IL: PBIS in Harvard Park Elementary School

July 28, 2010

By Jennifer Searcy

Founder/Director of Public Policy & Affairs

The Coalition for Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports

Harvard Park Elementary School, which is part of Springfield Public Schools, has made their "Behavior Expectations" brochure and their "PBIS Behavior Matrix" brochure available online.

Included in the Elementary School's PBIS policies are:

Child access to a "Safety Zone." This area allows children a "stress break" for up to 5 minutes, where children may "make positive decisions about their behavior" when they are feeling frustrated, angry, or overwhelmed.

"Gotchas." These certificates awarded to children when they are "caught" engaging in appropriate behaviors.

"Expectation Rotation Centers." This includes a walk-though of the school with demonstrations and modeling of appropriate behaviors in various environments within the school.

"Cool Tools." These skills and behaviors are taught to children, and include listening, showing respect, problem-solving, etc.

Monthly and quarterly celebrations are also held, in addition to teacher selection of "Student of the Week."

The "Behavior Expectations" brochure can be accessed here: http://www.springfield.k12.il.us/downloads/basic/86111/f_10385-149-ae1.pdf

The "Behavior Matrix" brochure can be found here: http://www.springfield.k12.il.us/downloads/basic/86112/f_10385-213-ca7.pdf

TN: Thousands of Memphis Elementary Students Suspended And Expelled

Reported by: Kevin Holmes
Email: kholmes@myeyewitnessnews.com
Last Update: 9:23 am

http://www.myeyewitnessnews.com/news/local/story/Thousands-of-Memphis-Elementary-Students/sB_MLR55-ka4TJuGOkPWZQ.cspx

MEMPHIS, TN – Just about every school in the country has suspended or expelled a student, but when it comes to Memphis City Schools the number is in the thousands, according to Memphis City School Board Member Kenneth Whalum, and that’s just for elementary school. Last year, nearly 9,000 MCS students (K – 5) were suspended. Close to 500 were expelled.

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According to James Bacchus, MCS’ Executive Director of Student Support, programs are in place to deal with the problem. One is called Positive Behavior Intervention and Support (PBIS). Its goal is to help teachers understand and identify inappropriate behavior before it starts. But PBIS has been around for years, which is why Whalum questions if that’s enough.

For the full article, please follow the link: http://www.myeyewitnessnews.com/news/local/story/Thousands-of-Memphis-Elementary-Students/sB_MLR55-ka4TJuGOkPWZQ.cspx

To see the MCS Code of Conduct, please click here: http://www.mcsk12.net/policy/policy_coc.asp

WA: White River Special Education Team to Attend PBIS Conference

By Jennifer Searcy

Founder/Director of Public Policy & Affairs

The Coalition for Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports

February 16, 2010

The White River School Board has given the district's special education team permission to attend a conference on Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports (PBIS).

The conference is set for March 8-9, 2010 at Oregon State University, which is located in Corvallis, Oregon.

For more information about the conference, please contact OSU Conference Services at (800) 678-6311 or conferences@oregonstate.edu.

IL: Belvidere Community Unit School District PBIS Newsletter

Belvidere Community Unit School District has released their December 2009 newsletter. Included is an article entitled, "Belvidere Central Middle School Bus Drivers "TRREK" Students for Positive Behavior," as well as a list of the November 2008 PBIS 6th, 7th, and 8th Grade Winners.

For more information, please click the following link:

http://www.district100.net/cms/pdfs/PBIS/PBIS%20Dec%20Newsletter.pdf

VT: Compliments Abound at Wheeler School in VT

December 6, 2009

By Molly Walsh

From BurlingtonFreePress.com: http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/article/20091206/NEWS02/91205009

Teachers at Wheeler are finding that by making more of a fuss over children who do the right thing, the number of children who do the wrong thing has dramatically declined. The school is among 54 in Vermont that have implemented an approach to discipline known as the positive behavioral support (PBS) model. Beneath that jargonish moniker lies a simple premise - set the rules, teach them and lavish praise on kids when they follow them.

After the program was instituted at Wheeler last year, suspensions dropped by more than half, from 74 days to 21 days. Less serious discipline problems are also way down. In the 2007-2008 school year, children were required to leave the classroom for misbehavior 600 times at the school, compared to 198 times last year.

These numbers illustrate a dramatic turn-around, said Jim Drown, a behavior specialist at Wheeler who vividly remembers how frantic his early days were at the school ten years ago. “There was no expectation on behavior. There were kids literally running out the doors,” he said. Drown struggled to help teachers maintain order. “It was just run from one room to the next, put out one fire after another and not be able to do anything.”

To read the rest of the article, please click the following link: http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/article/20091206/NEWS02/91205009

SAMSHA's 10 Essenstial Values for Dealing with a Crisis Situation

Ten Essential Values Are Inherent In An Appropriate Crisis Response, Regardless Of The Nature Of The Crisis, The Situations Where Assistance Is Offered Or The Individuals Providing Assistance:

(As reported by Wellsphere at http://www.wellsphere.com/bipolar-disorder-article/on-what-to-do-in-a-crisis/857152)

1. Avoiding harm. Sometimes mental health crises place the safety of the person, the crisis responders or others in jeopardy. An appropriate response establishes physical safety, but it also establishes the individual’s psychological safety. For instance, restraints are sometimes used in situations where there is an immediate risk of physical harm, yet this intervention has inherent physical and psychological risks that can cause injury and even death. Precipitous responses to individuals in mental health crises—often initiated with the intention of establishing physical safety—sometimes result in harm to the individual. An appropriate response to mental health crises considers the risks and benefits attendant to interventions and whenever possible employs alternative approaches, such as controlling danger sufficiently to allow a period of “watchful waiting.” In circumstances where there is an urgent need to establish physical safety and few viable alternatives to address an immediate risk of significant harm to the individual or others, an appropriate crisis response incorporates measures to minimize the duration and negative impact of interventions used.

