About Florida PBIS
Defining PBIS
“Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is an evidence-based / three-tiered framework to improve and integrate all of the data, systems, and practices affecting student outcomes every day.” PBIS creates schools that support everyone – especially students with disabilities – for success. Center on PBIS, 2020
Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports grew out of the science of Positive Behavior Supports (PBS). As a field, PBS defines itself as:
“…an approach to behavior support that includes an ongoing process of research-based assessment, intervention and data-based decision making focused on building social and other functional competencies, creating supportive contexts, and preventing the occurrence of problem behaviors. PBS relies on strategies that are respectful of a person’s dignity and overall well-being and that are drawn primarily from behavioral, educational, and social sciences, although other evidence-based procedures may be incorporated. PBS may be applied within a multi-tiered framework at the level of the individual and at the level of larger systems (e.g., families, classrooms, schools, social service programs, and facilities).”
Kincaid, Dunlap, Kern, Lane, Bambara, Brown, Fox and Knoster, 2016
In 1997, the amendments to the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA), introduced the term PBIS as it would be used in schools, and while early applications of PBIS focused on the behavior of an individual, PBIS has since developed into a multi-tiered framework of effective interventions for entire schools, classrooms, and individuals. – Peshak George, 2018
Both PBS and PBIS are grounded in the notion of creating a life of quality and purpose, made possible by a supportive environment. No one assessment, intervention or problem-solving approach is a “PBS approach.” Rather, PBS and PBIS are inclusive of multiple evidence-based strategies that respect the dignity of the individual with behavioral needs as well as the systems and participants that support the individual. – Kincaid et al., 2016
Graduate Certificate Program in Positive Behavior Support
The University of South Florida in partnership with the Florida Center for Inclusive Communities offers a fully online Graduate Certificate in Positive Behavior Support. This online certificate program offers a 12 credit hour course of study designed to prepare individuals currently working in mental health, school psychology, school administration, education, early education, and social work to implement Positive Behavior Interventions and Support (PBIS) in schools, early childhood, and community settings. The certificate program includes classes focused on providing consultation and guiding collaboration, implementing school wide positive behavior support, addressing behavior challenges in young children, and intensive individualized interventions.
For more information, you can contact program coordinator Laura Rodríguez López at 813-974-3126 or at lrodri11@usf.edu.
