Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS)
Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) uses Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) to support school culture, improve climate, and increase positive behavior for all students.
Research shows that a strong PBIS system effectively reduces classroom disruptions and student suspensions. This system involves a school-wide, three-tiered approach to intervention that also can lead to increased student achievement.
PBIS is not a set curriculum or program. It is a framework that involves implementing research-based practices and interventions for improving student outcomes. PBIS may look a little different in every MPS school depending on their needs. It is unique to the school community and the behaviors of students.
PBIS focuses on four main elements:
- Using data to make decisions
- Setting clear goals and checking progress with data
- Using proven strategies to help reach those goals
- Creating systems that make it easy to put strategies into action
A school that is successfully using PBIS has classrooms that are more engaging, responsive, preventive, and productive and less reactive, aversive, dangerous, and exclusionary.
In addition, schools are better able to:
- Address classroom management and disciplinary issues (e.g., attendance, tardiness, antisocial behavior)
- Improve supports for students whose behavior requires more specialized assistance (e.g., emotional and behavioral disorders, mental health conditions)
- Maximize academic engagement and achievement for all students
The Importance of Addressing Behavior
The difference between classroom-managed and office-managed behavior is defined at the school level. Staff members collaborate to determine which behaviors should be handled in the classroom by the teacher, and which should be referred to the office for an administrator to handle. The result is that when problem behavior occurs, there is a clear set of definitions and processes. This makes the school environment a calmer, more predictable, and more consistent place to be for students and adults alike.
It is important to note that PBIS not only guides student behavior, but also how staff members interact every day. PBIS involves staff verbally acknowledging desired behaviors, positively redirecting students away from negative behaviors, and offering support to help students reach behavioral goals.
Multiple Levels of Support
Differing levels of support are available based on student needs. MPS uses a three-tiered structure:
Tier 1: Universal Supports/Practices
Tier 1 includes the five components of school climate that support all students: relationships and community, expectations and procedures, skill development, response to student behaviors, and systems of acknowledgment. These components are visible in all classrooms and tailored based on school and classroom needs.
Expectations and Visual Reminders
Most MPS schools use "Be Safe, Be Respectful, and Be Responsible" as their schoolwide expectations. Students are taught what being safe, respectful, and responsible looks like in different areas of the school: cafeteria, classroom, computer lab, gym, hallway, main office, media center, playground, and other locations. Posters around the school highlight specific rules for each area as a reminder.
Many schools have a dedicated bulletin board to provide updates about what is occurring with PBIS, remind students of the expectations, acknowledge positive student behavior, or otherwise increase school involvement with PBIS. Each teacher also creates classroom-specific rules for various transitions (doing small-group work, lining up, taking a test, etc.) that fit within the school’s expectations, and these rules are visually displayed as well.
Acknowledgement and Rewards for Positive Behavior
Students are frequently recognized and appreciated, often when they least expect it, for following the expectations. They are “caught doing the right thing” as part of a schoolwide recognition system. Here are some examples:
- Verbal praise
- Positive call or postcard home
- “Gotcha” slip/notes/certificates given directly to the student
- Positive notes posted on the PBIS bulletin board, shared during daily announcements, or read at an assembly
Schools often use a system where students can earn rewards for good behavior. Rewards may be individualized or classroom-based and can vary depending on student interests. Middle and high schools are encouraged to have a student advisory group identify which rewards are most relevant or appealing to students.
- Simple reward systems
- Students are given individual tickets OR a card that is stamped by staff members for positive behavior. Students enter into the PBIS raffle (classroom or schoolwide) OR save up to spend their tickets/cards in the PBIS store.
- Students are given a sticker or token when they meet expectations. If they get a certain number by the end of the day, they receive a reward.
- Classroom progression system
- All students begin on the lowest level.
- When positive behavior is exhibited, the student (or class) goes up one level.
- Some acknowledgment is received at each level.
Other rewards are based on longer periods of behavior, such as an entire classroom or a designated group of students being recognized after meeting expectations for a specific period of time. For example, a classroom could be recognized if they receive five gold stars in a month, or all sixth-grade students who receive 15 PBIS stars could be recognized together. Quarterly schoolwide celebrations acknowledge student successes and provide another opportunity to reinforce positive behaviors.
Tiers 2 (Targeted Supports) and 3 (Intensive Supports)
Tier 1 supports are generally successful to improve behavior for 80% of the student population. For students whose behavior still does not meet expectations, schools offer additional levels of intervention.
Learn More About Tiers 2 and 3
More Information
Contact your child’s school directly to learn more about how they’re using PBIS.