1: What is Effective Behavior Support?

2: What is Positive Behavior Support?

3: Why did Springfield Public Schools decide to use PBS?

4. How can I get involved in PBS?

5. Where can I find out more about PBS?

6. I've done a lot of behavior things like PBS in my classroom, why should I do this one?

7. How do I go about selecting behavioral interventions for my students and school?

8. How will I know if PBS is working?

9. If there is a relatively small group of students causing most of the problems at our school, why should we start with a school-wide intervention for all students?

10. I'm concerned about using positive reinforcement with students. Isn't it just bribery or manipulation?

11. If the building principal doesn’t lead the PBS Team or the implementation of Positive Behavior Support, then what is his or her role?

1: What is Effective Behavior Support?

Effective Behavior Support (EBS) is another term for Positive Behavior Support (PBS) or Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports (PBIS) 

 

2. What is Positive Behavior Support?

Positive Behavior Support (PBS) is a philosophical framework and encompasses a set of professional practices shown to help students experience greater success at school. Based on the scientific evidence and validated by research, PBS is an effective method for increasing school safety, enhancing students’ social-behavioral skills, and creating a more positive school climate.

For more information refer to the PBS Page.

3: Why did Springfield Public Schools decide to use PBS?

Positive Behavior Support was selected for use in Springfield School District because it: (a) offers a conceptual framework that helps better select and organize social-behavioral interventions, (b) is responsive to the specific needs of individual school communities, (d) is evidence-based and field tested, and (e) it works in Springfield!

 

4. How can I get involved in PBS?

Most of the schools in Springfield are involved in PBS and have a school based behavior team. This team may be called a PBS Team, EBS Team, or something unique to that school. To get involved, speak with your building adminstrator, or contact the PBS Coordinator.

 

5. Where can I find out more about PBS?

Many articles, data sheets and other resources can be found at the website for the OSEP Technical Assistance Center on Positive Behavioral Intervention & Support. For more information about PBS and related interventions, please refer to the Links page under the Resources section of this website. For more information about PBS in Springfield Schools, contact the PBS Coordinator

 

6. I've done a lot of behavior things like PBS in my classroom, why should I do this one?

Many teachers implement wonderful, creative, fun and effective behavior management systems in their classrooms. Unlike many other specific behavioral interventions or programs, Positive Behavior Support is not something that one teacher can do alone in their classroom. PBS is a collaborative effort that actively involves all staff members in a school; teachers, administrators, paraprofessionals, and students. This cooperative approach recognizes the critical importance of consistency across people and settings in creating safe schools and effective learning environments. When linked to a broader system of behavioral supports, effective classroom management strategies and techniques become even more effective and efficient. This makes the work of the classroom teacher easier, and the school experience of the student more positive.

7. How do I go about selecting behavioral interventions for my students and school?

One of the wonderful features of a “PBS School” is that the teachers do not operate in isolation as is typical in many schools. Thus, the selection of interventions and programs is often done collaboratively by a school team as part of creating a broader system of behavioral supports. In the review and selection process, the team will (1) clearly identify the problem they wish to resolve or the goal they wish to achieve, (2) review the research literature to see what interventions have “empirical support” or evidence of effectiveness in addressing the issue, and (3) develop a plan to implement and evaluate the intervention in their setting. While many programs or curricula claim to be “research based,” the quality of evidence supporting these interventions may range from testimonials and newspaper stories to well-controlled experimental designs with treatment and control groups. Because there is such frequent misuse of the term “research based,” many educators have come to believe that research can say anything you want it to say, and that research is of no value in education. This is a dangerous position that can lead educators to use intervention strategies that allow students to fail, when effective interventions are readily available. In much the same way physicians evaluate medical treatments based on “levels of evidence” supporting their efficacy, educators can evaluate educational “treatments” and select those that are most likely to be effective with their students. Several organizations have evaluated the research literature and provided lists of programs that have been shown to be effective in well-designed research. For example: The U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice & Delinquency Prevention Program lists “exemplary”, “effective” or “promising” programs. The Promising Practices Network lists “promising and proven” interventions. The Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence

 

8. How will I know if PBS is working?

When any intervention is selected, it is important to know the desired outcome or goal. In order to evaluate whether or not an intervention or program is working, the desired goal must be stated in such a way that it can be measured. For example, the goal, “Will reduce problems in the school” is not measurable. When reworded to read, “Will reduce office discipline referrals by 30% from last year” it becomes a measurable goal, and progress can be assessed on a monthly and/or annual basis. In order to make good decisions, relevant information must be collected about progress on each of the measurable goals the team or staff selects. When measurable goals are set, good information is collected and reviewed, and the behavior team uses this information to continually evaluate and improve the systems of support, schools become places where both students and staff are successful.

9. If there is a relatively small group of students causing most of the problems at our school, why should be start with a school-wide intervention for all students?

Every school has a group of students who are more challenging to work with than the general student population. These at-risk or high-risk students often absorb an inordinate amount of staff time and resources. However, focusing our initial intervention efforts here will seldom create the kind of safe and positive school environment we are seeking. In fact, well-intentioned efforts designed to deal with these most difficult students actually can backfire and cause more problems. Creating safe and effective schools is done by first implementing “universal” interventions to actively create the desired culture and communicate to students what kind of behavior will be valued and acknowledged. This process is guided by the Behavior Team using behavioral data, and following the Adopt, Implement, Evaluate, Revise & Celebrate process. Many educators are amazed at how much impact this actually has on all students in their school. Although they are necessary for all students, universal interventions alone are not likely to be sufficient to resolve the issues for their at-risk and high-risk students.

Once the school-wide system is strong, the team then moves to adding “selected” or small group interventions for their at-risk students. Finally, schools move to strengthen their “intensive” or individualized interventions for their high-risk students. Although it would seem that this would complete the process, the behavior team’s mission involves a commitment to ongoing evaluation and revision of systems of support in their school.

Positive Behavior Support is a philosophical framework that guides our ongoing efforts to support all students in the school.

10. I'm concerned about using positive reinforcement with students. Isn't it just bribery or manipulation?

The use of positive reinforcement is one of the hottest issues in educational practice. Educators rarely get the opportunity to discuss this topic at length, even though their personal beliefs on reinforcement drive important professional practices. Positive Behavior Support treats the acquisition and use of social-behavioral skills in much the same way we would academic skills. That is to say, we teach and reteach the skills we want to see used by our students. Reinforcement is viewed as an effective tool in the education process. There are three general reasons why educators use positive reinforcement to support students; (a) To create positive relationships with students and their families, (b) To establish an inviting and positive learning environment where students and staff enjoy doing their respective jobs, and (c) to provide students with the accurate behavioral feedback they need to become more successful in school and better prepared for life.

11. If the building principal doesn’t lead the PBS Team or the implementation of Positive Behavior Support, then what is his or her role?

Schools that have implemented PBS rely heavily on team-based decision making. This increases program stability over time, reduces the criticism that discipline policies are simply administrator driven, and improves the quality of decisions. Although the building administrator does not facilitate the behavior team, her/his role is a vital one on the team and in the systems change process. Most importantly, the principal “sets the tone” in the building, and indicates what is valued and the course of action that will be pursued. As a critical member of the PBS team the administrator represents the interests and concerns of the district, guides in issue of law and policy, accesses resources and removes roadblocks so that the team can carry out its important mission. Schools and school teams are rarely successful without strong, positive leadership from the building administrator.