PBIS is a process for creating safer and more effective schools. PBIS is a systems approach to enhancing the capacity of schools to educate all children by developing research based, school-wide and classroom discipline systems.

Primary Prevention

Primary Prevention involves system-wide efforts to prevent new cases of a condition or disorder. As a system-wide Primary Prevention effort in schools, positive behavior support consists of rules, routines, and physical arrangements that are developed and taught by school staff to prevent initial occurrences of problem behavior.

For example, to prevent injuries to students caused by running in hallways, schools may develop Primary Preventions by

1. establishing and teaching the rule, “walk in the hallways;”

2. creating a routine in which staff station themselves in the hallways during transition times to supervise the movement of pupils; or

3. altering the physical arrangement, such as making sure that an adult is with any group of students when they are in the hallways.

What is School-wide PBIS?

All staff members in a PBIS school support students by teaching good behavior and praising students. Staff members learn how to prevent problems instead of always reacting to poor behavior. A PBIS school feels more positive and supportive than most schools. A positive school environment makes it easier for students to learn.

Instead of using individual behavioral management plans just for students who have behavior problems, the PBIS school uses positive behavior supports for all students. All adults help students anywhere in the school, including classrooms, hallways, offices, the cafeteria, and restrooms. Attention is on adult behaviors that improve children’s behavior and success in school, in their families, with their friends, and at play.

Why is it so important to focus on teaching positive social behaviors?

In the past, schools focused on reacting to misbehavior by relying on reprimands, loss of privileges, office referrals, suspensions, and expulsions. Research has shown that punishments like these, especially when used in the absence of other positive strategies, are ineffective. School-wide PBIS establishes a climate in which appropriate behavior is the norm. PBIS values teaching all students appropriate behavior as much as teaching any academic subject. It emphasizes creating a common set of expectations for students’ behavior, no matter where they are on campus. The underlying premise: Schools must become predictable, consistent, positive, and safe environments for students.

Data-Based Discipline

The intent of PBIS is to help students improve their chances for academic success by reducing overall problem behavior, which will also result in decreased out-of-school suspensions and expulsions. When there is an increase in students engaged, there will be a decrease in minutes spent managing deviant behavior.

Every school in Marion County School District has established their own common expectations for students, consistent rewards for appropriate behavior, and consequences for behavior that isn’t right, and interventions for students who don’t always do the right thing. The PBIS Core Team at each school constantly evaluates their campus, track student behavior and determine how to change something about the school to address inappropriate behavior. Schools are constantly gathering data about how students behave, when the behavior occurs, and where it occurs to #GrowBetterTogether.