Expert Instruction: The Teach by Design Podcast

Some of the most important systems and practices you can implement are the proactive things you do to prevent behavior from escalating. This episode is part of a special Crisis Prevention Series produced in partnership with the Center on PBIS Crisis Prevention Workgroup, where we explore how PBIS systems can support schools in preventing, preparing for, and responding to crises.When we talk about preventing crises, we’re talking about: Your response to the needs in your schoolwide communityHow you ensure physical and emotional safety in your buildingThe interventions you implement to support student outcomesHow you help everyone know how to respond if a crisis occursAll of this starts by considering the culture you foster schoolwide. In this episode, we’re talking about how creating a culture of belonging can play a foundational role in your school’s crisis prevention strategies. Joining us today is our special co-host from the Center on PBIS’ Crisis Prevention workgroup, Janelle Hughes and our guests, Dr. Nikole Hollins-Sims, Dr. Becky Millspaugh, and Kelly Perales.Nikole is an educational leader, consultant, and speaker known for her expertise in equitable practices, systems transformation, and leadership coaching. Kelly is the co-executive director of the Midwest PBIS Network and an implementer partner with the Center on PBIS. She provides professional development and technical assistance for state and local leaders on PBIS implementation. Becky is a project consultant for the Montgomery County Intermediate Unit and a school improvement facilitator for Montgomery County Schools in Pennsylvania. She provides professional learning and data analyses strategies for complex mental health support planning for teams across the Commonwealth.

We continue our exploration of Tier 3 support by focusing on the way systems make it possible to get students the level of support they really need. Joining us today are Mara Lynaugh and Jess Olson. Mara is a member of our PBISApps training team. She brings to the team over 25 years of experience in public education as a special education teacher and a Student Services coach where she supported schools to implement multi-tiered systems and practices focused on meeting students’ social, emotional, behavioral, and mental health needs. Her passion for helping educators, students, families, and community partners create learning environments where every student achieves their goals. Jess is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) and doctoral student in Special Education at the University of Utah. Her work centers on helping schools implement function-based, individualized behavior support with strong alignment to PBIS and a clear focus on teacher implementation fidelity. Before this, Jess spent several years as a district BCBA, partnering with educators and school teams across general and special education to design behavior support plans, coach implementation, and build sustainable routines that fit the realities of busy classrooms. Tune in to hear Jess tell the story about how she and her colleagues implemented a system of support that allowed the three of them to manage their work in a district of 60,000 students spread across 92 schools. It’s an approach that resulted in fewer students referred to special education for their behavior and more students getting the support they needed right within their general education classrooms. For more information about the resources shared in this episode, check out the following links: Expert Instruction Ep. 57: Mythbusters — Functional Behavioral Assessment is Only for Special EducationAdditional resources from Jess’ story including powepoint presentations, meeting templates, data review questions, and moreBasic FBA Training

When targeted interventions don't improve the behavior you hope to see, what's the next step? Today's guest might tell you to check the function of that behavior. Today, we're talking with Dr. Chris Borgmeier and exploring the myth: Functional behavioral assessment (FBA) is a process only meant for special education.Chris is a Professor and the Doctoral Program Director in the College of Education at Portland State University. He is co-author of the Basic FBA to BIP training series and developed the Basic FBA to BIP e-learning series. His research focuses on using multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) to support students with challenging behavior. He has been a trainer and consultant for MTSS for Behavior implementation across the North America and internationally.During our conversation, we talk about where this myth comes from and how schools can use the elements of FBA to make function-based thinking a schoolwide practice.For more information about the resources shared in this episode, check out the following links:ABC TrackerPractice Brief: When to Use Functional Behavioral Assessment? Best Practice vs. Legal Guidance

