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School-Wide Positive Behavior Support

Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) includes a cascade of supports ranging from primary prevention (Tier 1) efforts for all, secondary prevention (Tier 2) efforts for some, and tertiary prevention (Tier 3) efforts for a few. These supports increase in intensity as students move through the continuum of tiered supports. For example, Tier 1 efforts are intended to level the playing field for all students, and the expectation is about 80% of the student body will respond to this school-wide approach to PBIS. Tier 2 supports are for students with common acquisition (can’t do problems), fluency (trouble doing problems), or performance (won’t do problems) deficits. These low-intensity supports can be delivered in small groups (e.g., social skills groups) or individually (e.g., check/in check/out). Tier 3 supports are reserved for students with the most intensive intervention needs. These supports are individualized and often involve families and other related service providers given the highly intensive nature of these interventions (e.g., functional assessment-based interventions). In this tiered system of supports, data are used to determine which students may require assistance beyond Tier 1 efforts and connect them to more intensive research-based supports according to individual students’ needs. Care is taken to ensure each level of support is implemented with integrity as it would not be prudent to suggest a student is not responding to Tier 1 or Tier 2 supports if one is not confident the supports are actually in place as planned (with treatment integrity). School-Wide Positive Behavior Support (SWPBS) refers to a systems change process for a school or district in which an instructional approach to behavior is adopted at Tier 1. SWPBS is a framework intended for all grade levels from preschool through high school. This entry reviews the SWPBS process, from establishing a team to implementing proactive and reactive instructional approaches, and discusses its effectiveness.

SWPBS Team

When a district or school moves forward in establishing SWPBS, the process typically begins with establishing a team that includes an administrator with decision-making authority, general education teachers, special education teachers, and related service individuals (e.g., school counselor, psychologist). Representation from the parent and student communities is encouraged by many researchers. The team identifies three to five positively stated expectations to guide behavioral performance for the entire school. Rather than listing “don’ts,” the goal is to establish expectations to guide desired behavior across all settings. For example, the expectations may include the following: be respectful, be responsible, and give best effort. Then, each expectation is defined for all key areas in a building: classrooms, hallways, cafeteria, buses, and arrival and dismissal.

Some teams use a tool, Student Expectations for Success in School Settings, to guide the development of this expectation matrix with input from all faculty and staff. The Student Expectations for Success in School Settings is completed by all adults working in a given building to determine which behaviors are viewed as critical for success in each area (e.g., listen to instructions, follow instructions the first time). The SWPBS leadership team compiles the responses of the Student Expectations for Success in School Settings and uses it to guide the build of the matrix. This tool is available from the Comprehensive, Integrated Three-Tiered Model (Ci3t) of prevention website.

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