Extensive research shows that
the old way may have not been the best way when it comes to handling difficult
behavior in the school environment.
“Disconnected “’fix the student’” counseling, punishment, referrals to
special education” and the like are being replaced by more positive and
practical methods of discipline. PBIS
(Positive Behaviors Interventions and Supports) provides “a broad range of
proactive, systemic [universal], and individualized strategies for achieving
important social and learning outcomes in safe and effective
environments.”
Just as students need to
learn to read, write, and compute; we need to define expectations and model
appropriate behaviors in order to teach students how to behave. Beginning with where an individual’s behavior
stems from to coupling appropriate consequences with appropriate replacement
behavior, PBIS establishes a structure that prevents re-occurrence of
misbehavior. The framework of the
program allows schools to develop and carry out “proactive discipline systems,
social skills instruction, academic/curricular restructuring, behavioral based
interventions, and through early screening, identify antisocial behavior
patterns.”
To learn more about PBIS,
visit the Wisconsin PBIS Network at http://www.wisconsinpbisnetwork.org/,
and click on the Parents + Family tab.
Grenke, Jennifer and
Gross-Ackeret, Marlene, Building on Children’s & Families’ Strengths, (Coaches Tab), http://www.wisconsinpbisnetwork.org/coaches.html
last visited on 4/23/13.
