Increased Access to General Education  Settings for Students with Disabilities

Post date: Jun 14, 2013 7:46:6 PM

Illinois school districts are using the PBIS framework to improve outcomes for students with disabilities.  In an initial study of 46 PBIS elementary and middle schools in Illinois, there were equivalent decreases in office discipline referrals (ODRs) for students with and without Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) (Tobin, Vincent, Horner, & Swain-Bradway, 2012).  ODRs are correlated with lower academic achievement and drop out.  As trends of decreasing ODRs continue, it is anticipated that academic success will increase for all students, including those with IEPs.

PBIS districts investing in Tier 2/Tier 3 supports have shown improved access to general education settings for students with IEPs.  A sample of 121 elementary and middle schools investing in advanced tiers of PBIS had a rate of 62.95% of students with IEPs accessing general education, substantially higher than the state average of 57.91%.  These schools also had faster rates of improvement in general education placement compared to Illinois schools statewide.  For more information on special education placement trends in Illinois, view the Network’s FY12 End of Year Detailed Progress Report at www.pbisillinois.org/publications/reports.