Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is a schoolwide framework designed to build positive school climates and support student behavior through proactive, data-informed practices. Rather than reacting to problem behavior after it occurs, PBIS focuses on teaching expectations, reinforcing positive behaviors, and providing targeted supports when students need more help.
PBIS is organized around a multi-tiered framework that offers more intensive support as students’ behavioral needs increase. This tiered approach enables schools to provide the appropriate level of behavioral intervention while maintaining a robust foundation of universal practices for all students.
Tier 1: Universal supports - Schoolwide expectations, routines, and positive behavior instruction provided to all students that help establish a safe, consistent, and predictable learning environment
Tier 2: Small group intervention - Targeted social, behavioral, and personal interventions for students who need more support than Tier 1 can provide, delivered in small groups focused on closing skill gaps
Tier 3: One-on-one intervention - Intensive, individualized behavioral supports for students who demonstrate ongoing or significant needs
PBIS relies on flexible movement between tiers based on student need and their responses to regular assessments. Students are identified for targeted small group interventions at Tier 2 via assessment data. Progress is monitored regularly to determine whether the support is effective and if a student may return to Tier 1 supports, whether the need is going, or whether
more intensive, Tier 3 support is needed.
Assessment and progress monitoring play a central role in effective PBIS implementation. Schools use data to understand student behavior patterns, evaluate intervention effectiveness, and guide decision making across all tiers.
PBIS systems often include both formative and summative assessments to track student growth over time. Formative assessments support ongoing progress monitoring and allow for timely adjustments. Summative assessments help students and educators identify areas of strength and growth throughout the school year. These tools help educators monitor progress related to durable skill building, personal and emotional development, and overall well-being.
Both frameworks utilize tiered systems to support students; however, a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) is broader and more comprehensive than PBIS.
To learn more about MTSS, check out What is MTSS? Everything Educators Should Know from the Wayfinder blog.
The tiered intervention system is also a core feature of the Response to Intervention (RTI) framework. To learn more about RTI, check out MTSS vs. RTI: The Essential Components, Overlaps, and Differences on our blog.
Overall, PBIS has a narrower aim than MTSS. PBIS focuses on behavior, school climate, and building students’ emotional intelligence. MTSS, on the other hand, uses a single, integrated framework to address academic, behavioral, and personal needs.
MTSS also extends beyond its core interventions. Effective MTSS implementation may require professional learning for educators and support staff, including alignment of resources across academic and behavioral systems. At an administrative level, it also prioritizes shared decision making and intentional attention to school culture and student well-being.
PBIS is often implemented in conjunction with MTSS as the behavioral and climate-focused component within the model. While PBIS strengthens systems for behavior support, MTSS aligns those systems with academic instruction, intervention, and broader schoolwide practices. In this way, PBIS and MTSS work best when implemented together as complementary frameworks rather than separate initiatives.
What does PBIS stand for in education?
PBIS stands for Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports. It is a framework used to improve student behavior, school climate, and overall well-being through proactive, data-informed practices.
How many tiers are in PBIS?
PBIS typically includes three tiers: universal supports (Tier 1), targeted small group interventions (Tier 2), and intensive individualized supports (Tier 3).
How does PBIS use data?
PBIS uses assessment and progress monitoring data to identify student needs, evaluate the effectiveness of interventions, and guide students’ movement through intervention tiers.
What is the main difference between MTSS and PBIS?
PBIS focuses primarily on behavior and school climate, while MTSS addresses academic, behavioral, social, and emotional needs through a unified framework.
Is PBIS part of MTSS?
PBIS is often considered a key component of behavioral management within a broader MTSS framework.
Why do schools implement PBIS within MTSS?
Integrating PBIS into MTSS helps schools align behavior supports with academic instruction, assessment, and whole-student support systems, improving outcomes across the school community.