What is P.B.I.S.?
PBIS (Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports) is an organized, data-driven system of interventions, strategies, and supports that positively impact school-wide and individualized behavior planning.
Using the most current best practices, strategic teams are trained to positively impact behavior at three key behavioral tiers: Universal or primary (whole school); Secondary (individual child or group of at-risk children); and Tertiary or Intensive (children with complex needs and behaviors that severely impact the child, school and/or community functioning).
Using the most current best practices, strategic teams are trained to positively impact behavior at three key behavioral tiers: Universal or primary (whole school); Secondary (individual child or group of at-risk children); and Tertiary or Intensive (children with complex needs and behaviors that severely impact the child, school and/or community functioning).
Why is it so important to focus on teaching positive social behaviors?
Frequently, the question is asked, “Why should I have to teach kids to be good? They already know what they are supposed to do. Why can I not just expect good behavior?” In the infamous words of a TV personality, “How is that working out for you?”
In the past, school-wide discipline has focused mainly on reacting to specific student misbehavior by implementing punishment-based strategies including reprimands, loss of privileges, office referrals, suspensions, and expulsions. Research has shown that the implementation of punishment, especially when it is used inconsistently and in the absence of other positive strategies, is ineffective. Introducing, modeling, and reinforcing positive social behavior is an important step of a student’s educational experience. Teaching behavioral expectations and rewarding students for following them is a much more positive approach than waiting for misbehavior to occur before responding. The purpose of school-wide PBS is to establish a climate in which appropriate behavior is the norm.
In the past, school-wide discipline has focused mainly on reacting to specific student misbehavior by implementing punishment-based strategies including reprimands, loss of privileges, office referrals, suspensions, and expulsions. Research has shown that the implementation of punishment, especially when it is used inconsistently and in the absence of other positive strategies, is ineffective. Introducing, modeling, and reinforcing positive social behavior is an important step of a student’s educational experience. Teaching behavioral expectations and rewarding students for following them is a much more positive approach than waiting for misbehavior to occur before responding. The purpose of school-wide PBS is to establish a climate in which appropriate behavior is the norm.
What is a systems approach in school-wide P.B.I.S.?
An organization is a group of individuals who behave together to achieve a common goal. Systems are needed to support the collective use of best practices by individuals within the organization. The school-wide PBIS process emphasizes the creation of systems that support the adoption and durable implementation of evidence-based practices and procedures, and fit within on-going school reform efforts. An interactive approach that includes opportunities to correct and improve four key elements is used in school-wide PBS focusing on: 1) Outcomes, 2) Data, 3) Practices, and 4) Systems. The diagram below illustrates how these key elements work together to build a sustainable system:
- Outcomes: academic and behavior targets that are endorsed and emphasized by students, families, and educators. (What is important to each particular learning community?)
- Practices: interventions and strategies that are evidence based. (How will you reach the goals?)
- Data: information that is used to identify status, need for change, and effects of interventions. (What data will you use to support your success or barriers?)
- Systems: supports that are needed to enable the accurate and durable implementation of the practices of PBIS. (What durable systems can be implemented that will sustain this over the long haul?)
Behavioral Support System
Tier 1:
Tier 1 provides high quality instruction and behavioral supports for all students at the school. More than 80% of students will be successful in this tier. Classroom management and individual student behavior is based on expectations, responsibility, and proactive feedback.
If a student fails to learn at a level/ rate similar to his/her classmates, the teacher will:
Once several interventions have been unsuccessful, and the student is not responding adequately, the student will be referred to the Tier 2.
Tier 2:
Check In/ Check Out (CICO)
(Specialized group)
Students may be referred to CICO by either acquiring 3 majors or 6 overall Discipline referrals within a four week period of time, or by teacher request. The student will be assigned to an adult mentor to follow the CICO procedures. Progress will be monitored and graphed for at least 6-8 weeks. If there are no improvements within 2-4 weeks, the team will re-evaluate.
Tier 3:
Check In/ Check Out (CICO)
Students may be referred to CICO
Tier 1 provides high quality instruction and behavioral supports for all students at the school. More than 80% of students will be successful in this tier. Classroom management and individual student behavior is based on expectations, responsibility, and proactive feedback.
