The U.S. Office of Special Education Programs today announced a $1.6 million grant to the University of Oregon to lead a joint effort to continue the work of a technical assistance center aimed at helping address the needs of behavior-challenged students with disabilities.

The project, known as the National Technical Assistance Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports, helps schools provide a climate and effective interventions to support students with disabilities who have behavioral issues, especially those at risk for expulsion, suspension or alternative school placement.

"We hope this project will continue to assist states and local school districts with promising approaches to helping behavior-challenged students with disabilities achieve their academic potential," said Tracy R. Justesen, assistant secretary for special education and rehabilitative services.

Positive behavior interventions and supports (PBIS) promote practices that help students with behavioral challenges by focusing first on their environment, rather than just the person. For instance, PBIS stresses schoolwide practices involving the total school -- all teachers, all staff and all students -- to help develop an atmosphere where students with behavioral challenges can succeed.

The National Technical Assistance Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports was launched by the Education Department's Office of Special Education Programs in the 1990s to help schools develop PBIS programs.

The grant announced today will enable the University of Oregon to join with the universities of Connecticut and Missouri and eight other universities, state governments and service organizations in extending the work of the center.

This marks the third grant to the center, following two previous Education Department awards in which the center defined, implemented and evaluated PBIS projects across more than 7,000 schools in 30 states during the last 10 years.

For more information, visit the National Technical Assistance Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports' Web site at http://www.pbis.org.

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