When we talk about Tier 2 support, we usually talk about the support we offer students. Today, we're talking about the ways we support the adults in our building to implement Tier 2 with fidelity...and maybe even a little enthusiasm. Back with us again are our colleagues Dr. Billie Jo Rodriguez and Noah Van Horn.Billie Jo is an Associate Teaching Professor and the School Psychology director of clinical training at the University of Oregon, a nationally certified school psychologist, and a doctoral board-certified behavior analyst. She has over 20 years of experience supporting students with diverse needs and helping schools implement increasingly intensive function-based supports. Noah is a nationally certified school psychologist and PBIS coach for Springfield Public Schools in Springfield, OR. He is also a trainer and PBIS coach for the NWPBIS Network. In addition to his work leading district initiatives to support PBIS, he is a lead trainer for district professional development on topics ranging from Tier 1 practices to more intensive, individualized support.For more information about the resources shared in this episode, check out the following links:Expert Instruction - Ep. 54: Mythbusters - Student Behavior is More Significant Now Than EverTiered Fidelity InventoryOverview of Tier 2 SupportCooking with Fidelity: How Smart Adaptations Improve Tier 2 OutcomesTier 2: A District-Level Systems Guide

In this episode, we're sharing some of our favorite things from past lists...including one of our favorite episodes. This month, we're revisiting a conversation from 2021 with Drs. Erin Chaparro and Ginny Joseph about Tier 2 teams and the foundations of decision making at the Tier 2 level. Dr. Chaparro is a Research Associate Professor at the University of Oregon and the Principal Investigator for the TIPS project. For more than a decade, Erin has worked with districts and schools to implement multi-tiered systems of support for literacy as well as PBIS. She is also the co-author of the book Assessment in Special and Inclusive Education.Dr. Ginny Joseph is the Coordinator of PBIS and Mental Health at Orange County Department of Education. She trains and supports school teams implementing a multi-tiered framework for behavior supports. Her experience ranges from function-based support planning, to using data to drive decisions, to planning behavioral support for small groups of students. For more information about some of the resources mentioned in this episode, check out these links:Favorite Things 2025PBISApps CommunityEp. 16: Adding Student Voice to Leadership TeamsEp. 43: Mythbusters - Rewards Don't Work to Improve Student OutcomesAn overview of the TIPS modelTIPS Meeting Minutes TemplateTiered Fidelity Inventory

We're continuing our year-long series exploring the way data play a crucial role in our PBIS implementation. In this episode, we’re going to put those data to use as we look to address the myth that student behavior is more significant now than ever before. Joining us are Dr. Billie Jo Rodriguez and Noah Van Horn.Billie Jo is an Associate Teaching Professor and the School Psychology director of clinical training at the University of Oregon, a nationally certified school psychologist, and a doctoral board-certified behavior analyst. She has over 20 years of experience supporting students with diverse needs and helping schools implement increasingly intensive function-based supports.Noah is a nationally certified school psychologist and PBIS coach for Springfield Public Schools in Springfield, OR. He is also a trainer and PBIS coach for the NWPBIS Network. In addition to his work leading district initiatives to support PBIS, he is a lead trainer for district professional development on topics ranging from Tier1 practices to more intensive, individualized support.This episode doesn't start the same way our other mythbuster episodes start. Where we typically look to bust the myth, this myth isn't so easily busted. If student behavior truly is on the rise, we ought to look for ways we can reverse the trend. One way is to lean into our multi-tiered systems and start layering on Tier 2 support for groups of students who might benefit. Listen in as we hear from these coaches how their schools have started small, implementing efficient, practical strategies, to improve student outcomes and make every classrooms feel just a little calmer.For more information about the resources shared in this episode, check out the following links:Schoolwide Information System (SWIS)Check-In Check-Out SWIS (CICO-SWIS)SWIS Data Summary 2024-25PBISApps CommunityYour Data Story Doesn't End Here: Tier 2 Can Flip the ScriptWebinar: CICO in Practice: A Proven Tier 2 Behavior Intervention That Builds Connections

