April 30, 2007

 

 

The Honorable George Miller                           The Honorable Buck McKeon

Chairman                                                          Ranking Minority Member

Committee on Education and Labor                  Committee on Education and Labor

United States House of Representatives            United States House of Representatives

Washington, D.C. 20515                                  Washington, D.C. 20515

 

 

Dear Representatives Miller and McKeon:

 

As part of their efforts to educate and prepare the youth of America for the future, schools must also address students’ social and emotional barriers to learning. The implementation of school-wide positive behavior supports (SW-PBS) addresses these issues and the overall climate for learning, and has been shown to facilitate improved academic outcomes and test scores. The reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) provides incredible opportunities to strengthen the education system, including promoting school-wide positive behavior supports to support student success.

 

SW-PBS is not a program, but a system, based on decades of behavioral and biomedical research. SW-PBS changes how schools respond to students, improving student behavior by reinforcing desired behaviors and eliminating inadvertent reinforcements for problem behavior. All students benefit from SW-PBS at the school-wide level (termed Tier One). However, up to 20 percent of students will need more specialized attention. Some (Tier Two) require group or individual interventions in school. Around three to seven percent of students who present the most challenging behavior (Tier Three) require individualized and more intensive services.

 

While many of the early PBS initiatives were born under the special education umbrella, the approach is most effective when implemented in a systematic, school-wide effort. SW-PBS initiatives reshape school climates into more conducive learning environments appreciated by students, staff, and school personnel. The reauthorization of ESEA provides an opportunity to integrate such promising practices into legislation as a way states and localities can enhance student outcomes and improve school climate. SW-PBS complements the academic standards laid out in No Child Left Behind.

 

Around the country, states and school districts have successfully combined SW-PBS to foster a school environment that is conducive to learning and improves children’s lives. The improved outcomes SW-PBS promotes include:

 

  • aiding in improved academic outcomes and test scores, helping schools meet the standards of No Child Left Behind for all students;
  • significantly reducing discipline problems;
  • increased climate of collaboration and a shared purpose in the school;
  • helping children who cause frequent problems in school and for whom no one has found an effective approach;
  • addressing the social-emotional needs of all children; and
  • increasing families’ involvement in their child’s education and in the school.

 

While SW-PBS is a novel idea, it is by no means a new one. Thousands of schools implement SW-PBS each day and the number is growing. There are exceptional district-wide and statewide efforts underway.

 

  • The state of Illinois is a pioneer in creating a statewide comprehensive PBS initiative. In eight years, Illinois has built and sustained the Illinois PBIS Network providing assistance in PBS implementation to around 600 schools, or around 14% of all public schools in the state. Research in Illinois shows that implementation of school-wide PBS is linked to improved perception of school safety, as well as an improved proportion of third graders meeting state reading standards. Illinois is also a leader in providing the services and supports children with mental health needs require.

 

  • The Colorado School-Wide PBS Initiative is a joint venture between The Prevention Initiatives and Exceptional Student Services Unit in the Colorado Department of Education. There are around 65 PBS coaches in 48 school districts in Colorado providing training and technical assistance. They continue to work toward their goal of establishing and maintaining effective school environments maximizing academic achievement and behavioral competence for all learners in Colorado.

 

Promoting SW-PBS within ESEA will facilitate better coordination between that law and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The IDEA requires schools to consider the use of positive behavioral interventions and supports and other strategies when disciplining children with disabilities whose behaviors are a manifestation of their disability.

 

The following three recommendations would help give schools the opportunity to implement PBS:

 

  • authorize the use of Title I funds to support school-wide early intervening services, including specifically Positive Behavior Supports,
  • increase research and technical assistance on PBS, and
  • establish an Office of Specialized Instructional Support Personnel

 

The undersigned organizations commend you for your ongoing leadership and commitment to education and ensuring no children are left behind, including those with mental health needs. We look forward to working with you to strengthen and protect the provisions in No Child Left Behind to include positive behavior supports and encompass all students. If you have any questions, please contact Laurel Stine at the Bazelon Center  for Mental Health Law at 202-467-5730, ext. 134

 

Sincerely,

 

Advocacy Institute

American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

American Council of the Blind

American Counseling Association

American Dance Therapy Association

American Music Therapy Association

American Occupational Therapy Association

American School Counselor Association

Association of University Centers on Disabilities

Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law

Children & Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Council for Children with Behavioral Disorders

Council for Exceptional Children

Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates

Federation of Families for Children's Mental Health

Higher Education Consortium for Special Education

Learning Disabilities Association of America

Mental Health America

National Alliance on Mental Illness

National Association of School Psychologists

National Association of State Directors of Special Education

National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors

National Disability Rights Network

National Down Syndrome Congress

National Down Syndrome Society

School Social Work Association of America

TASH

The Arc of the United States

United Cerebral Palsy