Question 1

Is Positive Action available in other languages?

Accepted Answer

Yes, Spanish versions are available for most grade levels.

Question 2

Does Positive Action ship internationally?

Accepted Answer

Yes, Positive Action ships to most countries. For international shipping estimates, please contact us.

Question 3

Where is Positive Action used?

Accepted Answer

Positive Action is implemented in a wide variety of settings, including schools, community-based organizations, and health and prevention programs such as juvenile justice and behavioral health. It is also used in early childhood centers, family programs, and rural or tribal communities. This flexibility allows schools and organizations to integrate Positive Action where it fits best to support their goals.

Question 4

What makes Positive Action different?

Accepted Answer

Positive Action has a theory that outlines the program's structure and framework. It is depicted through the Thoughts-Actions-Feelings Circle and is consistent throughout the program and serves as the foundation from which all positive actions stem. It is a comprehensive program with component materials for all roles in a school community.

Question 5

How long is each lesson and how often do we teach?

Accepted Answer

Most lessons take 15-25 minutes. The program is designed to be taught near-daily throughout a 36-week school year. The elementary and high school curricula are taught 3-4 times a week, and middle school is taught 2-3 times a week. For best results, keep the unit sequence intact; however, lessons may be taught out of sequence to target a specific behavior and revisited when they come up again. Adjust pacing to fit your schedule.

Question 6

The lessons are 15 minutes a day? What if I don’t have that kind of time?

Accepted Answer

Positive Action will save you time. You do not have to teach Positive Action every day to see lasting effects. Problem behaviors will start to decline as students embrace Positive Action concepts and begin to cooperate in the classroom. When behavior improves, Teachers spend less time dealing with problem behaviors and thus have more time to spend teaching.

Question 7

Who should attend training?

Accepted Answer

We recommend training for all staff who will deliver or support program implementation, including classroom teachers, facilitators, site leads, counselors, and administrators. Broader participation can help strengthen consistency and program impact across the school or organization.

Question 8

How much training will staff need?

Accepted Answer

Training is optional but strongly recommended. Pasela license-holders have access to self-paced orientation training from their dashboard. Most staff complete the orientation in a couple of hours, with an optional certification process. Live webinar and in-person training are also offered. See our training services for more details on training options and costs.

Question 9

What type of support is provided throughout the school year?

Accepted Answer

Ongoing support is available with a Program Consultant via calls, email, and webinars. Additional training can be purchased and scheduled for either in-person or virtual sessions. Sites can also share recorded lesson clips for feedback and coaching.

Question 10

Can Positive Action integrate with PBIS/MTSS?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Positive Action integrates seamlessly with PBIS and MTSS. At Tier 1, it’s embedded into daily classroom instruction to build a shared language and consistent expectations. At Tiers 2 and 3, the program can be layered with targeted or individualized interventions. Schools often integrate Positive Action with their existing systems to strengthen alignment, streamline practices, and build a unified schoolwide culture.

Question 11

How soon will we see results?

Accepted Answer

Many schools notice classroom culture shifts within weeks, while broader schoolwide indicators typically improve over a semester or full school year. Results may vary based on dosage, fidelity, and implementation context.

Question 12

What is Pasela?

Accepted Answer

Pasela is the web-based platform for delivering the Positive Action program. A Pasela license provides access to one or more grade-level products, each complete with lesson plans, student and instructor materials, and implementation tools and resources. The platform also includes self-paced training with optional certification to support program and product-specific implementation.

Question 13

My students are really difficult to teach. Are you sure it will work for them?

Accepted Answer

We have heard this question for a long time. The short answer is yes, it will work for your students. The research indicates that even a small amount of Positive Action instruction can have lasting effects. There is additional information regarding implementation and effectiveness in the Planning and Research sections.

Question 14

Can students access materials online?

Accepted Answer

Currently, Pasela does not offer student-facing access. Instructors can download the lesson digital resources to share them through your site's preferred method.

Question 15

How can families and communities engage with Positive Action?

