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School Wide Positive Behavior Support (SWPBS) Unit

About SWPBS

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Steve Goodman, PhD (SWPBS expert from Michigan) working
with the SWPBS team from Reginald F. Chavez Elementary
in Sept. 2010

Since its inception more than 13 years ago at the University of Oregon, Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports (PBIS) has developed into a framework that can be used by any school to help improve the social and learning behaviors of students and decrease disruptions that interfere with instruction. PBIS is being implemented in more than 10% of nation’s schools (13,330) and twenty five (25) schools in Albuquerque, including elementary, middle, and high schools.

Why School Wide Positive Behavior Support (SWPBS)?

Schools are discovering that PBIS:

  • Helps to create a positive school climate.
  • Results in increased time for instruction and fewer disciplinary events.
  • Addresses the behavioral needs of ALL students with proven, easy to implement strategies.
  • Allows the school to create the “right fit” for them, so that practices are appropriate to the context and sustainable over time.
  • Is doable and does not have to overwhelm staff given the limited time and resources that schools generally experience.
  • Is affordable.
"The H&W department has been a support in the school-wide component of SWPBS. They’re working with the team that’s taking SWPBS out into the school. It wasn’t working when we didn’t have support from the district. When we got that support from the district and that direction, it helped focus us on where our holes were. We had been trying to figure it out for ourselves, but we really didn’t know what the program was supposed to look like."

Glenn Wilcox, Principal, Mark Twain ES, Spring 2011

What is School Wide Positive Behavior Support (SWPBS)?

School Wide Positive Behavior Support (SWPBS) is the application of a behaviorally-based systems approach to enhance teaching and learning. It increases the capacity of schools, families and communities to create effective educational environments by using the Response-to-Intervention (RtI) model. It includes research-validated practices applied to the environment in which teaching and learning occurs.

School Wide Positive Behavior Support in APS

  • 2008-2009: The SWPBS Initiative was in the planning phase. Self-implementing schools were supported by the district team.
  • 2009-2010: Cohort 1 & 2 (22 schools) began the 3-5 year process with the district team by building the first level of prevention/intervention to teach school success behaviors to all students.
  • 2010-2011: Participating Cohort 1 & 2 schools will work with the district team to begin building the second level of intervention to further support students who show a need for intervention. Cohort 3 (11 schools) will be trained in Tier 1 supports.
  • 2011-2012: Cohort 1 & 2 schools will work with the district team to begin building
    the third level of intervention for students who demonstrate an intense need and Cohort 3 schools will be trained in Tier 2 and 3 supports.

SWPBS Unit’s Mission:

Enhance academic success in APS by utilizing a systems approach to create positive social cultures and provide individualized behavioral supports needed for schools to be effective learning environments for all students.

Case Study: Mark Twain Elementary School

Read how positive incentives are encouraging students to show good behavior. More...

Contact Information:

Bernadette Sena-Carter, Program Manager
855-9792
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Morgan Morrow-Piper, SWPBS Coordinator
855-9819
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