Buy-in from stakeholders is important for the successful adoption, full implementation and sustainability of any school-based initiative (Fixsen, Naoom, Blase, Friedman, & Wallace, 2005). It's also one of the critical elements for implementation of Tier 1 PBIS included in the TFI, BoQ, and the Blueprint. This brief describes the unique…

School-wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (SW-PBIS) is an evidence-based, multi-tiered framework designed to support all students across all school settings. The implementation of SW-PBIS is associated with improved student outcomes across elementary, middle, and high schools. For high schools especially, the implementation of…

Racial and ethnic disproportionality in school discipline is an enduring and widescale problem facing schools in the United States (Skiba et al., 2011). Students of color, particularly Black/African American, Hispanic/Latinx, and Native American students, have been shown to be up to 4 times more likely to be suspended than White students (Balfanz,…

Check In Check Out (CICO) is one of the most empirically supported Tier 2 behavior interventions for students who require additional supports to experience success. CICO incorporates regular performance feedback and adult interaction throughout the day in alignment with school-wide expectations. Performance feedback includes both reinforcing and…

School-Wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (SWPBIS) is an evidence-based framework that provides a continuum of supports for students across multiple tiers (Tiers 1, 2, and 3). The implementation of SWPBIS is associated with improvements in student behavior, academic outcomes, and school climate (Bradshaw, Koth, Bevans, Ialongo,…

Buy-in is an important component in the successful adoption, full implementation, and sustainability of any school-based initiative(e.g., Fixsen, Naoom, Blase, Friedman, & Wallace, 2005). In high schools, one key way to increase buy-in is to incorporate student voice. Since adolescents have a developmental need to play an active role in their…

A core feature of Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is the collection, summary, and use of data for iterative decision-making. The initial design of support and the adaptations that make behavior support match cultural, organizational, and personal needs require that a support team have functional information to guide…

Restraint and seclusion are crisis or emergency responses, which should only be used in extreme situations (e.g., a student engaging in repeated forceful physical aggression toward self or others) when risk of serious and imminent physical harm or injury is high and when an emergency response may reduce that risk. Restraint and seclusion are not…

Using data for decision-making is critical for schoolwide leadership teams and has been shown to enhance both social and academic outcomes for students (Faria et al., 2017). Using data effectively, however, requires that teams have a clear vision about the type of data, format of data presentation, and process for using data. To avoid expending…

Implementation of Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is expanding nationally with promising outcomes at the high school level, suggesting that PBIS may be an effective approach for addressing behavior problems, improving attendance, and enhancing school climate. When implemented with fidelity, PBIS serves as an organizing…

New to the "Elementary and Secondary Education Act" of 1965, as amended by the "Every Student Succeeds Act" (ESSA) of 2015, is specific language supporting state and local educational agencies in implementing schoolwide positive behavioral interventions and supports (SW-PBIS). According to U.S. Department of Education…

Out-of-school suspensions (hereafter referred to as suspensions) are used frequently and for many purposes throughout schools in the United States (Losen & Skiba, 2010; Skiba et al., 2014). A common assumption is that students who receive a suspension will be less likely to engage in problem behavior in the future. Although those who utilize…

The purpose of the SWPBIS Tiered Fidelity Inventory (TFI) is to provide a valid, reliable, and efficient measure of the extent to which school personnel are applying the core features of school-wide positive behavioral interventions and supports (SWPBIS). The TFI is divided into three sections (Tier I: Universal SWPBIS Features; Tier II: Targeted…

To illustrate the three-tiered model, Tier I (universal) supports are delivered similarly to all students in all settings, and at least 80% of students are expected to respond to these supports. Beyond universal supports, Tier II (targeted) supports serve 10-15% of students whose behavior does not respond to Tier I supports. A small group of…

When to conduct a functional behavioral assessment (FBA) is a question answered by both best practice and the law. The special education field continues to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the functional behavioral assessment, an evidence-based technology that is the basis of a behavior intervention plan (BIP) and a cornerstone of the…