Though positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) can be implemented at the individual student or classroom level, PBIS Indiana works with districts and schools at a systems level. This work typically involves a significant paradigm shift with regard to behavior management beliefs and practices, and it takes time to achieve lasting change.
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The process
Implementing the PBIS framework at the district or school level is a significant undertaking—it takes approximately three to five years to achieve lasting change. But if the framework is implemented with fidelity, progress will be visible throughout all stages of implementation.
Stage 1: Explore
The exploration stage aims to help district or school leadership determine if PBIS is the right approach for their district or school. During this stage, leadership is asked to:
- View an overview module on PBIS.
- Read the explanations of district agreements and tasks.
Stage 2: Prepare
After a district or school decides to work with PBIS Indiana, its leadership must consider what changes might need to be made to the district’s or school’s settings and systems to fully accommodate and support implementation of PBIS. To ensure that a district or school is prepared to begin the implementation process, leadership is asked to:
- Complete the district agreements and task monitoring checklist.
- Complete the school readiness checklist.
- Create an action plan to monitor district agreements and tasks.
When these items have been completed, a district or school may enter into a three-year training agreement with PBIS Indiana.
You really feel like you are on a journey that will result in authentic system-wide changes for your school and tangible results for your kids.
Jim Dubois, superintendent, Baugo Community School Corporation
Stage 3: Build a team
To successfully implement PBIS, it’s important that all stakeholders are engaged in the process. One of the first steps in the process is to put together a representative school-wide leadership team that includes administrators, teachers, counselors, social workers, psychologists, families, students, and other stakeholders.
PBIS Indiana follows the recommendation of the PBIS National Technical Assistance Center that all school teams have access to coaching. Coaches are either district based or school based and receive additional training and technical assistance from PBIS Indiana. Coaches are charged with supporting the school leadership teams to lead the school faculty in implementing a school-wide PBIS plan.
After a school team has been formed and a coach has been selected, they begin the process of gathering baseline academic and discipline data that is used to understand a school’s behavioral and discipline patterns. The data is used to develop an evidence-based, multicomponent plan that will serve as the school’s discipline plan.
If PBIS is being implemented in multiple schools in a district, a district coordinator is appointed to oversee all the school-based leadership teams.
Stage 4: Create a plan
During the first year of the process, PBIS Indiana helps each school use the PBIS framework to build a multifaceted school-wide discipline plan that establishes behavioral interventions and supports for all students. This is the first tier of the PBIS framework.
The plan includes:
- School-wide expectations
- Location-specific teaching matrix
- Lesson plans for teaching behavioral expectations
- Adult responsibilities
- Reinforcement system
- Infraction system
- Plans to monitor progress
School-wide leadership teams receive six full days of training with PBIS Indiana during the first year. Typically the first two training sessions are held on consecutive days at the beginning of the school year, and the other four occur at various points throughout the year. Coaches undergo five full days of training during the first year.
In addition, PBIS Indiana provides technical assistance by phone and email throughout the entire implementation process. On-site technical assistance is available for an additional fee.
Stage 5: Implement the plan
Initial implementation
The second year of the process involves the rollout of the school-wide discipline plan and ongoing adjustments to it.
It also includes the planning and implementation of the second tier of the PBIS framework, which focuses on targeted interventions and supports for students who don’t respond to universal interventions and supports. At this time a school might choose to add a second school-based leadership team that focuses on second-tier interventions and supports.
Full implementation
During the third year of the process, PBIS Indiana offers training on preventing and dealing with difficult behavior.