ABSTRACT
As the number of violent incidents involving school-age children increased in Montana and students with significant behavioral needs returned to their home schools from residential settings, Montana educators sought ways to ensure a safe school environment for all students. The result is the Montana Behavioral Initiative (MBI), a project that grew from five original sites in the 1995-1996 school year to more than 120 sites across the state during 1999-2000. The MBI is a comprehensive program involving staff development, schoolwide attitudinal changes toward student discipline, a commitment to problem solving, and ongoing technical assistance. Schools that adopt the MBI process improve their school environments through attention to the five key indicators of MBI and document continuing school improvement using the MBI Environmental Scan.
