In Search of How Principals Change

Abstract

Research has shown principal support to be a critical variable for implementing and sustaining evidence-based practices. However, there remains little understanding of the factors that may influence a principal’s personal decision to support a practice. The purpose of the current study was to examine events that influenced principals’ support for a widely used approach to behavior in schools, school-wide positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS). In-depth interviews were conducted with 10 school administrators who self-reported that they were initially opposed to or not supportive of PBIS but became stronger supporters over time. Qualitative analysis using the Enhanced Critical Incident Technique revealed eight helping and three hindering categories of experiences in change in support, as well as two categories of early experiences that they reported might have built their support from the beginning. Implications for enhancing administrator support are provided.

Factors Predicting Sustained Implementation of a Universal Behavior Support Framework

“…At the same time, it confirms retrospective research showing schools that reach the fidelity criterion early in implementation are more likely to sustain (McIntosh, Mercer, Nese, Strickland-Cohen et al, 2016). It highlights a key mechanism of sustainability: Adequate implementation of critical features of SWPBIS improves student outcomes, which reinforces the implementation behaviors of school personnel (Andreou, McIntosh, Ross, & Kahn, 2015; McIntosh, Kelm, & Canizal Delabra, 2016).…”

Critical Incidents in Sustaining School-Wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports

“…These findings may explain seemingly contradictory findings that school personnel perceive school administrators as the most important factor in promoting sustainability , whereas empirical studies from the same sample indicate administrator support as less influential than effective teaming and use of data for decision making (McIntosh et al, 2013). As a result, school and district teams may want to build action plans not only for recruiting supportive administrators but also for ensuring sustainability through administrative turnover (Strickland-Cohen, McIntosh, & Horner, 2014), as well as enhancing support from skeptical administrators (McIntosh et al, 2015). These results indicate that their active involvement in the team, modeling and reteaching of core features, setting school priorities, and emphasizing data use enhances sustainability.…”

Implementation of Promising Practices that Support Students With Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

“…For example, hiring teams can create processes (e.g., interview questions, roleplays) to select administrators and teachers who already have the knowledge, skills, and commitment to implement targeted EBPs (Fixsen, Blase, Duda, Naoom, & Van Dyke, 2010). Such systems avoid the challenge of asking individuals to implement practices that do not align with their values or skills (McIntosh, Kelm, & Canizal Delabra, 2016). It also reduces the need for intensive professional development in these practices.…”