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But what about the students who need more help to master the standard? They are often provided with a number of different supports in addition to the Tier 1 instruction provided to everyone. This could include 1v1 time, small group, or pull-out time with an interventionist. 

What Are Tier 1 Behavior Interventions?

In PBIS, we apply this idea to behavior in schools as well. Everyone gets the baseline support, while those with more disruptive behavior needs are provided support in addition to the Tier 1 behavior interventions. 

All students need Tier 1 support, so these strategies need to be taught and implemented building-wide. Significantly fewer students need support beyond that. Those that do are often included in Tier 2 group interventions designed to address their needs. And even fewer still need support beyond that. When they do, these interventions – known as Tier 3 – are often set on individual plans. This is what we know as the PBIS Tiers

pbis triangle

Why Are Tier 1 Behavior Interventions Important?

For a school to be efficient and successful, the behavioral needs have to follow this pattern. If your school provides Tier 2 Interventions at a large scale, then your resources will be stretched too thin to be effective. 

Is your day consumed with office-managed discipline referrals? How does a school avoid this problem? 

You can lessen the amount of Tier 2 and 3 Interventions the same way you would with academics: by having quality Tier 1 Behavior Interventions. The goal of your positive behavior support team should be to move students from Tier 3 to Tier 2 and from Tier 2 to Tier 1. 

The better executed your Tier 1 plan is, the more students will fall under this category. It is essential that your staff has tools at their disposal that everyone in the building can implement with fidelity. 

Tier 1 Behavior Intervention Strategies

Keep reading for some Tier 1 Behavior Interventions you can pass along to your staff to fix your behavior triangle!

1. ALL students are taught appropriate behavior.

You will often get what you expect from students. Set high expectations and be very clear on how students are to be successful in your school. 

It is important that all staff members understand these expectations, and I recommend that they take part in creating and communicating them to students. 

Consider creating lesson plans that homeroom teachers can use to teach your students the expectations. This will ensure all students receive the information and that all teachers take part in communicating those expectations.

2. Intervene early with consistency.

Small behaviors become big behaviors when they go unaddressed. You want your staff to address things as they happen, so students understand the importance of proper behavior and that they know the expectation will be enforced with consistency. 

One caveat with this and your staff don’t turn a small infraction into a large one by addressing it incorrectly. Stress the importance of positive interactions vs corrections. 

If your only interactions with a student are to correct their behavior, you're more likely to be met with pushback or disrespect. This applies to both admin and teachers. We need to strive for a ratio of 5 positive interactions for every correction.

3. Fill your toolbox.

How does your staff address problem behaviors in the classroom? How do they address concerns in the hallway or cafeteria? 

Give your staff a set of easy-to-implement immediate corrective measures. Below you will find a few easy-to-use universal measures your staff can use to address issues at the moment they occur.

4. Praise the behaviors you want to see.

This helps with the interaction ratio we talked about early. Make a habit of praising students who are following the expectations you have set in your building. 

As an elementary principal, this may mean thanking students in the hall for staying in a line at level zero. 

For a high school administrator, this may mean praising students who are following your cafeteria expectations and cleaning up after themselves. 

In the classroom setting, it becomes a way to praise those who do well and gently remind those that aren’t doing well that these are the expectations and they do need to be followed.

5. Track data and give rewards.

Track student behaviors and set behavioral goals that align with your expectations. Consider using a digital PBIS tool for your staff to make this consistent and less laborious on staff such as LiveSchool

Once you are tracking consistently you can add in a token economy to allow students a chance to earn rewards in school for good behavior.

6. Differentiate between office and classroom-managed discipline.

Every school needs to clearly define the behaviors that staff members are expected to address vs those that must be dealt with by an administrator. 

This should be in the form of an easy-to-follow chart that can be easily referenced by staff. If this isn’t followed you are likely to have a very large pile of discipline referrals to address as an administrator and this will stretch your school’s tier 2 intervention team too thin to be considered effective.

How to Make Tier 1 Behavior Interventions Successful

Here are a couple of additional PBIS strategies to consider when addressing Tier 1 behavior with staff. The first is that there is a reason we have PBIS Tiers. When a student's behavior cannot be addressed utilizing Tier 1, it is common for staff to feel like your behavior system doesn’t work.

Share the data with Behavior Rubric examples with your staff, show them the % of students in the Tiers and provide professional development to explain the services you offer to Tier 2 and Tier 3 students. 

Your staff's confidence in the system is integral to success as they are the ones who can make or break a strong Tier 1 structure. 

The second thing to consider is that your staff will come in contact with Tier 2 and Tier 3 behaviors and they will likely require your assistance at that moment. Make certain you have a good communication plan so teachers and staff can request assistance and help will arrive in a timely fashion. If you're not quite to this stage in your implementation yet you should check out our resources PBIS best practices, our database of rewards that rock, and our guide on how to start your PBIS program.

Looking for more help with interventions in your school? Check out episode 34 of our podcast where we discussed a practical guide to check-in/check-out for school leaders like you. For more on MTSS and how you can use tiered interventions in your school go give episode 28 of our podcast a listen! For more on MTSS and how you can use tiered interventions in your school go give episode 28 of our podcast a listen!

For more on interventions, check out our guide to implementing check-in/check-out with LiveSchool.

