Implementing School-Wide Positive Behavior Support in middle school is a challenging task for all.  The most important component is teamwork.  Our team has succeeded in each area of implementation because we embody mutual understanding and respect.  We appreciate each other’s unique talents and strive to assign tasks that permit efficient implementation of the program as well as fostering personal satisfaction.  Our program has been in effect since the 2003-2004 school year.  The first year was an adventure in learning but determination and a clear understanding of the benefits of the program along with attendance at the various coaching seminars has resulted in stronger and stronger performance each year.

All of our team members exhibit quiet determination to keep our SWPBS program on track and performing; from the excellent support we receive from our Principal, Ms. Angela Roles to our custodians who assist in the logistics of our various events.  Our two assistant principals, Joan Massop-Fruitt and Donald Marlett, oversee and track behavior with the resultant data being used by the SWPBS team to determine appropriate courses of action to maintain the program and create dynamic solutions to occurring problems.  All team members oversee specific assigned areas such as: fund-raising, data analysis, SWIS input, behavior rewards and programs.

Our PBS team is composed of one Assistant Principal who is PBS trained, the school behavior specialist, a reading specialist, the ESE liaison, an ESE teacher, representatives from each grade and the team leader who teaches language arts.  Since each team member has a specific area of responsibility, they are able to operate independently as needed between our team meetings resulting in an efficient and productive program.

We use our SWIS data and internal information to determine the priorities for the team in several areas.  First we determine the most significant discipline problems that can be addressed within the PBS program.  We discuss solutions and ways to implement those solutions and then put those solutions in effect through creative and enterprising ways.  Through faculty meetings our staff members are kept abreast of both progress and set-backs.  Our school has a leadership team that also is kept informed of our progress.

Our PBS team has a broad implementation program in place that includes: Pawsitive Passes, Student of the Month Awards, a year-end festival, Spirit Days, weekly drawings, semester drawings, a café and clean Cat Card Awards.  PBS is a featured program for open house events and the school-wide expectations are printed in the student planner.

The central theme of our program is the Cats Pride Pawsitive Pass which is given out by teachers to students that demonstrate excellence in character, academics, team effort and success. Also students are acknowledged for showing PRIDE - perseverance, respect, integrity, dedication and effort.  These themes are stressed throughout our school by having the key words (integrity for example) posted in each classroom and discussed in class.  Student expectations are posted in each room as well.  This promotes a healthy environment based on a uniform set of expectations and definitions. Students deposit the Passes in a collection box in our media center. We keep an Excel spreadsheet of all students and the number of passes received throughout the year that determines various year-end activities.  Each week a drawing is done and the winners announced on TV along with a reward for each winner. During this Pawsitive Pass Reward Show various efforts are made to reinforce goals and expectations. Additionally, we have a semester drawing for an iPod or some other significant reward. Early staff training in positive support and explaining why a student is receiving a Pawsitive Pass has resulted in demonstrable gains.  As mentioned the Pawsitive Pass is the central link for our program. At year end students attend a Cats Pride festival and receive free tickets to activities on that day based on the number of Pawsitive Passes they have received throughout the year.  We have a supportive program in place to encourage both reading and behavior through a Pawsitive Pass reward for clean discipline cards. This is administered through our Reading department and reading teachers.

What makes this possible and keeps PBS and Cats Pride in the forefront of our students’ minds?  What else.  Food!  We created the PBS Café to sell healthy breakfast snacks before school.  Two things resulted from this effort. One, the students identify with the PBS program and secondly, the Café generates a significant and continuing flow of funding for our programs.

The 2007-2008 school year marked the implementation of our mentor program. The team identified 12 students who had the highest number of office discipline referrals from the previous school year.  Those students were interviewed to determine their interest in the mentoring program, to help them gain insight into their behavior and to self -select staff members as possible mentors.  Those staff members who agreed to be mentors were given training and paired up with their student.  Parents were contacted to give consent and to explain the mentoring concept.  We moved forward with a targeted group of 9 students.  Two were not interested and one moved to a different school.  Using our data, specific problems are isolated along with positive behavior changing approaches.  As of this date, 7 of the 9 students have shown a reduction in the number of office discipline referrals.  Range of improvement was from 23% to 94%.  Reviewing the program we can see that one on one positive behavior support by informed mentors is a critical component to a successful program.

The most obvious change throughout Diplomat Middle School is the increased use of   Pawsitive Passes along with the supportive behavior reinforcement with each awarding of a pass by administrative, support and instructional staff.  Teachers have taken to heart the idea of positive reinforcement as a way to redirect student behaviors and to limit the expansion of a behavior from a minor issue to a major issue.  We have seen an increase in the school-wide participation in this developing environment of PBS based activities, reward programs, mentoring programs, teacher re-enforcement and school-wide branded activities. 

This team’s biggest obstacle has been finding the time to create and implement lesson plans for teaching the elements of our acronym PRIDE - perseverance, respect, integrity, dedication and effort.  While each group of subject area teachers agreed to focus on one of the character words and include examples in daily lessons, specific activities and times to teach them have not been implemented.  The other obstacle is getting 100% committed buy-in from staff.  Each year has shown an increase in the number of Pawsitive Passes being given out but there are still a few holdouts who still need convincing that giving student recognition for “doing what they should be doing” is a positive thing.