If a student fails to learn at a level/ rate similar to his/her classmates, the teacher will:
- Change the type of instructional or behavioral strategy (intervention)
- Increase the intensity or level of the intervention (for example, adding small group instruction to whole group instruction).
- Increase the duration of the intervention (for example, increase small group instruction from 15 to 30 minutes).
- Increase the frequency of the intervention (for example, from twice per week to four times per week).
Once several interventions have been unsuccessful, and the student is not responding adequately, the student will be referred to the Tier 2.
Tier 2:
Check In/ Check Out (CICO)
(Specialized group)
Students may be referred to CICO by either acquiring 3 majors or 6 overall Discipline referrals within a four week period of time, or by teacher request. The student will be assigned to an adult mentor to follow the CICO procedures. Progress will be monitored and graphed for at least 6-8 weeks. If there are no improvements within 2-4 weeks, the team will re-evaluate.
Tier 3:
Check In/ Check Out (CICO)
Students may be referred to CICO
Acknowledgement System
Level 1 Acknowledgement:
This acknowledgement is based on students earning dollars or tickets for demonstrating school-wide expectations. All staff will carry dollars or tickets with them and hand out to students who are “caught” following the expected behaviors. A student may not ask for dollars or tickets. Students will be allowed to attend spend their dollars or tickets on a bi-weekly basis at the P.B.I.S. store during lunch time.
Level 2 Acknowledgement:
Each quarter, students with zero discipline referrals will be recognized with an additional acknowledgement (i.e. donuts, award, dance, field day, swimming, PTO events). These students will also receive a paw charm to attach to their backpack.
Level 3 Acknowledgement:
Staff will hold all-school celebrations monthly throughout the year to recognize the hard work of all students. All school celebration activities could be things such as Bingo over the intercom, special dress days, extra recess, assemblies, popcorn, etc.
This acknowledgement is based on students earning dollars or tickets for demonstrating school-wide expectations. All staff will carry dollars or tickets with them and hand out to students who are “caught” following the expected behaviors. A student may not ask for dollars or tickets. Students will be allowed to attend spend their dollars or tickets on a bi-weekly basis at the P.B.I.S. store during lunch time.
Level 2 Acknowledgement:
Each quarter, students with zero discipline referrals will be recognized with an additional acknowledgement (i.e. donuts, award, dance, field day, swimming, PTO events). These students will also receive a paw charm to attach to their backpack.
Level 3 Acknowledgement:
Staff will hold all-school celebrations monthly throughout the year to recognize the hard work of all students. All school celebration activities could be things such as Bingo over the intercom, special dress days, extra recess, assemblies, popcorn, etc.
Discipline System
Correction Guidelines:
Adult behavior when providing corrections is:
Strategies to respond to inappropriate behavior:
Specific student conference procedures:
Data Collection:
When student behavior is unsafe or non-compliant after being redirected, staff will document the behavior. Documenting behavior is at the discretion of the teacher. Documenting can include: notes home or emails to parents/administrations, behavior reflection forms, or behavior logs.
Adult behavior when providing corrections is:
- Calm
- Consistent
- Brief
- Immediate
- Respectful
Strategies to respond to inappropriate behavior:
- Prompt: Provide verbal and/ or visual cue.
- Redirect: Restate the matrix.
- Reteach: State and demonstrate the matrix behavior. Have student demonstrate. Provide immediate feedback.
- Provide Choice: Provide an alternate choice that still accomplishes the same instructional objective.
- Conference: Describe the problem. Describe the alternate behavior and explain why it is better. Practice. Provide feedback.
Specific student conference procedures:
- Positive, private, using quiet voice
- Describe the problem
- Describe the alternative
- Discuss why alternative is better
- Have student practice by showing or telling
- Provide feedback
Data Collection:
When student behavior is unsafe or non-compliant after being redirected, staff will document the behavior. Documenting behavior is at the discretion of the teacher. Documenting can include: notes home or emails to parents/administrations, behavior reflection forms, or behavior logs.