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We’ll send you our monthly newsletter which is fully stocked with free resources like articles, videos, podcasts, reward ideas, and anything else we can think of to help you make your school awesome.
In schools, we tend to look at academics in tiers. Everyone gets relatively the same instruction at Tier 1. A math teacher may have a traditional setup where they introduce a topic, show examples, and then give students an opportunity to practice the new skill. All the while, they are providing feedback and support as students progress through the learning process for differentiation as it is needed.

But what about the students who need more help to master the standard? They are often provided with a number of different supports in addition to the Tier 1 instruction provided to everyone. This could include 1v1 time, small group, or pull-out time with an interventionist. 

What Are Tier 1 Behavior Interventions?

In PBIS, we apply this idea to behavior in schools as well. Everyone gets the baseline support, while those with more disruptive behavior needs are provided support in addition to the Tier 1 behavior interventions. 

All students need Tier 1 support, so these strategies need to be taught and implemented building-wide. Significantly fewer students need support beyond that. Those that do are often included in Tier 2 group interventions designed to address their needs. And even fewer still need support beyond that. When they do, these interventions – known as Tier 3 – are often set on individual plans. This is what we know as the PBIS Tiers

pbis triangle

Why Are Tier 1 Behavior Interventions Important?

For a school to be efficient and successful, the behavioral needs have to follow this pattern. If your school provides Tier 2 Interventions at a large scale, then your resources will be stretched too thin to be effective. 

Is your day consumed with office-managed discipline referrals? How does a school avoid this problem? 

You can lessen the amount of Tier 2 and 3 Interventions the same way you would with academics: by having quality Tier 1 Behavior Interventions. The goal of your positive behavior support team should be to move students from Tier 3 to Tier 2 and from Tier 2 to Tier 1. 

The better executed your Tier 1 plan is, the more students will fall under this category. It is essential that your staff has tools at their disposal that everyone in the building can implement with fidelity. 

Tier 1 Behavior Intervention Strategies

Keep reading for some Tier 1 Behavior Interventions you can pass along to your staff to fix your behavior triangle!

1. ALL students are taught appropriate behavior.

You will often get what you expect from students. Set high expectations and be very clear on how students are to be successful in your school. 

It is important that all staff members understand these expectations, and I recommend that they take part in creating and communicating them to students. 

Consider creating lesson plans that homeroom teachers can use to teach your students the expectations. This will ensure all students receive the information and that all teachers take part in communicating those expectations.

2. Intervene early with consistency.

Small behaviors become big behaviors when they go unaddressed. You want your staff to address things as they happen, so students understand the importance of proper behavior and that they know the expectation will be enforced with consistency. 

One caveat with this and your staff don’t turn a small infraction into a large one by addressing it incorrectly. Stress the importance of positive interactions vs corrections. 

If your only interactions with a student are to correct their behavior, you're more likely to be met with pushback or disrespect. This applies to both admin and teachers. We need to strive for a ratio of 5 positive interactions for every correction.

3. Fill your toolbox.

How does your staff address problem behaviors in the classroom? How do they address concerns in the hallway or cafeteria? 

Give your staff a set of easy-to-implement immediate corrective measures. Below you will find a few easy-to-use universal measures your staff can use to address issues at the moment they occur.

  • Proximity - also known as active supervision, stay mobile!
  • Rest Breaks - sometimes a student will benefit from a quick break, a walk, or a timeout for younger students
  • Quiet Correction - don’t put yourself and the student on a stage, address the behavior quietly and remove the audience if possible
  • Silent Signals - use a hand signal in every classroom that students all understand as a universal sign that the instructor needs your attention. Many use “give me 5”.
  • Positive phrasing - instead of “don’t run in the halls” try to use “we always walk in the hallways”.

4. Praise the behaviors you want to see.

This helps with the interaction ratio we talked about early. Make a habit of praising students who are following the expectations you have set in your building. 

As an elementary principal, this may mean thanking students in the hall for staying in a line at level zero. 

For a high school administrator, this may mean praising students who are following your cafeteria expectations and cleaning up after themselves. 

In the classroom setting, it becomes a way to praise those who do well and gently remind those that aren’t doing well that these are the expectations and they do need to be followed.

5. Track data and give rewards.

Track student behaviors and set behavioral goals that align with your expectations. Consider using a digital PBIS tool for your staff to make this consistent and less laborious on staff such as LiveSchool

Once you are tracking consistently you can add in a token economy to allow students a chance to earn rewards in school for good behavior.

6. Differentiate between office and classroom-managed discipline.

Every school needs to clearly define the behaviors that staff members are expected to address vs those that must be dealt with by an administrator. 

This should be in the form of an easy-to-follow chart that can be easily referenced by staff. If this isn’t followed you are likely to have a very large pile of discipline referrals to address as an administrator and this will stretch your school’s tier 2 intervention team too thin to be considered effective.

How to Make Tier 1 Behavior Interventions Successful

Here are a couple of additional PBIS strategies to consider when addressing Tier 1 behavior with staff. The first is that there is a reason we have PBIS Tiers. When a student's behavior cannot be addressed utilizing Tier 1, it is common for staff to feel like your behavior system doesn’t work.

