Youth Outcomes Following Implementation of Universal SW-PBIS Strategies in a Texas Secure Juvenile Facility

School-wide positive behavior interventions and supports (SW-PBIS) is a framework for creating safe and effective learning environments and cultivating a positive educational climate. Researchers show that SW-PBIS can improve behavioral outcomes, while demonstrations of a causal relationship between improvements in students' academic achievement and implementation of SW-PBIS remain equivocal. We provide evidence of reductions in behavioral incident reports, improvements in school attendance, and increases in career and technical industry certifications following SW-PBIS implementation in one Texas secure male juvenile correction facility. We argue that these improvements could only be due to SW-PBIS implementation and not alternative explanations (e.g., agency policy/procedure changes, changes in facility or agency leadership, other treatment/rehabilitation programs, validity of measures). We also offer an explanation for these improved gains based on the academic characteristics of incarcerated youth.