Why PBIS? Benefits of PBIS in Schools 

What is PBIS in the classroom?

Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) refers to a system for promoting a positive school culture through a tiered system of interventions. Schoolwide PBIS efforts focus on the cumulative impact of positive behavior and provide a framework for defining behavioral expectations and setting out the rewards for meeting those expectations.

With PBIS, schools can reduce the need for time-intensive individualized behavioral plans by proactively addressing the needs of students through clear expectations and interventions that are sustainable and effective.

Positive behavior intervention strategies are informed by data that help identify underlying causes of disruptive behavior, analyze patterns, and review interventions to determine their effects on student behavior. The end goal is to identify ways to support positive behavior choices while offering new strategies to decrease inappropriate behaviors.

Progress toward schoolwide PBIS goals begins at the individual level. Teachers work closely with students to promote PBIS expectations and establish the rewards for meeting those expectations. Most classrooms, for example, operate at a Tier 1 level, or generalized support that is aimed at the student body as a whole and meets the needs of most students.

However, some students may need additional support from the start. Students with diverse learning needs—including those who are neurodiverse, experience sensory sensitivities, or are multilingual learners—may require more individualized approaches within the PBIS framework. Additional interventions and accommodations aren’t a failure of the system but rather an integral part of PBIS’s tiered approach, ensuring that all students receive the level of support they need to succeed.

Combining the principles of PBIS with daily classroom routines can create a foundation for lasting positive change. Here are four key benefits of PBIS in schools.

4 PBIS benefits to create a lasting positive change

1. Classroom PBIS improves academic outcomes

The implementation of PBIS in the classroom can improve student outcomes. However, critics point out that school discipline practices, including some PBIS implementations, can perpetuate biases by labeling behaviors as “disruptive” or “inappropriate” when they may simply reflect cultural differences in communication styles, neurodivergent traits, or responses to trauma. For PBIS to be effective and equitable, programs must be clearly defined and implemented with high fidelity and with explicit attention to equity and cultural responsiveness to provide the foundation for a healthy learning environment.

Well-defined expectations are just one piece of the puzzle for classroom PBIS. A robust PBIS program will be flexible and based on ongoing observation of student behavior and progress. Importantly, effective PBIS is built on a foundation of authentic relationships between teachers and students. When students feel valued and connected to their teacher, they have a better chance at meeting behavioral expectations because they feel a genuine sense of belonging and trust in the classroom community. Teachers must also engage in regular reflection about whether their expectations are truly necessary for learning or whether they reflect personal or cultural preferences that may marginalize some students.

When behavioral expectations are clear and consistently reinforced, and genuinely necessary for a safe learning environment, students spend less time off-task and more time engaged in learning. This creates more opportunities for academic growth and allows teachers to focus on instruction rather than managing disruptions.

Because PBIS is an ongoing process of continuous evaluation, teachers can recognize and better understand the root causes behind behaviors that may be challenging in the classroom context. These underlying factors might include unmet sensory needs, language barriers, trauma, cultural differences in communication styles, or challenges occurring outside of school. With this understanding, teachers can provide targeted interventions and support, such as visual schedules, movement breaks, additional processing time, or connection with specialists, that help students develop the skills they need before learning opportunities are lost. This evaluation process should also include examining whether the behavioral expectations themselves need to be adjusted to be more inclusive.

2. Classroom PBIS reduces the incidence of disciplinary issues

The framework for teaching positive behavior involves defining expectations, then outlining both the rewards for exhibiting them and the consequences of not meeting them.

Discipline in the classroom can be fraught due to poorly defined expectations for behavior. Teachers also can’t know all the context behind why a student acts in a certain way and what might be happening outside of school.

PBIS is designed to define behavioral expectations clearly and provide a flexible framework for supporting all students. PBIS recognizes that students express themselves and engage with learning in different ways, and what works for one student may not work for another. Effective PBIS provides a framework for supporting positive behaviors while appreciating individual differences, including cultural and neurodiverse ones. When teachers can successfully communicate behavioral expectations while remaining responsive to each student’s unique needs and circumstances, they create an environment where all students can thrive.

The focus of PBIS is to support students in developing skills for navigating their school environment successfully, rather than relying on reacting or punishing them for not meeting expectations. Research shows that when schools use PBIS, student discipline issues are reduced significantly.

With a framework that focuses on promoting positive behaviors rather than a punitive framework that seeks to punish, teachers who understand PBIS can more accurately diagnose and address the underlying needs behind potentially disruptive behaviors before they escalate.

3. Classroom PBIS provides consistency

Another important benefit of PBIS is that it provides consistency in the classroom. The classroom offers the best environment for learning and practicing positive behaviors. This is because PBIS principles are most effectively reinforced when practiced with the same people, day after day. Rather than emphasizing rigid compliance with expectations, PBIS is about creating a supportive environment where students can develop skills at their own pace. PBIS encourages celebrating progress toward goals, not just meeting expectations perfectly. This approach recognizes that growth looks different for each student and values effort and improvement as much as outcomes. As teachers infuse daily classroom life with PBIS principles, they show students how positive behaviors can improve their daily lives, both inside and outside of the classroom.

