What is Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS)?
"Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is a proactive systems approach for creating and maintaining safe and effective learning environments in schools, and ensuring that all students have the social/emotional skills needed to ensure their success at school and beyond."
The foundation of PBIS at Berlin Elementary School is the three school wide expectations:
Be Safe, Be Respectful, Be Ready.
In addition to our behavior expectations, PBIS has four other components:
1) a behavior matrix which explains behavior expectations in each school setting;
2) direct teaching of the expectations (lesson plans);
3) PBIS recognition paws; and
4) office discipline referral (odrs) forms to record and address inappropriate behaviors.
Acknowledging and reinforcing positive behavior is one of the best ways to change inappropriate behavior and encourage appropriate behavior. At BES each student will be give a green paw (chip) for meeting behavior expectations. These paws will be placed into the students' classroom container. When goals are met, students will enjoy participating in periodic classroom and school-wide celebrations. Students may also be recognized for positive behaviors by receiving one of our Bobcat Postcards from a teacher or staff member.
Poor behavior in school can be costly to students and teachers, alike.
• Lost teaching time
• Property damage
• Disrespect, discouragement, frustration
• Low student/staff morale
• Lower academic outcomes
• Divisions between administrators, teachers and parents
Addressing behavioral issues and improving school climate should form the core of any school improvement plan.
How is PBIS Different from Other Discipline Systems?
Typical discipline systems in schools have often relied on reaction to negative behavior and punishment of the offender. Hundreds of studies have shown, however, that this approach does little to reduce chronic misbehavior, nor does it produce positive long-term outcomes for the school or the student. The PBIS method of student discipline is based on four key principles:
1. Prevention - Correct behaviors are established, taught, modeled and acknowledged in a systematic way throughout the school. Students are "caught" engaging in the desired behaviors, and this behavior is regularly reinforced and recognized.
2. Response - The response to undesirable behavior is organized, systematic, consistent and careful. Considerable thought and effort goes into getting the entire school community on the same page with respect to common definitions of, and the most effective response to, problem behaviors.
3. Data-driven - Discipline data are collected school-wide in a user-friendly format. Entered and analyzed in an established on-line database provided for school use, the data provide guidance for understanding when and where problem behavior is more likely to occur. Strategies to address behaviors in these situations are developed, and the data then provide evidence for whether these strategies are working.
4. Process - PBIS is not a pre-packaged program. Rather, it is a framework that guides the school community through a process of addressing the unique culture, climate and behavioral issues within each school. The idea is to work smarter, not harder, to improve behavior and school climate.