A major advance in school-wide discipline is the emphasis on school-wide systems of support that include proactive strategies for defining, teaching, and supporting appropriate student behaviors to create positive school environments. Instead of using a patchwork of individual behavioral management plans, a continuum of positive behavior support for all students within a school is implemented in areas including the classroom and nonclassroom settings (such as hallways, restrooms).
Positive behavior support is an application of a behaviorally-based systems approach to enhance the capacity of schools, families, and communities to design effective environments that improve the link between research-validated practices and the environments in which teaching and learning occurs. Attention is focused on creating and sustaining primary (school-wide), secondary (classroom), and tertiary (individual) systems of support that improve lifestyle results (personal, health, social, family, work, recreation) for all children and youth by making problem behavior less effective, efficient, and relevant, and desired behavior more functional. (
http://www.pbis.org/schoolwide.htm)
Implementing a proactive approach to discipline using Positive Behavior Supports, equips school systems with the ability to:
Through statewide intensive and extensive teacher training and professional development for teachers, related service personnel, parents, early intervention personnel and para-educators, the reading skills of students with disabilities and other special needs will be improved.
After 6 years of implementing PBS, 226 Alabama schools in 26 LEA's have invested in school-wide PBS. During the summer of 2005, 44 schools and 6 districts received training. Positive Behavior Supports is making a difference in the state of Alabama and continues to experience rapid growth, if you are interested in having your district partner with Alabama Positive Behavior Supports, please email Donna Kirkendoll at:
dkirkendoll@alsde.edu or Justin Hill at:
jhill@alsde.edu.
Incentives are time saving strategies that reward correct behavior choices and increase continued compliance. The following are examples of GOTCHA's to reward behavior that is Respectful, Responsible and Resourceful. Please contact Justin Hill, at
jhill@alsde.edu, to get your school GOTCHA and incentive plan posted.
Alexander City
