Research suggests state not doing enough to help Maine districts manage student behavior

Student behavior in classrooms across Maine appears to be getting worse and researchers say the state is not doing enough to provide schools with the tools they need to respond — leaving educators overwhelmed and students without the help they need.

A statewide survey of more than 3,400 educators conducted by the Maine Education Policy Research Institute (MEPRI) found that thousands of educators are overwhelmed by increasing disruptions in daily class activity and feel unprepared to manage it — despite that the state has invested in various programs and initiatives aimed at deterring such behavior. The problem, researchers told the Maine Legislature’s Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs on Monday, is that those efforts often lack coordination, technical assistance, and consistent implementation.

The result is exhausted educators, students with unaddressed behavioral needs and inefficient classrooms, the report found. 

“It’s really affecting the wellbeing of both students and staff,” Sarah Wilkinson, assistant professor of Special Education at the University of Southern Maine, told members of the Education Committee during the briefing Monday.

“And we know that if the learning environments are being disrupted and staff are frustrated and fatigued and reluctant, academic instruction is likely not happening at the level that we’d like to see.”

The report also mentioned the lack of state support to help districts adopt what’s known as an Integrated Multi-Tiered System of Supports (I-MTSS), which is a framework designed to identify and address students’ academic, behavioral, and emotional needs. Maine is currently the only state in the nation that does not offer technical assistance for districts using I-MTSS, according to the researchers.

Educators not equipped to handle worsening student behavior

Educators are spending valuable class time every day dealing with student behavior. Nearly all of the more than 3,400 educators that responded to the survey (96%) reported managing disruptive behavior during the 2023–2024 school year, with 77% dealing with it daily. More than half said they managed behavior crises — episodes involving severe or dangerous behavior — and nearly 20% of administrators reported handling such crises multiple times a day.

Educators reported spending up to 48 minutes on a single behavior crisis and losing hundreds of hours each school year managing various levels of behavioral issues, the report said. For some roles, this represents 20% of their annual work time.

General and special education teachers, educational technicians, and administrators also described burnout, emotional stress, physical injuries, and an increasing reluctance to stay in the profession as direct impacts of dealing with student behavior. 

Administrators who participated in focus groups also said that student behavior has become a top concern, especially in elementary grades, and is now one of the biggest challenges to recruiting and retaining staff. Some principals reported spending entire days managing individual students rather than providing academic leadership.

Educators also worry that unaddressed behavior problems could push more general education students into special education — further straining an already overburdened system. Maine currently has the second highest special education identification rate in the country.

Researchers call for more state support

A Multi-Tiered System of Supports, known as MTSS, is essentially a tiered model schools use to ensure all students have their academic, emotional, or behavioral needs met. The system evaluates what tier of support each student needs to stay on pace with their peers, from the most common, tier 1, being general classroom instruction to the least common, tier 3, which includes a small number of students who need personalized instruction or significant mental or behavioral health support interventions. If students don’t make sufficient progress in their assigned tier, MTSS models require districts to intensify personalized support.

The Maine Education Policy Research Institute, a nonpartisan research institute funded by the Maine Legislature and University of Maine System, recommends the model because it helps schools meet students’ needs in a more organized and effective way. The system gives teachers tools to step in early when problems start, instead of reacting after things get worse. When used well, national research has shown that MTSS can reduce behavior issues, improve learning, and make schools feel safer and more supportive. 

So far, the Maine Department of Education has only offered basic introductory training on the system, largely leaving districts on their own to decide how to use the model, researchers said. 

In response to questions about state support for MTSS, Chloe Teboe, a spokesperson for the department, pointed out that MTSS is currently something that districts can opt into. The department provides resources such as monthly office hours, one-on-one consultations, mentoring and regular training, available for districts that want them, she said.  

However, during the legislative meeting, Wilkinson recommended the department help districts implement the framework, with dedicated resources and support, as well as to expand professional development in behavior management and de-escalation strategies.

“Without those skills, educators will continue to struggle to respond effectively to the behaviors that are occurring,” she said.