What is PBIS?

Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports, also known as PBIS, is a systems approach to preventing and responding to school and classroom discipline concerns. PBIS develops school-wide systems that support staff to teach and promote positive behavior in all students. PBIS develops school-wide systems that support staff to teach and promote positive behavior in all students. By reducing behavioral problems, PBIS creates and maintains safe learning environments where teachers can teach and students can learn.

PBIS is based on a three-tiered system consisting of Universal (Tier I), Targeted (Tier II), and Intensive (Tier III) supports.

Tier 1 support consists of rules, routines, and physical arrangements that are developed and taught by school staff to prevent initial occurrences of behavior the school would like to target for change. Tier 1 support, through positive behavior support, works for over 80% of all students in a given school.

Tier 2 support is designed to provide intensive or targeted interventions to support students who are not responding to Tier 1 support efforts. Interventions within Tier 2 are more intensive since a smaller number of students requiring services from within the yellow part of the triangle are at risk for engaging in more serious problem behavior and need a little more support.

Tier 3 Individual Student teams have multi-disciplinary/cross-department membership that includes Tier 3 systems coordinator and individuals who can provide (a) applied behavioral expertise, (b) administrative authority, (c) multi-agency supports (e.g., person centered planning, wraparound) expertise, (d) knowledge of students, and (e) knowledge about the operations of the school across grade levels and programs.