What Is ​Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS)

 

PBIS is a systematic approach to creating and sustaining positive and effective teaching and learning environments for everyone. In every PBIS school, staff teach, model, and acknowledge positive behavior expectations. The behavior expectations are taught to students throughout the year in different areas of the school. Students who have difficulty learning behavior expectations are provided additional instruction in small groups or on an individual basis.


Parents play a key role in supporting PBIS by positively acknowledging their students for following the school-wide behavior expectations.

 

The PBIS Triangle is a graphic representation that outlines three levels of supports and interventions that all schools need to address for meeting the social/emotional needs of all students.


Primary/Universal Supports: This level of the triangle represents the school-wide strategies, supports, and structures designed to prevent problem behavior and meet the needs of all students.


Universal (Tier 1) Supports have seven major components in common:

  • A shared vision and common approach to creating a safe, positive, and effective learning environment.
  • A positively stated mission/purpose grounded in equity. *
  • A small number of agreed upon positively stated expectations for all students and staff.
  • Procedures for teaching these expectations to students in classroom and non-classroom settings.
  • A system of rewards has elements that are implemented consistently across school settings.
  • A coherent array of responses to major and minor problem behavior.
  • System for monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of school-wide PBIS.

Secondary/Targeted Support (Tier 2) is designed to provide targeted interventions to support students who are not responding to Universal Prevention efforts. Interventions within Secondary Prevention are more intensive and focused on a smaller number of students who are at risk for engaging in problem behavior and/or need a little more support. Secondary Prevention practices involve small groups of students or simple individualized intervention strategies.

 
Secondary Prevention strategies include:

  • Early universal screening
  • Continuous progress monitoring for students who exhibit difficulties despite proactive school-wide prevention efforts.
  • Systems for increasing structure and predictability.
  • Systems for increasing positive adult-student interactions and relationships.
  • Systems for linking academic and behavioral performance.
  • Systems for increasing home/school communication.
  • Collection and use of data for decision-making.

Individualized/Intensive Supports (Tier 3), the top of the PBIS triangle, represents the supports and strategies necessary to both prevent and respond to the needs of the students with the most significant behavioral challenges. For these students, a highly individualized approach; which includes school, family, and interagency support may be necessary.


Tertiary Supports include:

  • Functional  behavioral assessment.
  • Team-based comprehensive assessment and intervention.
  • Linking of academic and behavior supports.
  • Individualized intervention.
  • Interagency collaboration.
  • Individualized behavior support planning.