Team-Initiated Problem Solving (TIPS)
About the Intervention
Team-Initiated Problem Solving (TIPS) is a professional development intervention designed for elementary school positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) teams. The program consists of a 6-hour workshop coupled with two coached meetings that teach teams to use evidence-based meeting foundations and problem-solving processes. Teams learn to assign roles and responsibilities, use structured meeting minutes, identify problems with precision using data from the School-Wide Information System (SWIS), develop actionable goal-oriented solutions, define action plans, assess implementation fidelity, and assess impact on student outcomes. The intervention is delivered to school teams (averaging 9 members including teachers, administrators, and related services professionals) who meet at least monthly. Prior to the workshop, district PBIS coaches receive 3 hours of coaching training. Following the workshop, coaches provide technical assistance during the team's first two post-TIPS meetings.
Statistical Findings
Positive effect: on problem-solving procedures
Positive effect: on decision-making practices
Positive effect: on meeting outcomes
Positive effect: on office discipline referrals
Positive effect: on out-of-school suspensions
No effect: on reading achievement
No effect: on math achievement
More Intervention Details
Focus Areas
Disciplinary Infractions, SuspensionsPrograms & Services
General Education, Special Education ServicesDelivery Methods
Face-to-FaceDisability Support
N/ATarget Groups
Teachers/Instructional Teams, Schoolwide PolicyCitation
Algozzine, B., Algozzine, K., Cusumano, D., Horner, R. H., Newton, J. S., Preston, A. & Todd, A. W. (2018). A Randomized Waitlist Controlled Analysis of Team-Initiated Problem Solving Professional Development and Use (EJ1185345). ERIC. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1185345.pdf.
Study Demographics
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Other Participant Characteristics
Geographical Setting
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