The Early Childhood Positive Behavior Interventions & Supports (EC-PBIS) framework is a three-tiered system of policies and practices for preventing and addressing challenging behaviors, built on the foundation of an effective workforce.

• Tier 1 involves providing nurturing and responsive relationships and high-quality supportive environments for all children.
• Tier 2 involves teaching social skills to prevent problems, with more targeted support for children at risk of challenging behavior.
• Tier 3 is the implementation of individualized intervention plans for children with persistent challenges.

EC-PBIS provides guidance for early childhood special education personnel, early intervention personnel, childcare educators, families, and other professionals.

The Idaho Positive Beginnings Collaborative provides a variety of professional development and technical assistance activities to support the implementation of evidence-based policies and practices for positive behavior development across various early childhood settings. Participating programs will receive leadership training and develop internal coaching capacity. Teachers will build knowledge and experience in promoting children’s positive social and behavioral skills.

The State Leadership Team (SLT) is an interagency group that is responsible for planning and supervising the initiative, including: funding support, policy initiatives, evaluation, data-based decision making, training and coaching, site selection, and public awareness. The primary purpose of the SLT is to ensure support and resources are available to sites so they can adopt and use the selected evidence-based practices with fidelity. The SLT will use the State Leadership Team Benchmarks of Quality to guide the initiative, assess progress, and plan future actions. The SLT will facilitate family engagement throughout the initiative.

Contact:

Shannon Dunstan M.Ed., M.S.W.

Early Childhood and School Supports Coordinator
Idaho State Department of Education
P.O. Box 83720 Boise, Idaho 83720
208-332-6908
sdunstan@sde.idaho.gov

Renee Miner, M.Ed.

Associate Director, Idaho SESTA
Center for School and Community Partnerships
College of Education
Boise State University
208-426-4858
reneeminer@boisestate.edu

State Leadership Team

• Nichole Billetz - BSU Children’s Center
• Kimberly Brooks - IdahoSTARS
• Melissa Crist - Idaho Center on Disabilities and Human Development
• Beth Ficklin - IdahoSTARS
• Sarah Gornik - Idaho Parents Unlimited
• Natalie Kinkade - Idaho Special Education Support & Technical Assistance
• Chelsea Krema - IdahoSTARS
• Angela Lindig - Idaho Parents Unlimited
• Aly Matsko - IdahoSTARS
• Kristin McKie - Aim Early Idaho
• Courtney Painton - Lee Pesky Learning Center
• Phyllis Vernon - Idaho Association for the Education of Young Children
• Taryn Yates - Idaho Home Visiting Program
• [Vacant] Idaho Head Start Collaboration Office

Program-wide implementation of EC-PBIS refers to a systemic effort within a program to implement the EC-PBIS framework with fidelity. In program-wide implementation, a Program Leadership Team (PLT) guides the implementation process and develops the supports and infrastructure needed to ensure that implementation can occur within the classrooms and services provided to children and their families. The PLT, with representation from program administrators, practitioners, and families, is focused on the ongoing process of supporting the implementation of EC-PBIS and using data-based decision-making to guide implementation efforts and monitor outcomes.

The program-wide implementation model ensures that programs are attending to both the implementation of evidence-based practices and the development of the infrastructure to support the durable implementation of those key practices. Programs that have used this approach have experienced the following:

• Reductions in child challenging behavior
• Increases in children’s social skills
• Increased satisfaction of program staff and families
• Reductions in staff turnover
• Increases in teacher’s competence and confidence in the support of children
• Positive changes in classroom and program climate
• Sustained implementation of the EC-PBIS framework

Contact:

Shannon Dunstan M.Ed., M.S.W.

Early Childhood and School Supports Coordinator
Idaho State Department of Education
P.O. Box 83720 Boise, Idaho 83720
208-332-6908
sdunstan@sde.idaho.gov

Kimberly Brooks, M.Ed., IECMH-E

Assistant Director, IdahoSTARS
Center on Disabilities and Human Development
College of Education, Health and Human Sciences
University of Idaho
208-364-4012
kbrooks@uidaho.edu

Resources:

Implementation Guide

Data-based decision-making is a foundational element of EC-PBIS.

The State Leadership Team uses data-based decision-making when examining statewide implementation components and outcomes for local programs, practitioners, and children.

Programs use data-based decision-making to examine their implementation of the EC-PBIS framework, practitioner implementation of EC-PBIS practices, and outcomes for families and children.

Contact:

Beth Ficklin, M.S.

Evaluation Coordinator, IdahoSTARS
Center on Disabilities and Human Development
College of Education, Health and Human Sciences
University of Idaho
eficklin@uidaho.edu

Resources

• Positive Beginnings Collaborative Annual Reports (Coming soon)
• Past Pyramid Model Collaborative Annual Reports

The Idaho Positive Beginnings Collaborative adapted EC-PBIS practices for Idaho based on research funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs, and conducted at the Center for the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning (CSEFEL), the Center for Evidence-Based Practice: Young Children with Challenging Behavior, and the Teaching Assistance Center on Social and Emotional Intervention for Young Children (TACSEI). Positive Beginnings also uses resources developed by the National Center for Pyramid Model Innovations.

Participation in the Idaho Positive Beginnings Collaborative is voluntary. Implementation is informed not only by national research, but by the experiences, needs, and values of local teachers and families.