Share the data with Behavior Rubric examples with your staff, show them the % of students in the Tiers and provide professional development to explain the services you offer to Tier 2 and Tier 3 students. 

Your staff's confidence in the system is integral to success as they are the ones who can make or break a strong Tier 1 structure. 

The second thing to consider is that your staff will come in contact with Tier 2 and Tier 3 behaviors and they will likely require your assistance at that moment. Make certain you have a good communication plan so teachers and staff can request assistance and help will arrive in a timely fashion. If you're not quite to this stage in your implementation yet you should check out our resources PBIS best practices, our database of rewards that rock, and our guide on how to start your PBIS program.

Looking for more help with interventions in your school? Check out episode 34 of our podcast where we discussed a practical guide to check-in/check-out for school leaders like you. For more on MTSS and how you can use tiered interventions in your school go give episode 28 of our podcast a listen! For more on MTSS and how you can use tiered interventions in your school go give episode 28 of our podcast a listen!

For more on interventions, check out our guide to implementing check-in/check-out with LiveSchool.

Let’s take this to your inbox
We’ll send you our monthly newsletter which is fully stocked with free resources like articles, videos, podcasts, reward ideas, and anything else we can think of to help you make your school awesome.

But what about the students who need more help to master the standard? They are often provided with a number of different supports in addition to the Tier 1 instruction provided to everyone. This could include 1v1 time, small group, or pull-out time with an interventionist. 

What Are Tier 1 Behavior Interventions?

In PBIS, we apply this idea to behavior in schools as well. Everyone gets the baseline support, while those with more disruptive behavior needs are provided support in addition to the Tier 1 behavior interventions. 

All students need Tier 1 support, so these strategies need to be taught and implemented building-wide. Significantly fewer students need support beyond that. Those that do are often included in Tier 2 group interventions designed to address their needs. And even fewer still need support beyond that. When they do, these interventions – known as Tier 3 – are often set on individual plans. This is what we know as the PBIS Tiers

pbis triangle

Why Are Tier 1 Behavior Interventions Important?

For a school to be efficient and successful, the behavioral needs have to follow this pattern. If your school provides Tier 2 Interventions at a large scale, then your resources will be stretched too thin to be effective. 

Is your day consumed with office-managed discipline referrals? How does a school avoid this problem? 

You can lessen the amount of Tier 2 and 3 Interventions the same way you would with academics: by having quality Tier 1 Behavior Interventions. The goal of your positive behavior support team should be to move students from Tier 3 to Tier 2 and from Tier 2 to Tier 1. 

The better executed your Tier 1 plan is, the more students will fall under this category. It is essential that your staff has tools at their disposal that everyone in the building can implement with fidelity. 

Tier 1 Behavior Intervention Strategies

Keep reading for some Tier 1 Behavior Interventions you can pass along to your staff to fix your behavior triangle!

1. ALL students are taught appropriate behavior.

You will often get what you expect from students. Set high expectations and be very clear on how students are to be successful in your school. 

It is important that all staff members understand these expectations, and I recommend that they take part in creating and communicating them to students. 

Consider creating lesson plans that homeroom teachers can use to teach your students the expectations. This will ensure all students receive the information and that all teachers take part in communicating those expectations.

2. Intervene early with consistency.

Small behaviors become big behaviors when they go unaddressed. You want your staff to address things as they happen, so students understand the importance of proper behavior and that they know the expectation will be enforced with consistency. 

One caveat with this and your staff don’t turn a small infraction into a large one by addressing it incorrectly. Stress the importance of positive interactions vs corrections. 

If your only interactions with a student are to correct their behavior, you're more likely to be met with pushback or disrespect. This applies to both admin and teachers. We need to strive for a ratio of 5 positive interactions for every correction.

3. Fill your toolbox.

How does your staff address problem behaviors in the classroom? How do they address concerns in the hallway or cafeteria? 

Give your staff a set of easy-to-implement immediate corrective measures. Below you will find a few easy-to-use universal measures your staff can use to address issues at the moment they occur.

  • Proximity - also known as active supervision, stay mobile!
  • Rest Breaks - sometimes a student will benefit from a quick break, a walk, or a timeout for younger students
  • Quiet Correction - don’t put yourself and the student on a stage, address the behavior quietly and remove the audience if possible
  • Silent Signals - use a hand signal in every classroom that students all understand as a universal sign that the instructor needs your attention. Many use “give me 5”.
  • Positive phrasing - instead of “don’t run in the halls” try to use “we always walk in the hallways”.

4. Praise the behaviors you want to see.

This helps with the interaction ratio we talked about early. Make a habit of praising students who are following the expectations you have set in your building. 

As an elementary principal, this may mean thanking students in the hall for staying in a line at level zero. 

For a high school administrator, this may mean praising students who are following your cafeteria expectations and cleaning up after themselves. 

In the classroom setting, it becomes a way to praise those who do well and gently remind those that aren’t doing well that these are the expectations and they do need to be followed.

5. Track data and give rewards.

Track student behaviors and set behavioral goals that align with your expectations. Consider using a digital PBIS tool for your staff to make this consistent and less laborious on staff such as LiveSchool

Once you are tracking consistently you can add in a token economy to allow students a chance to earn rewards in school for good behavior.

