Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Student Supports topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board asks staff for PBIS/Multi-Tiered Systems report to evaluate expansion and special-education impacts
Summary
After a broad discussion about supports for behavior and academics, the board directed staff to report on the Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports (PBIS) program’s results in implemented schools and advise whether expansion and additional resources are warranted — including breakdowns for special-education students.
The Jordan School District Board of Education asked staff at the Feb. 25 study session to return with a report on the district’s Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports (PBIS) program and related Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) work, including quantitative results and recommendations on resource needs for expansion.
Board members described MTSS and PBIS as candidates for a focused board priority for the coming year. They asked for clarity on which problems the board should prioritize — academic supports, behavioral interventions, or social-emotional wellness — and directed staff to provide both quantitative trend data and qualitative findings from schools that have implemented the program at scale.
What staff will return with: the board asked staff to show how PBIS implementation has affected outcomes in schools with full implementation (including referral counts, disciplinary incidents, and instructional time preserved) and to break the data down by special-education versus general-education populations. The board also requested expert recommendations on what additional staffing, training, or funding would be required to expand PBIS districtwide and to sustain it with fidelity across principal and staff turnover.
Why it matters: PBIS and MTSS aim to reduce classroom disruptions and provide tiered supports so interventions can be delivered earlier and more efficiently. Several board members stressed that a durable, schoolwide tier 1 system is a precursor to identifying meaningful tier 2/3 needs; staff told the board that the district already has PBIS in many elementary schools and that implementation has been affected by COVID-era interruptions.
What the board said: Board member Lisa Dean asked staff to include special-education impacts and whether special-education students are receiving the same system used at their school. Dr. Anthony Godfrey (superintendent) and staff said they would bring experts and recommended data to the next round, including both statistical evidence and case-study examples of implementation and barriers.
Ending: The board framed the request as a narrow, actionable next step: return with (1) outcomes data for PBIS schools, (2) a split of effects on special-education vs. general-education students, and (3) recommendations from district experts on the resources needed to expand the program with fidelity.
