Here at CNE, we utilize something called Positive Behavior Intervention Systems, or PBIS, which is a set of ideas and tools that many schools use to encourage positive behavior among students. With PBIS, our schools are able to make data-informed decisions about how to improve student behavior – what encourages and nurtures positive behavior, what causes disruption in students’ learning, as well as analyzing other positive and negative reinforcements. PBIS categorizes behaviors into three tiers, with the goal of setting behavior expectations and incentives to keep the majority of students in the first tier.
In the last few years, CNE Middle School began to implement PBIS into our daily school day. The goal was to focus more on the positive by rewarding behavior we wanted to see, versus disciplining students for smaller infractions, which has been the typical system in all schools for decades.
We stopped things like sending students to the office unless there was a big issue; and having students sit in the hallways for “time out.” Instead, classroom expectations were set and continually reinforced, and when problems arose, students were engaged in the process of fixing them and self-reflecting on their role in the problem. Instead of sending students to the office as discipline, they were sent as a reward: to hear how well they were behaving. “Character Trait of the Week” was started, with teachers focusing on the trait in the classroom and then students rewarded for exhibiting that trait. We opened a “PBIS store” that is open bi-monthly for students to spend points they earn from positive behavior. “Be the Difference Club” was established and meets monthly to discuss how we can continuously improve our school culture. And the students are involved in all of this – in our quarterly “Ways and Means Assembly,” students and staff review behavioral performance and expectations and set goals for the upcoming quarter.
Teachers are heavily involved in this process, receiving regular training on how to provide structure and clear expectations; how to use data to evaluate the success of their efforts; and engage students in the process.
Two favorite rewards that were started in 2019 are the Rocket Room and the Wheel of Cheer. Students are referred by teachers for hard work in class – from there, the student’s name is put on the Wheel of Cheer, a carnival wheel, which is then spun for students to win free time/lunch with friends in the Rocket Room, where students have access to gaming systems and other fun activities.
Students also look forward to quarterly field trips. Students are able to participate if they have no majors or minors, no failing classes, and all work turned in. These field trips are fun outings for students to celebrate their successes with their friends and our staff.
The MS has already seen incredible results from implementing PBIS strategies. By shifting the focus to rewarding and encouraging positive behavior, instead of punishing negative behavior, the MS has seen: Office Referrals in 2018-2019 decreased by over 75%; days of ISS/OSS decreased by 96%; and expulsion rates went from four in 2016-2017 to only one in 2018-2019.
As we continue to see the incredible success of implementing PBIS, the MS is excited to see how our students’ behavior continues to improve as we build a community CNE is proud of.