6. Differentiate between office and classroom-managed discipline.

Every school needs to clearly define the behaviors that staff members are expected to address vs those that must be dealt with by an administrator. 

This should be in the form of an easy-to-follow chart that can be easily referenced by staff. If this isn’t followed you are likely to have a very large pile of discipline referrals to address as an administrator and this will stretch your school’s tier 2 intervention team too thin to be considered effective.

How to Make Tier 1 Behavior Interventions Successful

Here are a couple of additional PBIS strategies to consider when addressing Tier 1 behavior with staff. The first is that there is a reason we have PBIS Tiers. When a student's behavior cannot be addressed utilizing Tier 1, it is common for staff to feel like your behavior system doesn’t work.

Share the data with Behavior Rubric examples with your staff, show them the % of students in the Tiers and provide professional development to explain the services you offer to Tier 2 and Tier 3 students. 

Your staff's confidence in the system is integral to success as they are the ones who can make or break a strong Tier 1 structure. 

The second thing to consider is that your staff will come in contact with Tier 2 and Tier 3 behaviors and they will likely require your assistance at that moment. Make certain you have a good communication plan so teachers and staff can request assistance and help will arrive in a timely fashion. If you're not quite to this stage in your implementation yet you should check out our resources PBIS best practices, our database of rewards that rock, and our guide on how to start your PBIS program.

Looking for more help with interventions in your school? Check out episode 34 of our podcast where we discussed a practical guide to check-in/check-out for school leaders like you. For more on MTSS and how you can use tiered interventions in your school go give episode 28 of our podcast a listen! For more on MTSS and how you can use tiered interventions in your school go give episode 28 of our podcast a listen!

For more on interventions, check out our guide to implementing check-in/check-out with LiveSchool.

Let’s take this to your inbox
We’ll send you our monthly newsletter which is fully stocked with free resources like articles, videos, podcasts, reward ideas, and anything else we can think of to help you make your school awesome.

About the Presenter

Jordan resides in Lexington, Kentucky. He has experience in Public Education as an Administrator, Science Teacher, and as a Coach. He has extensive experience with School Discipline, PBIS, SEL, Restorative Practices, MTSS, and Trauma-Informed Care.

About the Event

But what about the students who need more help to master the standard? They are often provided with a number of different supports in addition to the Tier 1 instruction provided to everyone. This could include 1v1 time, small group, or pull-out time with an interventionist. 

What Are Tier 1 Behavior Interventions?

In PBIS, we apply this idea to behavior in schools as well. Everyone gets the baseline support, while those with more disruptive behavior needs are provided support in addition to the Tier 1 behavior interventions. 

All students need Tier 1 support, so these strategies need to be taught and implemented building-wide. Significantly fewer students need support beyond that. Those that do are often included in Tier 2 group interventions designed to address their needs. And even fewer still need support beyond that. When they do, these interventions – known as Tier 3 – are often set on individual plans. This is what we know as the PBIS Tiers

pbis triangle

Why Are Tier 1 Behavior Interventions Important?

For a school to be efficient and successful, the behavioral needs have to follow this pattern. If your school provides Tier 2 Interventions at a large scale, then your resources will be stretched too thin to be effective. 

Is your day consumed with office-managed discipline referrals? How does a school avoid this problem? 

You can lessen the amount of Tier 2 and 3 Interventions the same way you would with academics: by having quality Tier 1 Behavior Interventions. The goal of your positive behavior support team should be to move students from Tier 3 to Tier 2 and from Tier 2 to Tier 1. 

The better executed your Tier 1 plan is, the more students will fall under this category. It is essential that your staff has tools at their disposal that everyone in the building can implement with fidelity. 

Tier 1 Behavior Intervention Strategies

Keep reading for some Tier 1 Behavior Interventions you can pass along to your staff to fix your behavior triangle!

1. ALL students are taught appropriate behavior.

You will often get what you expect from students. Set high expectations and be very clear on how students are to be successful in your school. 

It is important that all staff members understand these expectations, and I recommend that they take part in creating and communicating them to students. 

Consider creating lesson plans that homeroom teachers can use to teach your students the expectations. This will ensure all students receive the information and that all teachers take part in communicating those expectations.

2. Intervene early with consistency.

Small behaviors become big behaviors when they go unaddressed. You want your staff to address things as they happen, so students understand the importance of proper behavior and that they know the expectation will be enforced with consistency. 

One caveat with this and your staff don’t turn a small infraction into a large one by addressing it incorrectly. Stress the importance of positive interactions vs corrections. 

If your only interactions with a student are to correct their behavior, you're more likely to be met with pushback or disrespect. This applies to both admin and teachers. We need to strive for a ratio of 5 positive interactions for every correction.

3. Fill your toolbox.

How does your staff address problem behaviors in the classroom? How do they address concerns in the hallway or cafeteria? 

Give your staff a set of easy-to-implement immediate corrective measures. Below you will find a few easy-to-use universal measures your staff can use to address issues at the moment they occur.

  • Proximity - also known as active supervision, stay mobile!
  • Rest Breaks - sometimes a student will benefit from a quick break, a walk, or a timeout for younger students
  • Quiet Correction - don’t put yourself and the student on a stage, address the behavior quietly and remove the audience if possible
  • Silent Signals - use a hand signal in every classroom that students all understand as a universal sign that the instructor needs your attention. Many use “give me 5”.
  • Positive phrasing - instead of “don’t run in the halls” try to use “we always walk in the hallways”.

