For nearly four decades, the impactful methods of the Behavioral Intervention Support Team (BIST) program have transformed schools and classrooms, and now, these groundbreaking practices are unveiled in book form for the very first time. Cultivating Behavioral Change in K-12 Students: Team Based Intervention and Support Strategies went on sale Friday, February 9 and is available for online order via the Routledge publishing website and Amazon.

The 178-page book is written by Marty Huitt, Director of BIST, in collaboration with BIST Consultant Gail Tolbert. A former educator, Marty has led the BIST program since 2003 and has inspired countless school leaders to transform their school culture. Her relatability, unwavering belief, and passion for the BIST Model are embedded throughout the book and have been instrumental in the program’s success.

“Since 1990, the BIST Team has provided training, support for implementation, as well as classroom resources,” said Marty. “However, there has never been a comprehensive compilation of the concepts and practices that make this model successful.”

Topics covered in the book include helping school staff develop a vision to increase the consistency of care for children, fostering family partnerships, increasing teaching time, and a wealth of practical strategies to successfully implement the BIST Model.

“The goal is to inspire hope that children who struggle are not only worthy of success, but as adults, we can help them achieve that success,” said Marty.

Since its inception in the late 1980s, the BIST Model has made a tremendous impact in schools throughout Kansas, Missouri, and beyond. Today, more than 330 schools in nine states partner with BIST by receiving regular consultation services and training or engaging with professional development opportunities that address unique challenges faced by educators today.

This book is one effort to expand accessibility and awareness of the BIST Model beyond its current scope and to equip adults with tangible tools and tips to manage out-of-bounds behaviors and collaborate with students and other adults to create lasting change. While the book has a strong application for any adult working with children, it is well set up to be used as a book study companion for school staff groups.

Todd Jefferson, an elementary school principal in Dunlap, Illinois, is one school leader who has wholeheartedly adopted the BIST Model and witnessed profound results.

“I wish I could have been introduced to the BIST philosophy earlier in my career,” said Todd. “Our relationships with students, connections with parents, conversations about student behaviors, and our own reactions and responses to students who are out of bounds has significantly improved. Our students and families now feel they belong, they matter, and they are worthy rather than just hearing it.”

Cultivating Behavioral Change in K-12 Students: Team Based Intervention and Support Strategies is now available for purchase on the Routledge website or via Amazon.

To learn more about the BIST program, visit the BIST website, sign up for the BIST eNewsletter, or check out one of our recent stories about BIST.

• BIST Program Brings Principles of Grace and Accountability Into the Home
• BIST in Action: 33 Years of Impact in Public Schools – Guest Blog by Marty Huitt
• BIST Leadership Conference Offers Hope, Camaraderie, and Vision for School Leaders