Reading achievement in an alternate school implementing school-wide positive behavior support

Reading is a valuable skill to have in order to be academically successful. Students diagnosed with emotional behavioral disorders (EBD) have lower reading performance than their typically developing peers, resulting in low academic achievement. School-wide positive behavior interventions and supports (SWPBIS) has been shown to improve problem behaviors, the overall school climate and academic performance of students in general education settings but research is limited on its impact in alternative education settings. In the current study, reading fluency and comprehension levels of students attending an alternative education setting were measured throughout the implementation of SWPBIS. A visual analysis was used to determine if there was an association between reading achievement and SWPBIS. The student data indicated that the overall reading performance did not improve over the course of SWPBIS implementation. However, the reading comprehension performance of students who were consistently enrolled in the school for the duration of the study increased. Implications of these results for research and practice are discussed.