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Columbia Public School Positive Behavior Support Purpose Statement:

Positive Behavior Support is a collaborative process for structuring the learning environment to support the academic and social success of all students. Clearly defined universal behavioral expectations and the resulting common language used by all community members across settings and buildings:

• Provides a unified teaching focus and maximizes efficiency of instructional time

• Increases use of appropriate behaviors

• Increases student time in academic instruction

• Supports a positive learning and working climate

• Creates a more predictable learning environment K-12

• Fosters improved communication among students, faculty, staff, parents and other community members

• Efficiently provides extra supports for at-risk student populations.

Therefore, Positive Behavior Support addresses all of the Columbia Public Schools Board of Education goals: increasing student achievement, eliminating the achievement gap, and increasing efficient use of resources.

~Drafted October 30, 2006

"Positive Behavioral Support (PBS) is a general term that refers to the application of positive behavioral interventions and systems to achieve socially important behavior change. Positive behavioral support is not a new intervention package, nor a new theory of behavior, but an application of a behaviorally-based systems approach to enhancing the capacity of schools, families, and communities to design effective environments that improve the fit or link between research-validated practices and the environments in which teaching and learning occurs." (Sugai, et, all, 1999).

Visit the PBS National Headquarters  as well as the Missouri School-Wide Positive Behavior Support to learn more about PBS at the state and national levels.

Columbia Public School's PBS History

From 1999-2004 several Columbia Public Schools (CPS) elementary schools participated in a collaborative research project with Dr Tim Lewis to implement PBS. Dr. Lewis is a faculty member of the Special Education Department,  the Associate Dean of Research and Graduate Studies for the  the College of Education at the University of Missouri-Columbia, and is a research partner in the PBS National Center. At the beginning of the 2005-2006 school year PBS went district-wide.  The rest of the Columbia Public Schools' Positive Behavior Support District-wide initiative is briefly outlined in a CPS PBS 2005-2008 Timeline as well as in the Columbia Public Schools' Positive Behavior Support Brochure.

CLASSIC CPS PBS  Quotes

Overheard statement of a PBS Administrator:

“PBS is a philosophy, not a program. PBS work is hard, PBS work is worth it, PBS work is never done.”

Overheard at CPS PBS Coaches Training:

"PBS has to be a TEAM SPORT! Everyone in the building must participate to make it work!"

Overhead at a team PBS meeting:

"We ALL want to WORK AT a PBS building, but we DON'T WANT TO MAKE a PBS building!"

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This webpage was last updated on June 9, 2008

This web page will no longer be regularly updated.

The Columbia School District does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, disability, age, or use of leave protected by the Family and Medical Leave Act, in its programs, activities, or with regard to employment.  The Columbia Board of Education is an equal opportunity employer.

        Contact the CPS PBS Coordinator at JARMENT@columbia.k12.mo.us