General Overview

The main focus of Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is to provide a clear system for all expected behaviors at Dunlap School. While many faculty and students may have assumptions of what is expected behavior, we cannot assume that everyone’s beliefs are similar. Through PBIS, we will work to create and maintain a productive, safe environment in which ALL school community members have clear expectations and understandings of their role in the educational process.

Proactive Approach to School-Wide Discipline

Schools that implement school-wide systems of positive behavior support focus on taking a team-based system approach and teaching appropriate behavior to all students in the school. Schools that have been successful in building school-wide systems develop procedures to accomplish the following:

1. Behavioral Expectations are Defined. A small number of clearly defined behavioral expectations are defined in positive, simple, rules. Dunlap School’s Expectations are:

• Be Respectful
• Be Responsible
• Be Ready
• Be Dunlap

2. Behavioral Expectations are Taught. The behavioral expectations are taught to all students on campus, and are taught in real contexts. Teaching appropriate behavior involves much more than simply telling students what behaviors they should avoid. Here are the expectations taught to and expected of all Dunlap Students (larger version on back cover). Behavioral expectations are taught using the same teaching formats applied to other curricula. The general rule is presented, the rationale for the rule is discussed, positive examples (“right way”) are described and rehearsed, and negative examples (“wrong way”) are described and modeled. Students are given an opportunity to practice the “right way” until they demonstrate fluent performance.
3. Appropriate Behaviors are acknowledged. Once appropriate behaviors have been defined and taught, they need to be acknowledged on a regular basis. Dunlap has designed a formal system that rewards positive behaviors. Pawsitive Picks are forms used by the individual teacher, as a tool of encouragement and a student motivator. Students can also apply for or be nominated for being Respectful, Responsible and Ready and earning bracelets, t-shirts and other awards.
4. Behavioral Errors are Corrected Proactively. When students violate behavioral expectations, clear procedures are needed for providing information to them that their behavior was unacceptable, and preventing that unacceptable behavior from resulting in inadvertent rewards. Students, teachers, and administrators all should be able to predict what will occur when behavioral errors are identified.