Positive Behavior Support Program
Positive behavior support, or PBS, is a comprehensive program for schools that
structures a support continuum that focuses on improving both the social and academic environment. This program was brought into effect as many schools found past efforts to deal with problem behaviors ineffective. They were also experiencing increasing numbers of children who were being sent to the office, being suspended or expelled from school for a variety of reasons related to behavior. These problems also created numerous obstacles in the classroom, creating an environment where it was it difficult to teach or learn (Marchant, 2009, p. 131).
The approach to dealing with social and academic problems that are present in the school involves establishing three levels of behavior support. The first level involves focusing on goals that are established for the entire school, including all children and staff. Clear expectations are defined, modeled and enforced across the board. When these measures are not successful with students who are deemed at-risk to develop more serious problems, the school implements additional supports. The staff also monitors the students and collects data on how successful the increasing supports are. Teachers may implement additional teaching of appropriate skills andor reinforce the child more frequently (Simonsen, et al, 2008, p. 33).
Even after two levels of interventions and support, there are some students with chronic andor severe behaviors that require a different type of approach. Using information gleaned from data collection up to that point, the team designs strategies that are focused toward that individual child. The school expectations continue to be utilized in conjunction with the new strategies (Simonsen, 2008, p. 34). This provides these students with the maximum amount of support. The data that has been gathered during this process can be further analyzed to see if a student needs to be referred for special education if necessary.
Children who are at risk for serious behavior issues are discovered through a systematic screening process. Teachers identify certain students to the team who are showing increased behavior issues. They also note the level of each inappropriate behavior and communicate this to the team. Once these students have been targeted, plans can be laid for interventions based on that students unique needs (Marchant et al., 2009, p, 133-134).
As Sailor et al. points out, students who reach this level of behavioral issues can be reached through the use of more individualized interventions. The strategies that are used now go from a more broad focus on the entire class and narrow down to focusing in on the individual student. Also, as the strategies narrow in their focus, they also increase in the intensity with which they are applied. This ensures that the student is given the appropriate amount of support in order to help turn behavior in a more positive direction (2007, p. 371).
Within this program, teachers and other staff have a number of tools at their disposal for giving students the support they need. The first are clear rules for behavior that are consistently enforced across each setting the child is in. They are shown and learn to understand which behaviors are appropriate and what they look like. Throughout the school day teachers reinforce appropriate behavior when it happens, trying to do this more frequently than using negative feedback for inappropriate behaviors (Blonigen et al., 2008, p. 7). These strategies give the teacher a tool kit to draw from when needed.
Teachers need to develop the ability, according to Hendley, to analyze their own behavior in handling issues within the classroom, implementing the positive support program and during interactions with students. Many times, teachers can be causing or can help to reinforce an undesired behavior with their own actions. In other instances the teacher may be using consequences that are not in line with PBS guidelines. By being able to identify problem areas and his or her own behavior, a teacher can make necessary adjustments to improve their performance (Hendley, 2007, p. 228).
One tool that teachers use on a regular basis also provides the key for the entire program data collection. Data on past and present behaviors and interventions gives the team essential information that can be analyzed to find patterns in behavior and its causes, make decisions on program effectiveness and changes along with designing individual interventions for students who exhibit more serious behaviors. There are several methods for gathering data, and if used effectively they can help the school to support the student in the best manner.
Functional behavior assessment, or an FBA, is an invaluable tool for collecting data regarding problem behaviors and for putting that data to use. Using this method, teachers and staff can identify the causes of a behavior that are present in the students classroom environment. An FBA gives the team three essential components what it is, what causes it and what helps the behavior to keep occurring. These definitions are arrived at by using systematic methods of data collection that help the team to implement a functional behavior support plan (McIntosh et al., 2008, p. 36).
One of the methods he used to gather data during an FBA is direct observation. Teachers use a special form that guides the teacher in recording the antecedents, or events that caused the behavior a description of the behavior itself and the consequences that were given as a result of their behavior being displayed. After several of these observations are made, the team can use the forms to identify recurring patterns that cause andor reinforce the behavior (McIntosh et al., 2008, p. 36). It is also noted where the behavior occurred (Clarke and Dunlap, 2008, p. 69).
On the team along with the teacher can also do a functional analysis, in which the variables present in the situation are changed andor altered to see if they have an effect on reducing the problem behavior. For example, after a functional analysis is completed and the team determines that a teachers actions may be causing the problem behavior. The behavior may be reinforced by the attention that the teacher gives to the behavior. In addition, the more attention to statements given for the behavior, the more likely it is to continue. In this case, planned ignoring might be used by the teacher when the behavior occurs to see if it continues (McIntosh et al., 2008, p. 38-39).
