Positive Behavior Supports
Positive Behavior Supports (PBS), which can also be referred to as Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS), or School Wide Positive Behavior Supports (SWPBS), is a proactive behavior management system. The goal of the PBS strategy is to create a safe and effective school environment by encouraging desirable student behaviors. All of the decisions made in the PBS system are made based off of school wide behavior data, such as behavior reports. It is helpful to think of PBS as a three-tiered system. There is a visual representation of the three tiers of PBS located above.
The first tier of PBS targets the entire school population. This starts with establishing universal, school wide expectations, which should be stated positively. These expectations should be posted throughout the school, so that students are familiar with them. As a part of tier one of PBS, students receive instruction as well as interventions in order to teach and reinforce the school wide expectations. When positive behaviors occur, students receive positive reinforcement, which must be consistent throughout the school. This varies, depending on the school's chosen positive reinforcement method. This may be as simple as verbal praise, or as complex as a school wide ticket reward system in which students earn tickets for good behavior. When unwanted behavior occurs in tier one of PBS, the consequence must be consistent. It should also be an opportunity for the student to learn and grow from the mistake that he or she made.
The second and third tiers of PBS target the students who do not respond well to the strategies used in tier one. In tier two, students are given more support than that given to all students. Support is given on an individual level, depending on the students needs. Tier two supports may include instruction in skill areas that are lacking, more structure in situations in which the unwanted behavior is occurring, and/or prompts given by the teacher or authority figure that will help to elicit the desired behavior. A few examples of tier two supports may be: assigning the student a lunch buddy, designating times throughout the day for the student to check in with a specified teacher, and creating a behavior contract with the student. Tier three is the most intensive of the three tiers. The students who are targeted by tier three will have a functional behavior assessment as well as a behavior plan. These students will most likely receive intensive social skills and behavior replacement instruction.
If you would like to learn more about PBS, please feel free to visit the websites below:
http://www.pbis.org/
http://www.michigan.gov/documents/mde/SchoolwidePBS_264634_7.pdf
The first tier of PBS targets the entire school population. This starts with establishing universal, school wide expectations, which should be stated positively. These expectations should be posted throughout the school, so that students are familiar with them. As a part of tier one of PBS, students receive instruction as well as interventions in order to teach and reinforce the school wide expectations. When positive behaviors occur, students receive positive reinforcement, which must be consistent throughout the school. This varies, depending on the school's chosen positive reinforcement method. This may be as simple as verbal praise, or as complex as a school wide ticket reward system in which students earn tickets for good behavior. When unwanted behavior occurs in tier one of PBS, the consequence must be consistent. It should also be an opportunity for the student to learn and grow from the mistake that he or she made.
The second and third tiers of PBS target the students who do not respond well to the strategies used in tier one. In tier two, students are given more support than that given to all students. Support is given on an individual level, depending on the students needs. Tier two supports may include instruction in skill areas that are lacking, more structure in situations in which the unwanted behavior is occurring, and/or prompts given by the teacher or authority figure that will help to elicit the desired behavior. A few examples of tier two supports may be: assigning the student a lunch buddy, designating times throughout the day for the student to check in with a specified teacher, and creating a behavior contract with the student. Tier three is the most intensive of the three tiers. The students who are targeted by tier three will have a functional behavior assessment as well as a behavior plan. These students will most likely receive intensive social skills and behavior replacement instruction.
If you would like to learn more about PBS, please feel free to visit the websites below:
http://www.pbis.org/
http://www.michigan.gov/documents/mde/SchoolwidePBS_264634_7.pdf