Yesterday I attended the Administrator Academy for the Positive Behavior Support (PBS) program. The reason I am interested in the PBS program is to add the third component of a Response To Intervention (RTI) system. RTI is an approach to dealing with students that have difficulties in school by providing interventions before identifying and placing them in special education. The three main RTI components are reading (we have a good system in place), Math (our system is in the implementation phase), and Behavior. I like the PBS behavior program because it has the best scientific research base supporting it.
The first phase of the PBS program involves getting a school-wide behavior system in place. This includes:
1. A common purpose and approach to discipline
2. A clear set of positive expectations and behaviors
3. Procedures for teaching expected behavior
4. procedures for systematic supervision
5. A continuum of procedures for encouraging expected behavior and discouraging inappropriate behavior
6. Procedures for data collecting and correcting behavior.
Phase II involves classroom rules and expectations and phase III involves addressing individual student behaviors.
Before a school can apply for PBS, there are several steps that must be completed. Attending the Academy was step 1. The others steps are:
2. The Principal must agree to support and participate in all PBS activities
3. School wide discipline must be one of the top three school improvement goals
4. The Principal must agree to use SWIS for data collection of behavior at the school
5. 80% of the staff must commit to the Program
6. A 6 member team must agree to attend PBS I training 3 days this summer
7. The team must commit to meet once a month to look at data
The application deadline is May 2.
I will be providing information to the staff on PBS in the upcoming months to gauge interest in the program.