4. Praise the behaviors you want to see.

This helps with the interaction ratio we talked about early. Make a habit of praising students who are following the expectations you have set in your building. 

As an elementary principal, this may mean thanking students in the hall for staying in a line at level zero. 

For a high school administrator, this may mean praising students who are following your cafeteria expectations and cleaning up after themselves. 

In the classroom setting, it becomes a way to praise those who do well and gently remind those that aren’t doing well that these are the expectations and they do need to be followed.

5. Track data and give rewards.

Track student behaviors and set behavioral goals that align with your expectations. Consider using a digital PBIS tool for your staff to make this consistent and less laborious on staff such as LiveSchool

Once you are tracking consistently you can add in a token economy to allow students a chance to earn rewards in school for good behavior.

6. Differentiate between office and classroom-managed discipline.

Every school needs to clearly define the behaviors that staff members are expected to address vs those that must be dealt with by an administrator. 

This should be in the form of an easy-to-follow chart that can be easily referenced by staff. If this isn’t followed you are likely to have a very large pile of discipline referrals to address as an administrator and this will stretch your school’s tier 2 intervention team too thin to be considered effective.

How to Make Tier 1 Behavior Interventions Successful

Here are a couple of additional PBIS strategies to consider when addressing Tier 1 behavior with staff. The first is that there is a reason we have PBIS Tiers. When a student's behavior cannot be addressed utilizing Tier 1, it is common for staff to feel like your behavior system doesn’t work.

Share the data with Behavior Rubric examples with your staff, show them the % of students in the Tiers and provide professional development to explain the services you offer to Tier 2 and Tier 3 students. 

Your staff's confidence in the system is integral to success as they are the ones who can make or break a strong Tier 1 structure. 

The second thing to consider is that your staff will come in contact with Tier 2 and Tier 3 behaviors and they will likely require your assistance at that moment. Make certain you have a good communication plan so teachers and staff can request assistance and help will arrive in a timely fashion. If you're not quite to this stage in your implementation yet you should check out our resources PBIS best practices, our database of rewards that rock, and our guide on how to start your PBIS program.

Looking for more help with interventions in your school? Check out episode 34 of our podcast where we discussed a practical guide to check-in/check-out for school leaders like you. For more on MTSS and how you can use tiered interventions in your school go give episode 28 of our podcast a listen! For more on MTSS and how you can use tiered interventions in your school go give episode 28 of our podcast a listen!

For more on interventions, check out our guide to implementing check-in/check-out with LiveSchool.

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About the Event

But what about the students who need more help to master the standard? They are often provided with a number of different supports in addition to the Tier 1 instruction provided to everyone. This could include 1v1 time, small group, or pull-out time with an interventionist. 

What Are Tier 1 Behavior Interventions?

In PBIS, we apply this idea to behavior in schools as well. Everyone gets the baseline support, while those with more disruptive behavior needs are provided support in addition to the Tier 1 behavior interventions. 

All students need Tier 1 support, so these strategies need to be taught and implemented building-wide. Significantly fewer students need support beyond that. Those that do are often included in Tier 2 group interventions designed to address their needs. And even fewer still need support beyond that. When they do, these interventions – known as Tier 3 – are often set on individual plans. This is what we know as the PBIS Tiers

pbis triangle

Why Are Tier 1 Behavior Interventions Important?

For a school to be efficient and successful, the behavioral needs have to follow this pattern. If your school provides Tier 2 Interventions at a large scale, then your resources will be stretched too thin to be effective. 

Is your day consumed with office-managed discipline referrals? How does a school avoid this problem? 

You can lessen the amount of Tier 2 and 3 Interventions the same way you would with academics: by having quality Tier 1 Behavior Interventions. The goal of your positive behavior support team should be to move students from Tier 3 to Tier 2 and from Tier 2 to Tier 1. 

The better executed your Tier 1 plan is, the more students will fall under this category. It is essential that your staff has tools at their disposal that everyone in the building can implement with fidelity. 

Tier 1 Behavior Intervention Strategies

Keep reading for some Tier 1 Behavior Interventions you can pass along to your staff to fix your behavior triangle!

1. ALL students are taught appropriate behavior.

You will often get what you expect from students. Set high expectations and be very clear on how students are to be successful in your school. 

It is important that all staff members understand these expectations, and I recommend that they take part in creating and communicating them to students. 

Consider creating lesson plans that homeroom teachers can use to teach your students the expectations. This will ensure all students receive the information and that all teachers take part in communicating those expectations.

2. Intervene early with consistency.

Small behaviors become big behaviors when they go unaddressed. You want your staff to address things as they happen, so students understand the importance of proper behavior and that they know the expectation will be enforced with consistency. 

One caveat with this and your staff don’t turn a small infraction into a large one by addressing it incorrectly. Stress the importance of positive interactions vs corrections. 

If your only interactions with a student are to correct their behavior, you're more likely to be met with pushback or disrespect. This applies to both admin and teachers. We need to strive for a ratio of 5 positive interactions for every correction.

3. Fill your toolbox.

How does your staff address problem behaviors in the classroom? How do they address concerns in the hallway or cafeteria? 

