Positive Behavior Support - It Works!!
Overview
A major advance in school-wide discipline is the emphasis on a school-wide system of supports that include proactive strategies for defining, teaching, and supporting appropriate student behaviors to create positive school environments. Instead of using a patchwork of individual behavioral management plans, a continuum of positive behavior support for all students within a school is implemented in areas including the classroom and non-classroom settings (such as hallways and restrooms). Positive behavior support is an application of a behaviorally-based systems approach to enhance the capacity of schools, families, and communities 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 (school-wide), secondary (classroom), and tertiary (individual) systems of support that improve lifestyle results (personal, health, social, family, work, recreation) for all children and youth by making problem behavior less effective, efficient, and relevant, and desired behavior more functional.
In November 2005, a Colorado Department of Education grant was written and submitted with the goal of receiving training and assistance to implement Positive Behavior Support within the Englewood School District. Englewood was accepted to participate in the initiative and five Englewood Schools are currently implementing Positive Behavior Support. The schools in the second year of PBS are: Bishop, Cherrelyn, and Clayton. Englewood Middle School and Maddox are implementing PBS this year.
Eight Practices of School-wide Positive Behavior Support
- Establish Administrative Leadership: State, district and school leaders’ active support
- Develop Team-Based Implementation: Special and general education staff plan and implement
- Define Behavioral Expectations: Concrete, positive behaviors that every student can remember
- Teach Behavioral Expectations: Explain, model, practice and process
- Acknowledge and Reward Appropriate Behavior: For students and adults
- Monitor and Correct Behavioral Errors: Consistent redirection and consequences for a continuum of behaviors
- Use Information for Decision Making: Who, What, When, Where, & How Often
- Build Parent Collaboration: With schools and communities
Major Components of School-wide PBS
- Common approach to discipline
- Positively stated expectations for all students and staff
- Procedures for teaching these expectations to students
- A continuum of procedures for encouraging demonstration and maintenance of these expectations
- A continuum of procedures for discouraging rule-violating behavior
- Procedures for monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of the discipline system on a regular and frequent basis
PBS Model
Last Updated: 08/06/07
