The following are some tips and tricks for creating your data system for Juvenile Justice Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS).
Without data to back a claim, it’s an opinion. Usually, every facility has a process for data collection. Your job is to help your team understand if the current data helps make data-based decisions on how to change behavior.
Data needed for PBIS is used to help. When possible, make the connection between data and behavior, and how it is similar to how the medical field uses data (i.e. glucose monitoring for diabetes)
If a team develops a data plan which seems cumbersome, or a plan that will not produce the information they want, that’s okay. If all else fails, let the team implement their plan and realize on their own that they are not getting the information they need.
Once you get a data system that answers the seven critical questions, and your team is able to make data-based decisions, make sure it is shared with everyone. If those collecting data never see the results of the data, they may become careless or indifferent in their attempts.
Be prepared to train on the data.
Make sure all behaviors are operationally defined. These definitions should be determined by the team and shared with everyone else.
Data collection should not just be on aberrant behavior, but also on positive incidents.