Give your staff a set of easy-to-implement immediate corrective measures. Below you will find a few easy-to-use universal measures your staff can use to address issues at the moment they occur.

  • Proximity - also known as active supervision, stay mobile!
  • Rest Breaks - sometimes a student will benefit from a quick break, a walk, or a timeout for younger students
  • Quiet Correction - don’t put yourself and the student on a stage, address the behavior quietly and remove the audience if possible
  • Silent Signals - use a hand signal in every classroom that students all understand as a universal sign that the instructor needs your attention. Many use “give me 5”.
  • Positive phrasing - instead of “don’t run in the halls” try to use “we always walk in the hallways”.

4. Praise the behaviors you want to see.

This helps with the interaction ratio we talked about early. Make a habit of praising students who are following the expectations you have set in your building. 

As an elementary principal, this may mean thanking students in the hall for staying in a line at level zero. 

For a high school administrator, this may mean praising students who are following your cafeteria expectations and cleaning up after themselves. 

In the classroom setting, it becomes a way to praise those who do well and gently remind those that aren’t doing well that these are the expectations and they do need to be followed.

5. Track data and give rewards.

Track student behaviors and set behavioral goals that align with your expectations. Consider using a digital PBIS tool for your staff to make this consistent and less laborious on staff such as LiveSchool

Once you are tracking consistently you can add in a token economy to allow students a chance to earn rewards in school for good behavior.

6. Differentiate between office and classroom-managed discipline.

Every school needs to clearly define the behaviors that staff members are expected to address vs those that must be dealt with by an administrator. 

This should be in the form of an easy-to-follow chart that can be easily referenced by staff. If this isn’t followed you are likely to have a very large pile of discipline referrals to address as an administrator and this will stretch your school’s tier 2 intervention team too thin to be considered effective.

How to Make Tier 1 Behavior Interventions Successful

Here are a couple of additional PBIS strategies to consider when addressing Tier 1 behavior with staff. The first is that there is a reason we have PBIS Tiers. When a student's behavior cannot be addressed utilizing Tier 1, it is common for staff to feel like your behavior system doesn’t work.

Share the data with Behavior Rubric examples with your staff, show them the % of students in the Tiers and provide professional development to explain the services you offer to Tier 2 and Tier 3 students. 

Your staff's confidence in the system is integral to success as they are the ones who can make or break a strong Tier 1 structure. 

The second thing to consider is that your staff will come in contact with Tier 2 and Tier 3 behaviors and they will likely require your assistance at that moment. Make certain you have a good communication plan so teachers and staff can request assistance and help will arrive in a timely fashion. If you're not quite to this stage in your implementation yet you should check out our resources PBIS best practices, our database of rewards that rock, and our guide on how to start your PBIS program.

Looking for more help with interventions in your school? Check out episode 34 of our podcast where we discussed a practical guide to check-in/check-out for school leaders like you. For more on MTSS and how you can use tiered interventions in your school go give episode 28 of our podcast a listen! For more on MTSS and how you can use tiered interventions in your school go give episode 28 of our podcast a listen!

For more on interventions, check out our guide to implementing check-in/check-out with LiveSchool.

Let’s take this to your inbox
We’ll send you our monthly newsletter which is fully stocked with free resources like articles, videos, podcasts, reward ideas, and anything else we can think of to help you make your school awesome.

In schools, we tend to look at academics in tiers. Everyone gets relatively the same instruction at Tier 1. A math teacher may have a traditional setup where they introduce a topic, show examples, and then give students an opportunity to practice the new skill. All the while, they are providing feedback and support as students progress through the learning process for differentiation as it is needed.

But what about the students who need more help to master the standard? They are often provided with a number of different supports in addition to the Tier 1 instruction provided to everyone. This could include 1v1 time, small group, or pull-out time with an interventionist. 

What Are Tier 1 Behavior Interventions?

In PBIS, we apply this idea to behavior in schools as well. Everyone gets the baseline support, while those with more disruptive behavior needs are provided support in addition to the Tier 1 behavior interventions. 

All students need Tier 1 support, so these strategies need to be taught and implemented building-wide. Significantly fewer students need support beyond that. Those that do are often included in Tier 2 group interventions designed to address their needs. And even fewer still need support beyond that. When they do, these interventions – known as Tier 3 – are often set on individual plans. This is what we know as the PBIS Tiers

pbis triangle

Why Are Tier 1 Behavior Interventions Important?

For a school to be efficient and successful, the behavioral needs have to follow this pattern. If your school provides Tier 2 Interventions at a large scale, then your resources will be stretched too thin to be effective. 

Is your day consumed with office-managed discipline referrals? How does a school avoid this problem? 

You can lessen the amount of Tier 2 and 3 Interventions the same way you would with academics: by having quality Tier 1 Behavior Interventions. The goal of your positive behavior support team should be to move students from Tier 3 to Tier 2 and from Tier 2 to Tier 1. 

The better executed your Tier 1 plan is, the more students will fall under this category. It is essential that your staff has tools at their disposal that everyone in the building can implement with fidelity. 

Tier 1 Behavior Intervention Strategies

Keep reading for some Tier 1 Behavior Interventions you can pass along to your staff to fix your behavior triangle!

