Preventing Problem Behavior in School through School-Wide Staff Empowerment: Intervention Outcomes

The aim of this study was to examine the effects of the universal “Preventing Problem Behavior in School” (PPBS) intervention on both establishing high-quality learning environments and increasing the use of positive teaching strategies to prevent student problem behavior. PPBS was developed and piloted in Norway as an abbreviated version of the School-Wide Positive Behavior Support Model (SWPBS) and includes a four-day in-service training program for a school’s entire staff. Seventeen primary schools (Grades 1-7) implementing PPBS and 20 control schools engaging in “practice as usual” were compared using a three-wave measurement design. Multilevel analyses based on staff ratings indicated significant positive main effects of PPBS in the moderate range on the level of school behavior problems, positive behavior management, and perceived staff efficacy. Moreover, school size, implementation quality, proportion of unqualified staff members, and program training dosage moderated the intervention outcomes. Student ratings did not, however, support the staff ratings. The results are discussed in relation to the outcomes of the full-scale SWPBS model, meta-analyses of school-wide interventions, and measurement issues. Study limitations, strengths, practical implications, and future directions are highlighted.