“It is easier for most of us to affirm positive behavior than to deal with negative behavior in a positive way.” – H. Norman Wright
Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is a state-wide initiative designed to increase the ability of schools to reduce inappropriate student behaviors. CVES uses PBIS to help develop confident, continual learners who display positive behaviors that reflect a dedication to good citizenship and caring community members through respect, responsibility and safety.
Our faculty and staff have developed a more positive school environment by defining, teaching, monitoring, reinforcing, recognizing and rewarding positive behavior, while still holding students responsible for their actions.
What PBIS looks like at CVES
- Behavioral Expectations are defined as the 3 B’s.
- Be Safe, Be Responsible and Be Respectful
- Behavioral Expectations are taught.
- Behavioral expectations are identified for various settings in the school. The behaviors are taught to all of the students in the school through direct teaching with the help of staff. (See Matrix below)
- Appropriate Behaviors are acknowledged.
- Once appropriate behaviors have been defined and taught, they are acknowledged in various ways on a regular basis. Students earn “Bulldog Bucks” for positive behavior. “Bulldog Bucks” can be spent at the “school store”. Students also earn “Bulldog Pride” slips for demonstrating one of the 3 B’s. These slips are then entered into monthly drawings for prizes at the monthly Bulldog of the Month ceremonies.
- Individual Support is provided.
- Behavior Intervention Plans are developed for students not responding to PBIS.
PBIS Matrix
CVES uses a school-wide system that addresses the entire school, the classroom, the gym and areas outside the classroom (such as hallways, restrooms, offices, cafeteria, playground/school grounds etc.). Every person who works in the school is aware of the behavioral expectations and works to ensure students are consistently getting the same message, regardless of the setting they are in or the adult they come in contact with. Our goal is to reduce challenging student behaviors through a proactive, positive and consistent manner across all school settings so that all students can achieve their academic potential and have positive social interactions.
What can you, the student, do?
- Know behavioral expectations: Behavioral expectations will be clearly outlined by teachers and in all school environments.
- Set the example; be a positive role model: Once you know the behaviors expected of you- model them for your peers and younger students.
- Learn from your mistakes: Everyone makes mistakes, so don’t give up. You have the power to learn from your mistakes and prevent them from reoccurring.
- Expect good behavior from your peers: Encourage your friends, peer groups, and younger students to engage in positive, acceptable behavior that follows the 3 B’s.
What can you, the parent, do?
- Read materials provided by CVES related to PBIS
- Discuss and teach PBIS behavior expectations to your children
- Carry over and reinforce PBIS initiatives into home and community environments
- Share your child’s strengths and needs with classroom teacher
By reducing inappropriate student behaviors, PBIS creates and maintains safe learning environments where teachers can teach and students can learn.
For more information on PBIS visit http://www.pbis.org/