The PBIS National Technical Assistance Center

The National Technical Assistance Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), initially funded through the U.S. Department of Education in 1998, is the go-to site for information, resources and tools for implementing, sustaining and scaling PBIS. This content-rich site contains everything from PBIS National Forum presentation videos to publications on a myriad of topics. It can be accessed at www.pbis.org.

The Center recently released a practice brief titled, Strategies for De-escalating Student Behavior in the Classroom. According to the brief, the implementation of a school-wide multi-tiered behavior framework (such as PBIS) maximizes the effectiveness of de-escalation strategies, largely due to strong student-teacher relationships and consistent instructional strategies. However, in spite of our best efforts, there will be times when challenging behaviors occur and it is helpful to be aware of strategies that are effective in each of the 4 phases of de-escalation: prevention, escalation, crisis, and recovery/restoration. This publication is an excellent resource to help teachers work through the de-escalation process when assisting students experiencing both low-level and more intense behaviors. The practice brief can be found here. 

If you’re interested in learning more about PBIS and ways in which your building or district might build capacity for supporting all students, we strongly encourage you to register here for the 2022 OLAC and PBIS Showcase: ALL IN: For Ohio’s Schools, Students and Communities. This one-day virtual conference will feature three keynote speakers and 20 on-demand, prerecorded learning sessions from Ohio districts, schools and organizations. Content will be organized around three themes:

• Leading, learning and connecting in all learning environments
• Supporting the whole child, including trauma-sensitive practices and student well-being; and
• Ensuring equitable learning opportunities.