1. ALL students are taught appropriate behavior.

You will often get what you expect from students. Set high expectations and be very clear on how students are to be successful in your school. 

It is important that all staff members understand these expectations, and I recommend that they take part in creating and communicating them to students. 

Consider creating lesson plans that homeroom teachers can use to teach your students the expectations. This will ensure all students receive the information and that all teachers take part in communicating those expectations.

2. Intervene early with consistency.

Small behaviors become big behaviors when they go unaddressed. You want your staff to address things as they happen, so students understand the importance of proper behavior and that they know the expectation will be enforced with consistency. 

One caveat with this and your staff don’t turn a small infraction into a large one by addressing it incorrectly. Stress the importance of positive interactions vs corrections. 

If your only interactions with a student are to correct their behavior, you're more likely to be met with pushback or disrespect. This applies to both admin and teachers. We need to strive for a ratio of 5 positive interactions for every correction.

3. Fill your toolbox.

How does your staff address problem behaviors in the classroom? How do they address concerns in the hallway or cafeteria? 

Give your staff a set of easy-to-implement immediate corrective measures. Below you will find a few easy-to-use universal measures your staff can use to address issues at the moment they occur.

  • Proximity - also known as active supervision, stay mobile!
  • Rest Breaks - sometimes a student will benefit from a quick break, a walk, or a timeout for younger students
  • Quiet Correction - don’t put yourself and the student on a stage, address the behavior quietly and remove the audience if possible
  • Silent Signals - use a hand signal in every classroom that students all understand as a universal sign that the instructor needs your attention. Many use “give me 5”.
  • Positive phrasing - instead of “don’t run in the halls” try to use “we always walk in the hallways”.

4. Praise the behaviors you want to see.

This helps with the interaction ratio we talked about early. Make a habit of praising students who are following the expectations you have set in your building. 

As an elementary principal, this may mean thanking students in the hall for staying in a line at level zero. 

For a high school administrator, this may mean praising students who are following your cafeteria expectations and cleaning up after themselves. 

In the classroom setting, it becomes a way to praise those who do well and gently remind those that aren’t doing well that these are the expectations and they do need to be followed.

5. Track data and give rewards.

Track student behaviors and set behavioral goals that align with your expectations. Consider using a digital PBIS tool for your staff to make this consistent and less laborious on staff such as LiveSchool

Once you are tracking consistently you can add in a token economy to allow students a chance to earn rewards in school for good behavior.

6. Differentiate between office and classroom-managed discipline.

Every school needs to clearly define the behaviors that staff members are expected to address vs those that must be dealt with by an administrator. 

This should be in the form of an easy-to-follow chart that can be easily referenced by staff. If this isn’t followed you are likely to have a very large pile of discipline referrals to address as an administrator and this will stretch your school’s tier 2 intervention team too thin to be considered effective.

How to Make Tier 1 Behavior Interventions Successful

Here are a couple of additional PBIS strategies to consider when addressing Tier 1 behavior with staff. The first is that there is a reason we have PBIS Tiers. When a student's behavior cannot be addressed utilizing Tier 1, it is common for staff to feel like your behavior system doesn’t work.

Share the data with Behavior Rubric examples with your staff, show them the % of students in the Tiers and provide professional development to explain the services you offer to Tier 2 and Tier 3 students. 

Your staff's confidence in the system is integral to success as they are the ones who can make or break a strong Tier 1 structure. 

The second thing to consider is that your staff will come in contact with Tier 2 and Tier 3 behaviors and they will likely require your assistance at that moment. Make certain you have a good communication plan so teachers and staff can request assistance and help will arrive in a timely fashion. If you're not quite to this stage in your implementation yet you should check out our resources PBIS best practices, our database of rewards that rock, and our guide on how to start your PBIS program.

Looking for more help with interventions in your school? Check out episode 34 of our podcast where we discussed a practical guide to check-in/check-out for school leaders like you. For more on MTSS and how you can use tiered interventions in your school go give episode 28 of our podcast a listen! For more on MTSS and how you can use tiered interventions in your school go give episode 28 of our podcast a listen!

For more on interventions, check out our guide to implementing check-in/check-out with LiveSchool.

Learn more about the author, 
Jordan Pruitt
 
Let’s take this to your inbox
We’ll send you our monthly newsletter which is fully stocked with free resources like articles, videos, podcasts, reward ideas, and anything else we can think of to help you make your school awesome.

In schools, we tend to look at academics in tiers. Everyone gets relatively the same instruction at Tier 1. A math teacher may have a traditional setup where they introduce a topic, show examples, and then give students an opportunity to practice the new skill. All the while, they are providing feedback and support as students progress through the learning process for differentiation as it is needed.

But what about the students who need more help to master the standard? They are often provided with a number of different supports in addition to the Tier 1 instruction provided to everyone. This could include 1v1 time, small group, or pull-out time with an interventionist. 

What Are Tier 1 Behavior Interventions?

In PBIS, we apply this idea to behavior in schools as well. Everyone gets the baseline support, while those with more disruptive behavior needs are provided support in addition to the Tier 1 behavior interventions. 

