Portland Public Schools rolls out behavior response protocol, expands PBIS supports and joins advanced tiers cohort
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Summary
The district has implemented behavior response protocols developed by the progressive discipline task force, expanded verbal de‑escalation training tailored to school data, enrolled seven schools in a state DOE advanced tiers cohort and outlined PBIS tiered supports including check‑in/check‑out and functional behavior analysis training.
Portland Public Schools told the Curriculum and Student Success Committee it has launched a district behavior response protocol developed by the progressive discipline task force and is deepening supports through PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports).
Joanna Franco, Director of Elementary Culture and Climate, and Alice Buckley, Secondary Director of Culture and Climate, described a multi‑pronged approach: staff received time during August Institute to review the protocols; elementary staff revisited the protocol and completed verbal de‑escalation training in October; and secondary schools are revisiting de‑escalation training tailored to each school's SWIS (behavior incident) data with role plays based on incidents from the semester.
"The CCCs will be creating role plays based on incidents that have actually happened this semester so that teachers have an opportunity to really dig into different verbal de‑escalation techniques that could result in a different outcome for students," Buckley said.
The district said seven schools — all three middle schools and four elementary schools — applied and were accepted into the state DOE advanced tiers cohort, a two‑year program that provides training and technical support for building robust tier‑2 and tier‑3 systems. Practices highlighted included check‑in/check‑out, 2‑by‑10 relationship building, and year‑two training for staff to conduct a simple functional behavior analysis (FBA).
Franco reviewed PBIS research‑based benefits — improved student outcomes, reduced exclusionary discipline and improved teacher outcomes — and said the district continues to use a fidelity tool (the Tiered Fidelity Inventory) while adopting the National PBIS Center’s new "3" version of the instrument. She said most PPS schools have reached fidelity and the district will move from a twice‑yearly TFI cadence to an annual review for schools that meet the fidelity threshold.
Board members asked whether PBIS practices were being reduced to token reward systems and how parent engagement is being handled; district staff pointed to the TFI/TFI‑3 review process, coaching, rubrics, Parent University resources and school‑level practices such as Lincoln’s parent‑conference activity that asked parents and students to restate school expectations.
No formal votes were taken.
