Date

8-9-2026

ESRP 9000 Professor

Sandy Underhill, Ed.D.

ESRP 9001 Professor

Sandy Underhill, Ed.D.

Executive Summary

Decreasing Chronic Absenteeism: A Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports-Driven Strategic Plan. Viveca Peek, 2026: Strategic Research Project, Nova Southeastern University, Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice. Keywords: alternative school, at-risk youth, inclusion classroom, Multi-tiered System of Supports (MTSS), Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), stakeholders

This mixed-methods strategic research project utilized quantitative tools such as the IFE, EFE, and the QSPM to quantify data that supported subjective decision-making, which was also supported by literature evidence. It was designed to provide GIVE Center West High School, an alternative school in Norcross, Georgia, with a strategic plan to decrease chronic absenteeism among its grades 6–12 student population. The project began with an internal and external analysis of the organization, including a review of its mission, vision, and values, followed by a SWOT analysis that identified chronic absenteeism as a significant internal weakness threatening instructional continuity, staff morale, and accreditation obligations. Two evidence-based strategic solutions, Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) and Multi-Tiered Systems of Supports (MTSS), were evaluated using a Quantitative Strategic Planning Matrix, with PBIS and MTSS analyzed using qualitative data. Although MTSS earned a higher Total Attractiveness Score, PBIS was selected as the more strategically viable intervention because it aligns with the school's existing infrastructure, funding structures, and accountability priorities.

A four-step action plan was developed to guide implementation, beginning with stakeholder communication and culminating in ongoing maintenance and fidelity-monitoring meetings. Drawing on prior research, findings suggest that sustained, multi-year implementation of PBIS is associated with meaningful gains in student attendance and reductions in exclusionary discipline, particularly when paired with family engagement and tiered, need-specific supports. The project concludes that improving attendance in alternative school settings requires leadership grounded in data-informed decision-making, sustained fidelity monitoring, and community partnership.

Recommendations include establishing a formal fidelity-monitoring system, designating a home-school liaison, and adopting a tiered attendance-support structure aligned with student need. Ultimately, this project contributes a replicable, evidence-based strategic framework for addressing chronic absenteeism in alternative education settings and reinforces the researcher's growth as an educational leader capable of translating research into sustainable organizational change.

Document Type

Strategic Research Project-NSU Access Only

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

College

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and the School of Criminal Justice

Concentration

Curriculum and Teaching

Language

English

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