Beyond Compliance: Strengthening MTSS Through Role-Aligned PBIS Fidelity and Schoolwide Systems

Presenters

• Delarious StewartFollow
• Bernell Elzey Jr., Antioch UniversityFollow
• Tamara Tisdale
• Gabrielle Edmonds

First Presenter's Highest Degree Earned

EdD

Year First Presenter's Degree Was Awarded

2013

First Presenter's Field of Study

Counseling

Institution Where First Presenter Received Highest Degree

Jackson State University

First Presenter's Institution

East Texas A&M University

First Presenter's Brief Bio and Description of Credentials for This Presentation

Dr. Stewart is a licensed professional counselor, school psychologist, and counselor educator with more than twenty years of experience across K–12 and higher education. He is the developer of the School-Based Checklist, a systems-level fidelity tool designed to evaluate implementation quality within PBIS and MTSS frameworks. His research focuses on implementation science, equity, and systemic reform in school counseling and leadership.

Second Presenter's Institution

Antioch University

Second Presenter’s Email Address

bernell.elzey@gmail.com

Second Presenter's Highest Degree Earned

PhD

Year Second Presenter's Degree Was Awarded

2023

Second Presenter's Field of Study

Counseling

Institution Where Second Presenter Received Highest Degree

Holy Cross University

Location

Scarbrough 1

Document Type

Individual Presentation

Primary Strand

Positive Behavior Interventions and Support

Relevance to Primary Strand

This proposal aligns directly with the Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) strand by addressing a critical need in school improvement: measuring fidelity in ways that reflect both quality and equity. The School-Based Checklist (SBC) was designed as a PBIS-aligned fidelity tool that helps schools evaluate how effectively systems are established, monitored, and sustained across Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3. Instead of focusing only on whether PBIS components exist, the SBC examines how well those systems function to promote consistency, inclusion, and positive outcomes for all students.

The presentation situates PBIS as both a behavioral and organizational framework that depends on data-informed decision-making, collaborative leadership, and continuous improvement. Participants will see how the SBC operationalizes these PBIS principles by requiring observable evidence of practice, assessing leadership structures, and connecting fidelity to equitable student outcomes.

This proposal strengthens the PBIS strand’s mission by providing educators, counselor educators, and school leaders with a structured and equity-focused approach to fidelity assessment. The session equips participants with practical methods to use PBIS data to enhance climate, improve team functioning, and sustain systems that ensure every student experiences safety, belonging, and success.

Alignment with School Improvement Plan Topics

Climate and Culture

Brief Program Description

This session introduces the School-Based Checklist, a systems-level fidelity and equity tool that helps schools strengthen PBIS implementation across Tiers 1, 2, and 3. Participants will learn how to use observable evidence, not self-report, to assess leadership practices, data use, and intervention quality. Through interactive discussion and case examples, attendees will explore how fidelity data can identify systemic barriers, improve school climate, and advance equitable discipline outcomes that reflect the true spirit of PBIS.

Summary

Schools across the country continue to implement Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) as a primary framework for building positive school climates and reducing exclusionary discipline. Yet, many districts struggle to measure the quality and consistency of implementation in ways that reflect both fidelity and equity. Without accurate measurement, PBIS often becomes procedural rather than transformational, focusing on compliance rather than system improvement. This session introduces a practical and research-informed model for assessing PBIS fidelity through an equity lens.

The featured model, the School-Based Checklist (SBC), is a systems-level assessment tool designed to help school leadership teams evaluate the quality of implementation across Tiers 1, 2, and 3. Unlike self-report surveys that rely on perceptions, the SBC uses observable, documented evidence to assess structures such as leadership team functioning, professional development, data-based decision-making, and inclusive intervention design. Participants will learn how the checklist can be integrated into PBIS action planning, continuous improvement cycles, and school climate initiatives.

The presentation will include an overview of how the SBC is structured, guidance on scoring and interpreting results, and case-based examples showing how the tool has identified gaps in systemic supports that affect student belonging and discipline outcomes. Attendees will participate in a short activity using sample SBC items to consider how fidelity and equity indicators apply to their own schools or districts.

By the end of the session, participants will leave with clear, practical methods for embedding fidelity assessment within PBIS leadership routines, using data to guide professional learning, and promoting more equitable outcomes for students. The session reinforces PBIS core features of data-driven decision-making, prevention, and continuous improvement while providing a sustainable strategy for aligning fidelity, equity, and accountability.

Evidence

The proposed approach is grounded in implementation science, PBIS fidelity research, and evidence-based frameworks for promoting equitable school discipline. Over the past decade, researchers have emphasized that effective PBIS implementation depends not only on adopting core components but also on ensuring fidelity through structured systems, consistent data use, and team-based leadership (Sugai & Horner, 2020). Studies have shown that schools with high implementation fidelity experience lower rates of suspension, improved academic outcomes, and more positive perceptions of school climate (Bradshaw et al., 2015; Cook et al., 2015).

Field testing of the School-Based Checklist (SBC) model has occurred through pilot use in multiple districts representing rural, suburban, and urban contexts. Preliminary data from these sites indicate that schools using the checklist to assess Tier 1 and Tier 2 systems demonstrated measurable improvements in leadership team functioning, consistency of behavioral supports, and data-based decision-making. Administrators and school counselors reported that the tool provided a clearer structure for identifying gaps in professional development, equity-focused interventions, and staff onboarding practices.

The SBC framework is aligned with promising practices identified in the PBIS literature, including the use of fidelity checklists, walkthrough observations, and documented evidence of implementation (Fixsen et al., 2009; Vincent & Tobin, 2011). What distinguishes this approach is its explicit integration of equity indicators, such as disaggregated discipline data and culturally responsive intervention planning, which are often absent from traditional PBIS fidelity measures.

By combining existing research on fidelity assessment with new equity-centered indicators, the SBC model represents an innovative yet practical solution. The field-tested findings and theoretical alignment with PBIS and MTSS make it a promising approach for districts seeking to strengthen fidelity, improve school climate, and reduce disproportionate discipline outcomes for historically marginalized students.

Learning Objective 1

Explain why fidelity measurement must include equity indicators to achieve PBIS goals.

Learning Objective 2

Describe the purpose and structure of the School-Based Checklist and its connection to PBIS and MTSS frameworks.

Learning Objective 3

Use fidelity data to strengthen implementation quality, reduce disproportionality, and improve school climate.

Start Date

6-2-2026 3:45 PM

End Date

6-2-2026 4:45 PM

Recommended Citation

Stewart, Delarious; Elzey, Bernell Jr.; Tisdale, Tamara; and Edmonds, Gabrielle, "Beyond Compliance: Strengthening MTSS Through Role-Aligned PBIS Fidelity and Schoolwide Systems" (2026). Southeast Conference on School Climate. 82.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/secsc/2026/2026/82

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.