Stevens Elementary

Stevens strives to be proactive and encourages good behavior through an approach called positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS). Here’s what you need to know about PBIS.

The Principles of PBIS

PBIS is an approach that schools can use to improve school safety and promote positive behavior. It’s also a way for schools to decide how to respond to a child who misbehaves.

PBIS has a few important principles:

• Every child can learn proper behavior.
• Stepping in early can prevent more serious behavior problems.
• Each child is different and schools need to provide many kinds of behavior support.
• How schools teach behavior should be based on research and science.
• Following a child’s behavioral progress is important.
• Schools must gather and use data to make decisions about behavior problems.

PBIS is a framework for teachers, administrators and parents. And it’s used with all students in the school, whether or not they receive special education services.

According to several studies, PBIS leads to better student behavior. In schools that use PBIS, students receive fewer detentions and suspensions. There’s less bullying. Students also have better grades.

How PBIS Works

In a school with a traditional approach to discipline, teachers may try to correct behavior through punishment. Here’s a typical example:

A student sitting in the back of a classroom throws a spitball. The teacher reacts by scolding the student or sending her to the principal’s office. After the student is punished, she’ll return to class and be expected to behave. All students follow the same rules. Punishment is the same for any child who breaks the rules. If there’s more bad behavior, the punishment might be increased.

By contrast, in a school using PBIS, the focus is on preventing problems. From the start, students learn about what behavior is appropriate, just like they learn math or science. Students are taught social skills, including how to act in different settings, such as the classroom, on the bus or with friends. They may learn through role-playing or through actual lessons. Staff at the school regularly praise kids for good behavior.

With PBIS, teachers look for minor issues and prevent them from becoming bigger behavior problems. Before a spitball is thrown, a teacher might notice the student who is craving attention. The teacher might address that need positively before it grows into a need to throw a spitball.

If a student acts out, the school creates a strategy to prevent the behavior from happening again. The strategy might include things like a break time to cool off or a peer mentor. 

The school follows the student’s progress in managing behavior issues and may change strategy if something’s not working. In PBIS, discipline is used, but punishment isn’t the focus.

-- Lee, Andrew M.I. PBIS: How Schools Can Support Positive Behaviors. Understood for Learning and Attention Issues. Retrieved from https://www.understood.org/en/learning-attention-issues/treatments-approaches/educational-strategies/pbis-how-schools-support-positive-behavior