Improved behaviour and attendance are among the outcomes of a pilot program at several anglophone schools around the province.
Positive Behaviour Intervention Support is a proactive, evidence-based approach for creating a positive, safe and inclusive environment in schools. It requires teachers, support staff, administrators, counsellors and community members to work together to ensure everyone knows what behaviors are expected from students, and how they will be rewarded when those behaviours are followed.
"The program is key to a system-wide strategy for improving behaviour," said Education and Early Childhood Development Minister Bill Hogan. "It reduces the need for higher-level interventions and is extremely valuable for our education system. Its success is evident by the improvement in student behaviour and attendance we have seen to date at our pilot schools."
Positive Behaviour Intervention Support features 12 elements that focus on the following principles:
- Teachers, support staff, administrators, counsellors and community members work together to teach and support behaviour expectations at school.
- Values are taught that support students' social decision-making in and outside of school (such as responsibility, accountability, safety and respect).
- All staff are responsible for knowing and promoting these value-based expectations.
- All staff continuously work to develop and strengthen positive relationships with students through frequent positive interactions (such as check-ins, acknowledgement of students' demonstration of school values and expectations, and offering support when needed).
Hogan said schools have reported several successes since applying the program in September 2022, such as:
- The average absentee rate among students decreased to 11.5 per cent in December 2023 from 15.4 per cent in November 2022.
- Serious misconducts have decreased by about 10 per cent despite student population growth of more than 10 per cent.
- Educators have expressed excitement, being energized and supported throughout the process.
- An increase in positive community engagement.
"For Harvey Elementary School, Positive Behaviour Intervention Support has allowed us to focus on the why' of our students' behaviours," said school principal Julie Holt. "Reframing our perspective using a trauma-informed approach, as well as ensuring that those within the school community are understanding the expectations within the school, provides a consistency that is needed to be successful."
"Classrooms and schools reflect the many challenging realities we are seeing in our communities right now, making access to timely professional support for students essential," said New Brunswick Teachers' Association president Peter Lagacy. "Harvey Elementary School is an example of how investments, focus and proactive approaches benefit learners and teachers. The association invites parents and communities to join us in monitoring the progress made with the long-term recommendations for the anglophone public education system. We will continue to work with the government to prioritize measures to support student success."
An additional 15 schools were selected to apply the program during the current school year, with further expansion planned for this fall.
To better support positive learning and working environments in schools, the government has added 40 behaviour intervention mentors to the anglophone education sector, bringing the provincewide total to 166.
"Behaviour intervention mentors help to support the application of Positive Behaviour Intervention Support by working with teachers and students who need support to identify the root causes of the challenges they are facing," said Hogan. "This personalized intervention has resulted in happier and more confident students who are able to stay in their classroom with their peers to learn."