2. Intervening In Person-Centered Ways. Mental health crises may be routine in some settings and, perhaps, have even come to be routine for some people with serious mental health or emotional problems. Nevertheless, appropriate crisis assistance avoids rote interventions based on diagnostic labels, presenting complaint or practices customary to a particular setting. Appropriate interventions seek to understand the individual, his or her unique circumstances and how that individual’s personal preferences and goals can be maximally incorporated in the crisis response.

3. Shared Responsibility. An acute sense of losing control over events or feelings is a hallmark of mental health crises. In fact, research has shown “feeling out of control” to be the most common reason consumers cite for being brought in for psychiatric emergency care.12 An intervention that is done to the individual— rather than with the individual—can reinforce these feelings of helplessness. One of the principal rationales for person-centered plans is that shared responsibility promotes engagement and better outcomes. While crisis situations may present challenges to implementing shared, person-centered plans, ultimately an intervention that considers and, to the extent possible, honors an individual’s role in crisis resolution may hold long-term benefits. An appropriate crisis response seeks to assist the individual in regaining control by considering the individual an active partner in—rather than a passive recipient of—services.

4. Addressing Trauma. Crises, themselves, are intrinsically traumatic and certain crisis interventions may have the effect of imposing further trauma—both physical and emotional. In addition, people with serious mental illness have a high probability of having been victims of abuse or neglect. It is essential that once physical safety has been established, harm resulting from the crisis or crisis response is evaluated and addressed without delay by individuals qualified to diagnose and initiate needed treatment. There is also a dual responsibility relating to the individual’s relevant trauma history and vulnerabilities associated with particular interventions; crisis responders should appropriately seek out and incorporate this information in their approaches, and individuals should take personal responsibility for making this crucial information available (for instance, by executing advance directives).

5. Establishing Feelings Of Personal Safety. An individual may experience a mental health crisis as a catastrophic event and, accordingly, may have an urgent need to feel safe. What is regarded as agitated behavior may reflect an individual’s attempts at self-protection, though perhaps to an unwarranted threat. Assisting the individual in attaining the subjective goal of personal safety requires an understanding of what is needed for that person to experience a sense of security (perhaps contained in a crisis plan or personal safety plan previously formulated by the individual) and what interventions increase feelings of vulnerability (for instance, confinement in a room alone). Providing such assistance also requires that staff be afforded time to gain an understanding of the individual’s needs and latitude to address these needs creatively.

6. Based On Strengths. Sharing responsibility for crisis resolution means understanding that an individual, even while in crisis, can marshal personal strengths and assist in the resolution of the emergency. Individuals often understand the factors that precipitated a crisis as well as factors that can help ameliorate their impact. An appropriate crisis response seeks to identify and reinforce the resources on which an individual can draw, not only to recover from the crisis event, but to also help protect against further occurrences.

7. The Whole Person. For individuals who have a mental illness, the psychiatric label itself may shape—even dominate—decisions about which crisis interventions are offered and how they are made available. An individual with a serious mental illness who is in crisis is a whole person, whose established psychiatric disability may be relevant but may—or may not—be immediately paramount. That the individual may have multiple needs and an adequate understanding of the crisis means not being limited by services that are compartmentalized according to healthcare specialty. An individual’s emergency may reflect the interplay of psychiatric issues with other health factors.And while the individual is experiencing a crisis that tends to be addressed as a clinical phenomenon, there may also be a host of seemingly mundane, real-world concerns that significantly affect an individual’s response: the whereabouts of the person’s children, the welfare of pets, whether the house is locked, absence from work, and so on.

8. The Person As Credible Source. Assertions or complaints made by individuals who have been diagnosed with a serious mental illness tend to be viewed skeptically by others. Particularly within the charged context of mental health crises, there may be a presumption that statements made by these individuals are manifestations of delusional thinking. Consequently, there is a risk that legitimate complaints relating to such matters as medical illness, pain, abuse or victimization will go unheeded. Even when an individual’s assertions are not well grounded in reality and represent obviously delusional thoughts, the “telling of one’s story” may represent an important step toward crisis resolution.13 For these reasons, an appropriate response to an individual in mental health crisis is not dismissive of the person as a credible source of information—factual or emotional—that is important to understanding the person’s strengths and needs.

9. Recovery, Resilience And Natural Supports. Certain settings, such as hospital emergency departments, may see individuals only transiently, at a point when they are in acute crisis and in a decidedly high-stress environment. Even when not occurring within hospitals, mental health emergency interventions are often provided in settings that are alien to the individual and the natural supports that may be important parts of his or her daily life. It is important not to lose sight of the fact that an emergency episode may be a temporary relapse and not definitional of the person or that individual’s broader life course. An appropriate crisis response contributes to the individual’s larger journey toward recovery and resilience and incorporates these values. Accordingly, interventions should preserve dignity, foster a sense of hope, and promote engagement with formal systems and informal resources.

