What is PBIS?

Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is a proactive systems approach to establishing the behavioral supports and social culture and needed for all students in a school to achieve social, emotional, and academic success.
As a Response to Intervention model, PBIS applies a three-tiered system of support, and a problem-solving process to enhance the capacity of schools to effectively educate all students.

Data-based decision-making aligns curricular instruction and behavioral supports to student and staff needs. Schools applying PBIS begin by establishing clear expectations for behavior that are taught, modeled, and reinforced across all settings and by all staff. This provides a host environment that supports the adoption and sustained use of effective academic and social/emotional instruction. PBIS has proven its effectiveness and efficiency as an Evidence-Based Practice. (Sugai & Horner, 2007).

The principles and practices of PBIS are consistent with federal education mandates such as the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004 (IDEA 2004). PBIS integrates state school improvement initiatives including Systems of Support, Standards Aligned Curriculum, and Response to Intervention to assist schools in meeting Illinois’ educational goals and mandates.

Four Elements of PBIS:

The school-wide PBS process emphasizes the creation of systems that support the adoption and durable implementation of evidence-based practices and procedures, and fit within on-going school reform efforts. An interactive approach that includes opportunities to correct and improve four key elements is used in school-wide PBS focusing on systems, data, practices and outcomes.

Outcomes: academic and behavior targets that are endorsed and emphasized by students, families, and educators.

Practices: Curricula, instruction, interventions, and strategies that are evidence-based.

Data: information that is used to identify status, need for change, and effects of interventions.

Systems: supports that are needed to enable the accurate and durable implementation of the practices of PBS.

The Illinois PBIS Network:

The mission of the Illinois PBIS Network is to build skills and capacity of PBIS district and school-based leadership teams through training, coaching and technical assistance. The focus is assisting schools in developing structures for teaching expected behaviors and social skills, creating student behavioral and academic support systems, and applying data-based decision-making to discipline, academics, and social/emotional learning at the school, district, regional, and state levels. The Illinois PBIS Network promotes family and community involvement at all levels of implementation.

Illinois PBIS Network Goals: (Illinois PBIS Network 2009-10 Annual Progress Report)

Increase data-based decision-making on behavior and academic instruction and reinforce across all school settings.

Increase consistent use and effect of research-based behavioral and academic instructional strategies among all school staff at schoolwide, classroom, and individual student levels.

Reduce use of reactive discipline measures in schools (e.g., office discipline referrals, detentions, suspensions, expulsions) for all students.

Increase academic achievement levels of all students.

Implement effective intervention plans for students with the most comprehensive behavioral and emotional needs that support and evaluate their success across home, school, and community.

Increase capacity of general education settings to successfully educate students with disabilities and prevent academic and/or social failures of all students.

Increase capacity of schools and districts to address over- and under-representation of students by ethnicity relative to discipline, disability status, and academic achievement with access to data on these outcomes.

Critical Elements to Achieving PBIS Goals:

Careful acknowledgment, consideration and achievement of outcomes (e.g., academic achievement, social competence, career/work opportunities) that are valued by significant stakeholders (e.g., students, family members, teachers, employers).

Adoption and sustained use of research-validated practices and curricula that maximize achievement of student and teacher outcomes.

Application of data-based decision-making at many levels (i.e., individual, classroom, school), with multiple individuals (i.e., student, teacher, administrator, support staff), across contexts (e.g., general vs. special education, school vs. home), and with multiple outcomes (e.g., reading, grades, attendance, discipline referrals).

Development of systems (e.g., processes, routines, working structures, administrative supports) that are needed to ensure consideration of valued outcomes, research validated practices, and data-based decision-making.