Besides contributing a valuable way for the team to address the problem behavior in students who are at risk, a functional behavior assessment provides useful data about a students behavior in certain situations and makes it easier to discern patterns in their actions. These patterns can make it easier to design the interventions are needed to help the child be more successful. This makes an FBA a crucial tool in a behavior support program for those students in need of more serious interventions.
Positive behavior support programs do not just have the purpose of improving behaviors so that academic performance can improve. The social skills that are taught to students in the program are essential to their overall development as a person and in becoming a successful adult. Anderson-Ketchmark and Alvarez make the assertion that PBS has a major benefit in that it can catch problem behaviors early, instead of waiting for a child to develop more serious problems and then intervene. They also recommend that social workers should become a part of the team that helps to implement PBS (2010, p. 61).
Social workers within the school can assist in implementing PBS by working with other staff in identifying problems and coming up with solutions, communicating with the family and by assisting in gathering the necessary information on problem behaviors. They can also give valuable advice and expertise that other members of the team may not possess. This can be anywhere from advice on outside interventions or simply acting as a consultant to the team (Anderson-Ketchmark Alvarez, 2010, p. 62).
These numerous problems required a direct approach that would address school wide issues and help teachers and students to alter their behavior. Positive behavior support was designed specifically to do this. For the process to start there has to be a base of support for program from staff and parents both. The primary step to establish PBS in a school starts with establishing a team. This group is teamed with individuals who are in good standing with their co-workers, and is representative of those with a high stake in the program teachers, the principal, administration and from the community (Frey, 2008, p. 8).
The team also chooses what George and Kincaid title a district coordinator. This individual is in charge of the schedule for teacher and staff training and serves as a middle man between the PBS program and other programs currently being run in the district. Another important function for this individual is to help generate and locate the money needed to run the program at every level. As an administration professional, this person takes part in many of the meetings that are held by the team and gives additional support in helping them set up the program in their school (George and Kincaid, 2008, p. 23).
The teams job is multifaceted they guide the process from beginning through
implementation, help to design the facets of the program, guide decision making based on data analysis and have the crucial task to gain staff support for the program. Having a minimum of eighty percent of the staff backing the use of PBS in a school can greatly increase the likelihood that the program achieves it established goals. Part of securing support is getting staff input on needs, concerns and planning (Frey, 2008, p. 8). This way, the school is presenting a united front from the beginning, which will give the program a strong base to stand on.
The school first has to establish what they want to achieve with the program by setting goals. This involves an in-depth review of the current practices being used, data on student behavior issues and related materials. During this review process, the school notes any areas of concern that will need to be addressed with the new program (Simonsen, 2008, p. 34).
The most effective method to do this is through the team approach. The team(s) have the job of helping the school investigate and gather the information needed to get the process going. They also help in later stages such as implementation and reevaluation of the programs effectiveness once it has begun. Team members collect additional data from questionnaires that can be filled out by parents, teachers and other staff. They can also glean data from observations of school settings and conducting interviews with individuals. The team then helps the school compile, analyze and utilize the data (Marchant, 2009, p. 134).
The social aspect of behavior can be addressed in a positive behavior support program by establishing standards to guide students on how to interact appropriately with others. When these skills are taught, students achieve long-term benefits for their adult life such as employability, a higher yearly income, more filling social life and a stronger tie to their community. Focusing on social standards in conjunction with behavioral standards can also have a positive impact on school safety (Sailor et al., 2007, 366).
Weaving social standards into a positive support program should include a school wide approach to teaching positive interactions, have high expectations for student social behavior, be monitored to the use of data collection and there should also be additional staff training to support this aspect of PBS (Sailor et al., 2007, p. 369). As schools are given more responsibility for teaching students appropriate social behavior, this will become increasingly important as part of the implementation of PBS.
These goals, depending on the schools data, can fall in areas such as social ability and to make academic gains. From this information, the school then establishes a set of
clear and succinct expectations for everyone. These are considered, defined and described for all areas within the school, such as hallways, bathrooms, the classroom and cafeteria.
Having a clear description of the expected behavior is essential to consistency in implementation and in the overall success of the program (Simonsen, 2008, p. 35).
