A recent question was posed by a principal in one of our ND schools – “We are currently looking to create a PBIS plan to utilize for K-12. Please let me know what you have and what we need to know in the creation and implementation.” As part of our NDMTSS supports for schools, we emphasize the use of data to understand the context of a school’s reality and match that to evidence-based instruction and implementation practices. The following is an example of the resources, assessments, and training supports available to schools in ND, specifically around Positive Behavior Intervention Supports (PBIS).

The following items have been developed by the PBIS Center to support schools looking to implement a strong schoolwide PBIS system. Within our NDMTSS trainings, we typically have schools complete the first two listed below (BOQ & School Climate Survey) to establish their readiness and current reality. Our PBIS: Developing Schoolwide Behavior Expectations trainings then focus on clearly defining each core component in the BOQ and identifying evidence-based strategies on how to implement. After self-assessing and establishing current reality, teams then prioritize and develop their action plans for implementation based on their own unique context. The 10 critical components being implemented well would indicate a strong schoolwide system in any building and these resources are available to any/all.

Tier 1 Benchmarks of Quality (BOQ) –  This assessment allows school teams to examine their Tier 1 implementation fidelity, document whether it has been effective, and identify strengths and weaknesses for action planning. The manual provides instructions on how to administer the BoQ and includes the complete assessment tool with supporting materials.

School Climate Survey – The School Climate Survey Suite is a set of four multidimensional surveys to measure student, teacher, administrator, faculty, and family perceptions of school climate: elementary, middle/high, school personnel, and family. The surveys are brief, reliable, and valid for assessing perceived school climate among students in Grades 3-12. Teams can use each survey separately or in combination to assess perceptions. Each survey includes a set of demographic questions about the participant and a number of questions related to school climate with Likert-scale response option.

Additionally, there are additional tools that expand on the multiple tiers of support – addressing Tier 1 schoolwide, Tier 1 Classroom, Tier 2, and Tier 3 – that we use with schools who identify this as their need and who are monitoring progress in implementation and sustainability:

PBIS Self-Assessment Survey (SAS) – The PBIS Self-Assessment Survey (SAS) is used by school staff for initial and annual assessment of effective behavior support systems in their school. The survey examines the status and need for improvement of four behavior support systems: (a) Tier 1 schoolwide systems, (b) Tier 1 classroom systems, (c) Tier 2 systems, and (d) Tier 3 systems. Each question in the survey relates to one of the four systems.

Tiered-Fidelity Inventory – (3.0 – Newest version) The purpose of the Tiered Fidelity Inventory (TFI) 3.0 is to provide a valid, reliable, and efficient measure of the extent to which school personnel are applying the core features of Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS). The TFI is divided into three sections (Tier 1: Universal PBIS Features; Tier 2: Targeted PBIS Features; and Tier 3: Intensive PBIS Features) that can be used separately or in combination to assess the extent to which core features are in place.

School-wide Evaluation Tool (SET) – The School-wide Evaluation Tool (SET) is designed to assess and evaluate the critical features of school-wide effective behavior support across each academic school year.

Hope this helps a little as you dig in! This is just one example of how our NDMTSS coaches and trainings can help support any school in their PBIS/MTSS journey. Visit our website: www.ndmtss.org or reach out if you have any questions. The NDMTSS team would be happy to assist!