You may have read a social media post this week commending our talented PBIS expert, Natalie Gunderson, for securing her THIRD Gold Award from the state of Ohio. Her pursuit of PBIS, or Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports, is setting the bar for our district, our community, and the entire state educational system. However, many people may not be familiar with PBIS and the role it plays in our students' lives.
Far from a new concept, PBIS, at its core, is about positive reinforcement. Not unlike the Pavlovian method of learning developed in the 1890s by Ivan Pavlov, a physiologist, PBIS is an evidence-based framework that schools can use to create a safe and positive learning environment for all students. It focuses on identifying, teaching, and reinforcing positive behaviors in students and using proactive strategies to address problematic behaviors. The objective of PBIS is to improve outcomes—social, emotional, and academic—for every student, including students with disabilities and students from underrepresented groups.
According to the National Education Association, PBIS focuses on prevention rather than punishment by creating a behavior system that teaches desired behaviors by recognizing and honoring those behaviors when they are exhibited. The PBIS framework helps students by focusing on their strengths and building on their confidence to succeed.
Even better news for parents and guardians is that research proves continuing the PBIS framework at home can improve behaviors and relationships between adults and children, as well as strengthen bonds.
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