PBIS

Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports

What is PBIS?

One of the foremost advances 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 piecemeal approach 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 non-classroom settings (such as hallways, buses, and restrooms).

At Northport Public School our three expectations are:

Be Safe
Be Respectful
Be Responsible

Clearly defined behaviors under each expectation are spelled out and posted all over the building (including on the bus).  You may have seen them while visiting the building.  Students have been taught the expectations, seen skits or played competitive games to learn them, and have been rewarded with Wildcat cards when they are practicing the expectations correctly.  PBIS is a research-based and data driven way to improve school cultures when put into place effectively.   PBIS allows us to focus on positive behaviors and encourage/reward more of them and extinguish negative behaviors.

Schools all around the country are doing PBIS.  Every school does it their own way and can modify it to fit the needs of its own building.  PBIS changes and evolves over time; as time goes by we will find out what works best and what doesn’t work.  Hopefully it will grow into something that all students, staff, and families at Northport Public School embrace and support wholeheartedly.