By Andrew M.I. Lee, J.D.

If your child struggles with behavior, you may worry about your child getting in trouble at school. Some schools have tried to be proactive and encourage good behavior through an approach called PBIS. PBIS stands for positive behavioral interventions and supports. Here’s what you need to know about PBIS.

What Is PBIS?
PBIS is an approach schools can use to improve school safety and promote positive behavior. It also helps schools decide how to respond to a child who misbehaves.

At its heart, PBIS calls on schools to teach kids about behavior, just as they would teach about any other subject—like reading or math. PBIS recognizes that kids can only meet behavior expectations if they know what the expectations are. A hallmark of a school using PBIS is that everyone knows what’s appropriate behavior. Throughout the school day—in class, at lunch and on the bus—kids understand what’s expected of them.

Read more. Understood.