Positive behavior supports and interventions (PBIS) are strategies that schools use to improve student behavior. PBIS provides effective interventions that guide positive behaviors and create environments to help all students succeed.
What are behavioral supports and interventions?
The PBIS framework fits within a multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS) and interventions that allow educators to target and aid all students, regardless of their needs.
- Tier one supports are universal supports that address most students’ needs.
- Tier two supports are more targeted and focus on 10-15% of students who may need more support or additional interventions from Tier one.
- Tier three supports are in place for about 5% of students who may need intensive intervention.
This structure of interventions provides individualized support for students who have more robust behavioral needs. Within the multi-tiered system, students with disabilities receiving assistance from an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or special education programs have consistent guidance. This also includes students with autism spectrum disorders or developmental disabilities who may need Tier three support.
The ABCs of Behavior Assessment
Behavior assessment provides key data to inform effective PBIS. Teachers typically know their students very well and continue to learn more through observing challenging behaviors within their classroom. Proper analysis of behaviors can give educators insight into the diverse needs within a school or classroom and help them create appropriate PBIS.
One standard format of observing and recording behavior uses the ABCs of behavior assessment. This method of data analysis is often used within special education programs to assess and respond to ongoing student needs. The “ABC” refers to:
- Antecedent: The events, actions, or circ*mstances that occur before a behavior
- Behavior: The specific behavior that the student is demonstrating
- Consequences: The act or response that follows because of the behavior
After using the ABC method to notice challenging behaviors, the next step is implementing the appropriate positive behavioral interventions to avoid misbehavior and build a warm, focused, and friendly school and classroom culture. With the necessary interventions, all students can be prepared to learn and excel academically.
9 Examples of Positive Behavioral Interventions
Here are nine specific examples of PBIS interventions that you can use in your classroom to reinforce positive student behavior and expectations.
1. Routines
Set clear routines for everything you would like students to do in your classroom, rather than assuming that students know your expectations. Be sure to demonstrate how you would like things to be done. Although it can be tedious, this is key to building a classroom environment that is consistent and predictable.
When building and executing classroom routines, remain explicit so that students clearly understand your expectations. Give students multiple opportunities to practice classroom routines, provide ongoing support for routines and behaviors, reinforce expected behaviors, and explain the consequences if students do not meet expectations.
For example, you may create hand signals for common student requests like getting water or going to the restroom or a simple gesture to use when students should wait for their turn to speak.
2. Breaks
At times, students may become overwhelmed or overstimulated, leading to unregulated behavior choices. Students may benefit from a three- to five-minute break to reset and get focused. Consider allowing students to rest and reset before a starting new activity or transitioning to a new task.
Use breaks as a time for self-management and self-regulation. Self-management allows students to pause, reflect, and adjust problematic behavior. Helping students build these skills will let you get back to teaching and learning as quickly as possible. Breaks also help students build skills to self-regulate by assisting the students in determining when their behavior is impulsive and getting back in the mindset to learn.
For example, you can use breaks for meditation, breathing exercises, or movement exercises that help center and settle the student’s mind and body.
3. Silent Signals
Create silent signals to remind your students to pay attention and remain on task. These signals can be for your whole class, or you can establish unique signals for a particular student who needs extra behavioral support.
Silent signals are an effective intervention because they quickly reinforce behavioral expectations with minimal disruption. You can come up with signals for your class, or you all can create signals that work best for your community together. Additionally, you can create signals to express your expectations for your students, and you can also come up with signals to allow your students to express their needs to you.
4. Proximity
Proximity is another helpful silent intervention for teachers to redirect student behavior. By getting physically closer to a student, you can get them on-task without giving verbal instructions.
Use proximity when teaching a lesson, during independent work, or in transitions to a new task.
Make it a habit to circulate your classroom while students complete tasks to keep them focused.
5. Quiet Corrections
When students are off task, they often seek attention. Teachers need to remove the stage when addressing them. Quiet corrections allow you to control the situation and keep the public stage out of the student interaction.
Quickly and quietly bend down and whisper to the student what you would like them to do and the consequences they will receive if they don’t meet that expectation, then move away. If the student still does not meet this expectation, the next step is the consequence.
6. Special Tasks
Problem behaviors affect your classroom and other students. If you notice a student has a behavioral challenge at a specific time of the day, consider giving them a task or errand to complete for you. For example, you may have them send a message to another teacher.
Special tasks will give the student a chance to reset and come back and join the class. Consider ways to encourage leadership and peer interaction by pairing the student up with a classmate as a helper on an academic task. This communicates that you are willing to provide support while encouraging interactions that help build community.
7. Positive Phrasing
As teachers, it’s easy to get into threatening students with statements like, “If you don’t…then I will….” This type of phrasing is negative reinforcement and often creates tension. Instead, positively reinforce the target behavior. When doing so, students are encouraged to demonstrate the behavior you want to see consistently.
Do this when establishing class rules. For example, try phrasing a class rule by saying, “we always walk in the hall” instead of saying, “don’t run in the halls.”
Here’s another example teachers can use if a student is not completing their homework. Instead of saying, “if you don’t complete your homework tonight, you will stay inside and complete it at recess tomorrow,” say, “if you finish your homework tonight, you will get to go outside and play with your friends.” Both express the need to complete homework, but the second statement can encourage a behavior change more effectively.
8. Behavior Statements
Simply state the appropriate behaviors you want to see or acknowledge students who meet expectations right away. This rewards positive behavior and repeats the expectation for students who may not have heard the first time.
For example, when students are lining up and all of them are not ready, you can quickly state the specific behavior that some students are doing correctly. In no time, other students will mimic that behavior to receive positive praise. It is essential to acknowledge and praise appropriate behaviors in your classroom constantly.
9. Tangible Reinforces
Rewards are an effective way to encourage positive behaviors. Rewards can be snacks, toys, or a fun activity. Many educators choose to give free or inexpensive rewards that can fit into tight budgets. Be sure that you set clear guidelines for how to earn rewards. Set realistic goals so students can earn the reward consistently and maintain motivation. Get student input so the rewards are items or activities that the student desires.
Get Started with Positive Behavior Supports & Interventions
Teachers, staff, and administrators all have challenging jobs. We must guide and mold the future leaders of our communities towards academic excellence. When adequate behavior supports and interventions are in place, educators can discourage and avoid disruptive behavior that detracts from teaching and learning.
Ultimately, we want students to make positive choices to successfully meet positive behavioral and academic outcomes. It is crucial that students receive the necessary interventions and supports to make this possible. It is equally important for teachers and staff to receive the proper training and have the right tools to do so.
PowerSchool Behavior Support helps educators manage social and emotional learning (SEL) and multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS), like PBIS, to help improve student well-being and school culture and achieve more equitable outcomes. With tools, strategies, and resources designed to support your school team, you can transform your school culture with practical implementations of PBIS and provide behavioral support for all students.
