Positive Behavioral

Supports & Interventions


School City of Hammond began implementing the PBIS framework in 2007. Since 2012, all SCH schools implement PBIS as a prevention and intervention framework. With a strong Tier 1 PBIS framework in place across the division, we are committed to identifying how we can embed, or are embedding, equitable practices into school-wide behavioral prevention practices and interventions, we well as how we can increase responsiveness to the diverse cultures and communities served by our schools.

What is PBIS?

Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports is a systems approach for establishing a safe and supportive learning environment to promote social, behavioral, and academic success for all students and a framework (not a packaged program) for developing a common vision, language and practices used consistently across the school to:

  1. improve school climate;

  2. strengthen relationships;

  3. teach and reinforce expectations;

  4. increase positive behaviors, academic achievement and equitable learning experiences; and

  5. decrease office referrals and suspensions.

Wellness efforts are also supported across all three tiers of instruction to promote academic and social success for students. Targeted and intensive interventions are provided to support the learning needs of students.


What Does School-Wide PBIS Emphasize?

In general, PBIS emphasizes four integrated elements:

  • (a) data for decision making,

  • (b) measurable outcomes supported and evaluated by data,

  • (c) practices with evidence that these outcomes are achievable, and

  • (d) systems that efficiently and effectively support implementation of these practices.


What Outcomes are Associated with Implementation of PBIS?

Schools that establish systems with the capacity to implement PBIS with integrity and durability have teaching and learning environments that are:

    • More engaging, responsive, preventive, and productive,

    • Address classroom management and disciplinary issues,

    • Improve supports for students, and

    • Most importantly, maximize academic engagement and achievement for all students.

Classroom PBIS

Research supports five essential practices for classroom PBIS

Classroom teachers have the flexibility to design specific classroom management strategies that are responsive to their students’ cultures and fit with their own personal style of teaching. Those strategies should be aligned to the five categories that research has linked to positive student outcomes:

  1. Maximize structure in the classroom with predictable routines and a safe, orderly environment

  2. Teach, monitor, and reinforce expectations and rules that are aligned to the school-wide expectations

  3. Actively engage students by providing culturally responsive instruction that includes high rates of opportunities to respond

  4. Use a continuum of culturally responsive strategies to acknowledge appropriate behavior

  5. Use a continuum of culturally responsive strategies to respond to inappropriate behavior