Implementing PBIS with at least Tier 1 fidelity showed no statistically significant effect on school disciplinary exclusions during the 2020–21 pandemic year¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · causal r2 · q2
Currency · newest study 2025 · checked against its sources 2026-10-20 (automated, 1 of 1 entry) · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q2 i? Across all five disciplinary exclusion outcomes, schools implementing PBIS with at least Tier 1 fidelity did not differ significantly from propensity-score-matched comparison schools in 2020–21. → Gage 2025

q2 i? The four-condition models found no significant difference between treatment conditions for either ISS or students receiving only one OSS, though the Tiers 1, 2, and 3 coefficient for only one OSS was marginal (IRR = 0.53, p = 0.059). → Gage 2025

Evidence¶

Gage 2025¶

Gage, N. A., Grasley-Boy, N. M., MacSuga-Gage, A. S., & Ulrich, T. G. (2025). Implementing Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Three Tiers of Prevention and Intervention as Protective Factors. WestEd. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED673553

q2 · i? · causal · r2

Quasi-experimental analysis comparing 152 PSM-matched schools implementing PBIS with at least Tier 1 fidelity to 152 matched comparison schools using two-level random-intercept negative binomial GLMMs on 2020–21 CRDC disciplinary exclusion counts; "there was no statistically significant treatment effect" on any outcome.

"Across all five outcomes (ISS, only one OSS, OSS, days missed from OSS, and OSS incidents), there was no statistically significant treatment effect."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• SWPBIS reduces the odds of receiving an office discipline referral — the general claim this finding bears on, with the studies behind it

• Students in MTSS-coached schools were significantly less likely to have at least one behavior incident — related

• Schools implementing all three PBIS tiers with fidelity had significantly fewer students with OSS, fewer days missed from OSS, and fewer OSS incidents than matched non-PBIS schools during 2020–21 — related
• School-based interventions produce a small but statistically significant reduction in school exclusion — related
• The Kauffman School produced substantial positive impacts on achievement growth in mathematics, English language arts, and science each year through 2021-22, except during the 2020-21 pandemic year — related
• Schools implementing MTSS with higher fidelity show less absenteeism — related
• Propensity score matching produced baseline-equivalent treatment and comparison groups on all measured variables — related