10. Prevention. Too often, individuals with serious mental illnesses have only temporary respite between crises.An appropriate crisis response works to ensure that crises will not be recurrent by evaluating and considering factors that contributed to the current episode and that will prevent future relapse. Hence, an adequate crisis response requires measures that address the person’s unmet needs, both through individualized planning and by promoting systemic improvements.

Positive Behavior Support in Schools - New Studies Focus on Social, Academic Outcomes

By Sherry Fox

http://speech-language-pathology-audiology.advanceweb.com/Editorial/Content/PrintFriendly.aspx?CC=212060

Two recent studies focused on a positive reinforcement behavioral program designed to improve social and academic outcomes in schools.1,2 School-Wide Positive Behavior Support (SWPBS) is a five-year, multi-institutional program funded by the U.S. Office of Special Education.
George Sugai, PhD, developed SWPBS in the early 1990s to foster positive behavior in students. Today, he is co-director with Robert Horner, PhD, and Tim Lewis, PhD, of the National Technical Assistance Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports under the federal Office of Special Education Programs.

More than 9,000 schools in 44 states have implemented SWPBS or are in the process of doing so. Schools that adopted the program have experienced 20 percent to 60 percent reductions in discipline referrals, fewer suspensions and expulsions, and reduced referrals of students to special education.

"Schools become effective learning environments not only through attention to quality curriculum and instruction but also by creating a school-wide culture that is predictable, consistent, positive and safe," Dr. Horner said in a press release on the new research. "Investing in the social behavior of students is central to achieving academic gains."

He led the recent study on SWPBS that involved elementary schools in Hawaii and Illinois. Third-graders at the schools enjoyed a safer environment and increased their mastery of state reading assessments compared to their peers in control schools. The academic gains did not result just from improved behavior support, the researchers noted, but likely from the new approach being coupled with effective instruction.

A second study looked at high schools that had adopted SWPBS. K. Brigid Flannery, PhD, and Cynthia Anderson, PhD, of the University of Oregon, teamed with Dr. Sugai in surveying 43 implementation team leaders in 12 states. Only half of the faculty members were supportive of SWPBS, and actual participation was even lower on the part of teachers, who felt that appropriate behavior is expected by high school students and rewards are not necessary.

The results suggested strong buy-in and commitment from teachers, administrators and students are needed for successful implementation. A minimum of 80 percent of teachers need to support the program, previous research has indicated. "More time is needed for high schools to secure faculty support and develop strategies to break down barriers to increase support," said Dr. Flannery, who led the study. The findings are considered preliminary because of a small sample size and lack of a control group.

References

1. Horner, R., Sugai, G., Smolkowski, K., et al. (2009). A randomized, wait-list controlled effectiveness trial assessing school-wide positive behavior support in elementary schools. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 11 (3): 133-44.
2. Flannery, K.B., Sugai, G., Anderson, C.M. (2009). School-wide positive behavior support in high school: Early lessons learned. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 11 (3): 177-85.

For More Information

• National Technical Assistance Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports, online: www.pbis.org

CO: Students Reach New Heights at Lanigan Lift-off

December 4, 2009
http://oswegocountytoday.com/?p=27087

Students in Lanigan Elementary School had a real ‘blast’ at the recent Lanigan Lift-Off program held at the school. This new program focuses on reinforcing the Fulton City School District’s Positive Behaviors and Interventions Services (PBIS) initiative, promoting a TEAM (Together Everyone Achieves More) attitude and uniting the entire Lanigan student and staff family.

Students filled the cafeteria dancing and singing along to a mix of fun and inspirational songs that boomed through the cafeteria. Once each class had settled into their seats, the theme song from Space Odyssey filled the room as a group of teachers and Lanigan Elementary School Principal Dan Johnson descended from a space rocket onto the stage.

Head astronaut, sixth grade teacher Mr. Harry Meeker, started the program by reviewing the school’s four PBIS expectations: be respectful, be responsible, be safe, and be a problem solver and asked the students to uphold these expectations when then are not only in school, but at home and in the community.

Set to a NASA lift-off theme, each Lanigan Lift-off assembly aims to celebrate student accomplishments in a high energy, supportive environment. As part of the Lanigan Lift-off festivities, the school’s recognized the 310 students who have remained referral free since the beginning of the school year. Following a thunderous round of applause, Lanigan’s three new student teachers also performed a rap about positive school behavior. Wrapping up the assembly, student and staff members swayed back and forth as they sang The Climb and watched a slide show.

During these events, the entire student body including those classes currently housed at other elementary schools, comes together to celebrate Lanigan school spirit and promote the TEAM environment. Future Lanigan Lift-Offs are scheduled to take place during the school district’s upcoming half days in December and February.

Article: 6 Things That Special Education Personnel Can Do to Decrease Restraint and Seclusion in Their School

From: http://www.spring-tides.org/294/6-things-that-special-education-personnel-can-do-to-decrease-restraint-and-seclusion-in-their-school

Are you the parent of a child with autism or another disability that is very concerned about your child’s safety at school, due to negative behavior? Has your child been physically or emotionally injured by restraint and seclusion, by special education personnel? This article will discuss 6 ways that school districts can deal with behavior rather than relying on restraint and seclusion!

Restraint is defined as any manual method, physical, material, equipment that immobilizes or reduces the ability of an individual. In school districts they mainly use holding techniques. Prone restraints (where the child is held face down) are the most dangerous and cause the most incidence of injury and death!

