Additional settings for Safari Browser.
Positive Behavior Support in Schools (PBSIS)
Positive Behavior Support in Schools (PBSIS)
Clifton Public Schools has partnered with the state network New Jersey Positive Behavior Support In Schools (NJ PBSIS), known nationally as Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS). This alliance provides training and technical assistance on the multi-tiered PBIS framework at no cost to the school district. NJ PBSIS is a collaboration between the New Jersey Department of Education Office of Special Education and The Boggs Center, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, funded by I.D.E.A. Part B.
Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is an evidence-based, tiered framework for supporting students’ behavioral, academic, social, emotional, and mental health. When implemented with fidelity, PBIS improves social-emotional competence, academic success, and school climate. It also enhances teachers’ health and well-being. PBIS helps schools create positive, predictable, equitable, and safe learning environments where everyone thrives.
PBIS and MTSS in Clifton Public Schools
In Clifton, PBIS serves as a key component of our district’s Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS). MTSS is our comprehensive framework for organizing academic, behavioral, and social-emotional supports across three tiers. PBIS provides the behavioral and climate foundation within MTSS, helping schools:
-
Establish consistent expectations and routines
-
Promote positive school climate and relationships
-
Use data to identify student needs
-
Provide targeted Tier 2 and Tier 3 interventions
-
Support staff through predictable systems and consistent practices
For additional information, please visit the Center on PBIS.
Behavior Support
-
To maintain consistency and clarity in addressing student behavior, Clifton Public Schools categorizes incidents into two types as defined by Clifton Public Schools Code of Conduct:
A Special Action Referral (SAR) is used to address significant or repeated behavior issues that go beyond what can be managed in the classroom. These behaviors often involve violations of school rules, safety concerns, or actions that disrupt the learning environment. Teachers or staff members document these incidents through a formal referral process, which involves school administration to ensure appropriate interventions are provided.
A Staff-Managed Infraction (SMI) addresses minor or low-level behaviors that occur within the classroom or school setting. These behaviors, while less severe, still require timely intervention by teachers or staff to maintain a positive and productive learning environment. SMIs do not typically involve administration but are an important part of reinforcing expectations and guiding students.
-
The definitions and guidelines for SARs and SMIs are specifically tailored to meet the developmental and behavioral needs of students at both the elementary and middle/high school levels. These distinctions help ensure that behavioral concerns are handled in a fair, consistent, and age-appropriate manner, contributing to a safe and welcoming school environment for all students.
-
5 Systems & Practices
-
Full implementation of the PBSIS framework with fidelity aligns with Clifton School Districts’ goals and objectives. Leadership teams work with school and community members to promote high expectations for all students. We support educators’ roles in implementing this framework, adapting practices to meet students' individual needs, and disaggregating data through a student group to ensure success for all.
-
The foundational systems establish the way our schools and programs operate. These foundational systems include teaming structures, training, coaching, and other support for educators. In PBSIS, these systems support accurate, sustainable implementation of practices and the effective use of data to achieve better outcomes.
-
Within the PBSIS framework, our teams use data to select, monitor and evaluate outcomes, practices, and systems across all three tiers.
-
The school and classroom practices implemented are critical to supporting students and creating a positive school climate. In PBIS, these interventions and strategies are backed by research and target the outcomes identified by Clifton Public Schools Stakeholders.
-
The ultimate goal of implementing PBSIS data, systems, and practices is to improve educational outcomes. Families, students, and educators set goals and work together to achieve them. In PBSIS, outcomes might include behavioral, social, emotional, and academic growth, in addition to improved school climate and decreased office conduct referrals.
PBSIS Goals
-
- A shared vision for a positive school social culture.
- A supportive and involved school administration.
- A representative leadership team that meets regularly and shares expertise in coaching, social-emotional, behavioral, academic, equity, mental health, physical health, wellness, and trauma.
- Families and community members are actively engaged.
- On-going access to professional development for preparing all staff to implement each tier of PBIS across all content areas.
- Collaboration and alignment with the Counseling Department.
- Systematic collection of screening, progress monitoring, outcome, and fidelity data.
- Ongoing use of data for decision-making.
- Disaggregating data to examine equity among student subgroups.
Implementation of multi-tiered systems of support foster learning environments that contribute to everyone:- Being safe emotionally, physically, and socially.
- Experiencing success every day.
- Receiving what they need to be successful.
- Working together to achieve goals.
- Feeling welcomed and valued.
-
Tier 1 systems, data, and practices support students, educators, and staff across all school settings. They establish a foundation for positive and proactive support. Tier 1 support is robust and differentiated and enables most (80% or more) students to experience success. Tier 1 practices include:
- Collaboration with students, families, and educators to define positive school/program-wide expectations and prioritize appropriate social, emotional, and behavioral skills.
- Aligning classroom expectations with school/program-wide expectations.
- Directly teaching expectations and skills to set all students up for success.
- Encouraging and acknowledging expected behavior.
- Preventing and responding to unwanted behavior in a respectful, instructional manner.
- Fostering school/program-family partnerships.
-
In addition to the Tier 1 foundation, students receiving Tier 2 supports get an added layer of systems, data, and practices targeting their specific needs. On average, about 10-15% of students need Tier 2 support. The support provided at Tier 2 is more focused than at Tier 1 and less intensive than at Tier 3. Tier 2 practices include:
- Providing additional instruction and practice for behavioral, social, emotional, and academic skills.
- Increasing adult support and supervision.
- Providing additional opportunities for positive reinforcement.
- Increasing prompts or reminders.
- Increasing access to academic support.
- Increasing school-family communication.
-
In most schools and programs, a small number (1-5%) of students for whom Tier 1 and Tier 2 support have not been sufficient to experience success. At Tier 3, students receive more intensive, individualized support to improve their outcomes. Tier 3 supports are available to any student with intensive needs, whether they receive special education services or not. Tier 3 practices include:
- Engaging students, educators, and families in function-based problem-solving and intervention planning.
- Coordinating support through wraparound and person-centered planning.
- Implementing individualized, comprehensive, and function-based support.