What is PBIS?

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.