PBIS Office Discipline Referral Analysis 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A school using SWIS notices that the 'unknown/not reported' field accounts for 30% of ODR location data. What problem does this create for data-based decision making?
- It inflates the total referral count beyond accurate levels
- It prevents the team from identifying which settings most need environmental improvements (Correct answer)
- It causes SWIS to generate inaccurate suspension summaries
- It automatically flags the school for state review under IDEA
Correct answer: It prevents the team from identifying which settings most need environmental improvements
Missing location data prevents the team from pinpointing problem settings and designing targeted environmental interventions, undermining the core purpose of ODR analysis.
Question 2: Which of the following best describes a 'minor' vs. 'major' ODR distinction in PBIS data systems?
- Minor referrals are handled by the teacher without office involvement; major referrals require administrator response (Correct answer)
- Minor referrals result in detention; major referrals result in suspension
- Minor referrals are tracked by counselors; major referrals are tracked by principals
- Minor referrals are for elementary students; major referrals are for secondary students
Correct answer: Minor referrals are handled by the teacher without office involvement; major referrals require administrator response
In PBIS, minor referrals (managed in-class) are distinguished from major referrals (requiring office response) to allow accurate tracking of administrator-managed incidents.
Question 3: A school's three-year ODR trend shows a 40% decrease in referrals. Which additional data point is most important to review before concluding that school climate has improved?
- Whether the school expanded its cafeteria capacity
- Whether referral definitions or staff usage patterns changed during the same period (Correct answer)
- Whether new teachers were hired who write fewer referrals on average
- Whether the student enrollment increased or decreased
Correct answer: Whether referral definitions or staff usage patterns changed during the same period
Decreases in ODRs can reflect genuine improvement or drift in referral definitions and staff practices; examining consistency in data collection is essential before drawing climate conclusions.
Question 4: A PBIS team identifies that referrals for 'disrespect' make up 45% of all ODRs. What is a key limitation of this finding for intervention planning?
- 'Disrespect' is not a valid behavioral category under PBIS frameworks
- The category is too subjective and behavior-specific to reliably guide targeted intervention (Correct answer)
- The team must first convert all referrals to a function-based coding system
- Referrals labeled 'disrespect' cannot be entered into SWIS
Correct answer: The category is too subjective and behavior-specific to reliably guide targeted intervention
'Disrespect' is a broad, subjective label that may encompass many different behaviors and functions, making it difficult to design a specific, effective intervention.
Question 5: When presenting ODR data to school staff at the beginning of the year, what framing is most consistent with PBIS values?
- Identifying which classrooms had the most referrals and publicly reporting teacher names
- Using aggregate data to highlight school-wide patterns and celebrate previous year improvements (Correct answer)
- Reminding staff that more referrals equal higher accountability scores
- Focusing exclusively on students who received the most referrals by name
Correct answer: Using aggregate data to highlight school-wide patterns and celebrate previous year improvements
PBIS promotes using aggregate, anonymized data to identify system-level patterns and reinforce collective progress, avoiding shame-based or punitive framings.
Question 6: A PBIS leadership team reviews ODR data and finds that referrals drop significantly in April and May. What is a data-informed explanation consistent with PBIS logic?
- Students become more compliant as the school year ends due to fear of retention
- Tier 1 interventions implemented earlier in the year may be producing cumulative positive effects (Correct answer)
- Teachers stop writing referrals to avoid administrative burden near year end
- State testing periods suppress referrals due to increased student motivation
Correct answer: Tier 1 interventions implemented earlier in the year may be producing cumulative positive effects
Consistent end-of-year decreases in ODRs often reflect the cumulative effect of sustained Tier 1 PBIS implementation across the school year.
Question 7: What is the recommended frequency for a school PBIS team to formally review ODR data at the Tier 1 level?
- Annually, at the end of the school year
- Monthly, using current data to guide school-wide decisions (Correct answer)
- Weekly, with individual student reports shared with parents
- Only when the state requires submission of discipline data
Correct answer: Monthly, using current data to guide school-wide decisions
PBIS guidance recommends monthly team review of ODR data to allow timely, data-informed adjustments to Tier 1 universal supports.
PBIS Office Discipline Referral Analysis 3
A school using SWIS notices that the 'unknown/not reported' field accounts for 30% of ODR location data.
What problem does this create for data-based decision making?