All this month we’re looking at the ways we can use data to guide our decisions on how to get students the additional support they need sooner. There are some common decision rules your team can follow, but what does that look like in practice? Our guests today will share their experience. Joining us in conversation are Dr. Lisa Friesen from North Kansas City Schools and Jamie Ferguson from Oak Park High School, both in Kansas City, MO. Lisa has been with North Kansas City Schools for 22 years. She is a former elementary and high school special education teacher and currently serves as a District Instructional Coordinator for MTSS, organizing and supporting academic and behavior interventions and systems K-12. Jamie has been part of the North Kansas City School District for the past 16 years. She spent 11 years at Linden West Elementary co-leading Tier 1 interventions and served on the Tier 2 and Tier 3 support teams. At Oak Park High School, Jamie focuses her time on academic intervention and student success through programs like Missouri Options and Check-In/Check-Out. Listen in as they share how they learned the value of Tier 1 systems to support their efforts at the Tier 2 level and how getting students the support they need involves both personal relationships and consistent data. For more information on the resources shared in this episode, check out the following links:Missouri PBISCICO in Practice: A Proven Tier 2 Behavior Intervention That Builds Connections (Free PBISApps Webinar)An Overview of Targeted Interventions

In this episode, we continue the conversation around our year-long theme: Data in PBIS. Collecting data is an important step in your PBIS implementation. Using data to drive decisions is how those data truly come alive. How do you do that? Well, the Team Initiated Problem Solving (TIPS) framework is the only scientifically-based data-based decision making practice available to schools. Joining us today to talk about the fundamentals of the TIPS framework is Dr. Erin Chaparro. Dr. Chaparro is a Research Associate Professor at the University of Oregon and the Principal Investigator for the TIPS project. For more than a decade, Erin has worked with districts and schools to implement multi-tiered systems of support for literacy as well as PBIS. She is also the co-author of the book Assessment in Special and Inclusive Education. Listen in as we share how to get more out of your team meeting time, make more informed decisions, and get students the support they need faster than ever. Don’t forget to check out the TIPS website and click “Submit Inquiry” at the bottom of the page to learn more about participating in their upcoming study! For more information about the resources shared in this episode, check out the following links: TIPS Fidelity ChecklistUpcoming SWIS Drill Down Webinars Teach by Design “Start With Why: How to Put Purpose Back in Your Work” *NEW* TIPS meeting minutes template

This episode kicks off PBISApps’ 2025–26 school year theme: data in PBIS. Our guest today is a true PBIS pioneer: Dr. Rob Horner. Dr. Horner is an emeritus professor at the University of Oregon and a key figure in developing PBIS. He brings with him a 40-year history of research, grant management, and systems change efforts related to school reform and PBIS. He has published over 390 professional papers and directed over $200 million dollars in federal grants. Among many past national awards, in 2020 he won the Association of Positive Behavior Support Leadership Award. During our conversation, we talk about the early days of PBIS, when Rob and colleagues worked directly with schools to address challenging behaviors. They discovered that individual behavior plans could help—but lasting change required schoolwide systems and a preventative culture. PBIS emerged as a framework with core features that could adapt to local cultures, from rural schools to Native communities. Data always played a key role in this work. Listen in and learn how collecting and analyzing data can help your team see what’s really happening, ask better questions, and identify the smallest changes that make the biggest impact.  

In this episode, we’re looking back at the podcast over the past school year and sharing our favorite episodes and lessons learned. We’ve interviewed 16 guests across nine episodes. Every conversation gave us something to think about and find ways to infuse it in our work moving forward. Today, we wanted to highlight just five of those episodes and encourage you to take another listen over these summer months.To travel back in time to any of these episodes mentioned today, check out the following links:Ep. 43: Mythbusters - Rewards Don't Work to Improve OutcomesEp. 45: Mythbusters - Students Today Don't Care About School Like They Used toEp. 46: Creating Equitable PBIS Solutions that Work for All StudentsEp. 47: Cultivating a Culture of Belonging in Your ClassroomEp. 48: All Means All - Inclusive Practices in Tier 1 PBIS...and don't forget to sign up for more information about our PBISApps Community. We've got some great topics coming next year. You won't want to miss out of these conversations. Sign up for our email list!

