Culturally Responsive Positive Behavior Supports: Considerations for Practice

Abstract

Classrooms are not culturally neutral terrains, but rather are constructed around sets of norms, values, and expected behaviors that are culturally bound. Low tolerance levels and expectations are an indication of the incongruence between the education strategies utilized by teachers and the cultural and linguistic differences of students that are served in an educational system in which they are required to perform based on standards that are not similar to their own. Combining Positive Behavior Intervention Supports (PBIS) with cultural and linguistic variables will help to enhance positive behavior of culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) students. This paper describes Culturally Responsive Positive Behavior Intervention Supports (CRPBIS) as a system that specifically acknowledges the presence of CLD students and the need for them to find relevant connections among themselves and with the behavioral goals and objectives that schools ask them to perform. Suggestions are offered that support the infusion of culturally responsive practices throughout the implementation of PBIS.

A Conceptual Framework: Creating Socially Just Schools for Students with Emotional and Behavioral Disabilities

“…When done well using the crucial components of being proactive, rewarding students' performance, providing support for struggling students in both academic and behavior areas, MTSS embeds the social justice concept. There are calls for the need for more training for educators who are working within the MTSS tiered system of support for all students while also understanding how to recognize when students have differences that require tailored learning supports (Artiles et al, 2010;Banks & Obiakor, 2015;Klinger & Edwards, 2006). A layered tiered system of approach is in more than 16,000 schools in the U.S., Australia, Canada, and Norway (McIntosh, Ty, Horner, & Sugai, 2013).…”

Are We Spinning Our Wheels? The Impact of PBIS, Counseling, and Mentoring on the Behavior and Achievement of Elementary Age African American Males

“…Tier 3 intervention efforts include function-based behavior intervention planning, targeting social skills instruction, intensive individualized behavior monitoring, continuous data-driven decision-making and planning teams, and school-community based mental health support (Cressey, et al, 2014). Banks and Obiakor (2015) concluded that PBIS improves school safety and climate by enhancing positive behavior for students through the implementation of the three-tiered process.…”

Culturally Responsive School Discipline: Implementing Learning Lab at a High School for Systemic Transformation

“…Academicians and technical assistance centers have created various rubrics and professional development (PD) workshops with lists of recommendations for “culturally responsive PBIS schools” or “culturally responsive practitioners.” The ideal characteristics of cultural responsiveness are listed as acontextualized and static products. For example, Banks and Obiakor (2015) listed six characteristics of the culturally responsive PBIS schools such as enhancing staff members’ cultural knowledge and self-awareness, and validating “other cultures.” Vincent, Randall, Cartledge, Tobin, and Swain-Bradway (2011) provided another list including “culturally responsive evidence-based practices,” data-based decision making, and educators’ “cultural awareness.” McIntosh, Moniz, Craft, Golby, and Steinwand-Deschambeault (2014) listed educators’ self-awareness about implicit biases in discipline referrals. These checklists include the authors’ self-directed selections of concepts based on their theoretical orientations, knowledge, and interests (e.g., publications or grants).…”