School-Based Interventions for Middle School Students With Disruptive Behaviors: A Systematic Review of Components and Methodology

Abstract

This is the first systematic review of the school outcome literature for behavior interventions used with middle school students exhibiting disruptive behaviors. A total of 51 investigations (published between 2000 and 2020) including 6,498 students and 264 implementers were coded on four dimensions (i.e., sample, interventions, methodology, and outcomes). This review examined intervention effects on implementer and student outcomes, yielding small to large positive effects. Strengths of the reviewed studies included the specification of student characteristics, operationalization of implementers’ professional development, and assessment of intervention fidelity. Most studies used single-case designs or randomized controlled trial experimental designs to evaluate the effectiveness of the interventions. Weaknesses included an absence of student diagnostic information; lack of data on implementers, attrition, and follow-up; and inadequate use of parent involvement. School practitioners should be mindful of developmental challenges and consider targets and barriers to implementation. Additional large-scale, rigorous experimental designs are warranted.

Impact Statement

This is the first study to review the school outcome literature for behavior interventions and supports used with middle school students with or at risk of disruptive behavior disorders (DBDs). Research-based behavior interventions are essential to ameliorating the negative outcomes associated with student disruptive behavior in middle school, which is a significant transitional period.

Keywords:

• disruptive behavior
• middle school
• behavior interventions
• teachers

Associate Editor:

• Prerna Arora

DISCLOSURE

The authors have no conflicts of interest to report.

Notes

1 International studies were included provided they met inclusion criteria.

2 This database was also filtered to only include results written in English.

3 Boolean string: strat* OR interv* AND disrupt* OR external* OR problem OR behavior AND Middle School OR Adolescent*

4 Journals were searched with same key terms as databases.

5 Across all variables, coder agreement was 99% with agreement per variable ranging from 93.27% to 100%.

6 Conklin (2010), Haydon and Hunter (2011), and Hunter and Haydon (2019) investigations yielded very large effect sizes. When omitting these studies, effect sizes ranged from –0.23 to 3.59.

7 Without Hunter and Haydon (2019) investigation, effect sizes would range from 0.05 to 3.49.

8 Without Haydon and Hunter (2011) and Conklin (2010) investigations, effect sizes would range from 0.34 to 2.41.

9 Without Conklin (2010) and Hunter and Haydon (2019), effect sizes ranged from –0.23 to 3.49.

10 Without Conklin (2010), Haydon and Hunter (2011), and Hunter and Haydon (2019) investigations, effect sizes ranged from 0.06 to 3.33.

11 While this study did not demonstrate a decrease in office disciplinary referrals, it did impact school attendance positively. The authors speculate that school-level variables might have negatively impacted the students’ office disciplinary referrals.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Alexander Alperin

Alexander Alperin, PsyD, is an Assistant Research Professor in the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology at Rutgers University. His research interests include disruptive behavior disorders, evidence-based interventions, and trauma-informed practices. He is a licensed psychologist in New Jersey and New York.

Linda A. Reddy

Linda A. Reddy, PhD, is a Professor and Assistant to the Dean for Research and Innovations in the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology at Rutgers University. She has over 140 publications on classroom assessment, coaching, disruptive behavior disorders, and measurement development and validation. She has served as PI or Co-PI on numerous federal and private foundation grants. She is a Fellow of APA and AERA, SSSP member and a licensed psychologist in New Jersey.

Todd A. Glover

Todd A. Glover, PhD, is an Associate Research Professor in the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology at Rutgers University. His research focuses on integrating evidence-based interventions and high quality professional development into systems of support for students. He has served as a PI or Co-PI on numerous federal grants.

Briana Bronstein

Briana Bronstein, PhD, is Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology at Rutgers University. Her research interests include implementation of evidence-based practices, preservice and teacher education, behavior management and services for children with disruptive and challenging behaviors.

Nicole B. Wiggs

Nicole B. Wiggs, PhD, is an Assistant Research Professor in the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology at Rutgers University. Her research interests include disruptive behavior disorders, evidence-based practices, implementation science, and social media use by school-based personnel.

Christopher M. Dudek

Christopher M. Dudek, MEd, is a Research Analyst and Project Manager of large-scale multisite research projects at the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology at Rutgers University. His research interests include developing educator and classroom observational assessments, instructional coaching, technology tools and evidence-based professional development interventions for educators.