Classroom Practices: Positive Classroom Behavior Supports (PCBS)
Positive Classroom Behavior Supports (PCBS), formerly known as classroom management practices, include evidence-based practices designed to promote positive behavior and create a conducive learning environment for all students. By fostering a supportive and inclusive environment, positive classroom behavior supports help students feel safe, respected, and valued, which in turn encourages them to take responsibility for their actions and contribute positively to the classroom community.
What are Positive Classroom Behavior Supports (PCBS):
- Maximizing Structure
- Establishing Expectations, Rules and Routines
- Encouraging Appropriate Behavior
- Active Engagement & Opportunities to Respond
- Responding to Behavioral Errors
Why are they important?
-
These practices provide a consistent and predictable learning environment where students feel safe, supported, and ready to learn.
-
They help prevent disruptive behavior by setting clear expectations and reinforcing positive actions, leading to more time spent on instruction.
-
Actively engaging students and responding effectively to behavioral errors promotes student accountability, increases participation, and strengthens the classroom community.
Critical Features:
Maximizing Structure
- Arrange the physical space to minimize distractions and promote clear traffic flow.
- Develop and consistently follow clear, predictable schedules and routines.
- Actively supervise and scan the environment to prevent and address issues proactively.
Establishing Expectations, Rules and Routines
- Clearly define 3–5 positively stated, observable, and measurable behavior expectations.
- Teach, model, and practice expectations and routines across all settings.
- Provide frequent reminders and pre-corrections before transitions or tasks.
Encouraging Appropriate Behavior
- Use behavior-specific praise to reinforce desired behaviors.
- Implement a consistent system for acknowledging expected behaviors (e.g., tokens, feedback).
- Ensure praise and reinforcement are immediate, sincere, and tied to expectations.
Active Engagement and Opportunities to Respond (OTR)
- Incorporate varied response formats (e.g., choral response, partner share, whiteboards).
- Provide high rates of opportunities for all students to respond during instruction.
- Use strategies that promote equitable participation and reduce passive learning.
Responding to Behavioral Errors
- Respond calmly and consistently using instructional, not punitive, strategies.
- Re-teach expected behaviors and provide opportunities to practice.
- Use a continuum of responses (e.g., redirect, conference, restitution) to match behavior intensity.
Implementation Tips:
Citations:
Helpful Links:
Resources:
Presentations
Professional development and conference presentations on evidence-based practices in learning environment and engagement.
Click to View
Publications
PaTTAN resources for implementing evidence-based practices in learning enviornment and engagement.
Click to View
Tools
Tools to support implementation of evidence-based practices in learning enviornment and engagement.
Click to View
Media
Videos, podcasts, and recorded sessions that bring key learning enviornment and engagement topics to life.
Click to View