PBIS Frequently Asked Questions

www.pbis.org
Version November 26 2010

QUESTION BRIEF ANSWER FOR MORE.go to

1. What does PBIS is short for Positive Behavioral What is SWPBS?

PBIS stand Intervention and Supports. This language
for? comes directly from the 1997 The Evolution of
reauthorization of the Individuals with Discipline Practices:
Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). School-Wide Positive
Behavior Supports
PBIS is used interchangeably with (Sugai & Horner,
SWPBS, which is short for School-wide 2002)
Positive Behavior Supports.
Effective Behavior
PBIS is based on principles of applied Support (Lewis &
behavior analysis and the prevention Sugai, 1999)
approach and values of positive behavior
support. Applying Positive
Behavioral Support
and Functional
2. What is PBIS? PBIS is a framework or approach for Behavioral
assisting school personnel in adopting and Assessment in
organizing evidence-based behavioral Schools (Sugai et al.,
interventions into an integrated continuum 2000)
that enhances academic and social
behavior outcomes for all students.

PBIS IS NOT a packaged curriculum,

scripted intervention, or manualized
strategy.

PBIS IS a prevention-oriented way for

school personnel to (a) organize evidence-
based practices, (b) improve their
implementation of those practices, and (c)
maximize academic and social behavior
outcomes for students.

PBIS supports the success of ALL

students.
3. What does the The primary functions of the Center on www.pbis.org
OSEP Center PBIS are to study, organize, and
on PBIS do? disseminate empirically-supported
behavioral practices and interventions
within the prevention-oriented framework
of PBIS systems. The Center mainly works
with school, district, and state leadership
teams to improve the social culture and
behavioral climate of classrooms and
schools.

4. What are PBIS PBIS emphasizes the establishment of SWPBS

systems? organizational supports or systems that Implementation
give school personnel capacity to use Blueprint and Self-
effective interventions accurately and Assessment (PBIS
successfully at the school, district, and Center, 2010)
state levels.
SWPBS Professional
These supports include (a) team-based Development Blueprint
leadership, (b) data-based decision- and Workbooks
making, (c) continuous monitoring of (PBIS Center, 2010)
student behavior, (d) regular universal
screening, and (e) effective on-going SWPBS Evaluation
professional development. Blueprint (PBIS
Center, 2010)

5. What does Effective classroom management and Evidence-based

PBIS have to preventive school discipline are essential Practices in
do with school for supporting teaching and learning. Classroom
discipline and Management:
PBIS goes further by emphasizing that Considerations for
classroom
classroom management and preventive Research to Practice
management? school discipline must be integrated and (Simonsen et al.,
working together with effective academic 2008)
instruction in a positive and safe school
climate to maximize success for all
students.
6. Where is the The Center is a great source for learning www.pbis.org
best place for and obtaining information about PBIS, in
schools to particular, defining what PBIS is, what it
access PBIS looks like, how it can be established, what
outcomes are possible, etc. However,
materials and
other sources (e.g., consultants,
information? publishers, universities, trainers) not
formally associated with the Center also
provide PBIS resources to schools.

7. How does the The voices and perspectives of family and SWPBS
Center include community members are involved directly Implementation
and involve in the PBIS process through active Blueprint and Self-
family and participation on, for example, leadership Assessment (PBIS
teams, practice implementation, and Center, 2010)
community
outcome evaluations at the school, district,
members? and state levels.

8. How is PBIS The logic, tenets, and principles of PBIS Response-to-

related to are the same as those represented in RtI Intervention and PBIS
Response-to- (e.g., universal screening, continuous (PBIS Center, 2009)
Intervention progress monitoring, data-based decision
making, implementation fidelity, evidence-
(RtI)?
based interventions).

Literacy and numeracy implementation

frameworks are examples of the
application of RtI for academic behavior,
and PBIS is an example of the application
of RtI for social behavior.

9. Does the No, because of its federally directed www.pbis.org

Center on mandate, purpose, and functions, the
PBIS endorse Center on PBIS identifies and
or promote recommends general research-based
practices (e.g., active supervision,
commercial
reinforcement, social skills instruction,
products, behavioral contracting, self-management).
vendors, or Although these practices may be included
businesses? within the products, curricula, etc. of other
providers, the Center does not promote
specific vendors or endorse commercial
products.
10. How does Although PBIS has no specific restrictions Applying Positive
PBIS respond on the use of consequence-based Behavioral Support
to the use of strategies designed to reduce serious and Functional
punishment problem behavior, teaching-oriented, Behavioral
positive, and preventive strategies are Assessment in
(e.g.,
emphasized for all students, to the greatest Schools (Sugai et al.,
detention, extent possible. The emphasis is on the 2000)
timeout, use of the most effective and most positive
verbal approach to addressing even the most
reprimands), severe problem behaviors.
especially for
students with Most students will succeed when a positive
serious school culture is promoted, informative
problem corrective feedback is provided, academic
behavior? success is maximized, and use of
prosocial skills is acknowledged.

When student problem behavior is

unresponsive to preventive school-wide
and classroom-wide procedures,
information about the students behavior is
used to (a) understand why the problem
behavior is occurring (function); (b)
strengthen more acceptable alternative
behaviors (social skills); (c) remove
antecedents and consequences that
trigger and maintain problem behavior,
respectively; and (d) add antecedents and
consequences that trigger and maintain
acceptable alternative behaviors.

11. How does a An extensive PBIS network exists in www.pbis.org
school get connection with the National Center on
training in PBIS. Information about local and state SWPBS
PBIS? PBIS Coordinators and PBIS Center Implementation
Partners can be found by going to PBIS Blueprint and Self-
Network at Links on the homepage of Assessment (PBIS
www.pbis.org. Center, 2010)

Regardless of information or training SWPBS Professional

source, general guidelines for the selection Development Blueprint
of a PBIS trainer and professional and Workbooks
development training are summarized in (PBIS Center, 2010)
the SWPBS Professional Development
Blueprint. SWPBS Evaluation
Blueprint (PBIS
To ensure a successful training Center, 2010)
experience, schools, districts, and states
are encouraged to (a) use an existing or Evidence-based
establish a new behavior leadership team, Practices in
(b) examine their school data to define and Classroom
specify the need, (c) secure an agreement Management:
from school staff (>80%) to move forward Considerations for
with PBIS, (d) confirm support and Research to Practice
participation by school and district (Simonsen et al.,
leadership, and (e) identify a person on the 2008)
team who will facilitate or coach the
implementation process.