Evaluation of Iowa Behavioral Alliance Grant

Data are collected from several instruments and analyzed by the Research Institute for Studies in Education (RISE) at Iowa State University. Initial evaluation activities have largely focused on PBS.

The evaluation of the effectiveness of the program is based on a quasi-experimental design that combines quantitative and qualitative data. Researchers will analyze quantitative data from standardized achievement tests, discipline referrals, suspensions and expulsions, and qualitative data from focus group, surveys and interviews with administrators, faculty, parent/ primary caregiver, and students.

Implementation with integrity is an important factor of the PBS program in Iowa and relates directly to the results. School-wide PBS provides two measures of implementation that have been tested for reliability and validity. Each site is provided with a Team Implementation Checklist that identifies the implementation steps and measures the implementation process. Teams use the Checklist to self-assess their progress. These reports are submitted for review four times a year. Scores on the Checklist are compared to the scores a building achieves on its annual School-wide Evaluation Tool (SET).

The SET is designed to assess and evaluate the critical features of school-wide effective behavior support across each academic school year. External observers gather information necessary for this assessment tool through multiple sources including review of permanent products, observations, and staff and student interviews or surveys.

Referral data are collected through the School-Wide Information System (SWIS™) at the local schools. SWIS is a web-based information system used to improve the behavior support in elementary, middle (junior high), and high schools. The purpose of SWIS is to provide school personnel with accurate, timely, and practical information for making decisions about discipline systems. The demonstration sites began to implement SWIS at different times during the spring of 2003. This chart shows data generated from the SWIS system that demonstrates a savings in time for administrators and instructional time.

Through collaborative efforts of ISU's RISE and Extension 4-H Youth Development Program, another evaluation component was conducted. Parents, community business representatives, and human service providers in the eight fully funded PBS sites participated in focus groups to discuss their perceptions of their school's approach to student behavior.

For more information about the evaluation process, contact Robin Galloway.