Seclusion is defined as the placing of a person involuntarily in a room or area alone and prevent them from leaving. Some schools have started relying on time out rooms to seclude children with disabilities when they misbehave.

Below are 6 things that special education personnel in your district can do to decrease or eliminate the use of restraint and seclusion in their schools:

1. They can have school wide policies in place with specific instructions on when restraint and seclusion will be used; and also policies developed on releasing the information to the public. By keeping written charts on when it is used, and releasing the information to the public on when it is used, will actually cause restraint and seclusion to be used less. The danger comes when special education personnel keep the information secret, and refuse to share it with the public; ask your district for accountability!

2. Stop relying on punishment, restraint and seclusion to deal with children’s negative behavior. One of the important things to know is that a lot of children with disabilities have behavior that is related to their disability. Also, it is proven in research that punishment, restraint and seclusion do not work in the long term to change a child’s behavior!

3. Have good attitudes that include all children in the school; including children with disabilities! Personnel that take a positive proactive approach to school order and behavior can absolutely have a wonderful affect, on all of the children in the school. Positive attitudes encourage learning, negative attitudes discourage learning!

4. Teachers and other special education personnel need to be taught not to overreact to behavior. By appropriately dealing with negative behavior the child’s behavior may decrease, but on the other hand overreacting to the behavior, can escalate the behavior. I have seen this many times over the years; a child with autism gets upset and the teacher jumps in; gets in the child’s face and escalates (makes worse) the child’s behavior! Teachers must learn to step back and give the child time to calm themselves down!

5. Understand the huge connection between behavioral difficulty and academic difficulty. Many parents call me when their child has negative school behavior, and ask for help. I ask them: how is your child’s academics? In 100% of the cases the child is below average in all areas of academics. The child is telling the people around them: I cannot do this work, so I am going to misbehave so that I can avoid the work! Avoidance of hard academics is the cause of a lot of negative school behavior!

6. Use research based processes; positive behavioral supports and plans to deal with a child’s negative school behavior. The process starts with a Functional Behavioral Analysis (FBA) to determine what the child is getting from the negative behavior. Is it to avoid hard academics? Is it to access attention? Then a properly conducted FBA is used to develop a positive behavioral plan. This is not a punishment plan, but a plan to increase positive school behavior which then decreases negative school behavior.

Bring these 6 things to your school district and ask them to implement them for your child and other children. This will ensure that all children have a positive environment to learn; even children with disabilities!

Article: Think positive, act positive in school — Positive Behavioral Support tips for parents

By Terese Kashi, for the Redoubt Reporter

http://redoubtreporter.wordpress.com/2009/11/18/think-positive-act-positive-in-school-—-positive-behavioral-support-tips-for-parents/

Positive Behavioral Support helps parents and schools create and maintain a safe and supportive learning environment, encourages positive life skills and reduces negative behavior.

PBS focuses both upon the interaction of a student’s disruptive or counterproductive behavior and upon the learning environment. Except in situations where the safety of others is directly threatened, PBS has proven generally more effective than punitive discipline strategies such as suspension and expulsion. PBS programs can effectively address issues, such as preventing bullying, developing social skills, improving emotional resiliency, and building self-discipline.

What is PBS?

Positive Behavior Support focuses on making problem behaviors less attractive to students. Teachers, parents and student observations are used in designing a plan that helps improve a student’s behavior. Data about the student’s behavior is then collected. This helps parents and teachers evaluate whether the student’s behavior has improved or whether further adjustments to the behavior improvement plan are needed.

Levels of PBS

• Schoolwide (primary) intervention. Schoolwide intervention is a preventative approach that seeks to avoid problem behaviors. This usually involves developing a school climate and culture that increases student safety and improves the educational environment. Schoolwide interventions are implemented throughout the school, including the classrooms, cafeteria, gym and playground. Schoolwide interventions provide consistent behavioral expectations that make disruptive and counterproductive behaviors less attractive to students.
• Classroom (secondary) Intervention. Not all students will respond to schoolwide interventions. A secondary behavior intervention focuses more specifically upon a smaller number of students who may need more assistance. These students may be “at risk” because they have a higher incidence of problem behaviors than expected. At this level, students may receive instruction in small groups about appropriate behaviors in various school settings or about improved social skills and solving social problems.
• Individual (tertiary) Intervention. A few students in schools may continue to behave in a manner that interferes with their own education or that may be disruptive to other students. When this occurs, such students may need individual intervention to help them behave in accordance with school rules. Such students may be placed on a Behavior Intervention Plan that is jointly developed by the school administrators, teachers and the student’s parents.

Often, a Functional Behavioral Assessment is completed before the Behavior Intervention Plan is written so that the team members have some information about the student to help guide them in writing the BIP. A Functional Behavior Assessment gathers observations about the student’s behavior and motivations from parents, teachers and the student as a basis for developing a Behavior Intervention Plan appropriate for the individual student.

A role for parents

Parent involvement in all aspects of their student’s educational planning has been consistently shown to be a major factor in a student’s success. When parents are actively involved in the educational activities of their children, their children are more successful in school, particularly when there are behavioral concerns. Parent communication with the school and parent participation in school activities provides important academic and behavioral support for a student and encourages a healthy school climate.

Parents can help

Parents contribute to developing a positive school climate by participating in their student’s intervention team. At home, parent discussions help their children understand that the school’s behavioral rules can make school a happier, safer and more productive place for everyone. Parents can also help by volunteering for school activities so that students realize that their parents take education seriously.

