Latino Parents’ Perspectives on Positive Behavioral Supports in the SchoolsAlicia Hoerner, Ph.D.

Christian Sabey, M.S.

Brandon Segura, Ph.D.

Utah MTSS & Effective Practices Conference

June 12-13, 2013

Layton, Utah

Purpose

Purpose of Presentation

Discuss the results of a study which explored Latino parents’ perspectives and agreement with positive behavior intervention and support (PBIS) principles as they relate to behavior management in elementary schools.

Outline the convergences and divergences between Latino parents’ perspectives on behavior management and PBIS principles and practices.

Identify cultural barriers that may limit the effectiveness of PBIS with Latino families.

Present strategies for collaborating with Latino parents to improve the effectiveness of PBIS in schools.

Hispanic or Latino? By the year 2050, Latinos will comprise nearly 30%

of the U.S. population (Passel & Cohn, 2008),

Although the terms Hispanic and Latino are typically used interchangeably, for a certain segment of the Spanish-speaking population, the term Latino signifies “ethnic pride” while Hispanic is seen as an imposition of the Anglo establishment (American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition, 2000)

For purposes of the present study, the term Latino will be used over Hispanic to signify Latino fathers and mothers who reside in the U.S., are of Spanish ancestry, and speak Spanish as their first language.

Latino Parents and Behavior Review of the literature suggests that Latino

parenting practices are heterogeneous and not necessarily congruent with the principles of PBIS. Some Latino parents may perceive the use of positive

reinforcement as leading to the loss of their children’s respect (Garrison, Roy, & Azar, 1999)

Latina mothers of preschool children described praise and social rewards as acceptable but objected to the elimination of spanking from their repertoire of parenting practices (Calzada, Basil, and Fernandez (2012)

Educated Latino parents may talk to their children and also use corporal punishment whereas less educated parents may resort only to physical punishment (Fontes, 2002)

Latino Students and Behavior Despite its encouraging evidence-based outcomes,

it remains to be shown empirically whether PBIS framework is in fact helpful among those of linguistically and culturally diverse backgrounds (Kamps & Greenwood, 2005; OSEP on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports, 2004) Latino students continue to be disproportionately

represented in discipline outcomes even in schools implementing PBIS (Kaufman et al. 2010; Skiba et al., 2011; Vincent, Swain-Bradway, Tobin, & May, 2011)

Available SWPBS studies typically average data across entire student populations and do not disaggregate results by racial or ethnic background (Vincent et al., 2011)

There is need for more culturally sensitive research addressing preferred behavior management practices of Latino parents and their acceptability of common school based practices such as PBIS

Latino Parents, Students, and PBIS

Since PBIS emphasizes the systematic teaching and timely reinforcement of appropriate behaviors rather than a focus on punishing inappropriate behaviors, it is possible that it may represent a divergence from Latino parents’ preferred strategies for behavior management.

There is a continued interest for culturally responsive PBIS implementation (Sugai et al., 2010; Wang, 2007) the foundational principles and values of PBIS may be

understood differently or be perceived as unacceptable by families from other cultures (Cheremshynski, Lucyshyn, Olson, 2012; Wang, 2007).

future studies need to address preferred behavior management practices of Latino parents and their acceptability of common school based practices such as PBIS

La letra con sangre entraGoya (circa 1780)

National Level•IDEA•OSEP Technical Assistance Center

State Level• Least Restrictive Behavioral Interventions Manual•USOE Board Rule (R277-609-3)

District Level•School Improvement Plans• Establish• Teach • Reinforce • Correct

Prevention

What is PBIS?

Establish Expectations

Teach Expectation

s

Reinforce Expectation

s

Correct Behavior

Errors

Participants

64 Latino Parents

Spanish speakers

Children in elementary school

Nation of Origin

58%22%

9%

5%7%

Mexico

South America

Central America

Caribbean

U.S.

Education

28%

15%

18%

39%

Elementary

Middle School

High School

Post-High School

8 Schools

Greater Salt Lake City Area

7 Title 1 Schools

63%

37%

Hispanic/Latino

Other

Ethnic/Racial Makeup of Schools

57%

43%

English Language Learner

Other

Linguistic Makeup of Schools

88%

12%Free or Reduced Lunch

Other

Socioeconomic Make up of Schools

Measure

Latino Parents Perspectives Survey

25 multiple-choice questions Establish Teach Reinforce Correct Prevent

8 open-ended questions Vignettes Reactions

Anonymous

Translation challenges (“castigo” vs “punishment”)

Data Collection Procedures

Face-to-face interview (25 minutes approx.) or completed independently

Descriptive statistics Demographic characteristics Frequency and proportions of responses

Vignettes were reviewed and coded into frequently occurring themes Themes that occurred in more than10% of

responses were included

Results

Prevention

Establish Expectations

Establish Expectations

Teach Expectation

s

Reinforce Expectation

s

Correct Behavior

Errors

4 Questions

The importance of establishing expectations

How to establish expectations

Consistency of expectations

91%

9%

Establish Expectations

Convergent

Divergent

Observations

The most endorsed PBIS concept

Highly endorsed Consistent expectations Demonstrating the expectations Parent input

