School-wide Positive Behaviour Support (SWPBS) is an evidence-based framework for preventing and responding to behaviour problems in schools. It aims to create a positive school climate, a culture of student competence and an open, responsive high expectations management system for school leaders, staff students and parents/carers (Sugai and Horner, 2002).
School-wide Positive Behaviour Support (SWPBS) comprises a broad range of systemic and individualised strategies for achieving important student social and learning outcomes, while also preventing problem behaviour among students.
SWPBS requires commitment by the whole school community. All SWPBS schools implement seven essential features:
1. Leadership
The leadership team leads the school through a process of developing and gaining consensus on beliefs, expectations and procedures along with a written plan. This full staff involvement in the process is crucial.
2. Defining expected behaviour
Just as schools rely on the direction provided by their academic curriculums, success with student behaviour support begins with clear behavioural expectations – a behavioural curriculum. These expectations are a vision of responsible student behaviour and social competence. Staff, students and parents were involved in the development of the St Brigid’s College Matrix of Expected Behaviours in 2022/23. Click here to view our Matrix of Expected Behaviours.
3. Teaching expected behaviour
Systematic teaching of the expected behaviours becomes a routine part of the school day. This teaching uses the same methods as teaching academic skills through modelling, practice and feedback.
4. Encouraging expected behaviours
Staff provide regular feedback to students about their behavioural progress. Creating a school culture where expected behaviours are the norm requires staff positively interacting with students more frequently when they have engaged in appropriate behaviour than when the student is demonstrating unproductive behaviour. St Brigid’s College uses a commendation system to encourage and acknowledge students displaying the expected behaviours. Click here to view our Acknowledgement of Positive Behaviours Flowchart.
5. Raising engagement – school practices
These practices impact academic engagement and ultimately student achievement while ensuring a positive and welcoming learning environment. They represent the facets of classroom teaching under the teacher’s control that have been identified as evidence-based practices to maximise engagement for all students.
6. Responses to inappropriate behaviour
Inappropriate behaviour requires feedback and should be viewed as a teaching opportunity. The same calm instructional approach used when students make academic errors should be used to correct behavioural errors. The development of a continuum of responses to misbehaviour provides staff with the tools to effectively respond. Click here to view out SWPBS Behaviour Managment Flowchart.
7. Ongoing monitoring
The use of data focuses a school’s efforts by identifying areas in need of improvement as well as those operating well, and keeps the effort alive by providing feedback or knowledge of results that promote consistent implementation and renewal. Data is used to monitor student behaviour and the SWPBS implementation process.