Kevin Filter, Ph.D., PBIS Research and Support

Profile

Dr. Filter is a Distinguished Faculty Scholar in the School Psychology Doctoral Program. He teaches Problem Solving, Prevention, and Systems in School Psychology and Systems-Level Prevention and Evaluation in addition to coordinating and supervising first and second-year practicum placements. Dr. Filter is involved with school-wide positive behavior interventions and supports (SW-PBIS) in Minnesota, serving as a trainer, state leadership team member, and evaluation specialist. He is past president of the Minnesota School Psychologists Association and Associate Editor of Education and Treatment of Children. Dr. Filter serves on the editorial boards of School Psychology Quarterly and Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions. His research team focuses on SW-PBIS, with projects related to measuring positive student behaviors, staff commitment, outcomes of state-level initiatives, classroom-based behavior interventions, and FBA-based individualized behavior interventions.

Published Research

Curriculum Vita

PBIS Research and Support

Dr. Filter's research team studies issues related to school-wide positive behavior interventions and supports (PBIS), which is an approach to managing student discipline issues that focuses on creating positive environments and interactions between students and staff using basic behavioral science principles of teaching behavior expectations and reinforcing these behaviors. When a school implements PBIS school-wide, students know what it expected of them and feel appreciated when they choose positive behaviors over inappropriate behaviors.

A book about Functional Behavioral Assessment for PBIS Schools

In 2012, Dr. Filter published a book with Dr. Michelle Alvarez, a school social worker, to promote a functional behavioral assessment approach to supporting student behaviors in schools. Please follow this link for more information and resources, including forms that are freely available for download.

Functional Behavioral Assessment: A Three Tiered Prevention Model

Staff Commitment to Implement PBIS

In order for schools to implement PBIS with fidelity, it is important to gain the support of 80% of staff in a school. The research team has developed a survey for schools that want to evaluate staff commitment to implement PBIS called the PBIS Action and Commitment Tool (PBIS-ACT). We are happy to work with schools to complete a free online survey of their staff. After a survey is completed, we will provide a free 10-page report summarizing the results of the survey. We launched the survey in fall of 2015 without any formal advertising and have since worked with over fifty schools in MN, CT, NV, CA, TN, NC, and PA. When staff complete the survey, they have the option of sharing the anonymous data with us to facilitate our continued study of staff commitment.

Here are some materials for schools interested in surveying their staff to learn about staff commitment to implement PBIS:

• Example report (PDF) shared with schools after completing the PBIS-ACT
• Request form (Word Doc) for schools interested in completing the PBIS-ACT
• Brief overview of the PBIS-ACT (PDF)
• Unofficial copy of the online survey for those who want to see the format and questions of the PBIS-ACT.

The Heart of PBIS: "Every Opportunity"

PBIS Links and Resources

Dr. Filter works with the Minnesota PBIS State Initiative as a member of the State Leadership Team and as a trainer of schools. The following links provide more information about PBIS in Minnesota and nationally.