What is the difference between SEL and PBIS?

Creating a positive and supportive learning environment is key to ensuring student success. Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) and Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) are two prominent frameworks that offer unique approaches to achieve this goal.

Here, we’ll break down the key distinctions between PBIS and SEL, identifying their individual focuses and benefits.

What is SEL and PBIS?

SEL and PBIS are educational methods designed to create a positive school environment.

At a glance, they’re similar in their practices and intended outcomes. Both are designed to go beyond simply addressing academic performance and are intended to address the child’s social and emotional needs across the board, covering issues including:

• Classroom disruptions
• Bullying & harassment
• Student engagement

When implemented in an integrated system, with long-term goals of equity and student well-being, SEL and PBIS are considered compatible theories and practices of great value.

Not every aspect of these two approaches is identical. Understanding the differences between SEL and PBIS will empower you to choose the most effective strategies for your educational setting.

5 Main differences between SEL and PBIS

1. Focus

SEL and PBIS each focus on achieving different end goals when applied in a learning environment.

The key difference here is that SEL focuses on helping children to modify their thinking to encourage positive behavior, while the primary focus of PBIS is to prevent students in schools from behaving disruptively.

SEL: Change to the Individual

SEL focuses on developing students’ social and emotional skills, helping them understand and manage their emotions, build healthy relationships, and make responsible decisions.

Implementing SEL has positive outcomes for all children, but SEL programs are especially beneficial for at-risk youth, equipping them with the tools to navigate social situations, build self-awareness, and ultimately thrive inside and outside the classroom.

This approach allows for skill-building, with the intention of changing the individual rather than the environment.

PBIS: Change to the Environment

The PBIS framework focuses on creating a positive school environment by establishing clear behavioral expectations and acknowledging the learning establishment’s desired behaviors.

This approach emphasizes prevention and intervention strategies to minimize disruptions and promote positive interactions, with the aim of making proactive changes in the learning environment.

2. Approach

The approach to implementing SEL programs and PBIS frameworks is also different.

While SEL takes a head-on instructional approach, emphasizing explicit teaching and practice of social and emotional skills, PBIS focuses on building systems with the use of a tiered structure.

SEL: Instructional

SEL provides explicit instruction and encourages practice. It’s approached in a similar manner to teaching math or reading, but for social and emotional skills.

The program uses curriculums, activities, and discussions to help students develop their skills and competencies over time.

PBIS: Systems-Based

PBIS implements a tiered system of interventions.

Tier 1 focuses on creating a positive school culture with clear expectations, while the higher tiers provide targeted support for students who might display challenging behaviors.

These tiers are discussed in more detail in the Universality vs. Targeted Support section.

Implementing a school-wide PBIS framework almost always makes more sense for improving student outcomes than introducing separate, competing initiatives.

3. Measurement

The method used to measure the applied teachings of the two programs is another difference between them.

SEL focuses on analyzing the internal development of students’ social and emotional skills, while PBIS measures observable behavioral changes in the school environment.

SEL: Self- Assessments, Observations, & Surveys

SEL is more about observing a student’s ability to apply learned skills in real-world situations and is measured through:

• Self-Assessments: Here, students have the opportunity to reflect on their own social and emotional skills. Examples of assessments include rating scales and journaling prompts that encourage students to evaluate their own behaviors.
• Teacher Observations: Teaching staff can use their own observations to assess how students apply their social and emotional skills in real-world situations.
• Student Surveys: Surveys can also be used to measure students’ social-emotional well-being and perceptions of the school climate.

PBIS: Quantitative Data

PBIS data is often more quantitative, providing objective evidence of the program’s effectiveness in creating a positive and predictable school environment.

Some of the key elements of PBIS measurements are:

• Behavior tracking: Involves tracking the frequency and type of behavioral incidents that occur within the school environment, from minor disruptions (talking out of turn, not following instructions) to major disruptions (bullying, physical altercations) and office referrals.
• Positive behavior recognition: Could include teacher acknowledgments (verbal praise, positive notes sent home), token systems (points awarded for positive behavior, redeemable for rewards), and referrals (allowing for recognition from senior members of staff).
• Tiered Fidelity Assessments: These evaluate how consistently and effectively each tier of the program is being implemented across the school. 

Note: While quantitative data is key for measuring the success of a PBIS program, it’s not the only factor to consider. Qualitative data, such as teacher and student feedback, can also help when evaluating the program’s impact on the school community.