Prevention

Teach Expectations

Establish Expectations

Teach Expectation

s

Reinforce Expectation

s

Correct Behavior

Errors

4 Questions

Who should teach expectations

How often should they be taught or reviewed

When should the expectations be taught

Teach Expectations

77%

23%

Convergent Divergent

Observations 70% of parents expressed the idea that

parents are at least partially responsible to teach the school’s expectations

Almost ½ of parents endorsed the idea that appropriate behavior should be taught daily

40% of parents endorsed the idea that behavior does not need to be addressed until after it occurs

Prevention

Reinforce/Correct Expectations

Establish Expectations

Teach Expectation

s

Reinforce Expectation

s

Correct Behavior

Errors

Reinforce Expectations

75%

25%

ConvergentDivergent

Correct Behaviors

76%

24%

Convergent Divergent

Results: Reinforce and Correct

Always Frequently Sometimes Never0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

4538

125

94

Rewarding Appropriate and Correcting In-appropriate Behavior

Appropriate BehaviorInappropriate Behavior

Results: Reinforce

76%

8%

8%8%

Preferred strategies for rewarding appro-priate behavior

PraisePrizesIgnoreOther

Results: Correct

49%46%

5%

Preferred strategies for dealing with mis-behavior

Reprimand

Use pre-planned consequences

Other

Results: Correct

Never If necessary or more0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

9087

13

59

41

Use of Physical Punishment

At schoolAt home

Prevention

Prevent

Establish Expectations

Teach Expectation

s

Reinforce Expectation

s

Correct Behavior

Errors

Prevention

Questions addressed the idea behind a preventative vs. a reactive approach to changing behavior.

• Addressing behavior before or after it occurs

• Changing of the environment vs. the student changing

Prevention 61% of the responses on prevention questions were convergent with PBIS approach (e.g. teaching replacement behaviors or reinforcement of positive behaviors)

61%

39%

PreventionDivergences Less of a behavioral perspective (1/3 endorsed environmental change) Internal processes need to be addressed

Convergences Need for consistency of intervention with the teaching of replacement behaviors Parents endorsed the idea of preventing misbehavior from happening before it happens, but they often did not endorse specific practices that would prevent misbehavior

Vignette Themes

Results: Themes from vignettes Dealing with aggressive behavior or

inappropriate behavior “dialogue” with both students involved Find out “why” Explain why aggression is inappropriate, then

apply consequences Talk to parents in private, avoid shaming students Use “punishment”

consequences such as removing favored items or activities

Suspension is not aversive as “kids like to stay home”

Results: Themes from vignettes Use of rewards

“Ok but not use candy”; “use certificates for highlighting good effort and good grades”

Do not reward all the time or “student will only behave when rewarded”

Reward with praise Rewards are good if used to build motivation

and enhance self-esteem

Desire that justice be served “teachers ignore misbehavior”; “they are not strict enough”

Barriers

Unfamiliarity with behavior management strategies needed to establish and maintain appropriate behavior, specifically: Antecedent control Environmental manipulation

Only 1/3 of respondents endorsed it as an effective strategy

Belief that talking -> understanding -> change Misbehavior perceived as a skill deficit?

Belief in the power of punishment and reactive strategies (e.g., behavior only needs to be addressed when there is a problem)

Language differences, which may contribute to the lack of communication between school and home that many parents reported

Strategies

Have an effective culture broker

Increase parental awareness of the effectiveness of behavior management strategies specifically, antecedent control and environmental manipulation. Misconceptions related to reinforcement

As suggested by Fontes (2002), discussing with parents the way their preferred approaches for dealing with behavior “are and are not working” may prepare the way for presenting alternative approaches such as the principles of PBIS

Improve the quality of the communication between schools and parents so that it is bilateral.

Utilize existing avenues of parent involvement to increase and improve communication and parent knowledge of management strategies etc.

Conclusions

Encouraging results Latino parents moderately endorsed PBIS

principles and practices (between 61% and 91%)

Parents expressed a desire to be involved in improving behavior management practices in the schools

Anecdotally, Latino parents were excited to provide input into the behavior management strategies

Limitations and Future Research Directions

Volunteer sample Self-selection

Findings may not be related specifically to culture differences No comparison group

Measure was created for purposes of the study Psychometric properties are unknown

Comparison Group (Preliminary Data)

72 Caucasians

From four of the same schools as the Latino sample

Same survey

Your Perceptions?

Compared to a Caucasian sample, did Latino parents agree…

More Less The same

with a PBIS approach to teaching and establishing clear behavior expectations?

Your Perceptions?

Compared to a Caucasian sample, did Latino parents agree…

More Less The same

with a PBIS approach to reinforcing appropriate behavior?

Your Perceptions?

Compared to a Caucasian sample, did Latino parents agree…

More Less The same

with a PBIS approach to correcting inappropriate behavior?

Your Perceptions?

Compared to a Caucasian sample, did Latino parents agree…

More Less The same

with a PBIS prevention approach to inappropriate behavior?

Your Perceptions?

Compared to a Caucasian sample, did Latino parents agree…

More Less The same

with a PBIS approach generally to managing behavior?

Establish and Teach

Latino Parents

68%

Caucasian Parents

71%

The Same

Reinforce

Latino Parents

58%

Caucasian Parents

59%

The Same

Correct

Latino Parents

65%

Caucasian Parents

66%

The Same

Prevention

Latino Parents

60%

Caucasian Parents

81%

Less Than

SWPBS Overall

Latino Parents

63%

Caucasian Parents

69%

The Same

What does it mean?