Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is an approach used in schools to provide tailored and specific learning techniques for all students. PBIS is designed to focus on student feedback, and work as a flexible framework for each student’s needs. It is based on setting expectations for student behavior, rather than focusing on negative behaviors. According to California PBIS, the Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports framework was originally designed to focus on students with behavior disorders. However, due to its effectiveness, the program was expanded to be implemented as a school-wide initiative by the Technical Assistance Center on PBIS. The Center on PBIS provides information, relevant research, and a comprehensive outline of each tier within the program.

Similar to the structure of the RTI pyramid, PBIS is broken down into 3 Tiers, each tier building off the previous one and designed to help a different subset of students. Tier 1 is outlined to provide a strong foundation for all students within a school. Tier 2 focuses on the subset of all students who require additional academic and behavioral support as well as preventative measures for future issues. Tier 3 centers on the small group of students who require additional support on top of Tiers 1 and 2. These students benefit from professional intervention and specialized techniques. PBIS is highly specialized for students and school environments, dedicating a team to oversee the efficiency of each tier. Adjustments are made to school expectations and programs based on response from students and parents, and evidence of student progress.

Tier 1 of PBIS is designed to support all the students within the school program. The Tier 1 support team is tasked with providing school wide expectations, enforcing these guidelines, and providing baseline support systems. This Tier focuses on social, emotional, and behavioral issues. By monitoring widespread school patterns, techniques and expectations are adjusted to help all students improve their learning experience. One of the most important components of Tier 1 is the use of data for these decisions, as this is the most comprehensive measure of schoolwide performance. According to the PBIS website, “The Tier 1 team's role is to establish the priority for improving the conditions for learning through the adoption of evidence-based practices.” One way that the Center on PBIS recommends that the Tier 1 team enforces these policies is defining up to 5 positive expectations that all students should be regularly reminded of. Furthermore, defining positive and negative expectations allows students a better idea of what their behavior should look like, and ultimately, this promotes better learning. 

Tier 2 of PBIS is designed to support a group of students that require additional behavioral and academic support, more specifically, according to the Center for PBIS: “students who are at risk for developing more serious problem behaviors before those behaviors start.” The Positive Environment Network of Trainers recommends up to 25% of students from Tier 1 participating in Tier 2. Students within Tier 2 often benefit from smaller group resources that can be more targeted to their specific needs. A variety of behaviors may qualify a student for Tier 2 support, this includes behavioral screening, frequency of disciplinary action, and teacher or parent input. The Tier 2 team is most effective with a behavioral expert on board who can provide insight on what type of assistance a student or group of students may need. Similar to Tier 1, Tier 2 focuses on additional focus for social, emotional, and behavioral skills. The Center for PBIS defines the goals of Tier 2 as “...when students can regulate on their own, understand when, where and under what conditions particular skills are needed, and can successfully engage in those skills.” A critical component of Tier 2 is providing positive reinforcement and determining a potential root for behavioral issues. Additional academic support may help to ease behavioral issues and relieve stress for students. Tier 2 is designed to work in tandem with Tier 1 as opposed to instead of it as the concepts for Tier 1 provide a critical foundation for the work done in Tier 2.

Tier 3 of PBIS is the most comprehensive tier for helping students with moderate to severe behavioral issues or disability. Up to 5% of students from Tier 2 will participate in Tier 3. At this point, professional behavioral experts and formal assessments are crucial to determining a student’s area of need and providing support. Behaviors that qualify students for this tier not only limit their own academic success, but could also hinder the ability of other students to learn properly as well while also isolating them from their peers. The Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA), according to the Colorado Department of Education is a method often used in tandem with Tier 3 of PBIS to identify crucial information regarding a concerning behavior. This includes what the behavior is, what occurs before the behavior, and what strategies are effective in treating the behavior. Additionally, both the Colorado and Michigan Departments of Education cite a Behavioral Intervention Plan as an effective method of treating behaviors highlighted by the FBA. The most important component of Tier 3 is ensuring student safety and reinforcing behavior that aligns with the guidelines indicated by Tier 1. The Center for PBIS also references local environments, contexts, and cultures, as factors that need to be considered to properly help a student. Similar to Tier 2, Tier 3 is designed to work in addition to the lower tiers, and require the foundations they provide to be most effective. 

The PBIS method can be an excellent foundational approach for school-wide and student specific behavioral and academic needs. More specifically, it can be beneficial in helping all students develop a “growth mindset”, defined by Western Governors University as “thriving on challenge and not seeing failure as a way to describe yourself but as a springboard for growth and developing your abilities.” For more information about fostering a Growth Mindset, check out our previous blog post about cultivating a Growth Mindset for lifelong learning.

PBIS also utilizes specific classroom visuals, nonverbal cues, and consistent language to ensure student success. Both of these features are critical to PBIS success as it serves as a constant reminder of student expectations and a stable environment for students to grow. Students who struggle academically, behaviorally, emotionally, or socially may feel frustrated and are more susceptible to negative thoughts which in turn promote more negative behavior. Implementation of the PBIS program can help to ease this stress and allow students to make progress and feel excited about it! At Your Learning Toolbox, we often implement a variety of PBIS techniques to help each student receive tailored assistance that is best designed for them. It is our priority to ensure that each student receives the help that they need, and as is the basis for PBIS, to understand that what one student needs may be more or less than another student, and that is perfectly ok!