PBIS Center of Alaska
The PBIS Center of Alaska is a state resource that provides information, training, and technical assistance in the area of positive behavioral interventions and supports to Alaskan educators and communities throughout the state. The center is funded through a variety of local, state, and federal grants. The PBIS Center of Alaska is housed at the Special Education Service Agency (SESA) in Anchorage, and staffed by SESA specialists/coaches. SESA has a long history of providing support to Alaskan educators in rural and remote communities. The PBIS Center of Alaska specialists/coaches fully utilize the expertise and infrastructure (including distance technologies) of SESA to provide state-of-the-art services to Alaskan schools and communities.
Current PBIS Center projects
Alaskan School-Wide PBIS Pilot Sites Program
This state-funded program is currently providing training and ongoing technical assistance to 6 rural and remote schools across 5 school districts. The schools, targeted by the state Department of Education but participating on a volunteer basis, are currently focused on implementing Tier 1 school-wide PBIS strategies. Each school has received a 1-day on-site introduction to PBIS and a 2-day on-site Tier 1 training that was individualized to meet the needs of their school/village and was delivered by a PBIS Center training team. Ongoing technical assistance is provided via both on-site and distance coaching by a SESA PBIS Center specialist/coach. Individualized Tier 2 and Tier 3 trainings (and technical assistance) will be delivered as schools reach implementation of Tier 1 interventions with fidelity.
Project CIRCLE
The goal of this federally-funded project is to provide culturally-appropriate training and technical assistance in the area of preschool PBIS to Alaska Native Head Start programs in rural and remote villages.
AK CIRCLE
The goal of this state-funded project is to provide culturally modified training/classroom materials to pre-school and Head Start classrooms across Alaska. Thus far materials have been modified for use in Yu’pik and Athabaskan communities.
AK MESH
The goal of this federally-funded project is to provide training and technical assistance to rural school districts and their corresponding Alaska Native Health Corporations with the goal of creating wrap-around behavioral health systems for school-age children.
North Slope Borough School District PBIS Pilot Project
The goal of this locally-funded project is to provide training and technical assistance to create a school-wide PBIS model program within the North Slope Borough School District.
Participating schools and programs receive:
- Ongoing training and support for the duration of their participation in the project.
- Contact with a PBIS specialist/coach for the duration of their participation in the project.
- Supports and interventions that are culturally relevant to the local community.
- Opportunities to learn and practice skills to prevent behavior problems.
- Opportunities for parent/community education.
Participating schools and programs are expected to:
- Work together with PBIS Center of Alaska staff to determine the goals and implementation plan for their site.
- Work together with PBIS Center of Alaska staff to implement selected strategies and interventions.
- Help PBIS Center of Alaska staff create interventions relevant to local culture and language.
- Participate in PBIS Center of Alaska face-to-face training events and activities.
- Participate in PBIS Center of Alaska distance events and activities, such as scheduled teleconferences.
- Provide feedback to PBIS Center of Alaska staff to improve quality of Center activities.
