A Critique of Sociocultural Values in PBIS

Abstract

Horner and Sugai provide lessons learned from their work with disseminating the Positive Behavioral Interventions and Support (PBIS) model. While PBIS represents an empirical school-wide approach for maladaptive student behaviors, the model appears to have limitations regarding sociocultural values and behavioral data collection practices. The current paper provides an overview of three identified areas for improvement and outlines how administrators using PBIS can incorporate acceptance and mindfulness-based intervention procedures to address the discussed limitations.Keywords Positive behavioral interventions and supports . Behavior analysis . Acceptance . Mindfulness According to Horner and Sugai (2015), Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is a framework for delivering sociocultural and behavioral supports to improve a broad range of outcomes for students. PBIS includes a hierarchical threetiered system that differentiates students based on educational and behavioral support needs. Since its development in the 1980s and 1990s, there has been significant controversy regarding the similarities and theoretical differences between PBIS and the supported underlying foundation of applied behavior analysis (e.g., Johnston et al. 2006;Tincani 2007;Weiss et al. 2010). On the surface, PBIS appears to be an effective evidence-based practice for schools and is currently being used in 21,000 schools across the USA. While there is no question that PBIS is a remarkable example of widespread dissemination, the extent to which the PBIS zeitgeist is successful at developing students' mental health repertories across tier's remains open for discussion. Further, critical inquiry exploring the sociocultural values and interests within the PBIS model are needed (e.g., Johnston et al. 2006). Therefore, the purpose of the current paper is to analyze the sociocultural aspects regarding mental health disparities and distinctions within the PBIS model.Upon examination of Horner and Sugai's Blessons learned, three broad concerns arise. First is the nature of a top-down systematic approach. Within PBIS, school administrators select and identify all cultural practices and behavioral expectations to be reinforced in school (e.g., be respectful, be responsible, be safe). Administrators also select behaviors to coincide with the broader culture of the school, which may or may not necessarily represent the culture of the student body. For instance, prevalence reports on race and ethnicity suggest that minority students attending public schools in the USA represent 34 % of the student body (15.4 % Hispanic American, 12 % African-American; Aud et al. 2010). However, minority public school teachers represent just 17 % of educators (8 % African-American, 6 % Hispanic American; Dee 2004).Similarly, school administrators may be more likely to select behaviors associated with their own Eurocentric culture. Horner and Sugai argue that tier 1 focuses on school-wide proactive supports that are independent from documented stud...

The Moderating Role of Ethnic Identity on the Relationship Between School Climate and Self-Esteem for African American Adolescents

“…CRPBIS incorporates culturally sensitive practices with a focus on supporting educational systems to develop and implement equitable system-level solutions. Although PBIS is a system that focuses on improving student academic and behavior performance at the system, small group, and individual levels (i.e., tiers), it is a system based on improving behaviors to meet the status quo and typically fails to include equitable solutions for marginalized groups of students (Barclay, 2017;Wilson, 2015). Given the ever-present academic and discipline gap between European American students and African American students, intervention at the systems level is necessary using something like CRPBIS.…”

“…Given the ever-present academic and discipline gap between European American students and African American students, intervention at the systems level is necessary using something like CRPBIS. The incorporation of ethnic identity education and promotion at all tiered levels may be a helpful way to increase educational cultural awareness (Wilson, 2015).…”

A Reply to the Commentaries on “School-wide PBIS: An Example of Applied Behavior Analysis Implemented at a Scale of Social Importance” by Horner and Sugai (2015): PBIS is Function over Form: The Clear Behavioral Roots and Opportunities the PBIS Framework presents to the Field of Behavior Analysis Moving Forward

“…Wilson (2015) suggests that the PBIS may have limitations regarding sensitivity to sociocultural values and behavioral data collection practices. In particular, she raises several concerns including (a) a top-down approach where administrators select all the cultural practices and behavioral expectations, (b) that students do not receive services until they engage in problem behaviors, (c) that data collected is only around problem behaviors and discipline patterns, and (d) that mental health services are not addressed in this multi-tiered framework.…”

“…It is hoped that this clarification addresses Wilson's suggestion that students only receive services based on maladaptive behavior. Wilson (2015) also suggests that data collected is exclusively focused on problem behaviors and discipline patterns.…”

“…Finally, Wilson (2015) suggests that mental health services are not addressed in PBIS. There is considerable literature, to the contrary, that suggests one goal of PBIS is to integrate/ situate mental health services into the multi-tiered framework.…”