“If a flower is having trouble growing, we don’t change the flower. We change the soil, we make sure the container is the right fit for the flower.”
That metaphor from K-6 Academic Principal, Dr. Brooke Stebler, perfectly describes PBIS. It’s a behavioral program that is being expanded and enhanced in Sto-Rox School District.
PBIS stands for Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports. According to the Center for PBIS, it’s “an evidence-based, three-tiered framework to improve and integrate all of the data, systems, and practices affecting student outcomes every day.”
The idea is a student’s grades and behavior go hand-in-hand, and positive reinforcement can improve both areas. In Sto-Rox, that means establishing an atmosphere and goals the moment students enter the building.
The logo for PBIS, from the pbis.org website.
“It’s teaching students, these are the expectations we have of you,” said Chris Captline, Assistant Principal for Grades K-6. “It is a more positive approach, as opposed to saying ‘no you shouldn’t do that.’ Teaching them the expected behaviors is a different twist from what we had done.”
However, learning how to behave doesn’t start in the classroom.
“It starts with what are the expectations in the hallway, what are the expectations in the cafeteria, the bus, and then you slowly move into the classroom,” explained Heather Johnston, Principal for Grades K-6.
PBIS was implemented in the Upper Elementary by Johnston’s team and Allegheny Intermediate Unit three years ago. Both Captline and Johnston will focus on building PBIS at the Primary Center this year.
“In the first two weeks in school, you will see teachers and students practicing what are the hallway expectations,” explained Johnston. “We also reboot the lessons as reminders after a long holiday.”
Captline helped install PBIS at the Junior/Senior High School earlier this year before taking on his current role. Incoming Jr./Sr. Principal Kim Price will shepherd the program, which will include a student leadership team.
“That team will be made up of a cross-section of all of our students,” she said. “The goal of that team is to give building leadership input about what students are seeing, and what will incentivize them.”
Incentives are a key feature of PBIS. After all, what’s a goal without a reward?
“You’ll hear the buildings talking about what they’re working for,” said Johnston. “At the Upper, they would work for a kickball game against the teachers, or a basketball game, those were big things. The rooms would compete against each other to see who could play the teachers in kickball, and everyone got to see the game.”
Dr. Price agreed, while pointing out incentives may differ at higher grade levels, like a DJ in the cafeteria on Fridays, or a coffee cart. However, rewards aren’t just about what tastes or sounds good.
“Some student leadership teams have asked a teacher to follow a student for a day, just to get a better perspective on what a student’s day is like,” she said, “so that teachers can better see how their teaching works. We’ve also had teachers or building leaders that allow students to shadow them, to see things from their perspective.”
Positive reinforcement for students is one of the prime concepts of PBIS, and it’s a responsibility that falls on teachers, staff, and administrators daily with specific feedback.
Said Dr. Stebler, “Whenever we make a positive comment to a student, being specific about it: ‘You did a good job because you were working with someone else, or you gave someone a compliment.’”
At the lower grade levels, adults will help shape the impact of this program. At the higher levels, students will play a larger role.
“It’s not magic,” said Dr. Price. “The program is designed to give you a structured way to create a culture. To create a culture you have to determine what the normal behaviors are.”
She gave the example of texting. If you text someone, and they text you back immediately, you’re more likely to respond immediately. Conversely, if you have to wait a day for a response, you’re more likely to take longer to respond.
“Are we trying to set rules to be arbitrary? No,” she said. “We’re setting the expectations so that students can have them for each other, and they have expectations for us and we have expectations for them.
Ultimately, Sto-Rox administrators believe a rising tide of positive reinforcement can lift the grades - and behavior - of students across the district.
Said Dr. Price, “It’s a community, not a dictatorship.”
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