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Positive Behavior Interventions & Supports

What is PBIS?

Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is a tiered-system used for supporting students’ behavioral, academic, social, emotional, and mental health. This framework encourages a positive, predictable, and equitable learning environment where students and teachers can succeed. The Pathway School has implemented this school-wide framework since the 2019-2020 school year.

PBIS Mission Statement

The Pathway School is a united and supportive community with a common goal of promoting happiness, strength and empowerment within a caring culture so that every person can be a productive and contributing member of society.

Tiered PBIS Framework

Educators provide an array of academic, behavioral, social, and emotional support dependent on the students’ needs. The PBIS framework is broken into three levels of tiered support.

Tier 1: Universal, Primary Prevention (All)

Tier 1 practices support everyone, including students, educators, and staff, across all school environments. This is the foundation for positive and proactive support for student behaviors and enables most (80% or more) students to succeed. Tier 1 practices include:

  • Collaborating with the student body to establish and define school-wide expectations.
  • Teaching expectations to set all students up for success.
  • Encouraging and recognizing expected, positive behaviors.
  • Responding to unwanted behavior in a respectful, instructional way.

Tier 2: Targeted Secondary Prevention (Some)

If a student’s needs require more support than what is given in Tier 1, they can receive Tier 2 support, which includes an added layer of practices to target their specific needs. Tier 2 support includes about 10-15% of students. These practices include:

  • Giving additional instruction and practice for behavioral, social, emotional, and academic skills.
  • Increasing reminders of expected behavior.
  • Increasing access to academic support.
  • Increasing school-to-family communication.

Tier 3: Intensive and Individualized, Tertiary Prevention (Few)

When Tier 1 and Tier 2 support have not met the needs of the student, they receive more individualized support to improve their outcomes. This usually includes 1-5% of students. Tier 3 practices include:

  • Engaging students and families in behavioral assessments and intervention planning.
  • Developing a Positive Behavior Support Plan (PBSP), an individualized plan for the student.

Acknowledgement System

To acknowledge universally defined and accepted behaviors, students are given an “Outstanding Patriot Ticket.” Students receive recognition through the ticket, a call home from the Pathway leadership team, and a chance to win a mystery motivator. This reinforces positive behaviors and encourages these accepted behaviors throughout the school day and in the future.

State-Wide Recognition

The Pathway School has received state-wide recognition from the Pennsylvania Positive Behavior Support (PAPBS) Network for meeting the criteria for implementing PBIS. During the 2019-2020 school year, The Pathway School was recognized as meeting the criteria for Tier 1 Fidelity. In 2020-2021, the school received the recognition of a Tier 1 Participant. In 2021-2022, Pathway was named a Tier 1 Sustaining Program, and for the 2022-2023 school year, the school was recognized as a Tiers 1-2 Site. Below is the recognition from this past school year.

To learn more about PBIS, click here or email Chelsea Ames, cames@pathwayschool.org, or Brian Trusty, btrusty@pathwayschool.org, with any questions.