Response to Intervention and Positive Behavior Support: Brothers from Different Mothers or Sisters with Different Misters?
Keywords:
RtI; Response to Intervention; Positive Behavior Support; PBS; Problem solving
Contact:
Abstract
Response to Intervention (RtI) is defined as “the practice of providing high-quality instruction and interventions matched to student need, monitoring progress frequently to make decisions about changes in instruction or goals, and applying child response data to important educational decisions” (Batsche et al., 2005). Based on a problem-solving model, the RtI approach considers environmental factors as they might apply to an individual student’s difficulty, and provides services/intervention as soon as the student demonstrates a need. Focused primarily on addressing academic problems, RtI has emerged as the new way to think about both disability identification and early intervention assistance for the “most vulnerable, academically unresponsive children” in schools and school districts (Fuchs & Deshler, 2007, p. 131, emphasis added).
Positive Behavior Support (PBS) is based on a problem-solving model and aims to prevent inappropriate behavior through teaching and reinforcing appropriate behaviors (OSEP Technical Assistance Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports, 2007). Positive Behavior Support (PBS) is a process that is consistent with the core principles of RtI. Similar to RtI, PBS offers a range of interventions that are systematically applied to students based on their demonstrated level of need, and addresses the role of the environment as it applies to development and improvement of behavior problems.
Both RtI and PBS are grounded in differentiated instruction. Each approach delimits critical factors and components to be in place at the universal (Tier 1), targeted group (Tier 2), and individual (Tier 3) levels. Our goal is to describe the shared characteristics of these approaches as a basis for highlighting how best to meet the needs of children experiencing academic and social difficulties in school.
Citation
Sandomierksi,Therese, Kincaid, Donald, & Algozzine, B. (2007). Response to Intervention and Positive Behavior Support: Brothers from Different Mothers or Sisters with Different Misters? Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports Newsletter, 4(2).