Positive Behavior Supports for Resilient & Inclusive Schools Technical Assistance Manual

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RREI Core Team
 

In 2023, the Washington State Legislature established a requirement for the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) to develop a technical assistance manual to support districts in reducing restraint and isolation in schools. The Positive Behavior Supports for Resilient & Inclusive Schools: Guidance for Reducing Exclusionary Discipline, Restraint, and Isolation through Student-Centered Practices manual was developed in close partnership with demonstration sites, whose expertise and on-the-ground experience informed its strategies and tools.

The manual is a practical, research-based guide designed to help schools create safer, more supportive learning environments. It offers actionable strategies, tools, and real-world examples to help educators reduce the use of restraint and eliminate isolation practices while promoting positive behavior and student well-being. Districts interested in seeing these practices in action can request a Demonstration Site visit through the University of Washington’s Haring Center for Inclusive Education website.

The manual also helps districts build lasting systems for improvement, including professional development resources, ways to track progress, and guidance for creating a culture of safety and inclusion. By using this manual, schools can support the social, emotional, and academic growth of every student.

Who Should Use This Manual?

The Positive Behavior Supports for Resilient & Inclusive Schools manual is designed for anyone working to create safe and supportive school environments. District leaders can use it to guide system-wide planning and policy development, while principals and school administrators can apply its strategies to strengthen school-level practices. Teachers, counselors, and support staff will find practical tools to use in classrooms and daily interactions with students. Families and community partners may also reference the manual to better understand approaches that prioritize student well-being and equity.

Explore the Manual by Section

The Positive Behavior Supports for Resilient & Inclusive Schools manual will be released soon and you can review each of the different sections in the overviews below. 

Section 1: Understanding Positive and Trauma-Informed Behavior Support

Understanding Positive and Trauma-Informed Behavior Support: Section 1 (pp. 11-21) provides guidance on the fundamentals of student-centered behavior support practice. Content includes key principles of behavior in which effective trauma-informed behavior support is anchored, important concepts (e.g., school climate, student belonging) that influence the effectiveness of behavior support in a school or district, and basic concepts involved in the development of positive behavioral supports. The section also features specific information about approaching behavior support from a lens of equity and avoiding implicit bias.

Section 2: School and District Systems That Support Social, Emotional, And Behavioral Well-Being

(pp. 22-40) focuses on improving positive behavior support at the school and district level. It describes a variety of interconnected school and district systems and how they can fit together in a multitiered system of supports (MTSS) to support student and staff well-being. Specific school and district systems, as well as their relationship to student behavior and safety, are discussed in brief with intentional connections to further resources.

Section 3: Classroom Practices for Safe and Inclusive Learning

(pp. 41-50) describes practices for improving positive behavior support at the classroom level. Content addresses how social and emotional learning (SEL) can fit into teaching of social, emotional, and behavioral health (SEBH) skills, how teachers can partner with parents to cultivate an inclusive classroom that supports all students to learn skills for success, and how to design a classroom in which most interfering behaviors are prevented by setting the stage for healthy behavior instead. Specific practices associated with effective classroom management that foster a climate of belonging and safety are included.

Section 3: Classroom Practices for Safe and Inclusive Learning

(pp. 41-50) describes practices for improving positive behavior support at the classroom level. Content addresses how social and emotional learning (SEL) can fit into teaching of social, emotional, and behavioral health (SEBH) skills, how teachers can partner with parents to cultivate an inclusive classroom that supports all students to learn skills for success, and how to design a classroom in which most interfering behaviors are prevented by setting the stage for healthy behavior instead. Specific practices associated with effective classroom management that foster a climate of belonging and safety are included.

Section 4: Effective Support for Students with Extensive Behavior Learning Needs

(pp. 50-66) addresses individual behavior support for students who engage in significant interfering behavior, including teaming processes to engage in meaningful and student-centered data collection, problem solving, and cycles of intervention and review. Content also includes best practices and requirements for conducting a functional behavioral assessment (FBA), using the results of the FBA to develop an effective and high-quality behavioral intervention plan (BIP), and making data-based decisions to ensure the student’s supports are effective.

Section 5: Considerations for Students with Disabilities

(pp. 67-91) describes best practices and requirements for providing behavior support, in alignment with the legal right to a free appropriate public education, to students who are eligible for services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) or Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. Content includes considerations for behavioral supports in an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or 504 Plan, a summary of discipline protections for students with disabilities, and key takeaways from federal investigations into district misuse of restraint and isolation with students with disabilities.

Section 6: Crisis Prevention and De-Escalation

(pp. 91-109) focuses on effective behavioral crisis prevention and support processes that reduce the harmful and ineffective practices of restraint and isolation. Guidance includes legal requirements and processes in restraint and isolation use, recommendations for safe de-escalation and reduction of certain preventable harms associated with restraint and isolation, and collaborative practices amongst all members of the school team and family to serve the student safely and supportively.

Implementation Tools & Resources

Stay tuned for more resources!

Related Guidance and Report

Guidance

Reports

Further Information