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POLK LIFE AND LEARNING CENTER

DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION:

1. School District: Polk

2. Grade Levels: Pre-K through Grade 12

3. Student Enrollment: 76

4. Percent of ESOL Students: 0%

5. Free and Reduced Lunch Percent: 73.33%

6. Percent of Students With IEP's: 100%

School Website

TEAMING:

We communicate well and have a record of longevity with staff so we are not having to “start over” every year. Our administrator is an active participant on the team and consistently supports and implements the program. She shares information with parents and our School Advisory Council. Our team represents teachers, departments, those who serve on the Crisis Team, and those who develop FBA/BIPs.

We look at data for individual students and create specific individual solutions for the problems. We look at data for the entire group and modify our implementation of our school wide behavior system accordingly. We use our data to help us decide on individual and group training needs.

Information is usually shared at weekly behavior training. Occasionally, we share through e-mail.

Our team works well together and focuses on our goal of positive behavior. The administrator takes an active role in the implementation of PBS in our school and sees that it is carried out. She also works with the team to make sure that the current school year’s reinforcers and consequences are consistently implemented. Our team shares responsibility for safety for staff and students at all times, including transportation of students.

IMPLEMENTATION:

One of our best features this year is our “Going For the Gold” program. Each week that a student is on gold level, (average of 86 or more points without a referral), he gets a gold (plastic) coin to spend at the school store, a cupboard filled with various desired items. Gold level students are recognized by having their names posted and called over the intercom and by special privileges. If a student is on gold level for three weeks in a row, he may apply for a job on campus. Currently, we have two ITV news reporters. Occasionally, we have a helper in the lunchroom, someone to call the buses, or a “security person” to check the gates on campus and make sure they are shut. Once a student makes job status, he works hard to stay on gold level so he can keep his job.

OUTCOMES:

We are better at collecting and looking at data, in order to make better decisions about what is happening. Also, our collaborative efforts are pulling us together into a better team. Each year, we review our system and practices and make adaptations for the coming year. The whole staff is surveyed about where they see needs for training. We have an excellent system of support from administration and the Crisis Team, for removing students who are disrupting the classrooms, so classroom time can proceed for the other students and teaching time can be maximized. Students are taught expectations on an individual basis when it is needed. We have a school wide sign for safety expectations, built on an acrostic of the word, SAFE. The students are able to repeat the four school rules when asked. A magnetic replica has gone home to each parent for the refrigerator, and each student has a plastic card to carry in their wallets or pockets.

OBSTACLES:

Probably, one of our biggest obstacles has been the difference of philosophy of handling children who are being disrespectful and noncompliant. It has taken many years of modeling and training, sometimes on individual level, to make these changes in some of our staff. Each year, we see improvements, some huge and some tiny steps. Overall, we are now observing that most staff remain calm and let the crisis team handled the difficult challenges. We find that success bears success and that staff is observing improvement overall.