Anchorage School District
District
PBIS
PBIS
PBIS
Sara Dykstra
Director, SEL & Behavior Support
(907) 742-4442
Nicole Draper
Supervisor, PBIS Implementation
(907) 742-4864
What is PBIS?
Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is an evidence-based framework for teaching and supporting positive behavior for ALL students. This school-wide approach focuses on building a safe, positive environment in which all students can learn.
Why PBIS?
The purpose of PBIS in the Anchorage School District is to create connections and foster healthy relationships that enable students to develop the social emotional learning skills necessary to be ready for college, career, and life. We do this by providing a consistent, positive, predictable, and safe place for every individual to learn and grow.
What are the benefits of implementing PBIS in schools?
Schools who successfully implement PBIS have experienced increased academic outcomes, fewer behavioral issue and discipline, reduced bullying, better attendance and decreased rates of drug/alcohol abuse. There have also been improved outcomes for teachers and staff – teachers report feeling more effective and have a better view of school safety and positive school climate.
What does PBIS look like in schools?
Schools establish clear expectations for behaviors across all school settings. Staff teach both the behavior skills and academic skills necessary to be successful. Using a common language by all staff and frequently acknowledging the expected behaviors, they create a safe learning environment with lots of time for learning. Schools collect and use data to make decisions to meet schoolwide and individual student needs. Schools seek input and communicate with families about the behavioral expectations at their school as well as the types of support that is offered for students.
Do PBIS Schools address misbehavior?
Yes! One of the misunderstandings of PBIS is that we don't address misbehavior. When schools are implementing PBIS they acknowledge that students are learning so mistakes are expected to happen - even with behavior. Staff respond to that behavior by planning ahead for how they will respond in a consistent, calm, effective manner. They remind and reteach expected behaviors and have clear consequences that are fair and transparent. Using a "tiered" approach, they identify students who are in need of more support and effectively match interventions with student need. Partnering with families in the process of providing supports is central to a PBIS approach as well.
Does PBIS Address the mental health needs of students?
ASD's PBIS framework intentionally integrates mental health into all levels of supports for students. By creating safe, positive, predictable and consistent places for students to learn, we are creating the foundation for wellness every day. By having school-based mental health professionals as part of the school's leadership team, we ensure that we are looking at "whole child" supports and interventions and can respond quickly and intentionally when student mental health needs arise.
Where can I learn more?
Watch the video linked above to see PBIS in Action in ASD. Connect with your school and ask them about how they're implementing Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports. There are a lot of great free resources online, but you can learn more here. You can also learn more about the specific resources our schools and our district are using through the linked resources.
Educators and practitioners provide a continuum of academic, behavioral, social, and emotional support matched to students’ needs. We describe this continuum across three tiers of support. The Tiered Fidelity Inventory will be the roadmap for implementation of evidence-based practices.
Tiered PBIS Framework
Foundational systems across all three tiers include:
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A shared vision for a positive school social culture
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A representative leadership team that meets regularly and shares expertise in coaching, social, emotional, behavioral, academic, equity, mental health, physical health, wellness, and trauma
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A supportive and involved school administration
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On-going access to professional development for preparing all staff to implement each tier of PBIS
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Systematic collection of screening, progress-monitoring, outcome, and fidelity data
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Ongoing use of data for decision making
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Disaggregating data to examine equity among student subgroups
Adapted from https://www.pbis.org/pbis/what-is-pbis
Project AWARE
Project AWARE
Project AWARE (Advancing Wellness and Resiliency in Education) is a comprehensive initiative by the Anchorage School District aimed at promoting the social, emotional and behavioral wellbeing for students, families, and staff across 20 schools. This program addresses Alaska’s unique challenges, including barriers to accessing essential wellness resources and the effects of life’s adversities, by implementing a comprehensive system of school-based support to promote resilience and wellbeing.
Key components of Project AWARE include:
- Evidence-Based Support: Using the Interconnected Systems Framework (ISF) and Positive Behavior Intervention Supports (PBIS), the program integrates educational, and community mental health supports to foster resiliency and create strong school environments. Additionally, we have leveraged project funding to expand PBIS district wide.
- Comprehensive Services: Services are organized across three tiers—prevention, early intervention, and intensive support—tailored to meet the needs of all students. This includes working with staff and families surrounding mental health awareness training, social emotional screenings, group supports, and access to on-site mental health clinicians.
- Capacity Building: The project trains school staff in resilience-focused practices, builds partnerships with community mental health organizations, and integrates full-time clinicians at each participating school.
- Community Engagement: Families are supported through mental health education, monthly support groups, and resources integrated into school activities.
- Needs Assessment: A required component of Project AWARE funding, the Needs Assessment identifies gaps between current and desired states in student and staff support systems to guide actionable decision-making and reporting. The assessment aims to develop actionable recommendations to enhance social, emotional, and behavioral support, promoting equitable and effective outcomes for students and staff. This assessment prioritizes input from under-resourced, minority, and underrepresented families, alongside school leadership, staff, community organizations, and cultural entities. A summary of the Needs Assessment can be found HERE. The assessment process is currently in progress, and we are at the following stage:
- We are in the process of launching a survey to better understand what helps students do their best at school, how schools support student mental health, and approaches to discipline in schools.
- We value student input as it is essential in helping ASD identify and respond to student needs. A copy of the survey can be found HERE and we thank you for encouraging your student(s) to participate.
By building infrastructure, increasing access to services and support, and fostering collaboration between schools and community partners, Project AWARE seeks to ensure all students have the support they need to thrive academically and personally. This initiative is part of ASD’s strategic plan to prepare students to be college, career, and life ready.