What it is...
School-Wide Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (SWPBS) is an evidence-based approach for establishing the social culture needed for our school to be an effective learning environment for all students. Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports eliminates barriers to learning, creates and maintains a safe and effective learning environment in school, and ensures that all students have the social and emotional skills needed to succeed in school and beyond. Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports helps schools teach students expected behaviors and social skills, creates student behavioral health and academic support systems, and applies data-based decision-making to discipline, academics, and social/emotional learning. Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports uses the three-tiered approach of universal interventions (for all students and settings), secondary interventions (for students who are at-risk), and tertiary interventions (for individual students needing specialized assistance).
Why we use it...
Quality education involves developing the whole child – academically as well as behaviorally. Our job is to help the parents of our student prepare each child for what is to come by providing them with a broad skill set that will make them successful in higher levels of education or in the world as productive citizens. A large part of that task must be focused on teaching students to apply themselves in a positive, cooperative manner in a safe environment focused on learning. Our system of School-wide positive behavior and support focus on what students can do rather than what they cannot do. For example rather than disciplining students for rude behavior after the fact, SWPBS explicitly teaches students to respect themselves, their teachers and each other. Students are recognized for exhibiting respect, safety, kindness, honesty and courtesy, while negative behaviors are addressed in a restorative manner rather than simply being disciplined.
