Overcoming Barriers to
SWPBS Implementation
Stacy D. Martin, PhD
Center for Promoting Research to Practice
Lehigh University
stacy.martin@lehigh.edu
Working with Children with Disabilities: Tools for
Parents and Schools Conference
Princeton University - May 18, 2012
Research Line

Understand the process of facilitating
implementation of the universal intervention
of the SWPBS model

Two qualitative studies - Interviews with
internal and external SWPBS coaches
◦ What barriers to implementation of the universal
intervention did your school experience?
◦ How did your school resolve and transform
resistance?
Common Barrier Conditions
Lack of Administrative Support
 Skeptical that the Universal Intervention is
Needed
 Hopelessness about Change
 Philosophical Differences
 Staff Feel Disenfranchised

* Each barrier has its own transformation strategy
to promote commitment and cooperation
Barrier 1: Lack of Administrative
Support
“I’ve heard so many times staff saying ‘The
principal won’t support this.’ And then they
don’t want to put themselves out on limb. It
has to be obvious that the principal supports
this work.”
Administrators do not participate or
make public statements of support
 Resources are not allocated

Strategy 1: Transform and Market
Administrative Support

Administrator demonstrates it is a priority
◦ Model practices
◦ Publicly celebrate staff participation
◦ Frequent written and public statements

Encourage administrative involvement
◦ District-initiative
◦ Internal or external coach:
 Spends time to establish rapport and expectations
 Provide updates, reminders, and encouragement
 Helps anticipate specific situations
Barrier 2: Skeptical that the
Universal Intervention is Needed
“Post NCLB, their district really came down on them for
their test scores and so they didn’t feel like they could
commit their professional development time to PBS in
place of reading supports. They didn’t see the connection
between behavior and academics.”


Staff feel overwhelmed by too much change
School personnel do not:
◦ believe their school has discipline or behavior
problems that require intervention
◦ understand link between behavior and academics
Strategy 2: Build a Case for Change
Get to know the school priorities important
to stakeholders
 Construct a profile of the school using
existing data
 Present a logical rationale that includes:

◦ a link to their specific needs
◦ the connection between academics and behavior
◦ how the universal intervention is tied to school
goals and other initiatives

Hold a staff vote or conduct a survey to
determine interest
Barrier 3: Hopelessness about
Change
“We still haven’t been able to make a lot of
headway in this school, because there is that
dooms’ day belief that staff have, ‘this isn’t going to
work in our system. Nothing does.’”

School personnel feel :
◦ hopeless because nothing ever results in positive
changes
◦ helpless because they attribute greater influence
to home and community variables
Strategy 3: Show Staff Change is
Possible
Use local demonstration data
 Conduct pilots or small scale try outs
 Use testimonials to share success stories
 Individualize implementation to move at
the school’s pace and responsiveness

Barrier 4: Philosophical Differences
with the Universal Intervention
“The most common attitude barrier I encounter is
that it’s not the job of the school to teach social
competence. Those are skills kids should have or
should be taught by their family.”

School personnel believe that:
◦
◦
◦
◦

behaviors in common areas are not their responsibility
a few students account for the problems
teaching social expectations is not their responsibility
older students should already know the expectations
School personnel do not agree with the
reinforcement system
Strategy 4: Find a Conceptual
Common Ground
Dialogue and discussion to present
alternative explanations
 Empirical evidence
 Stories and examples
 Problem solving and negotiation

Barrier 5: Staff Feel Disenfranchised
“If there’s not a good social relationship
between staff, between students, I think it can
be enough of an obstacle that can really
undermine the process.”
Poor morale and school climate
 Staff feel disenfranchised from each other,
administrators, or the school’s mission

Strategy 5: Make People Feel Part of
the Effort

Get staff actively involved
◦ Have staff design components of intervention
◦ Provide opportunities (e.g., focus groups) for staff
to comment on plans & raise questions
◦ Use subcommittees to involve additional staff



Frequently disseminate information about
status
Use activities to encourage spirit
Provide staff with training
Bringing it Back to Your School
Recruit allies to build momentum
 Share information with administrator or
at school meetings
 Build into existing resources and
expertise in your building
 Look into training availability in your state

◦ www.pbis.org OSEP Center on PBIS
◦ www.njpbs.org NJ PBSIS
Resources

Kincaid, D., Childs, K., Blasé, K.A., & Wallace, F. (2007). Identifying
barriers and facilitators in implementing schoolwide positive
behavior support. Journal of Positive Behavior Intervention, 9(3), 174184.

Lohrmann, S., Martin, S., & Patil, S. (in press). External and internal
coaches’ perspectives about overcoming barriers to universal
interventions. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions.

Lohrmann, S., Forman, S., Martin, S. & Palmieri, M. (2008).
Understanding school personnel’s resistance to adopting
schoolwide positive behavior support at a universal level of
intervention. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 10, 256-269.