George Sugai, director of the University of Connecticut’s Center for Behavioral Education and Research, presented the first-ever event sponsored by the McDowell Institute for Teacher Excellence in Positive Behavior Support in August 2012, when he spoke on “Schoolwide Positive Behavior Support: What is It and Why is It Important?”

Positive Behavior Support is an applied science that uses educational methods to expand student/client skills and systems change methods to re-design school and community-based environments to enhance quality of life and minimize problem behavior.

• Association for Positive Behavior Support — is an international organization dedicated to promoting research-based strategies that combine applied behavior analysis and biomedical science with person-centered values and systems change to increase quality of life and decrease problem behaviors.
• PA Positive Behavior Support Network — supports schools and their family and community partners to create and sustain comprehensive, school-based behavioral health support systems in order to promote the academic, social and emotional well-being of all Pennsylvania’s students.
• Technical Assistance Center on PBIS — gives schools capacity-building information and technical assistance for identifying, adapting, and sustaining effective school-wide disciplinary practices.
• IRIS Center — features free online interactive resources that translate research about the education of students with disabilities into practice. Our materials cover a wide variety of evidence-based topics, including behavior, RTI, learning strategies, and progress monitoring.
• IRISED — is a behavioral research and development firm whose mission is to provide engaging, interactive educational resources that inspire confidence and make a positive difference in people’s lives.
• Intervention Central — provides teachers, schools and districts with free resources to help struggling learners and implement Response to Intervention and attain the Common Core State Standards.
• What Works Clearinghouse — review of student behavior interventions examines the evidence of effectiveness of programs, curricula, and practices whose purpose is to foster positive behavioral outcomes.
• National Center on Response to Intervention — provide technical assistance to states and districts and building the capacity of states to assist districts in implementing proven models for response to intervention and early intervening services.