Shepherd/Linn, Behavior and Classroom Management in the Multicultural Classroom
Chapter 13
School-Wide Positive Behavior Support
Components of School-Wide Positive Behavior Support
• A school-wide positive behavior support (SWPBS) program is a proactive, positive
strategy designed to promote acceptable behavioral expectations for all students within
the school and establish a safe school environment in which learning can take place.
• The six core components of an SWPBS program are:
2. Clear expectations of student behaviors.
4. A continuum of procedures for reinforcing expected behaviors using tangible and
intangible incentives.
6. Procedures for using data to assess the effectiveness of the program.
Implementation of SWPBS
• Teachers, administrators, and support staff must be involved in the development and
implementation of SWPBS in order for the program to be effective and sustainable.
Shared Vision
o Teachers must feel a sense of ownership of the innovation in the development and
implementation of a SWPBS program for it to be successful.
o The shared vision should be described clearly in a mission statement that:
1. identifies the purpose of the program;
Administrative Support
o Administrative support ensures that teachers have the resources and the time to
implement SWPBS.
o The school principal is usually the key administrator involved in the development,
implementation, and sustainability of SWPBS.
Shepherd/Linn, Behavior and Classroom Management in the Multicultural Classroom
Continuous Regeneration
o Teachers need to compare their current practices with the changing needs of the
students on a continuous basis and constantly adjust, or regenerate, those practices.
Tiers of SWPBS
▪ School-wide positive behavior support has been envisioned as an approach providing
multiple tiers of behavior support. Most SWPBS programs have three tiers: universal
interventions (Tier 1), targeted interventions (Tier 2), and individualized interventions
(Tier 3).
Tier 1: Universal Interventions
o There are five steps to implementing Tier 1:
1. Develop five culturally responsive classroom rules.
3. Develop consequences for students who do not comply with school-wide rules
and expectations.
5. Collect and use data from universal screening and continuous progress monitoring
to make decisions regarding students’ progress.
o At-risk students can be identified through office referrals, teacher nomination,
continuous progress monitoring, and universal screening.
o Teachers should look at office referrals for patterns of student behaviors and examine
the times and places where the behaviors occur.
o Teachers use their professional judgment to nominate students whose needs cannot be
met through the use of universal classroom strategies to Tier 2.
Tier 2: Targeted Interventions
o The targeted interventions at Tier 2 include small-group instruction, teacher-mediated
instruction, peer-mediated instruction, and self-management strategies.
o The Behavior Education Program provides frequent feedback on social behaviors and
rewards students for demonstrating appropriate behavior. The elements of the
program include (a) daily check-in, (b) feedback from classroom teachers throughout
the day, (c) daily check-out, (d) data collection with progress monitoring, and (e)
parent feedback.
o Tier 3 provides individualized interventions for students who have multifaceted
behavioral and emotional difficulties.
o Tier 3 supports may include one-on-one instruction or counseling, intensive small-
group interventions, and interventions provided by specialists.
o Wraparound services are team-based interventions that provide the necessary
planning and implementation of care services for students with emotional and
behavioral difficulties and their families. Wraparound services focus on (a) reducing
the problem behavior of the student and improving the quality of life of the student
o Functional behavioral assessment, functional behavior analysis, and behavior
intervention plans should be used to help develop intensive supports for students
receiving interventions and strategies at Tier 3.
Shepherd/Linn, Behavior and Classroom Management in the Multicultural Classroom
Benefits of SWPBS
Cultural Impact on SWPBS
• SWPBS has the potential to reduce the disproportionate discipline outcomes of culturally
and linguistically diverse students.
Teacher Self-Efficacy
• A well-developed and well-implemented SWPBS program can have positive effects on
teachers’ sense of self-efficacy.
• Teacher self-efficacy can be defined as a teacher’s belief in his or her ability to affect
student learning even with the most difficult students.