Accepted Answer

Families and community members have free access to Family Lessons in Pasela, which align with and reinforce concepts taught in the classroom. These lessons can be used at home to strengthen student learning and support positive behaviors. Sites can also extend engagement through take-home activities, lesson recaps, themes, and strategies. In addition, schools can increase community involvement through activities such as family nights, newsletters, assemblies, shared posters and language, and partnerships with community organizations that deliver age-appropriate lessons with proper licensing and orientation.

Question 16

How do we pilot the Positive Action program in our school/organization?

Accepted Answer

Schools and organizations interested in piloting the program can get started by connecting with a Program Consultant and attending an introductory webinar. After the webinar, demo access may be provided for a short-term pilot of up to 90 days. If a longer pilot is preferred, licenses would need to be purchased.

Question 17

What topics are covered, and how is the scope organized?

Accepted Answer

Lessons are spread across six unit concepts, which include: self-concept; healthy body and mind (physical and intellectual); self-management (managing oneself responsibly); getting along with others (social skills); self-honesty (honesty with oneself and others); and continuous self-improvement (goal-setting). Each grade follows the same sequenced set of units and lessons that scaffold skills across the year. See more on the program's scaffolded, six-unit design .

Question 18

Are there student materials or journals?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Student-facing resources include activity sheets, handouts, and text. Journaling and reflection activities are a part of lessons, although journals are not a provided resource. All printable student resources are available as digital resources for download in Pasela. Grade-level starter kits provide non-print manipulatives.

Question 19

What work will be required of teachers?

Accepted Answer

Teachers are at the heart of the program. To get started, teachers review their Pasela account and assigned product(s). An onboarding tutorial is available on first login, along with a self-paced training to deepen understanding of the program and materials. Once ready to begin instruction, key responsibilities include:

Completing optional student screening (if applicable)
Reviewing lessons and accompanying materials • Planning and adapting lessons as needed
Facilitating lessons 2–4 times per week (or as determined by administration)
Implementing simple climate routines
Tracking lesson completion and reflecting on progress
Collaborating with the site committee to support implementation.

Teachers and other implementers can also start a Pasela trial to explore the platform and get a feel for the lessons, pacing, and materials before full implementation.

Question 20

What outcomes can we expect?

Accepted Answer

Common results include fewer discipline incidents, improved social skills, stronger engagement, and positive school climate indicators. These outcomes reflect both behavioral and cultural shifts at the classroom and schoolwide level. Positive Action's research trials have produced outcomes across 25 categories. See program outcomes .

Question 21

How much of the program can be viewed online?

Accepted Answer

Demo access provided through a Program Consultant grants access to the full curriculum for the specified product(s). A self-initiated 7-day trial provides access to the first three lessons of each product. Both options include instructor materials, digital resources, music, correlated family lessons, and self-paced training. Contact a Program Consultant or start your trial today.

Question 22

Can we connect to our LMS?

Accepted Answer

Positive Action content can’t be uploaded or embedded directly into an external LMS such as Canvas or Schoology. However, you can share links to Pasela or add access points in your LMS to make it easy for staff to log in and access materials securely. Pasela supports Single Sign-On (SSO) through Clever and ClassLink, which many schools use to manage logins and streamline access. All curriculum content remains the property of Positive Action and may only be accessed through authorized accounts.

Question 23

What is the cost of the program licenses and materials?

Accepted Answer

A single-product license starts at $240 per user, per year. Volume and multi-year discounts are available and vary by the number of users. Long-term licenses provide additional savings, allowing users to pay for five years and receive a 7-year license. A multi-product license gives an individual user access to more than one product and offers increasing discounts for each additional product. Licenses may not be split or shared across multiple users. Optional Starter Kits include non-printable materials—such as full-color posters, visual aids, game boards, and other hands-on manipulatives. Prices range from $100 to $425 each, depending on grade level. Refresher Kits, which replenish consumable materials, range from $35 to $150 each. See our Products for grade-specific pricing. Discount bundles are available: Starter Kit + 1-year license: about 5% savings Grade band combo with Starter Kit + 1-year license: about 18% savings

Question 24

Are there recurring costs?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Licenses are typically purchased for one year and renewed annually; however, long-term licensing is an option for built-in sustainability and offers discounted rates. Refresher kits replenish consumed materials from the initial starter kit.

