PBIS Courses
There are a variety of ways to learn how to engage in the strategic planning process within Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) to promote safe school environments. The PBISAz supports select courses through Arizona State University, Northern Arizona University, and the University of Arizona. The courses are listed below, by university:
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University of Arizona
Behavior Support Specialist (BSS) Coursework at UA
This sequence consists of three sequential courses (9 semester units) leads to PBISAz approval as a Behavioral Support Specialist. Graduates will be able to help schools develop and implement school-wide interventions that ensure safe schools while also addressing the needs of individual teachers and students. If interested in these courses, please contact Dr. Ferro at jbferro@email.arizona.edu for more information or visit the BSS home page.
Title: Behavior Principles and Disability
Prefix: SERP502
Hours: Three credit hours
Available: Fall and Spring semesters (Web delivered)
Course Description: This course provides an introduction to the terms, concepts, and techniques of applied behavior analysis and their application with individuals who have disabilities.
The specific areas addressed include: defining behavior, A-B-C model, measurement, inter-observer agreement, recording behavior, graphing, reinforcement, differential reinforcement technique, extinction, punishment, stimulus control, generalization, functional analysis, functional behavioral assessment, and behavioral intervention plans. In addition, students will complete exercises in the following areas: Behavioral definitions, measurement, stimulus control, functional analysis, behavior change plans
Title: Advanced Positive Behavioral Support
Prefix: SERP529
Hours: Three credit hours
Available: Fall and Spring semesters (Web delivered)
Course Description: This course provides advanced knowledge and skills in applied behavior analysis and the factors that affect the application of behavior principles within school settings. Students will not only be able to design intervention plans that address specific school contexts, but will be able to implement collaborative approaches to intervention and will learn productive consultation techniques.
Title: Observation and Participation
Prefix: SERP575
Hours: Three credit hours
Available: Fall and Spring semesters (Web delivered)
Course Description: This course provides each student the opportunity to apply and develop skills and knowledge of course content within the context of their classroom, school, and district. The specific areas addressed are School-wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (SWPBIS), meeting the needs of individual students, classroom and small group management, and professional development.
Northern Arizona University
Positive Behavioral Consultant (PBC) Coursework at NAU
This sequence consists of three courses (9 semester units) and leads to PBISAz approval as a Behavioral Support Specialist. The courses are difficult and require frequent access to students for assessment purposes and to demonstrate your skills. Some videotaping will be required. The courses MUST be taken in the following order. If interested in these courses, please contact daniel.davidson@nau.edu for more information.
Title: Introduction to Positive Behavior Support
Prefix: DIS519
Hours: Three credit hours
Available: Fall and Spring semesters (Web delivered)
Course Description: This course covers an introduction to Positive Behavior Support (PBS) for persons with disabilities. PBS incorporates both:
A. the principles of applied behavior analysis (ABA) such as reinforcement, shaping, prompting, fading, and objective measurement of behavior over time; with
B. the principles of self-determination, quality of life, person-centered planning, and the ethics of behavior change.
The course consists of on-line lessons, readings, self-assessment quizzes, group discussions with the instructor, and a number of brief videotaped presentations and examples. Throughout the course students will be guided through the process of conducting person-centered and functional behavioral assessments for the purpose of developing positive behavior support strategies. All students will be required to incorporate what they learn into assessment and intervention strategies for someone they support (e.g., student, group home resident, brother, daughter, etc). This means that you MUST have access to such a person and his/her caregivers throughout the semester.
Title: Advanced Applications of Positive Behavior Support
Prefix: DIS529
Hours: Three credit hours
Available: Spring and Summer (Web delivered)
Description: This course is a follow-up to DIS 519 Introduction to Positive Behavior Support and is designed to build on students' knowledge through problem-based learning and hands-on demonstrations. After a brief review of the main principles and applications learned previously, students will be assigned to small groups where they will work together to solve several case examples of children/adults with disabilities and challenging behavior. Students must select the FBA strategies needed and translate the results into practical solutions. A standard problem-solving format will be provided, and all group projects will follow the same format. Throughout the course, new content not previously covered, will be made available via on line readings. All students will be expected to submit a video of themselves demonstrating a procedure (e.g., shaping, fading, chaining, discrimination training) Group projects will be graded, as will individual student participation.
Title: Consultation and Collaboration in Positive Behavior Support
Prefix: DIS539
Hours: Three credit hours
Available: Summer and Fall (Web delivered)
Description: This course is designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary to consult and work collaboratively with teams responsible for the education, habilitation, care and support, of person's with behavior and/or learning challenges. This course builds on previous knowledge of effective teaching and behavior change strategies, and adds to that knowledge the skills needed to help teams develop, implement and evaluate, positive behavior support (PBS) plans for those individuals who are hard to reach and hard to teach. Students are assumed to have basic and advanced information about conducting functional behavioral assessments (FBAs), developing/implementing PBS plans, and teaching methods for people with severe or low incidence disabilities. This course will require students to use their knowledge of PBS as team facilitators, leaders and mentors to others. In addition to more advanced PBS problem solving, students will learn about the various missions of different service systems in Arizona often supporting individuals who are hard to reach/teach. They will learn about what are often competing contingencies among team members and how to use that knowledge to help them find common ground. Finally students will learn about effective evidence-based approaches to helping schools make systemic changes in their discipline strategies, student behavior and overall climate.
Other PBIS related courses offered through NAU
Title: Behavioral Management in Special Education- Positive School-wide Behavior Management
Prefix: ESE 502
Available: Fall and Spring semesters (Web delivered)
Hours: Three credit hours
Course Description: The purpose of this course is to provide knowledge and skills to assess a school's discipline policies and practices, and as a result, to develop a School-wide approach to Positive Behavior Support (SWPBS). Students will be asked to work with a team to explore school, classroom, non-classroom and individual behavior management systems within the context of a school setting, and develop a written summary of their assessment and recommendations for positive change within those systems. The course is designed to provide practical experiences that will benefit all school personnel interested in serving on a local leadership team to improve student behavior (i.e., regular and special education teachers, school psychologists, counselors, administrators, and educational assistants, etc.). If interested in this class, please contact daniel.gulchak@nau.edu
Arizona State University
Title: Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports
Prefix: SPE 598 (Cross Referenced to SPE524; SPE525 and SPE531
Available: Spring semester; 2nd Summer session - (Online course)
Hours: Three credit hours
Course Description: The purpose of this course is to provide in-service and pre-service educators with a firm foundation in Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports, classroom management practices, functional assessment protocols, and school-wide discipline procedures.
