Sindy Oldham
Coordinator of Multi-Tiered Systems of Support
903.262.1959
Fax: 903.262.1165

PBIS Technical Assistance Center

“PBIS” is short for Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports. This language comes directly from the 1997 reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). PBIS is based on principles of applied behavior analysis and the prevention approach and values of positive behavior support.

What It Is
PBIS is a prevention-oriented way for school personnel to:

• Identify best practices

• Improve their implementation of those practices

• Maximize academic and social behavior outcomes for all students 

What It Is Not

• A packaged curriculum

• Scripted intervention

• Manualized strategy

What does PBIS have to do with school discipline and classroom management?
Effective classroom management and preventive school discipline are essential for supporting teaching and learning. PBIS goes further by emphasizing that classroom management and preventive school discipline must be integrated and working together with effective academic instruction in a positive and safe school climate to maximize success for all students.

How is PBIS related to RTI?
The logic, tenets, and principles of PBIS are the same as those represented in RTI (e.g., universal screening, continuous progress monitoring, data-based decision making, implementation fidelity, evidence based interventions).