Support at home for the school’s behavioral rules adds consistency for students. If your student is part of a classroom or individual behavior plan, then your involvement as parents is very important. Most importantly, celebrate school successes with your students at home. This helps students believe that positive behavior is appreciated at school, at home and in the community.

This column is presented by the National School Psychologists Association and Dr. Terese Lipinski Kashi, NCSP, 2009-10 president of the Alaska School Psychologists Association.

IL: Students reap the rewards for positive behavioral program

By David Heitz, dheitz@mysuburbanlife.com
Westmont Progress
Tue Nov 17, 2009, 03:49 PM CST


http://www.mysuburbanlife.com/westmont/newsnow/x870218157/Student-reap-the-rewards-for-positive-behavioral-program

Westmont, IL -

Students at Miller School in Westmont will take some time off their studies this week as reward for good behavior and discipline as part of the school’s behavioral initiative.

The school is holding a Board Game Day Friday, Nov. 20, as part of its Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports program in which students who follow the steps of the program are rewarded with activity days throughout the year.

Principal Kelly Baas said the school has been using the PBIS program for about five years as a way for students to understand behavioral expectations not only in the classroom, but on school busses, bathrooms, outdoor playgrounds and other areas of the school.

“Each particular area has a specific set of rules of what we expect from the kids, and these are taught to them during the school year,” Baas said, “Things such as how to line up, how to behave on the bus, don’t yell and procedures like that. Each section has a list of those procedures.”

Fourth grade teacher Steve Ritz serves as the school’s PBIS coordinator. He said the program is refereed to in the school as “The Miller Way.”

He said many parents have commented on how their child is motivated to do well in order to earn the many different positive reinforcements we offer.

“One hundred percent of our staff is on board with the ideas and concepts behind PBIS and have commented that students are more respectful, responsible and safe,” Ritz said.

Students who exemplify those rules during the school year are rewarded through “Mustang Moola,” play paper money they can then cash in for various activities during the year. The game day is one of those activities, available to students who have earned 40 Mustang Moola, Baas said.

Teachers and specialists use the bucks as rewards in the classrooms for following classroom expectations, Ritz said.

“Anybody who sees students following the Miller Way expectations can give out Mustang Moola,” he said.

During the game day, students will be broken up into different classrooms where they will be playing board games based on various age groups, with the younger students playing games such as Chutes and Ladders and Candyland, and older students playing games like checkers and card games. Some games have been loaned to the school by parents and staff members for the event.

Parents have also created ‘life size” games that will be used, Baas said.

“We have one parent that has created a giant checkerboard, with the idea of the kids actually playing board pieces,” Baas said. “We’re not sure if that is going to work since there will be a number of kids playing at the same time, and may use something else as game pieces.”

Other PBIS initiative events set for later in the school year will include a movie/pajama party day and a beach party planned for later in the year, plus the end of the year finale which is still in the planning stages, Baas said.

WI: East has students on good behavior

By Christie Taylor / News Republic
November 11, 2009

http://www.wiscnews.com/bnr/news/466815

Teachers at East Elementary are trafficking in Panther Paws this year, as the school tackles student behavior with a new program designed to teach and encourage responsible, respectful, and safe habits.

This week, the students are receiving a behavioral "booster shot" from staff-produced videos reminding them of appropriate behavior in the hallways, bathrooms, lunch room, and when class is dismissed.

These "cool tools" include washing hands, walking in a single file, and respecting personal space for other students and teachers.

Students caught using their "cool tools" at the school this year are ripe for reward, Principal Glenn Bildsten said, and might find themselves given a yellow stub of paper — a "Panther Paw" — which then can confer benefits to the student’s entire class.

If a class collects 100, for example, they can choose a reward, such as a longer recess.

Fifth-grade teacher Terry Goethel said after hitting the 500-paw mark, her class was allowed to watch a movie, though she made sure it was one that related to the curriculum.

Bildsten said several other classrooms in the school had already passed the 600-paw mark.

"That’s 600 instances of positive behavior," he said. "It’s wonderful," Goethel said. "The kids really respect each other."

While she said she hadn’t necessarily had problems with behavior before this year, she liked that the new system offers consistency. Every teacher has the same rules, meaning they can help each other more with enforcement, she said.

And the Paw system, she said, gives kids a chance to work together for a reward of their choosing.

"The kids buy into it, they like it, and they’re proud of their accomplishments," Goethel said.

The Panther Paw system, though, is part of a larger intervention the school is piloting for the district, Bildsten said.

The Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports program, endorsed by the state Department of Public Instruction and already in use nationwide, is a system that will eventually also involve more personal attention for students who need extra help with behavior, as well as data tracking to pinpoint the specific areas of behavior that need more work.

Intervention for students experiencing difficulty could be as simple as having them check in with a staff member each day with a few simple behavioral goals, and then checking out at the end of the day, Bildsten said.

"Kids who maybe before were singled out for disruptive behavior, you can kind of target them and key in on them," student services director Tim Fosshage said. "Kids respond when there’s someone looking out for them."

"It’s a very simple concept that our students need clear expectations and to be taught them," Bildsten said.

Rather than assuming students know how to behave, he said, the classes are all given the same basic instructions at the beginning of the school year.

"By doing that you gain academic time in the long run," Bildsten said. "We know in a classroom, when students are prepared to learn and there are fewer disruptions, academic achievement improves."

Fosshage said the program might be adopted at other elementary schools in the district in the coming years. If so, the schools would be able to use federal special education funding which is specifically set aside for universal interventions to help train staff.

