The purpose of this
quasi-experimental within-group study was to determine the impact of a teacher
administered All Children Experiencing Success, School-Wide Positive Behavioral
Interventions and Supports program on students’ measured externalizing behavior
categories and reading instructional levels. Third-grade, fourth-grade, and
fifth-grade students were identified at pretest with moderate (n = 18), mild (n = 22), and low (n = 46)
disruptive externalizing behaviors. Students participated for two school years
in this highly structured program designed to improve the culture, context, and
curriculum of the research elementary school. The null hypothesis was rejected
in the direction of student Universal Behavior Screen Category improvement at
posttest where following two school years of program intervention students
demonstrated moderate (n = 1), mild (n = 24), or low (n = 61) levels of externalizing behaviors with X2(2) = 17.40, p < .0001. Furthermore, null hypotheses for improved reading instructional
levels were rejected in the direction of significantly improved although below
grade level performance reading scores over time for students with moderate
externalizing behaviors where t(17) =
2.38, p < .01, and mild externalizing
behaviors where t(21) = 2.63, p < .01. The null hypothesis for
students with low externalizing behaviors reading instructional levels was also
rejected in the direction of significantly improved meets grade level
performance reading scores over time where t(45)
= 2.92, p < .003. Establishing
overarching behavior expectations that are clear, simple, easy to understand,
and focused supported a safe, respectable, and responsible school wide core
belief system. The goal was to reduce punishment and create a positive student
self-regulated behavior replacement school environment. Student deportment,
civility, and learning improvement may be expected when these proactive conditions
are extant.