In a perfect world, there would be a mental health professional embedded in every school across the country. Students would have immediate access to the support they need and the resources they deserve. The reality is, there is a workforce shortage among mental health providers and community resources are overwhelmed by the need. More students need support than we can serve efficiently. If we could change that outcome, shouldn’t we?That’s exactly what our friends and colleagues at The Ballmer Institute are trying to do! The Ballmer Institute offers an ground breaking undergraduates an opportunity to earn a bachelor’s degree in child behavioral health. Graduates will enter the workforce with specialized training to:Identify youth who can benefit from early intervention or referral to mental health servicesTeach youth to label and regulate emotions and develop other skills to support well-beingDeliver evidence-based prevention and intervention programs to prevent or disrupt the progression of youth mental health concernsCollaborate with other professionals (like teachers, psychologists, and social workers) to support health and wellness among young peopleJoining us today is Dr. Miriam White-Pedeaux, an assistant clinical professor at the Ballmer Institute. In her work, Miriam supervises undergraduates completing their bachelor’s degree and she mentors youth-serving professionals earning a graduate-level microcredential in evidence-based mental health practices. Miriam has supported K-12 students at various school districts in Southern California, Oregon, Ghana and Ecuador. She is deeply passionate about increasing access to high-quality care and improving healthy literacy in youth and families.Listen in as we talk about the current mental health realities facing schools today and the low-level, high-impact strategies you can use right now to support all students in your building. For more information about the resources shared in this episode, check out the following links:What Works Clearinghouse  National Center for School Mental Health Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration ‍Resources about mental health and social-emotional well-being from The Center on PBIS

As we explore what inclusive education means, we need to talk about what it means to create truly inclusive schoolwide systems, data, and practices. If schoolwide means all students have access to the same foundational features, how do you ensure “all” really means “all” in your Tier 1 PBIS implementation? Joining us to help answer this question is Dr. Sheldon Loman from Portland State University (PSU). Sheldon is a Professor in the Special Education Department at PSU. He has a passion for researching and teaching about inclusive practices to support students with extensive support needs. Most recently, his research explores universal design and how to make schoolwide PBIS more inclusive of students with extensive support needs. Before his work at PSU, Sheldon was a special education teacher and positive behavior support coordinator in a diverse, urban school district in California.  For more information about the resources shared in this episode, check out the following resources and links: Research Findings: Walker, V. L., & Loman, S. L. (2021). Strategies for Including Students With Extensive Support Needs in SWPBIS. Inclusive Practices, 1(1), 23-32. https://doi.org/10.1177/27324745211000307 Research Findings: Walker, V. L., Loman, S. L., Mickelson, A. M., & Lyon, K. J. (2022). Participation of students with extensive support needs in SWPBIS: Administrator and educator perspectives. Psychology in the Schools, 59(8), 1623-1642. The TIES Center. This center works with states, districts, and schools to support moving students with disabilities from less inclusive to more inclusive environments. The TIES Center resources on PBIS The TIES Center PBIS video series on how to make PBIS more inclusive

Join us this month with guest Dr. Nikole Hollins-Sims as we discuss how to cultivate a culture of belonging in your classroom. Using the elements of PBIS, Dr. Hollins-Sims helps us break down how students thrive at school when they feel they belong. For starters, the ABCs of student wellbeing, Agency, Belonging and Connectedness, have a tremendous influence on whether students feel like they are part of your school. When educators focus on cultivating each of these components in their classroom climate through greetings, exercises and class culture, students thrive. We also visit how your own SWIS data results can tell a story of class belonging.Nikole Y. Hollins-Sims, Ed.D., is an internationally recognized speaker, author and facilitator. She currently serves as a research associate for Educational and Community Supports (ECS) as a research unit within the University of Oregon’s College of Education. Nikole has formerly served as a technical assistance coordinator for the Midwest PBIS Network and is a former Special Assistant to the Secretary of Education at the Pennsylvania Department of Education.For more information about the resources shared in this episode, check out the following links:Expert Instruction Ep. 21: Benefits & Examples of Creating a Schoolwide Purpose Statement with Dr. Nikole Hollins-SimsSchool Climate SurveyFeedback & Input SurveyTiered Fidelity Inventory (TFI)Teach by Design “Proven Ways to Make Schoolwide Feedback Work”

