PBIS in Alternative Education Settings: Positive Support for Youth with High-Risk Behavior

Many public schools are experiencing improved student, staff, and school outcomes with the adoption of a positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) framework, which organizes evidence-based practices into an integrated continuum of supports. Although alternative programs are often more restrictive and specialized because of the intensified needs of their youth, they share instructional, behavioral, and organizational characteristics with public schools. The purpose of this article is to describe how the similar challenges and characteristics of alternative and public schools support the use of a PBIS framework as a means to support the needs of youth who display high-risk behavior.