PBIS @ HCS Elementary

Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports

at HCS Elementary

What is PBIS?

School-wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is a prevention model based on the premise that all students can benefit from explicitly taught behavior expectations and evidence-based practices for improving student behavior. PBIS provides a positive focus to encouraging desirable student behaviors, and works to create a positive school climate for all students.  PBIS has been implemented in more than 26,000 U.S. schools. The PBIS framework has been shown to decrease disciplinary removals and improve student outcomes, including grades and graduation rates. 

What does it look like at Honeoye?

Honeoye uses a multi-tiered approach to provide early, research-based interventions for students at need. We use data-based decision making to monitor student progress and school-wide data, such as discipline referrals, to make informed behavioral intervention planning decisions. Honeoye is currently in the process of updating our PBIS Matrix across both buildings, but our work will be based on our current school-wide expectations, The Bulldog Four: Be Responsible, Be Respectful, Be Safe, Be Kind. These core, universal guiding expectations are used to ensure that all students are taught the school’s behavioral values. These core, universal expectations are established for all students in all locations of the school. The interventions and strategies are implemented to teach and reinforce these expectations. These include:

• Direct instruction of specific student behaviors that demonstrate respect, responsibility, safety, and kindness in various locations in the school;
• Positive acknowledgement and reinforcement to students for demonstrating positive behaviors;
• Predictable consequences for behavior infractions that are delivered consistently by all staff throughout the school.

What is the family role in PBIS?

Appropriate behaviors at home can transfer to school, and vice versa. Here are a few tips to consider when implementing positive behavior supports at home:

1. Use positive wording: instead of “don’t run in the store,” try “You must walk in the store.” Instead of “stop yelling,” try “use your inside voice.”

1. Be a teacher: When you have to say no, give a reason why. For example, “No, we can’t buy that toy today because you already have a toy in the car that you can play with.” If your child accepts your answer, compliment them, saying something like “Thank you for being respectful and understanding that we can’t buy the toy today.”

1. Acknowledge appropriate behavior: use positive reinforcement to teach your child which actions/behaviors are expected, accepted, or desired. You could use a sticker chart system to give special “rewards.”

Please checkout the following resources for more information about supporting student behavior at home:

“Getting Behavior in Shape at Home” by Laura Riffel 

Family Plan for Positive Behavior at Home - create your own PBIS Matrix