As we explore what it means to achieve equitable solutions in PBIS implementation, we start by defining what equity looks like. So, what happens when our definitions of equity are different from each other? In this episode, learn how one coach successfully collaborates with the whole schoolwide community to create shared definitions and equitable systems that work for everyone.Joining us is Mari Meador from the University of Washington’s School Mental Health Assessment Research and Training (SMART) Center. As an implementation coach, Mari supports schools in their implementation efforts. She has been a PBIS state facilitator, an assistant coordinator for the Northwest PBIS Network, and a school-based counselor and mental health associate. Mari is a forever advocate for system-level change, culturally responsive practices, and social-emotional learning.Listen in as Mari shares her strategies for working with community and family members to define their shared values and identify interventions that are culturally responsive. Additionally, we’ll discuss the importance of mental health screening in schools and how it serves as a powerful foundation within any multi-tiered system of support.For more information about the resources shared in this episode, check out the following links:SMART CenterBehavioral Health AuditPBIS Community of Practice!Intervention Map Template

Whether its students clutching their phones or endlessly scrolling YouTube shorts, there is a sense student apathy is real and rampant. In this episode, we’re out to bust the myth that students today just don’t care about school like they used to. Joining us are Marisa Cardenas-Joslyn and Aydree, from Silverado High School in Mission Viejo, CA. Our colleague and friend, Mimi McGrath Kato is also a special guest cohost today while Danielle Triplett is out of the office. Marisa is a member of the Silverado’s PBIS team and an instructional coach supporting teachers and administrators to use data to enhance their instructional practices. She comes to our conversation with a passion for continuous improvement and helping everyone achieve their fullest potential for student success. Aydree is an 11th-grader at Silverado and a student in the school’s Peer Assistance Leadership (PALS) class. When the Silverado PBIS team needs to reteach an expectation, the PALS class comes up with the lesson plan and delivers it to their peers. The class is new this year, but Silverado has already seen more active engagement from students and an increase in the behaviors they hope to see. For her part, Aydree says the class makes her feel more involved at school and more confident in her skills as a leader. If students didn’t care about school, a class like this wouldn’t work…but it does! For more information about the resources shared in this episode, check out the following links: PBISApps Job PostingExpert Instruction Ep. 42: Creating and Sustaining Positive School ClimateSchool Climate Survey

In this episode, we’ve tracked down some hilarious teacher stories from around the internet about the goofy things students say and do in school. From fart jokes, to the 1990s as the “old days,” to a student bringing in a live goat, this podcast will have you in stitches. The guests this month are our very own PBISApps trainer Nadia Sampson and Customer Support Manager Diertra Lomeli. Give it a listen and enjoy your winter break!

We’re back with another episode of Mythbusters where we explore some of the critiques about PBIS. Along with our guests, we’ll declare the criticisms true or busted! The myth we’ll explore today is: Rewards don’t work to improve student outcomes. Joining us in our conversation are Erica Bauer, Joya Mitchell, and Jaymz Keller Jr. Erica is a school counselor and the Green Local School District’s PBIS coordinator. Joya is the Student Services Director at Green Local Schools. She’s been an educator for over 20 years working in both special education and as an assistant principal before transitioning to her current position. Jaymz W. Keller Jr is the store manager at the local Starbucks in Green, OH. Erica, Joya, and Jaymz, have established a staff recognition system for Green Local School District like no other we’ve seen. Their partnership was only made possible because of the district’s focus on building strong relationships and supporting everyone in their larger schoolwide community. Listen to how they leveraged the power of recognition to uplift their staff, encourage students, and engage the entire town of Green, OH in their PBIS implementation. For more information about the resources shared in this episode, check out the following links: Tiered Fidelity Inventory5 Ways to Reward Students the Right WayAre Schoolwide Tickets the Secret to Better Classrooms? Here’s the Truth Find your state-level PBIS coordinator

