What is Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS)?

School-wide Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports (PBIS) is a prevention model. It is based on the premise that all students can benefit from well implemented, evidence-based practices for improving student behavior. School-wide PBIS provides a comprehensive framework that can be used by any school to design their own system of behavioral supports for all students. It also provides informed decision making, based upon data analysis that guides the process of assessing student needs and providing additional levels of behavioral support to students in need.

Schools that implement PBIS focus on taking a team-based systematic approach to teaching appropriate behavior to all students in the school. Schools that have been successful in building school-wide systems develop procedures to accomplish the following:

• Behavior Expectations are Defined

A small number of clearly defined behavioral expectations are defined as positive and simple rules.

• Behavior Expectations are Taught

The behavioral expectations are taught to all students in the school, and are taught in real contexts. Behavioral expectations are taught using the same formats 2applied to other curricula.

• Appropriate Behaviors are Acknowledged

Once appropriate behaviors have been defined and taught, they need to be acknowledged on a regular basis.

• Behavior Errors are Corrected Proactively

When students violate behavioral expectations, clear procedures are needed for providing them with feedback, and preventing their unacceptable behavior from resulting in inadvertent rewards. Students, teachers, parents, and administrators all should be able to predict what will occur when behavioral errors are identified.