Consideration of Culture and Context in School-Wide Positive Behavior Support

Abstract

A review of the literature related to culture and student behavior reveals a number of interesting observations that are not surprising. First, culture is a difficult construct to define and has been defined variably over the years. Second, schools are becoming increasingly diverse, and evidence-based behavior management practices have been implemented with varied levels of integrity and varied outcomes. Third, students who spend more time outside the classroom because of disciplinary consequences are at increased risk for negative outcomes, such as diminished academic identity, deficient academic skills, and higher attrition. The school-wide positive behavior supports (SWPBS) framework has been implemented in numerous settings with student populations representing a variety of cultures. A literature review and concept article were developed concurrently and were found to inform each other. In this study, a review of existing literature on culturally and contextually relevant strategies for behavior management in schools was conducted. Based on this review, general recommendations are presented for practitioners, personnel preparers, policy makers, and researchers, especially, in the context of implementing SWPBS.

A Cultural-Ecological Model of School Climate

“…While perceptions of climate have been demonstrated to vary across individual cultural variables such as race and ethnicity, these cultural identifiers are not automatic determinants of the degree to which schools, as a whole, will have a positive or negative school climate (Brookover et al, 1978;Fallon, O'Keeffe, & Sugai, 2012;Sugai, O'Keeffe, & Fallon, 2011). Neither can these cultural identifiers alone provide a complete picture of how personal characteristics and cultural contextual factors affect students' schooling experiences and perceptions of school climate.…”

“…Instead, efforts to increase student engagement for males and achievement for students performing at grade level (and just below grade level) may be critical factors influencing these students' perceptions of their school environment. Further, considering the significant correlation between teacher experience and classroom discipline, professional development targeted at school-wide multitiered behavioral frameworks might be instrumental in providing teachers in these schools with the resources to address behavioral concerns at earlier points in their careers in order to focus on student achievement instead of classroom disruptions (Fallon et al, 2012;Sugai et al, 2011). It is also important to recognize that in this example, school-level variables did CULTURAL-ECOLOGICAL MODEL OF SCHOOL CLIMATE not help to explain differences in student outcomes after accounting for the individual and classroom-level variables.…”

Promoting teachers’ implementation of culturally and contextually relevant class‐wide behavior plans

“…To provide more specific recommendations to support CLD students in particular, Fallon, O'Keeffe, and Sugai () conducted a systematic literature review that resulted in identification of a number of empirically supported, culturally and contextually relevant behavior management practices. These practices included increasing positive, equitable interactions with students, setting high expectations for the class, teaching social skills, and using students’ culture and language in instruction (Fallon et al., ), and were integrated into a model for positively supporting the behavior of CLD learners using Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) (Sugai et al., ).…”

“…To provide more specific recommendations to support CLD students in particular, Fallon, O'Keeffe, and Sugai () conducted a systematic literature review that resulted in identification of a number of empirically supported, culturally and contextually relevant behavior management practices. These practices included increasing positive, equitable interactions with students, setting high expectations for the class, teaching social skills, and using students’ culture and language in instruction (Fallon et al., ), and were integrated into a model for positively supporting the behavior of CLD learners using Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) (Sugai et al., ). This multitiered framework included recommendations for enhancing contextual and cultural relevance of PBIS outcomes (e.g., translate school‐wide social expectations and behaviors into languages of students and families), data (e.g., develop data summarization, analysis, and presentation procedures that are considerate of cultural and contextual factors and learning histories), systems (e.g., ensure that membership of the school leadership team is representative of the cultural groups of the school and community), and practices (e.g., develop lesson plans, posters, practices, activities, etc.…”

Culturally Responsive Pyramid Model Practices

“…Another culturally responsive recommendation is to regularly monitor discipline data and to aggregate those data by race and gender to check for disproportional discipline trends at the local level (Fallon et al, 2012). Equity audits may be an effective tool to uncover inconsistencies between what is actually implemented and goals for use of equitable practices (Skrla, Scheurick, Garcia, & Nolly, 2004).…”