There’s a feeling you get when you walk into a school. You get a sense for the kind of place it is when you look at the people’s faces, or the way the light that comes through the windows. It’s even in the colors and art on the walls in the hallway. This intangible thing is your school’s climate and it’s something you co-create with your schoolwide community.In this episode of Expert Instruction, we’re joined by three educators who know how to create that positive school climate we all want to experience: Dr. Ginny Joseph, Kathy Stauffer, and Sun Saeteurn.Ginny is a PBIS and Mental Health Coordinator for the Orange County Department of Education in Costa Mesa, CA. She supports schools and district in their efforts to implement a multi-tiered framework for inclusive behavior supports. Ginny is passionate about creating safe learning spaces by engaging the entire schoolwide community. Kathy comes to us from the Saddleback Valley Unified School District in Mission Viejo, CA where she trains and supports school teams in their implementation of multi-tiered systems of support. In her work, she focuses on fostering respectful, responsible, and inclusive communities. Sun has been the principal at Monroe Middle School in Eugene, OR for the last six years. Before that, he was a high school assistant principal and a middle school teacher. Everywhere he goes, no matter what his role, Sun creates supportive spaces by engaging students, staff, and the larger community and building strong relationships. For more information about the resources shared in this episode, check out the following links: School Climate SurveyTiered Fidelity Inventory Turquoise or Blue? How One Test Uncovers the Hidden Assumptions in Our Classrooms Proven Ways to Make Schoolwide Feedback workStart With Why: How to Put Purpose Back in Your Work

When educators are in the classroom day after day, year after year, the focus on fresh authentic, genuine PBIS implementation gets harder. In this episode, we’re talking about how to adapt, evolve, and continuously improve your efforts over the long term. Joining us in conversation are the three co-directors of the Center on PBIS.Dr. Brandi Simonsen is a professor of Special Education in the Department of Educational Psychology at University of Connecticut. She is also the co-principle investigator of the National Multi-Tiered System of Supports Research Network. She's an advocate for supporting educator implementation across a continuum of settings.Dr. Kent McIntosh is the Philip H. Knight Chair of Special Education at the University of Oregon and the Director at PBISApps. His current research focuses on increasing racial equity in school discipline, and sustainability of systems for social, emotional, and behavior support in schools.Dr. Heather George is a professor in the Department of Child and Family Studies at the University of South Florida, the director of the Florida Center for Inclusive Communities and the co-director of Florida's Statewide PBIS Project. She's a longtime colleague of ours in this implementation work, and she's a continued advocate for supporting system level implementation to support all students wherever they learn.Our experts offer some timeless tips for continually improving your PBIS. These include focusing on building genuine relationships with your students right at the start of the school year and building relationships with families. In fostering meaningful bonds with students, educators approach PBIS in the classroom from a more holistic, respected position with students that is less about compliance and more about connection and kindness. We also share what it looks like to make an intentional effort to build an inclusive classroom that feels safe and welcoming to everyone. Resources • PBIS Implementation Blueprint • Tiered Fidelity Inventory • Crisis Recovery

In this episode, we’re looking back at every podcast we had over the past school year and sharing our favorite episodes and lessons learned. We’ve interviewed 16 guests across nine episodes. Every conversation gave us something to think about and find ways to infuse it in our work moving forward. Today, we wanted to highlight just five of those episodes and encourage you to take another listen over these summer months. To travel back in time to any of these episodes mentioned today, check out the following links: Ep. 32: The Fundamentals of Schoolwide TeamsEp. 34: Conferences as Professional Development Ep. 36: Culturally Sustaining Practices Ep. 38: Mythbusters — There are Some Students Skewing Our Schoolwide Data PBISApps Community Let us know you want all the details about our free PBISApps Community events by signing up with your email address. If you already know you’ll want to come to our August event, register today so you’ll be all set up when the school year starts!