Question 25

Is Positive Action available in other languages?

Accepted Answer

The lessons in Pasela are in English and can be translated using Google translate option in your browser. Lesson materials, including posters, visual aids, and activity sheets, are being translated and will be made available in Pasela under Digital Resources as they are completed.

Question 26

Will the program help build a common vocabulary?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Consistent language and visuals (e.g., the Thoughts-Actions-Feelings Circle and unit themes) are used across grades. Climate tools include Words of the Week and posters that unify language among staff, students, and families.

Question 27

Are there prerequisites for training?

Accepted Answer

Training participants should have a license for one or more products before receiving live webinar or in-person training. Self-paced training is only available once a license has been purchased. If grade-level starter kits are planned for use, participants would ideally have these in hand before training as well. For webinar training, participants must have a reliable internet connection to join the webinar. They should also have a webcam and a microphone to participate and engage with the trainer and their colleagues fully.

Question 28

Are there evaluations about cultural/linguistic appropriateness?

Accepted Answer

Randomized controlled trials in Hawaii and Chicago reported positive outcomes across a diverse range of student groups, including varying racial, ethnic, socioeconomic, and other demographic backgrounds such as students receiving free or reduced-price lunch and special education services. In the Hawaii trial, the student body included individuals self-identifying as Native Hawai‘iann (30.3%), White (14.6%), Filipino (13.2%), ‘Other’ backgrounds (14.8%), Hawaiian (6.2%), Japanese (5.0%), Samoan (4.1%), Hispanic (3.2%), Chinese (2.0%), African American (1.9%), Indochinese (1.5%), Portuguese (1.3%), Korean (1.4%), and Native American (0.6%). Over half of students qualified for free or reduced-price lunch (56.3%), and the schools had a high stability rate (90.2%); additionally, 13.2% of students had limited English proficiency and 9.6% received special education services. In Chicago, schools had larger enrollments and lower student stability (less than 40%), with a comparable proportion of economically disadvantaged students (over 50% eligible for free or reduced-price lunch). Nearly half of the students were African American (48%), 27% were Hispanic, and 19% identified as "Other." Fewer than 50% of Chicago students passed the Illinois State Achievement Test (ISAT). Data on special education participation and limited English proficiency were not available for the Chicago sample.

Question 29

Can we connect with sites similar to ours using Positive Action or see the program in action?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Upon request, we can provide references from schools and organizations with similar demographics and populations served. In some cases, a site visit may be optional to see the program in action.

Question 30

Can you help interpret results and recommend improvements?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Scope is determined collaboratively. Share your goals, implementation plan, and data sources; we can review results and offer recommendations.

Question 31

How do we add teachers and students?

Accepted Answer

To add more teachers or users, sites may need to purchase additional Pasela licenses depending on their original order. Once license availability is confirmed, a Program Consultant will assist with onboarding the new users, which is typically completed within 24 hours of the request. Pasela does not currently offer a student-facing license.

Question 32

Does Pasela support SSO?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Pasela supports secure authentication and offers single sign-on (SSO) options through ClassLink and Clever.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Implementation

Ordering

Training

Spanish

Research

Technology

General Questions

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Implementation

How long is each lesson and how often do we teach?Implementation

The lessons are 15 minutes a day? What if I don’t have that kind of time?Implementation

Can Positive Action integrate with PBIS/MTSS?Implementation

My students are really difficult to teach. Are you sure it will work for them?Implementation

Can students access materials online?Implementation

Are there student materials or journals?Implementation

What work will be required of teachers?Implementation

Will the program help build a common vocabulary?Implementation

Ordering

Does Positive Action ship internationally?Ordering

How do we pilot the Positive Action program in our school/organization?Ordering

What is the cost of the program licenses and materials?Ordering

Are there recurring costs?Ordering

Training

Who should attend training?Training

How much training will staff need?Training

Are there prerequisites for training?Training

Spanish

Is Positive Action available in other languages?Spanish

Is Positive Action available in other languages? Spanish

Research

What outcomes can we expect?Research

Are there evaluations about cultural/linguistic appropriateness?Research

Can you help interpret results and recommend improvements?Research