NY: Monroe County schools reward good behavior

ASHWIN VERGHESE • STAFF WRITER • NOVEMBER 10, 2009

http://www.democratandchronicle.com/article/20091110/NEWS01/911100321/1002/NEWS/Monroe-County-schools-reward-good-behavior

Over the past two months, Tim Roeser has volunteered for the scut work at Rush-Henrietta Senior High School.

The 10th-grader has cleaned cafeteria tables. He has helped his teachers after class. Normally, such efforts might go unrewarded, but this year he is being recognized for his good deeds under the district's new positive behavior initiative.

Recently, Roeser was surprised in class by the school mascot and given a $15 iTunes gift card as a prize for receiving more R.O.A.R. cards — short for recognizing outstanding attributes at Rush-Henrietta Senior High School — than any student this year.

The cards recognize students for displaying traits like responsibility, respectfulness and integrity.

"We're finding that students like to be acknowledged, and we're trying many different ways to do that," said associate principal Chris Barker.

Like other districts across Monroe County, Rush-Henrietta recently launched a positive behavior program with a goal of improving student engagement and reducing disciplinary problems.

The programs vary at each district, but most seek to encourage good character through repeated instruction and incentives like prizes and recognition from school leaders.

So far, it's been a good start, said Barker. Disciplinary referrals at the high school have dropped by 50 percent, he said.

Other districts report similar progress. At Spencerport High School, where a behavioral reinforcement program has been in place for about seven years, only 72 out of 1,500 students had disciplinary referrals over the first five weeks of school, and most of those were for using cell phones, said principal Ty Zinkiewich.

Advocates say these programs work by creating positive environments and making clear expectations for students.

"What we're trying to do is focus on explaining behavioral expectations so there are no misunderstandings," said Annette McCabe, assistant principal of Willink Middle School in Webster.

However, such programs are nothing new. "I've been in education for 37 years, and I've seen an awful lot (of the programs) come and go," said Jane Bluestein, founder of Instructional Support Services Inc., a consultation and research firm in Albuquerque, N.M.

For the Full Article, click here: http://www.democratandchronicle.com/article/20091110/NEWS01/911100321/1002/NEWS/Monroe-County-schools-reward-good-behavior

MS: 3 on Your Side Investigation - Corporal punishment

By Cheryl Lasseter - bio | email

Posted: Nov 05, 2009 6:18 PM ESTUpdated: Nov 06, 2009 3:22 AM EST

http://www.wlbt.com/Global/story.asp?S=11453537#

JACKSON, MS (WLBT) - Earlier this year, an 11-year-old student in Greenwood, Mississippi sued the LeFlore County School District after suffering deep bruising, and possible kidney damage, from a severe paddling at school.

Corporal punishment happens every day in our state. In fact, during the 2007 school year, Mississippi doled out 38,151 school spankings. We're number two in the country, just behind Texas, which charted more than 49,000.

Mississippi's American Civil Liberties Union opposes corporal punishment because there's no scientific data proving it works. State ACLU President Nsombi Lambright reminds parents they can sign a waiver prohibiting a school from paddling their child. But parents still need to be careful.

"We get calls from parents who have signed the waiver and their kids still get beaten inside these schools. They ask us to provide legal representation for them," Lambright says. "But it's difficult because in these communities, the Department of Human Services will not investigate these cases, nor will the local police department. We also get those calls where... the child has been hurt so badly they attempted to stop the paddling, put their hand behind them, their wrist was fractured. A few years ago we got a call about a student hit in the head with a paddle," she says.

Were you paddled in your school days? How did it make you feel? 26-year-old Alanna Windham attended Enterprise School, a K-12 school in Lincoln County. She was paddled for a minor infraction when she was a high school senior.

"It hurt, it stung but that stopped me from misbehaving," she says. "I told my dad, he told me I deserved it, so if that's the punishment they chose, that's the punishment they chose."

A supporter of corporal punishment in schools, Windham plans to allow her daughter Laura to be spanked at school if the punishment fits the deed.

But some school districts believe spanking is not essential. Jackson Public Schools set the rod aside in the early 1990's. Soon, they will roll out a program called PBIS (Positive Behavior Intervention and Support). It's an entire change of the school climate.

PBIS has already been used for six years at Poindexter Elementary. Appropriate behavior is taught in the classroom, everything from sitting quietly to walking in a line.

School counselor Leona Bishop says bad behavior is dealt with through a series of five steps. Referral to the principal's office is the 5th step.

"For students who are constantly referred, 2-3 referrals, they're moved to a tier 3," Bishop says. "We try to provide counseling, mentoring."

Rewards for good behavior are heaped on through fun programs and celebration days. Students are constantly recognized with their pictures on a wall in the auditorium.

"The first year we implemented it, we suspended 22. Since then, we've suspended three students each consecutive year," Bishop says.

PBIS will first be rolled out in Jackson middle schools. The program should be in all Jackson schools by July 2013.

NY: Enfield school implements new behavioral plan

BY LIBBY SILE

OCTOBER 18, 2009, 6:25 PM

http://www.theithacajournal.com/article/20091018/NEWS01/910180370/1126

After months of planning, writing and surveying teachers and staff, Enfield Elementary School enacted its comprehensive school-wide behavior plan with the start of the school year.

