Here’s a Tier 1 PBIS Problem-Solving Template that you can use to examine your behavior data (PBIS, discipline, etc.).
-by Dr. Tim Grivois, Executive Director
Start at the top with “Text Message Version of the Problem.” That could be anything at all you see in your behavior data that is causing your school a problem. Usually, it sounds like “Middle school students are vaping in bathrooms” or “3-5 grade is engaging in minor physical contact on the playground.”
Note: I like to limit issues to the last 30 days so we’re not solving August’s problems in February.
Prevention: This is one we often get wrong. You’ll want to use the word “teach” or “reteach” in this section, but a prevention strategy is different. It’s something we do to make the behavior impossible, or at least as unattractive as we can. For example, if middle school students are vaping in bathrooms, we might have non-classroom staff take turns checking the paper towel levels randomly throughout the day.
Recognition: This one doesn’t always apply…for example, it’s a bit weird to recognize students for not vaping, but it’s a great strategy to build new habits in classrooms and playgrounds. For example, if students don’t get in trouble for minor physical contact for a week, we might give that grade five minutes of extra recess.
Reteach: This one is easy if you already have PBIS lesson plans. Just pick out the lesson plan for that space and reteach it to the kids causing the issue.
Corrective Consequence: It’s harder than it sounds sometimes. MS vaping might mean that students caught vaping in bathrooms can use the bathroom in the health office for the rest of the semester, or ES students hitting on the playground might have a jump rope to play with to keep their hands busy instead of having free choice at recess.
Can I do it? This is the most important part. Sometimes, schools plan interventions that are too hard to really do effectively, so asking this final question savagely is essential.
You can also use this template informally for individual student support planning, especially when the student won’t be eligible for 504 or IEP supports. Just think about the smallest, text-message version of the issue that the student most needs to solve, and use the rest of the strategies as your initial interventions.
Finally, you don’t need to use every strategy. In fact, I’d recommend spending 80% or more of your time designing an effective prevention strategy. It’s much more effective than dealing with behaviors after they occur.
Final Note: The Tier 1 PBIS Problem-Solving Template is meant to be easy, but it’s also meant to prompt action. The best school-wide solution isn’t the one that has the most strategies…it’s the one that makes a promise you know you can keep.