What makes your team work so well?  Please discuss in detail (e.g., what is your administrator’s role on the team, how is staff represented, etc.)? Our team works so well because we share common beliefs and a vision for our PBS project.  We have seen the positive changes in student behavior and staff morale as a result of our work motivating us to remain steadfast and committed.  As a team we operate by the principles of shared responsibility. Our team membership is representative of our school including administration, primary grades, intermediate grades, ESE, a behavior technician, a guidance counselor, a district PBS Coach and a parent/SAC member.   All members have identified roles and responsibilities to insure all components of our plan are implemented with fidelity. The assistant principal attends all meetings and assists in developing agendas.  The assistant principal and PBS Coach create data reports to analyze with the team. The assistant principal also communicates PBS updates with staff, parents and the community. The guidance counselor also communicates via email to staff regarding updates and incentives, as well as, writes messages for the morning news show for students to broadcast.  All members share in the responsibility of training staff, creating lesson plans for teachers, and developing and implementing student and staff incentives. 

How does your team use data to make decisions on campus? Our team meets at a minimum of once per month to review data.  Data is analyzed by behaviors, time of day, location, race, gender, grade level, average referrals per day per month, student and teacher.  The team looks for patterns and areas of concern that need to be addressed.  In addition, students and staff are surveyed at least annually to determine if changes need to be made to our process.

How do you share information with the rest of your faculty (e.g., emails, newsletters, meetings, etc.)?  How often do you share this information? The team shares information with the faculty in a number of ways throughout the year as defined below:

• New Mariner Orientation:  In August of each school year, new teachers attend a full day orientation which includes an overview and modeling of our PBS: SAIL process.
• Mentors:  All new teachers are assigned a mentor that reviews, models and supports policies, procedures and processes of the “Weatherbee Way”.
• Beginning of the Year:  All teachers and staff participate in a SAIL update training which includes a review of the principles of positive behavior supports and any changes in procedures based on teacher and student survey results.
• Mid School Year:  Mentors are responsible for reviewing the “Weatherbee Way” with all new teachers as they join the Mariner Family.  The Maintenance Foreman and Cafeteria Manager are responsible for orienting any new staff members.  The PBS Core Team members are always available to assist in with the orientation process.
• Staff Handbook:  The PBS Manual is contained in the Staff Handbook.  Every staff member is responsible for the contents of the handbook.
• Modeling:  PBS is modeled for all staff members during staff trainings by reinforcing behaviors for following SAIL training expectations and rules.
• Mariner Messenger:  PBS data and SAIL updates are published regularly in the weekly staff newsletter.
• Staff meetings:  PBS data and SAIL updates are reviewed periodically during staff meetings.
• Salute a Sailor:  Staff incentive campaigns are established at critical times of the year to encourage and reinforce staff for applying positive behavior supports.

What do you see as the overall strengths of your team?  Please provide details. Our team possesses several strengths.  The membership of the team is an area of strength because we have representation from a broad spectrum of our school including personnel with expertise in working with students with social, emotional and behavioral difficulties.  Moreover, our team is adaptable and problem solvers. The team works together to address areas of concern identified by the data.   For instance, behavioral contracts and counseling services have been initiated for several of our frequent flier students as a result of team brainstorming for solutions.

In what areas of PBS does your team excel (e.g., rewarding students/staff, teaching expectations, data-based decision-making, etc.)?  Please provide details below. Our team excels at rewarding students and staff.  Based on student and staff surveys conducted in May 2007, the team increased the availability and the variety of reinforcers to our students.  Last year, students only had access to reinforcers on a monthly basis to purchase incentive items or coupons.  Beginning, August 2007, students have access to purchasing reinforcers three days per week at the school store. In addition, a major change in the variety of incentives has occurred.  Last year, the SAIL store was the focus of incentives.  This year we have alternated the monthly school wide incentives in conjunction to the SAIL store by adding events such as, Bingo for Books and Movie and Popcorn.  Unique to our student incentive program are raffles.  Our business partners, Walgreen’s and Staples, provide us with candy, stuffed animals, toys and school supplies.  During targeted weeks of school in which behaviors typically increase, we institute school-wide, grade level raffles.  We have found the raffles to be particularly effective in the cafeteria.  Students are reinforced for appropriate behavior by receiving Mariner Money.  Students may write their name on their Mariner Money and place it in the raffle basket to win a prize during their lunch period.  Another unique feature of our PBS plan is the feature of Class Conch Coins.  To encourage classes to work as a team, classes are reinforced for following Mariner Expectations by receiving a Class Conch Coin.  A tiered incentive program for classes is in place and includes incentives ranging from 15 minutes of extra recess time for 15 conch coins to a pizza party for 200 conch coins. 

