Perceived Enablers and Barriers Related to Sustainability of School-Wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports

TLDR

The study aimed to identify the most important perceived enablers and barriers to sustaining school‑wide positive behavioral interventions and supports. Researchers surveyed staff from 860 schools implementing or preparing to implement PBIS, collecting open‑ended responses that were qualitatively analyzed to assess sustainability perceptions. Thematic analysis revealed 13 themes, with staff buy‑in, administrator support, and consistency cited as key enablers, while staff buy‑in, time, and money constraints emerged as primary barriers, informing strategies to enhance the durability of evidence‑based practices.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to identify the most important perceived enablers and barriers regarding sustainability of school-wide positive behavioral interventions and supports. School personnel representing 860 schools implementing or preparing to implement school-wide positive behavioral interventions and supports completed an open-ended survey of factors regarding its sustainability. Qualitative analyses were used to assess perceptions of the most important factors related to sustainability. Thematic analysis produced 13 themes regarding enablers and/or barriers. The most commonly cited enablers were staff buy-in, school administrator support, and consistency. The most commonly cited barriers were staff buy-in, resources: time, and resources: money. Results are discussed in terms of enhancing durability of evidence-based practices in schools.