The key element in this first stage of setting up the program is that both the goals set for the school and the expectations that are outlined are based on positive intervention. Hendley points out that instead of only focusing on punishment, the critical elements here are to document, understand and confront problem behaviors in an expert fashion (2007, p. 226). The ability to do these three things starts with the planning phase. The school has to know where it has been it order to discern how to deal with the future to improve the situation.
Once these expectations have been set up and mapped out for clear understanding, the school must outline ways to teach the expected behaviors to the children. This helps to ensure that these are taught consistently across the board, which enables them to be consistently enforced. The lesson structure for the behavior involves the teacher stating what the behavior is in a particular setting and how the behavior appears. To reinforce this, the behavior is modeled for the students as a visual example. Students then get an opportunity to engage in the appropriate action through practice, helping them to remember what to do. Last, the teacher observes and records how successfully the students do the behavior in the appropriate setting (Simonsen, 2008, p. 35-36).
After the lesson structure has been established, staff must be given not only proper training that tells them what the program is, how it is set up and explains every aspect of the implementation process. As Blonigen et al. states, schools and teachers have to increasingly teach the skills necessary in the social arena to be a successful individual. With this responsibility comes the necessity to teach these skills in a consistent, clearly defined manner according to different situations (2008, p. 7).
These elements require training that gives staff the tools, information and guidance that they need to implement PBS correctly. Some states, as George and Kincaid point out, have a statewide PBS training program already in place to provide schools with experienced trainers. The researchers recommend that these in-state professionals be used first as part of teacher and staff training. If this is unavailable or the state program has minimal staff to handle the need, schools may have to seek assistance from other sources (2008, p. 25).
The training that is given to teachers regarding positive behavior support requires careful consideration. Wright et al. discusses past research that shows the ineffectiveness of school districts are holding what they titled crash course training. These sessions were found to not give the staff what they needed in order to implement the program appropriately. This showed when those who have been trained in this manner worked on teams and did not effectively make use of the information regarding the targeted behavior and chose an appropriate consequences (2007, p. 92).
Any training program should be evaluated on a consistent basis to make sure that its curriculum and the amount of time spent training is effective. If staff are not correctly implementing PBS and in their concerns regarding data collection and use in making decisions, looking at ways to alter initial and follow-up training is essential (Wright et al., 2007, p. 103). The training for staff implementing the program should be on a continual basis, which helps to improve the quality of how the strategies are used (Medley, et al., 2008, p. 107). Without analysis of the training aspect of a positive behavior support program, staff may not consistently use its various methods and students will not be given the social and academic behavior support that they need.
Once the structure of the program has been established in the staff has been given proper instruction, it is time to implement the first level of school wide expectations. Schools will generally set up some type of system that will reinforce students for exhibiting expected behaviors that they have been taught. For example, the school may choose a system that involves teachers and other staff rewarding children with a visible token when they are caught being good. Once a week, the children can exchange these tokens of the school store for various items that are available. The token can be in the form of play money, another tangible token or points (Simonsen, 2008, p. 36).
Simonsen et al. also says that teachers and staff will need reinforcement as well to implement will the program appropriately. In this case, the school can recognize the teacher in front of other coworkers for his or her efforts or use some other type of appropriate award system. There will also have to be guidelines laid down to the staff for how the award system for students is to be used and possibly requirements or how many tokens they should hand out within a certain amount of time for appropriate behaviors (Simonsen 2008, p. 36).
As the program begins, the team needs to keep channels of communication open with both teachers and parents. The team will need to establish and communicate clear guidelines to staff on the schedule of skills instruction and hold regular meetings to address issues and concerns. These meetings are also important for discussing data is being collected regarding students and the effectiveness of the program. In addition, parents should be kept up-to-date and well-informed as to the program, its purpose and how it is being used in the school (Simonsen, 2008, p. 37).
The process of establishing a positive behavior support program in a school also involves consideration regarding the costs that may be incurred doing this. Using a positive behavior support program can be very cost effective for school in the long run. The possibility of reductions in the number of students who are expelled from school, an increase in student learning and increase safety in the school environment are just some of the many benefits (Blonigen, et al., 2008, p. 17). Schools must also consider this issue as it is becoming increasingly a requirement to justify the spending of public funds on different programs (Blonigen, et al., p. 5).
The overall dollars that are required to implement PBS, just like behaviors, can be analyzed and measured to inform the government and the public on the benefits the community will gain from it. In order to accomplish this, administrators have to gather data on costs such as staff wages, program set up, maintenance and supplies. Also included in the analysis is the cost for staff training. This data is then compared with the overall benefits that the children, school and community will receive in return for their investment (Blonigen, et al., 2008, p. 8).
