Please Note: ESC offices are closed with restricted access through at least January 22, 2021. However, our staff are ready to serve you remotely. Please see our contact page or staff directory to reach ESC staff via email and phone. Our North Office location is still available for background check and fingerprinting services. Thank you. 

Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports (PBIS)

In 2018, Ohio passed the Supporting Alternatives for Fair Education (SAFE) Act, or House Bill 318 (HB318), into law. The act addresses multi-tiered behavioral supports in the interest of reducing disciplinary referrals, especially for prekindergarten through grade 3 students. It strengthened requirements for schools to implement PBIS, social-emotional learning supports, and trauma-informed practices. Districts and schools must also provide provide professional development or continuing education in PBIS by November 2021.

To assist districts and schools with this work, the ESC in partnership with the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) is providing guidance and training. The timeline below will assist districts and schools working to meet the November 2021 deadline.

Phase 1 | November 2020 - January 2021

District & School Building Action Steps

ESC PBIS Master Trainers in collaboration with ODE PBIS Field Coordinators Action Steps
  • Analyze PBIS survey results
  • Determine district present levels regarding PBIS implementation
  • Prioritize district needs based on PBIS levels
  • Develop video explanation of implementation of PBIS framework for HB318 and state report card measure

Phase 2 | January 2021- March 2021

District & School Building Action Steps
  • Assemble PBIS district leadership team
  • Have district administrators and superintendent register teams for one regional PBIS training by January 22 if not trained in 2019 (this is a free training)
  • Have district administer TFI to buildings and develop benchmarks for HB318 (ESC's SOS Team available for coaching in this area)

ESC PBIS Master Trainers in collaboration with ODE PBIS Field Coordinators Action Steps
  • Develop benchmarks aligning with HB318
  • Assign PBIS master trainers to district PBIS leadership teams
  • Provide regional tier 1 training based on survey results to district leadership teams (February 2-4)

Phase 3 | March 2021 - June 2021

District & School Building Action Steps
  • Identify building teams
  • Have district teams attend regional trainings

ESC PBIS Master Trainers in collaboration with ODE PBIS Field Coordinators Action Steps

Phase 4 | August 2021 - November 2021

District & School Building Action Steps
  • Have district PBIS leadership team provide training to elementary (K-3) building level teams
  • Have district PBIS leadership team complete additional, ongoing training (e.g. ODE - Basic Considerations for SW-PBIS)

ESC PBIS Master Trainers in collaboration with ODE PBIS Field Coordinators Action Steps
  • Provide embedded support as needed

Register for Training

PBIS Tier I: Alignment to House Bill 318
House Bill 318 states each school district must provide professional development or continuing education in Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports (PBIS) to any of the district's teachers and administrators who teach in buildings serving prekindergarten through grade 3. This on-line/in-person professional learning covers the core practices of PBIS at the Tier I level. The content is meant to orient schoolwide staff to PBIS Tier I supports. District leadership teams should attend one of the three training sessions. District teams will leave with necessary tools to train building teams on implementation of PBIS.

Register for a Training Session