Telecoaching to support schoolwide positive behavior interventions and supports in rural schools

Schoolwide positive behavior interventions and supports (SWPBIS) is a three-tiered framework for preventing and addressing challenging behavior and improving school climate. SWPBIS requires ongoing coaching and consultation to ensure implementation fidelity and improve the efficiency and efficacy of data-based decision making and problem-solving processes. While many schools across the United States have district or school-level SWPBIS coaches in this role, many rural school districts do not have the funds or local expertise of a SWPBIS coach. To address this gap in a much-needed role, we examined the use of a teleconsultation model, as a substitute for in-person monthly SWPBIS coaching. This qualitative case study involved semi-structured focus group interviews of SWPBIS team members who received telecoaching. Perceptions regarding SWPBIS in rural settings in general, in addition to specific issues (e.g., barriers and benefits) related to the use of telecoaching were obtained and analyzed.