PBIS Improvements

This week I was not able to schedule a guest teaching spot, but I did present on our school's PBIS improvements at a Grant Wood AEA PBIS regional meeting.  I am so proud of the work of this team!  The positives are definitely beginning to show.  Our behavior data shows great improvement from last year, the hallways are clearer, and teachers comment on how much better things are going overall this year.

We began by starting fresh over the summer with a new team of committed individuals.  We attend two and a half days of training with Grant Wood AEA.  We planned lessons to teach behavior expectations, re-worked the behavior matrix, and developed PD for our teachers.  When school started, teachers taught the lessons with fidelity - from going to the cafeteria to talk about lunchroom expectations to reviewing when you can and cannot use your cell phone.  Our PBIS values (Viking Virtues) are safe, responsible, and respectful.

We use V2 tickets - Virtuous Viking tickets.  Teachers hand these out to students when they see that they are displaying the Viking Virtues.  We are sure to tell the students why they are receiving a ticket and give them the praise they deserve.  These tickets can then be used at the store for various prizes including snacks, pencils, Viking apparel, and raffle prizes.  Some of the raffle prizes are most popular and do not cost anything - your table goes first at lunch, play basketball with a teacher during study hall, sit in a teacher's comfy chair, pizza with the principal, etc.

We had a fantastic all-school incentive first trimester.  If the tickets redeemed at the Viking Store filled a box, Herky and the University of Iowa cheer squad would attend our spirit assembly.  It worked!  We filled the box and students loved seeing Herky run through a giant V2 ticket and play with our school band.  The cheerleaders did a cheer and took selfies with the students.  Huge success!

This trimester we are in the middle of a homeroom challenge.  Students must first show their V2 tickets to their homeroom teacher who keeps a running tally.  The homeroom that has the most tickets at the end of the challenge will play a staff team in dodgeball!  There are prizes for second and third place as well.  Students are totally in to it.  They are checking the totals every day and reminding each other to turn in their tickets and do good things to get tickets.

The most important measure of success is the data points.  Behavior is down and especially the behavior categorized as "major."  The PBIS team has worked hard and met consistently.  We share this data with the whole staff and celebrate our success.  Teachers have bought in and are enjoying the benefits of a good system.  We still have work to do, but will take a minute to bask in the glow of a little success.  And then start thinking of our next all-school incentive!