Classroom management can be thought of as a series of interactions between teacher and student that reinforce good behaviors and prevent negative ones from emerging. Classroom PBIS can support students in practicing critical competencies in everyday interactions by implementing the following:

Routines

Routines are activities that students anticipate each day, such as completing a “Do Now” activity at the beginning of class or an exit ticket at the end. They’re predictable, which is important for the broader goal of establishing clarity in behavior expectations.

Classroom routines provide many opportunities for reinforcing positive behaviors. For instance, when students have to stand in line, teachers can use this as an opportunity for modeling by, for example, showing how to move aside so that someone else can pass by. Teachers should also take advantage of inevitable disruptions or conflicts to keep the peace, such as addressing side conversations that distract from the lesson. When students see how these small daily routines help them navigate their day more successfully, it’s easier for them to apply those skills in other settings as well. Importantly, routines should be flexible enough to accommodate different student needs while still providing the structure that supports learning.

Check-ins

A check-in is an open dialogue with a student about their day, their progress on tasks or goals they’ve set for themselves, and any problems they may be having. These facilitated discussions offer teachers the chance to model positive behaviors while students get the opportunity to observe, practice, and discuss how these prosocial behaviors improve their lives.

Beyond serving as opportunities to reinforce PBIS principles, check-ins are essential for building authentic relationships with students. When teachers consistently make time to listen to students’ experiences, concerns, and perspectives, they create the trust necessary for effective classroom management. These moments of genuine connection help teachers understand each student as an individual, making it easier to provide support that meets their needs and to recognize when something might be affecting their behavior.

PBIS works best when teachers collaborate with families and specialists to ensure strategies are affirming. Families bring invaluable insights into their child’s strengths, needs, and cultural context that can help teachers tailor their approach. By including families in students’ PBIS plans and progress, teachers create a partnership that reinforces positive behaviors across home and school settings. Regular communication with families, whether through conferences, progress updates, or informal check-ins, ensures that everyone supporting the student is working together with a shared understanding of goals and strategies.

In the hands of a knowledgeable teacher, a classroom check-in offers many benefits. Thoughtfully designed prompts and activities give students opportunities to talk with others about non-academic topics, a structure for discussing challenging issues without conflict, and a comfortable space to prepare for learning.

Feedback

Feedback is an ongoing conversation between the teacher and students about specific academic work or personal development needs that a student may have. This conversation can involve both praise (specifically intended to reinforce good behavior) and correction (specifically meant to prevent further disruptive behavior).

Importantly, feedback should flow in both directions. While teachers provide guidance to students, creating a classroom environment where students feel safe enough to give feedback to their teacher is equally crucial. When students can respectfully share what’s working or not working for them in the classroom, it strengthens the teacher-student relationship and helps teachers adjust their approaches to better meet student needs. This reciprocal feedback culture demonstrates that the classroom is a shared space where everyone’s voice matters.

When students know how to receive appropriate feedback, they have a “superpower” that will greatly advantage their school and personal relationships. Therefore, activities designed to improve classroom PBIS can also serve to normalize the process of self-evaluation and how to give and receive constructive, respectful feedback.

4. Classroom PBIS supports schoolwide PBIS goals

Classroom PBIS is most effective when it aligns with schoolwide PBIS initiatives. When the entire school adopts consistent behavioral expectations and reinforcement systems, the impact of individual classroom efforts is amplified throughout the building.

Teachers can reinforce schoolwide values through classroom routines, check-ins, and feedback, creating multiple touchpoints throughout the day for students to practice positive behaviors.

At the same time, effective PBIS implementation recognizes that consistency doesn’t mean rigidity. Teachers can maintain schoolwide expectations while providing individualized accommodations that help each student succeed. For example, for students who find waiting in line challenging, teachers can offer alternative strategies such as visual cues, movement breaks, or the option to be line leader or caboose. A student who isn’t the best with transitions might benefit from a five-minute warning before switching activities, while another student might need a quiet space to regroup when feeling overwhelmed. These accommodations don’t undermine consistency—they demonstrate that PBIS is flexible enough to meet diverse student needs.

When students see the same expectations reinforced in every setting across the school, they develop a deeper understanding of why these behaviors matter, making it more likely they’ll carry these positive behaviors beyond the school walls.

PBIS principles in action

There are many PBIS benefits to both students and teachers when a PBIS program is implemented effectively. Classroom PBIS is an integral part of a schoolwide effort to promote positive behaviors. The application of these principles in the classroom can be so powerful that they can have a significant impact on teachers’ relationships with students, even in the absence of a schoolwide program.

Students in schools that implement a PBIS program learn what constitutes appropriate behaviors—such as following directions, being respectful, and working quietly when appropriate—and are given opportunities to practice those behaviors. Rewards are provided when students meet their goals.

If PBIS is delivered with consistency at the classroom and school level, students begin to see how positive behaviors contribute to safer and more productive schools. By seeing PBIS principles in action, they are more likely to comply with rules and engage in prosocial behavior both within and outside of school. That’s because they see principles such as responsibility, empathy, equity, kindness, and self-respect as more than just abstract concepts. They will know how the power of positive behaviors will open doors for them in every aspect of their lives.

This article was adapted from a blog post initially developed by the education technology company Classcraft, which was acquired by HMH in 2023. The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of HMH.

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