midwestern state. The results demonstrate statistically and practically significant relations between the critical features of Expectations taught and District-level support on Total achievement (β = 0.67; β = 0.37), English language arts (ELA) achievement (β = 0.66; β = 0.34), and Math achievement (β = 0.63; β = 0.37). Implications for school-wide prevention efforts for school-based mental health providers in areas of critical personnel shortages are discussed to determine how schools may use prevention systems to impact student achievement.