PBIS stands for Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports. It is a school-wide, proactive, team-based framework for creating and sustaining safe and effective schools. The PBIS framework is a process that focuses on improving a school’s ability to teach expectations and support positive behavior for all students. An emphasis is placed on preventing problem behavior, development of pro-social skills, and the use of data-based problem solving for addressing existing behavior concerns. School-wide PBIS increases the capacity of schools to educate all students utilizing research-based school-wide, classroom, and individualized interventions.

The four critical elements of PBIS are: outcomes that support social competence and academic achievement, data that supports decision making and evaluates progress toward outcomes, systems that support staff behavior and provide structure for school-wide implementation, and practices that support student behavior by teaching, prompting and reinforcing expectation-following behavior.

PBIS implementation includes school-wide procedures and processes intended for: ALL students, ALL staff and in ALL settings. This includes individual classrooms and teachers AND non-classroom setting and related staff.

The goal of PBIS is to create a positive school climate. A positive school climate includes: a feeling of safety, respect, engagement in learning, a shared vision and the involvement of all stakeholders (e.g. staff, students, families) in order to foster student success. PBIS is a way for schools to encourage good behavior.

School-wide PBIS implementation has been associated with lower rates of office discipline referrals, increased attendance, increased instructional time, higher test scores, fewer referrals to special education and reduced suspensions. With PBIS, students learn about behavior, just as they learn other subjects like math or science. The key to PBIS is prevention, not punishment.

Social skill instruction and achieving skill competency are an integral component of student success. ALL students need the kind of attention and help that brings about positive, lasting changes in their way of thinking, feeling, and behaving. Social skills hold the key to unlocking the potential for good that every child possesses.

In order to develop social fluency, CUSD has adopted a list of the top 18 social skills to be taught to ALL students.