• Korean Journal of School Psychology
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.399-431
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• 2018

The purpose of this study was to summarize the empirical literature on implementation of positive behavior support (PBS) within a multi-tiered system of supports in American and Korean schools and to compare its key features and outcomes in an attempt to suggest future directions for development of a Korean school-wide PBS model and implementation manuals as well as directions for future research. Twenty-four American articles and 11 Korean articles (total 35 articles) that reported the outcomes of implementation of PBS at a tier 1 and/or tier 2, or tier 3 level and that met established inclusion criteria were analyzed using systematic procedures. Comparisons were made in the areas of key features and outcomes of PBS in addition to general methodology (e.g., participants, design, implementation duration, dependent measures) at each tier of PBS. The results indicated that positive outcomes for student behavior and other areas were reported across tiers in all American and Korean studies. At the tier 1 level, teaching expectations and rules were the primary focus of PBS in American and Korean schools. However, Korean schools focused on modifying the school and classroom environments and teaching social skills whereas American schools focused on teacher training on standardized interventions or curricular by experts and teacher support during implementation of PBS. At the tier 2 level, more American studies reported implementation of tier 2 interventions within school-wide PBS, and Check/In Check/Out (CICO) was found to be the most commonly used tier 2 intervention. The results also indicated that in comparison to Korean schools, American schools were more likely to use systematic screening tools or procedures to identify students who need tier 2 interventions and more likely to promote parental involvement with implementing interventions. At the tier 3 level, more Korean studies reported the outcomes of individualized interventions, but more American studies reported that designing individualized intervention plans based on comprehensive functional behavior assessment results and establishment of systematic screening systems were focused when implementing individualized interventions. Furthermore, few Korean studies reported the assessment of procedural integrity, social validity, and contextual fit in implementing PBS across tiers, indicating the need for development of valid instruments that could be used in assessing these areas. Based on these results, limitations of the study and suggestions for future research are discussed.