Positive Behavior Interventions and Support

Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is a process of creating proactive, school-wide systems with a focus on prevention of inappropriate behaviors and recognition of appropriate behaviors. PBIS creates change in how schools handle discipline (systems), how schools make decisions (data), and how staff interacts with students (practices). In the PBIS process a school defines a set of universal behavior expectations taught through classroom instruction. PBIS focuses on creating and sustaining school environments that encourage appropriate conduct from all students and positive staff-to-student interactions. The process uses data to continuously evaluate the behavior support systems to increase instructional time.

PBIS places an emphasis on school-wide systems of support that include proactive strategies for defining, teaching, and supporting appropriate student behaviors to create positive school environments. A continuum of positive behavior interventions and supports for all students within a school is implemented in areas including the classroom and nonclassroom settings (such as hallways, restrooms). Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports is an application of a behaviorally-based systems approach to enhance the capacity of schools to design effective environments that improve the link between research-validated practices and the environments in which teaching and learning occurs. Attention is focused on creating and sustaining primary (universal), secondary (targeted), and tertiary (individual) systems of support that improve lifestyle results for all children and youth by making problem behavior less effective, efficient, and relevant, and desired behavior more functional