All students need Tier 1 support, so these strategies need to be taught and implemented building-wide. Significantly fewer students need support beyond that. Those that do are often included in Tier 2 group interventions designed to address their needs. And even fewer still need support beyond that. When they do, these interventions – known as Tier 3 – are often set on individual plans. This is what we know as the PBIS Tiers

pbis triangle

Why Are Tier 1 Behavior Interventions Important?

For a school to be efficient and successful, the behavioral needs have to follow this pattern. If your school provides Tier 2 Interventions at a large scale, then your resources will be stretched too thin to be effective. 

Is your day consumed with office-managed discipline referrals? How does a school avoid this problem? 

You can lessen the amount of Tier 2 and 3 Interventions the same way you would with academics: by having quality Tier 1 Behavior Interventions. The goal of your positive behavior support team should be to move students from Tier 3 to Tier 2 and from Tier 2 to Tier 1. 

The better executed your Tier 1 plan is, the more students will fall under this category. It is essential that your staff has tools at their disposal that everyone in the building can implement with fidelity. 

Tier 1 Behavior Intervention Strategies

Keep reading for some Tier 1 Behavior Interventions you can pass along to your staff to fix your behavior triangle!

1. ALL students are taught appropriate behavior.

You will often get what you expect from students. Set high expectations and be very clear on how students are to be successful in your school. 

It is important that all staff members understand these expectations, and I recommend that they take part in creating and communicating them to students. 

Consider creating lesson plans that homeroom teachers can use to teach your students the expectations. This will ensure all students receive the information and that all teachers take part in communicating those expectations.

2. Intervene early with consistency.

Small behaviors become big behaviors when they go unaddressed. You want your staff to address things as they happen, so students understand the importance of proper behavior and that they know the expectation will be enforced with consistency. 

One caveat with this and your staff don’t turn a small infraction into a large one by addressing it incorrectly. Stress the importance of positive interactions vs corrections. 

If your only interactions with a student are to correct their behavior, you're more likely to be met with pushback or disrespect. This applies to both admin and teachers. We need to strive for a ratio of 5 positive interactions for every correction.

3. Fill your toolbox.

How does your staff address problem behaviors in the classroom? How do they address concerns in the hallway or cafeteria? 

Give your staff a set of easy-to-implement immediate corrective measures. Below you will find a few easy-to-use universal measures your staff can use to address issues at the moment they occur.

  • Proximity - also known as active supervision, stay mobile!
  • Rest Breaks - sometimes a student will benefit from a quick break, a walk, or a timeout for younger students
  • Quiet Correction - don’t put yourself and the student on a stage, address the behavior quietly and remove the audience if possible
  • Silent Signals - use a hand signal in every classroom that students all understand as a universal sign that the instructor needs your attention. Many use “give me 5”.
  • Positive phrasing - instead of “don’t run in the halls” try to use “we always walk in the hallways”.

4. Praise the behaviors you want to see.

This helps with the interaction ratio we talked about early. Make a habit of praising students who are following the expectations you have set in your building. 

As an elementary principal, this may mean thanking students in the hall for staying in a line at level zero. 

For a high school administrator, this may mean praising students who are following your cafeteria expectations and cleaning up after themselves. 

In the classroom setting, it becomes a way to praise those who do well and gently remind those that aren’t doing well that these are the expectations and they do need to be followed.

5. Track data and give rewards.

Track student behaviors and set behavioral goals that align with your expectations. Consider using a digital PBIS tool for your staff to make this consistent and less laborious on staff such as LiveSchool

Once you are tracking consistently you can add in a token economy to allow students a chance to earn rewards in school for good behavior.

6. Differentiate between office and classroom-managed discipline.

Every school needs to clearly define the behaviors that staff members are expected to address vs those that must be dealt with by an administrator. 

This should be in the form of an easy-to-follow chart that can be easily referenced by staff. If this isn’t followed you are likely to have a very large pile of discipline referrals to address as an administrator and this will stretch your school’s tier 2 intervention team too thin to be considered effective.

How to Make Tier 1 Behavior Interventions Successful

Here are a couple of additional PBIS strategies to consider when addressing Tier 1 behavior with staff. The first is that there is a reason we have PBIS Tiers. When a student's behavior cannot be addressed utilizing Tier 1, it is common for staff to feel like your behavior system doesn’t work.

Share the data with Behavior Rubric examples with your staff, show them the % of students in the Tiers and provide professional development to explain the services you offer to Tier 2 and Tier 3 students. 

Your staff's confidence in the system is integral to success as they are the ones who can make or break a strong Tier 1 structure. 

The second thing to consider is that your staff will come in contact with Tier 2 and Tier 3 behaviors and they will likely require your assistance at that moment. Make certain you have a good communication plan so teachers and staff can request assistance and help will arrive in a timely fashion. If you're not quite to this stage in your implementation yet you should check out our resources PBIS best practices, our database of rewards that rock, and our guide on how to start your PBIS program.

Looking for more help with interventions in your school? Check out episode 34 of our podcast where we discussed a practical guide to check-in/check-out for school leaders like you. For more on MTSS and how you can use tiered interventions in your school go give episode 28 of our podcast a listen! For more on MTSS and how you can use tiered interventions in your school go give episode 28 of our podcast a listen!

For more on interventions, check out our guide to implementing check-in/check-out with LiveSchool.

Learn more about the author, 
Jordan Pruitt
 

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