Identifying and removing ableism from Tier 1 school-wide positive behaviour support practices

Area of Science:

• Educational Psychology
• Disability Studies
• School Administration

Background:

• School-wide Positive Behaviour Support (SWPBS) is implemented in many Australian schools as a Tier 1 approach.
• SWPBS aims to foster positive academic and behavioural climates by defining and teaching expected behaviours.
• Students with disability remain over-represented in school discipline data, even in SWPBS schools.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate why students with disability are disproportionately represented in discipline data within SWPBS frameworks.
• To identify structural ableism within Australian SWPBS behaviour matrices.
• To provide recommendations for removing ableism from Tier 1 SWPBS practices.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of Australian SWPBS behaviour matrices.
• Examination of the framing of expected behaviours in relation to students with disability.
• Qualitative assessment of potential barriers and ableist structures.

Main Results:

• Defining expected behaviours is insufficient; addressing systemic barriers for students with disability is crucial for SWPBS success.
• Structural ableism is present in SWPBS matrices, demanding greater response effort from students with disability.
• Current SWPBS practices may inadvertently create barriers for students with disability.

Conclusions:

• SWPBS implementation requires a critical examination of its impact on students with disability.
• Schools must actively identify and dismantle structural ableism within behaviour support frameworks.
• Equitable SWPBS requires proactive removal of barriers and accommodation of diverse student needs.