Abstract
Schools today must deal with increasingly challenging and maladaptive behaviors. Many schools still utilize punitive systems to deal with difficult behavior. Given the ineffectiveness of current discipline policies, new strategies must be developed to create more positive school climates. School-wide positive behavior supports (SW-PBS) is a proactive system for encouraging adaptive behaviors and creating safer learning environments based on the needs of schools and individual students. In the development of this project and presentation, both authors worked collaboratively, contributing equally to all parts of this endeavor. To complete the literature review, the authors searched the Academic Search Premier, ERIC, and PsychArticles databases for articles about SW-PBS components, interventions, and effectiveness. The professional training developed for this project will ideally persuade teachers, school administrators, and school psychologists of the need to develop SW-PBS in their own schools by establishing the need for changing policies and demonstrating the effectiveness of SW-PBS. The in-service also provides participants basic background information, ideas for possible interventions at the different tier levels, and time for discussion to begin the process of building school-wide positive behavior supports at their school sites.