Positive Behavioral Supports
Implementation Planning
Project ACHIEVE has been implementing Positive Behavioral Support Systems since 1990, and its model is used by over 1,500 schools across the country, including those involved in Arkansas' U.S. Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP)-funded Department of Education State Personnel Development Grant (SPDG).
Using Project ACHIEVE's evidence-based Positive Behavioral Support System (PBSS), this school-wide approach involves students, staff, administration, and parents. Together, they build and strengthen (a) students' interpersonal, social problem-solving, conflict prevention and resolution, and emotional coping self-management skills and interactions; (b) positive, safe, supportive, and consistent school climates and settings; and (c) school and district capacity such that the entire process becomes self-sustaining. Thus, "Self-Management" occurs at three levels: student, staff and school, and system and district.
Project ACHIEVE PBSS outcomes (see the Outcomes section of this website) typically include increasing positive classroom and school climates, student and staff interactions, and school safety; decreasing discipline referrals to the office and suspensions/expulsions; increasing academic engagement and academic outcomes; decreasing special education referrals and placements for behavioral reasons; and increasing staff confidence in this area and students' self-management skills.
For Consultation Support in this Area Contact Dr. Howard M. Knoff
If you are writing a grant that includes Project ACHIEVE activities, please click on the link below for a grant insert.
Positive Behavioral Support Components and Services:
When implementing Project ACHIEVE's Positive Behavioral Support System (PBSS), the following components and services are emphasized:
- The Stop & Think Social Skills Program
- The Behavioral Matrix—a school-wide set of behavioral standards, expectations, and responses
- Prevention and Intervention for the Common Areas of the school
- Prevention and Intervention for Teasing, Taunting, Bullying, Harassment, Hazing, and Physical Aggression
- An Educative Time-Out Process
- Crisis Prevention, Intervention, and Response
- Classroom, Grade-level, and Staff buy-in and consistency
- Strategic Planning and Organizational Readiness activities
- School Discipline Team involvement
- Parent and Community Outreach and Involvement
- The Parent Stop & Think Program
- Strategic and Intensive Behavioral Interventions and Strategies
- School-based or linked Mental Health Services
- Evaluation and Outcome Assessments
- Use of the ADDRESS—the Automated Discipline Data Review and Evaluation Software System
For a Project ACHIEVE PBSS Implementation Fact Sheet, click on the link below:
Project ACHIEVE Experience in this Area:
Project ACHIEVE components have been implemented in over 1,500 schools or districts across the country. The Positive Behavioral Support System (PBSS) component is one of the most-frequently implemented Project ACHIEVE components, along with the SPRINT/Response-to-Intervention component. The PBSS component is also integrated with the Strategic Planning and Organizational Development component and the Evaluation and Outcomes component.
Project ACHIEVE's PBSS is the approach being used by the Arkansas Department of Education's (Special Education Unit) State Personnel Development Grant (SPDG) to implement positive behavioral support systems and interventions, on-site, to preschools through high schools statewide. The Arkansas SPDG is a five-year initiative funded by the U.S.Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs. Project ACHIEVE's PBSS also is cited on the OSEP-funded PBIS National Technical Assistance Center as the PBIS model of implementation in Arkansas.
Since 1990, Project ACHIEVE's PBSS has been implemented (a) in state initiatives (e.g., Alaska, Florida, Arkansas); (b) in state Educational Cooperative Center or Intermediate Unit initiatives (e.g., Pennsylvania, Ohio, New Mexico, Texas); (c) in large and urban school districts (e.g., Washington, DC; Baltimore; Hillsborough County-Tampa; San Franscisco; Montgomery County, MD; Cobb County, GA); (d) in small, rural school systems (e.g., Wyoming, Nebraska, West Virginia, South Dakota); (e) in numerous Native American communities (e.g., North Dakota, Arizona, Wyoming, New Mexico, Alaska); (f) in collaboration with other national school reform initiatives (e.g., Core Knowledge); and as part of awarded federal and state grants (e.g., Safe School/Healthy Student grants, 21st Century grants, Elementary and Secondary Counseling Programs grants).
Project ACHIEVE's Electronic Books
Project ACHIEVE has a number of resources and a series of Electronic Books available to facilitate your Positive Behavioral Support, Response-to-Instruction and Intervention, and other implementation activities.
Among our various resources are:
- The Stop & Think Social Skills Program for Schools
- The Stop & Think Social Skills Program for Parents
- The Preschool to Grade 1 Stop & Think Songbook—a CD that teaches children 14 social skills through music
- The Stop & Think Social Skills posters for early childhood
CLICK HERE for More Information
Our Electronic Books address:
- More Stop & Think Social Skills Program for Schools
- Developing and Implementing School-wide Positive Behavioral Support Systems
- Developing School-wide Student Behavior Accountability Systems
- Implementing an Effective Classroom Time-Out Process
- Response-to-Instruction and Intervention