The behavior plan, developed by a committee made up of Enfield staff, is the first to formally address appropriate student behavior, responses to behavior, interventions, expectations and rules. The primary goal of the plan is to give students, teachers, administrators and staff overarching guidelines.

Enfield Principal Mike Simons said the plan is a way to put everyone on the same page about what is expected.

"It's a really positive move forward for us," he said. "It gives everyone a common language to deal with student behaviors and a real positive way of dealing with that."

The plan first declares that Enfield will be guided by the principles of a "Responsive Classroom" school. These include promoting social curriculum and interaction, recognizing that how children learn is as important as the content they learn and teaching students specific social skills -- cooperation, assertion, responsibility, empathy and self-control.

In the classroom, staff members are expected to use the principles of Responsive Classroom in their teaching by clearly defining behavioral expectations, modeling and teaching them, implementing class routines and prompting students to use appropriate behavior.

Teacher John Brooks said he emphasizes cooperative learning and social-skill building.

"It's very important that kids work with other kids," Brooks said. "It reinforces the human element."

School-wide, the plan includes setting aside 30 minutes each morning for classroom meetings, and twice-monthly all-school morning meetings hosted by a different grade level.

During the all-school meetings, students demonstrate and learn appropriate behavior, such as how to greet a friend in the hallway without being disruptive, say the Pledge of Allegiance together and announce birthdays. The meetings and plan in general, try to create a sense of community in the school, said Sheila Kissiloff, a member of the behavioral plan committee.

IL: Maercker School sees behavior changes with new program

By David Heitz, dheitz@mysuburbanlife.com

Westmont Progress

Tue Oct 20, 2009, 03:02 PM CDT

http://www.mysuburbanlife.com/westmont/newsnow/x826020259/School-sees-behavior-changes-with-new-program

Westmont, IL -

Administrators at Maercker School in Westmont are pleased with a new discipline initiative defining expectations for good behavior and recognizing students who carry them out.

Maercker School is set to hold a school-wide celebration next week to mark the success of its new Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports program that was implemented at the school this fall.

The program, also called PBIS, gives students a new perspective on student behavior expectations by focusing on three key words — “respect,” “responsible” and “safe.”

“PBIS is an easy way to explain behavioral expectations to students that focus on specific areas of the school,” said Jim Goodwin, school psychologist at Maercker. “A list of these key terms is posted throughout the building, so it is easy for the students to remember and follow.”

PBIS is part of a nationwide program by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs, and is described as a decision-making process that guides selection, integration and implementation of academic and behavioral practices.

A letter was sent home to Maercker School families during the summer to introduce them to the new PBIS initiative, and the program began when school opened for the fall by introducing it to the students with a short video. School expectations of being respectful, responsible and safe also was shown at open house.

“We are very excited about this initiative because it clearly defines for students what the behavioral expectations are throughout the building,” said Maercker Principal Brenda Babinec. “They learn what those expectations are in sections of the building, such as lunchroom, bathrooms, playgrounds and stairwells. Each has its own expectations, based on the respect, responsible and safe concept.”

As students follow the guidelines taught in the program, Goodwin said they are recognized by receiving “paws,” each week from teachers and administrators, which symbolizes the Wildcat school mascot.

“The top students are then given little prizes each week as a reward for their work in the program,” Goodwin said. “And a drawing is held each month for additional prizes.”

“Paws” also are handed on at random times, such as if a group of students is walking in the hallway, and all are following the expectations set there, a teacher may give a couple of paws out, Babinec said.

The program has made a noticeable difference in the behavior patterns of the students, Babinec said.

“Even though it is only October, I have already seen some changes in the students,” Babinec said. “We have definitely seen a difference.”

To celebrate the success of the program, the school will have a celebration Oct. 30, with snacks provided by the PTO, games and other activities in place of the traditional Halloween party, officials said.

“The day will mark the end of the first quarter grading period, and we will use it as a celebration for students meeting those expectations,” Babinec said.

Announcement: HR 2597 New PBIS Bill Introduced in House of Rep

HR 2597, or the “Positive Behavior for Safe and Effective Schools Act,” has been introduced in the House of Representatives by Congressman Phil Hare, Congresswoman Shea-Porter, Congressman Loebsack, Congressman Courtney, Congressman Davis, Congresswoman Schakowsky, and Congressman Cummings to “amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to allow State educational agencies, local educational agencies, and schools to increase implementation of school-wide positive behavior supports.”

The Act calls for the ability to designate Title I funds for the implementation of School Wide PBS programs. The Act also asks for the creation of a new office to be titled The Office for Specialized Instructional Support Services. This office would be within the Office of the Deputy Secretary of the Department of Education.

The full text of the Act may be found here: http://www.dignityinschools.org/files/PBESA_HR_2597.pdf.

MD: Students get a chance to pie the principal

Faculty enjoys the whipped cream

By John-John Williams IV | john-john.williams@baltsun.com

June 21, 2009

Baltimore Sun

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/howard/bal-ho.pies21jun21,0,5922667.story

Cynthia Dillon and Shiney Ann John stood outside Oakland Mills Middle School splattered with whipped cream and couldn't have been happier.

The two administrators agreed that a pie-throwing contest - where up to 20 lucky students in each grade level got an opportunity to throw whipped cream pies - was the perfect way to end the school year.

Students were picked during a raffle where they traded in tickets they had accumulated for good behavior throughout the year for a chance at a slew of prizes, including the pie-throwing contest. In a last-minute surprise, students chosen during the raffle were able to pick one friend to also throw a pie.