There are several factors that must be taken into account when setting up the program that can become obstacles to implementation. Some of these include administrative support, developing the reinforcement system that will be used with student, staff collaboration, utilizing collected data effectively and getting the childrens families to be a part of the process. One way the authors suggest to alleviate the headaches involved with organizing and synthesizing data is to use a software program that is designed to help with these tasks. At meetings, the team can also use visual techniques for laying out ideas and data in easier to digest formats (Kincaid et al., 2007, p. 182-183).
Having the support of administration can be a major factor in successful implementation of the positive support program. By having more frequent team meetings in which administrators are involved can bring the school and the district on the same page when using the program. This also allows more communication between staff and administration regarding concerns and the need for additional funding (Kincaid et al., 2007, p. 182).
Without teamwork between the administration and the schools, it can be difficult for the team(s) to get the program on track, get supplies and schedules organized and obtain essential support from staff (George and Kincaid, 2008, p. 30). A program that starts out chaotic may remain so, leaving a situation where no one benefits from the initial efforts. In addition, without collaboration the decision making process will have difficulty make informed choices when dealing with children who exhibit serious behavior problems. This is why early organization is so vital.
Positive behavior has the potential to help schools obtain desired goals at a variety of age levels. Benedict, Homer and Squires discuss how PBS was used with students at the preschool level. This age level is the perfect place to implement a program of this nature. Children at this age have not yet developed the necessary social or communication skills to express themselves in certain situations. When angry, for instance, they may act out in a manner that is inappropriate for the situation. PBS gives early childhood teachers the tools they need to accurately assess behavior and to put effective strategies into practice (2007, p. 174).
At the time of their study, Benedict et al. found that using this approach at this level was minimal. The classrooms involved used a set of school wide interventions, including a short list of rules with a positive focus, schedule, signals and a warning before changing activities, praise and recognition of appropriate behavior, among many. There was also a consultant available in each classroom to help the staff implement PBS appropriately (Benedict, Homer and Squires, 2007, p. 174, 181).
When implemented appropriately and consistently, a positive support program can work within a preschool setting. Its success can also be analyzed at regular intervals so that necessary changes can be made to improve performance. The keys came in teachers using the methods consistently and by having adequate support from the administration to do so (Benedict, Homer and Squires, 2007, p. 190-191).
At the high school and middle school level, Lane et al. found that PBS could
be successful. Teachers used a positive behavior program approach in which a token reward system was used to recognize those exhibiting appropriate behaviors. The student population that the program seemed to have the greatest effect on was those who internalized their actions, rather than acting out in class. Before PBS was put in place, these students had often been overlooked in the classroom. In contrast, students who showed a mixture of internalizing and acting out behaviors benefited the least (2007, p. 18). The program also helped to reduced the number of students that were suspended and were late for school (2007, p. 16).
Another segment of the student population that has already benefited from certain aspects of PBS is special education. Special educators have used tools such as the functional behavior assessment as part of their tool kit for dealing with children with special needs. By being part of the overall PBS program approach, these students can benefit even more. This is especially true with inclusion, which involves integrating a student with special needs with his or her peers in the regular classroom environment. These students often need a classroom that is tightly structured and predictable. The teacher, in examining their own room, is recommended to strive for a room that is not chaotic and organized (Hendley, 2007, p. 226).
Hendley also suggests helping children with special needs or severe behavior problems by having a visual reference of expectations. These can include pictures that show how an appropriate behavior looks or a signal the teacher gives when the student is meeting expectations (2007, p. 226). Another technique offered is to allow students a moment of pause before they answer a question or react to a situation. The teacher should help students to learn to stop and think before they act, which gives them time to make a good choice (2007, p. 227).
Positive behavior support programs have been given support in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. In this law, schools are required to use PBS and other prevention programs in order help integrate the student with special needs into the regular classroom or the least restrictive environment. Programs such as PBS provide these students with the support and guidance they need in order to interact successfully with their peers (Sailor et al., 2007, p. 370).
The fact that all students can benefit from a positive behavior support program in academic social behaviors is found in the evidence gleaned from the professional literature. Students all along the behavioral spectrum can learn new ways to interact with others in an appropriate manner, learn in a safe environment and grow into successful, stable adults. The use of PBS also saves districts and the taxpayers funding by helping to target behavior problems early before they become serious.
