Positive Behavior Support
Positive Behavior Interventions & Supports (PBS)
Plaquemines Parish Schools utilize PBS to create a positive learning environment for students.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What does PBS stand for?
“PBS” is short for Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports. This language comes directly from the 1997 reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
PBS is used interchangeably with SWPBS, which is short for “School-wide Positive Behavior Supports.”
PBS is based on principles of applied behavior analysis and the prevention approach and values of positive behavior support.
2. What is PBS?
PBS is a framework or approach for assisting school personnel in adopting and organizing evidence-based behavioral interventions into an integrated continuum that enhances academic and social behavior outcomes for all students.
PBS IS NOT a packaged curriculum, scripted intervention, or manualized strategy.
PBS 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.
PBS supports the success of ALL students.
3. Where can I get more information?
PBS LINKS
4. What does PBS have to do with school discipline and classroom management?
Effective classroom management and preventive school discipline are essential for supporting teaching and learning.
PBS goes further by emphasizing that classroom management and preventive school discipline must be integrated and working together with effective academic instruction in a positive and safe school climate to maximize success for all students.
5. Where is the best place for schools to access PBS materials and information?
The Center is a great source for learning and obtaining information about PBS, in particular, defining what PBS is, what it looks like, how it can be established, what outcomes are possible, etc. However, other sources (e.g., consultants, publishers, universities, trainers) not formally associated with the Center also provide PBS resources to schools.
6. How does PBS respond to the use of punishment (e.g., detention, timeout, verbal reprimands), especially for students with serious problem behavior?
Although PBS has no specific restrictions on the use of consequence-based strategies designed to reduce serious problem behavior, teaching-oriented, positive, and preventive strategies are emphasized for all students, to the greatest extent possible. The emphasis is on the use of the most effective and most positive approach to addressing even the most severe problem behaviors.
Most students will succeed when a positive school culture is promoted, informative corrective feedback is provided, academic success is maximized, and use of pro-social skills is acknowledged.
When student problem behavior is unresponsive to preventive school-wide and classroom-wide procedures, information about the student’s 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.