The activity was a reward connected to the Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports program. To lower disciplinary problems, PBIS encourages adults to be positive role models and offers constant reminders of proper behavior through posters and other materials placed throughout the school. Students who exhibit good behavior and follow the rules are rewarded with incentives such as the raffle at Oakland Mills Middle.

Proponents say PBIS can have a measurable impact on a school. Suspension rates at some PBIS schools can drop anywhere from 50 percent to 70 percent within two years of implementing the program, according to experts.

"It has established a consistent standard of conduct," said John, the school's assistant principal. "Behaviors are not a mystery. They are clear with what happens when they do not follow the rules."

Oakland Mills Middle has had a decrease in office referrals, physical altercations and suspensions since implementing the program three years ago, according to Dillon, the school's principal. The school has also seen an increase in attendance, and academic performance since then, she said.

PBIS was started 20 years ago for special-education students by professors at the University of Oregon and was expanded in 1999 to include all students. Maryland has been on board with PBIS since the program was expanded to mainstream classrooms, according to George Sugai, who helped craft PBIS at the University of Oregon. He is now a professor at the University of Connecticut and co-director of the Center of Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports.

Since joining, Oakland Mills Middle has been recognized each year with the highest honor for PBIS schools - the golden ribbon. The accomplishment is much more impressive because of the age of the students, Dillon said.

"Middle school kids try and flex their muscles and stand up for what they think is just," she said. "They do a really good job following the rules here."

John agreed. "They are the best kids. I don't mind if they throw pies at me."

At times it wasn't apparent who enjoyed the activity more - the students or the staff.

Amanda Brewer, a health teacher, was pumped when it was her turn to face the firing squad.

"All right! Bring it on," she said as she put on her hair net and goggles. "Sweet! I get to preserve my eye makeup."

After she was splattered by several students, she exclaimed: "That was really fun!"

Tre Holly, a 13-year-old eighth-grader, leapt over a bench on his way to line up for a chance to launch a pie at a staff member. He lucked out and was paired with John. He eyed his target - who was making faces to egg him on - and launched the projectile in the air, making contact with the side of the administrator's head. His classmates cheered wildly as a huge grin spread across his face.

"It felt real good to get the stress out since I can't do it in class," Tre said.

Lawren Henry, a 15-year-old eighth-grader, ignored the line that dictated where students could throw the pies, and walked right up to John to smash a pie in her face. His classmates were ecstatic as some students ran to capture the image with their digital cameras. John chased him down and eventually gave him a big hug, which in turn left a whipped cream imprint on his shirt. Both laughed heartily.

"I had to do it," Lawren later said. "She's the best principal ever. I had a fun time. I got to throw a pie in the face of a principal. Who wouldn't want to do that?"

The eighth-graders were the first group of students to leave Oakland Mills Middle with three years of PBIS training, which has left a sentimental feeling with John.

"They are dear to us," John said, shortly after hugging Henry. "They can cross the line."

Dillon said she was extremely pleased with the inaugural event.

"It was a hoot," she said. "You couldn't do this with kids who don't enjoy school. It was fun-spirited and a fun way to share in the end of the school year."

IL: Early Childhood Center touts positive behavior

May 21, 2009 - 10:05 PM
By KIMBERLY A. CAMPBELL
For The Telegraph
http://www.thetelegraph.com/news/childhood-27013-early-program.html

GODFREY - Children at the Early Childhood Learning Center know how to "be kind" and "be safe."

They gather on the playground to cool off and take a student body photo. The children demonstrate good behavior, not just because they get rewarded - although a little incentive never hurt anybody.

The Positive Behavior Intervention Strategies is a district-wide program that recently was adopted at the Early Childhood Learning Center.

The program emphasizes the interaction of parents, students and educators to correct and improve the systems, data, practices and outcomes of a child's education.

Early Childhood is the first preschool in the state to implement the program.

The focus of PBIS is assisting schools in developing structures for teaching expected behaviors and social skills. It creates student behavioral and academic support systems, and applies data-based decision-making to discipline, academics and social/emotional learning at the school, district and state levels.

"The program works well because it is school-wide," said Early Childhood's social worker, Angie Payne. "Every faculty member - from custodian to secretary to librarian - they all work to ensure that kids have a consistently positive educational environment."

Some of the proactive interventions that take place are the reduction of reactive disciplinary measures (detentions, suspensions, expulsions, etc.), and evaluating the success across home, school and the community.

"We see a lot of our efforts being carried over into families of the students," Payne said. "Parents used to come to me and say, ‘My child is bad.' Now, the parents can recognize that kids aren't simply classified as good or bad; it's the choices they had been making."

PBIS combines supportive staff behavior, along with supportive student behavior, to result in supportive decision-making and social competence and academic achievement.

"We look for ways to be positive. We never tell them ‘no' or ‘don't,'" Payne said. "Instead, we give children the right to make their own choices. They are in control of their own behavior."

Early Childhood does group and individual interventions. PBIS has sent four representatives to help train the faculty at Early Childhood.

"Of course, we reward the kids for positive behavior," Principal Jill Hardimon said. "If a student is still having trouble learning, we look for ways to help them out."

Students who have trouble sitting still are allowed to sit in a taped-off "standing area." Students who have difficulties writing the alphabet can use their fingers on a tabletop smeared with shaving cream.

"Whether the trouble is behavioral, academic or even family-oriented, the goal is to help children to be successful at school and to help avoid difficulties at a higher education level," Hardimon said.