Establishing the program was shown to also depend heavily on the support of the staff and parents of the children as well. In this case, communication and involvement in the program is also critical for PBS to be successful. The team is the heart and soul of this effort, coordinating all of the many variables that are involved in this kind of process. This group also makes uses of information taken from such sources as the functional behavior assessment, classroom observations and past student records. Putting all of these elements together leads to effective intervention and an increase in the occurrence of appropriate behaviors.
Schools can also help to make the process smoother by collecting and compiling their program data on a year by year basis. In addition, program implementation can be improved with increase support, communication and use of technology to make things run smoothly and efficiently. Communication that is done online can streamline the amount of time that it takes to meet and discuss data that has been collected (Kincaid et al., 2007, p.182).
When looking to the future of positive behavior support programs, there is continued need for research and advancement in techniques in implementation, selecting appropriate interventions and in making decisions regarding how to handle student behavior. Schools will have to ensure that they are giving adequate focus to all the different groups within a student population to help them achieve appropriate social and academic behaviors. One group that Merchant et al. points out will need additional study and focus are children who tend to internalize their behaviors. These students are often overlooked in schools, and can be missed. This can put them at risk for developing emotional or behavioral problems in the future (2009, p. 140).
This is especially true at the high school level, where students who internalize their actions are more likely to be passed over by teachers. The use of this program with these and other students at the high school should have increased study done on its effects, how to make it more successful and to define better practices for implementation (Lane et al., 2007, p. 18).
When using assessment procedures to identify children who are at risk for advanced behavior problems, future study also needs to be conducted on ways to help schools use them effectively. The functional behavior assessment is one of these tools, and when used appropriately can provide crucial guidance for the team and teacher. Clarifying for staff through continual training how to use this instrument and others will help to bring consistency and efficiency to the process of identifying and intervening with these students (Medley et al., 2008, p. 108).
Using positive support programs at the preschool level is another area that needs more in-depth research conducted. Early intervention is a key component at this stage, where problems can be caught the earliest and turned around. The initial success in the study conducted by Benedict, Homer and Squires showed that it can be used successfully at this level with the support of a consultant in the classroom. The lack of pertinent studies of the use of the program at this level opens up the arena for further inquiry (2007, p. 190).
Another aspect of the functional behavior assessment that McIntosh et al. points out is the need to define better ways to assess its effectiveness for PBS. The methods of direct and indirect observation and data collection have to be done correctly in order to get the best data possible. The authors also suggest that additional training in behavioral theory for those utilizing the FBA might be beneficial in improving performance and understanding (2008, p. 43).
Teacher training is one problematic area of implementing a PBS program. Issues such as what the curriculum should include, how often training should be held and how should the learning be reinforced are just a few of the questions that need clarification. Wright et al. noted a lack in some training efforts of using training techniques that would help a teacher or staff member take the training into the classroom and utilize it effectively. The authors also point out that more work needs to be done in the area of improving the quality level of behavior plans that are created by teams. Training is crucial to appropriate implementation of the program and having the desired effect on turning inappropriate behaviors around (2007, p. 102).
One final area where additional clinical study is greatly needed is in the area of applying funding analysis to the implementation of PBS in a school system. As the authors pointed out, increased requirements by federal and state governments for schools to justify spending public money on varying programs makes this a pertinent issue. Schools need additional guidance on how to collect the necessary data, how to properly conduct the analysis and the best way to synthesize the gathered data for reporting to the government. This aspect has become a necessary component of planning a PBS program, and will become more so in the years to come (Blonigen et al., 2008, p.17-18).
As an editorial entry in the 2008 edition of the Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions points out, one crucial consideration that also needs to be given attention is the inclusion of the child in the process of PBS (p. 4). When a child is given an active role in changing his or her own behavior, they learn responsibility, feel empowered and learn more from the effort in the long run. Their insight from interviews can help the teacher and team to make more informed decision based on a greater understanding of that students behavior.
This is also why the family should be given greater inclusion into the process as well. The parents know their child best, and can provide additional information that cannot be obtained at school. Their active role also ensures they are aware of strategies that are being used at school, which may be useful in the home. The child will have a greater chance of succeeding with the additional support of parents behind them. Parents who are involved in the training aspect of the program can also be better informed and will back the use of the program to a greater degree (Hendley, 2007, p.228).
Positive behavior support programs have made huge strides in helping turn schools into safe, effective learning environments and in bringing the staff together in support of childrens education. There is still much work that must be conducted to help guide schools, families and the community through the process to make it possible for children to grow into successful, well rounded adults.
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