PBIS
What is PBIS?
Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports (PBIS) is a systems approach to school-wide and classroom discipline designed to enhance the capacity of schools to educate all students. PBIS is a research-based, data driven model that works with all students including those with challenging behavior problems.
The major premise of PBIS is that like academics, behaviors are learned and should be taught. By directly teaching expected behaviors, students are better able to understand the behavioral expectations. Schools create and post behavioral matrices in all areas of the school that detail expected behaviors using examples and non-examples of that behavior. The entire school staff is involved in teaching appropriate behaviors to all students by providing targeted practice of the behaviors. 
Lesson plans and activities all relate back to the specific school wide expectations. All staff and students at both middle schools use the same language to articulate appropriate behaviors along with sincere enthusiasm and universal support.
PBIS: A Response to Intervention – The Behavioral Side of the Triangle
PBIS is a proactive system that applies a three-tiered system of support and a problem-solving process as part of Georgetowne's Response to Intervention (RtI) model to enhance the capacity of the schools to educate all students.
PBIS is recommended by No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) and the Individuals with Disabilities Act of 2004 (IDEA 2004) and aligned with the Social-Emotional Learning Standards.
Tier 3:
- More intensive social/emotional interventions, about 1-5%
- For a few students
- Provided in addition to Tier 1 & Tier 2
Tier 2:
- Small Group social/emotional interventions 5-10%
- For some students (At-Risk)
- Provided in addition to Tier 1
Tier 1:
- Core PBIS Curriculum 80-90%
- Core Instruction
- For all students in the class
School – Wide Leadership
An external coach, or district facilitator is appointed to help lead this effort. In addition, schools have building-level internal coaches who are responsible for supporting and facilitating implementation efforts.
Leadership teams are identified at each building and meet frequently for problem solving and action planning.
The PBIS Leadership Teams:
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Develop the school-wide PBIS action plan
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Analyze existing behavioral data
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Conduct monthly meetings
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Maintain communication between staff, faculty, administrators
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Evaluate progress via Tiers of Intervention and problem-solve critical issues.
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Report outcomes
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Participate in on-going training and staff development
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Assist with school-wide training
Four Main Elements of PBIS
1. Outcomes: Academic and behavior targets that are endorsed and supported by students, families, and educators
2. Practices: Curricula, instruction, interventions and strategies to promote student growth that are evidence-based.
3. Data: Information that is used to identify current status, need for change, trends and effects of interventions
4. Systems: Supports that are needed to enable the accurate and durable implementation of the practices of PBIS.
Goals of PBIS
- Increase academic achievement levels of students
- Increase data-based decision-making about behavior and academic instruction and reinforcement across all school settings.
- Reduce use of reactive discipline measures in schools (e.g. office discipline referrals, detentions, suspensions, expulsions) for all students.
- Increase consistent use of research-based behavioral and academic instructional strategies among all school staff at school-wide, classroom and individual student levels.
- Increase capacity of general education settings to successfully educate students with disabilities and prevent academic/social failures of all students.
- Implement effective intervention plans for students with the most comprehensive behavioral/emotional needs that support and evaluate their success across home, school, and community.