After FCAT and spring break this year, our data indicated an increase in daily referrals and a general feeling of teacher frustration.  Based on the data and our observations, we instituted a “Salute the SAILor” staff incentive campaign.  The purpose of this campaign was to increase staff use of positive behavior supports to address an increase of inappropriate student behaviors.  All staff is given an unlimited supply of yellow Salute a SAILor slips to complete and recognize a colleague for using the principles of PBS.  The nomination slips are entered into a weekly drawing to win prizes including $20 gift cards to a local restaurant and teacher supply store. 

Discuss the changes you have seen on campus since PBS implementation (e.g., data, climate, morale, etc.). Weatherbee has experienced changes in the make up of our student population.   In just one year we have seen an increase of 20% more students eligible for free and reduced lunch.  Even with these population changes, we have been able to reduce the average number of daily office referrals on a monthly basis when compared to last year.    PBS has become a mechanism in which the overall climate of the school and staff morale can be addressed during predictable times of the year, i.e. before winter and spring breaks and the end of the school year.  For instance, this past year the PBS team instituted the “Salute the Sailor” campaign to address staff morale as discussed already in the response to the question listed above.   The common expectations and rules school wide has significantly impacted the climate of the school.  Clear expectations using a common language and description of behavior is readily known and easy to understand by all staff and students.  For example, a student can be easily reinforced for using the “Weatherbee Walk” as it clearly means feet on the brown line, facing forward, leave space between you and the person in front and hands behind your back.  Furthermore, students are eager to receive their Mariner Money or Conch Coins for following the Mariner Expectations and are enthusiastic to make their purchases.

What are some obstacles that your team has had to overcome?  Please explain the process for overcoming these hurdles below. An obstacle our team had to overcome was insuring routine explicit instruction of the Mariner Expectations school wide.  This obstacle has been addressed in several ways.  Administrators review lesson plans on a monthly basis using a checklist including PBS as a criteria to be included in all plans.  The team continues to create lesson plans for teachers to use.  PBS team members, grade chairs and other teacher leaders encourage their colleagues to facilitate lessons.  Administrators conduct routine classroom walks looking for evidence of explicit PBS instruction.  Evidence includes lesson objectives posted, display of student work and interviewing students.  For the end of this school year an emphasis on the pillars of character development has been employed.  Administration has supported these efforts by expecting at a minimum, one character development lesson each Monday is facilitated during content area instruction.  Each week the PBS team provides teachers with a selection of lesson plans for the identified pillar appropriate for their grade level. 

Another obstacle is obtaining funding sources for student and staff incentives.  The range of incentives is limited by available funds.  To overcome this hurdle, our team has solicited the support of our school district, PTO, SAC and business partners.  The district has provided funds for our PBS plan for the past two years.  These funds have been used to purchase incentives for the student SAIL store.   The PTO has also provided funds for student incentives and help out during school wide events.  The SAC has supported the plan by earmarking funds to be used toward student incentives. Business partners, such as, Washington Mutual, Staples, Walgreen’s and Wal-Mart have provided us with candy, toys and school supplies to be used as staff and student incentives.  Other business partners including the St. Lucie Draft House and Teachers Pet Store have given us discounts on the purchase of gift cards to use as staff incentives.  Next year, the team is planning a yard sale as a fundraising event to raise money to support student and staff incentives.