How one High School shifted the focus away from punitive discipline and changed the outlook of their entire school.
Male and minority students disproportionately comprise the percentages of suspensions in schools nationwide, as well. These alarming statistics suggest that schools across the United States need new strategies for establishing expectations and addressing student behavior.
We need strategies that will keep students in classrooms where they can achieve higher levels of success.
Creating an environment of positive expectations and interactions can go a long way toward reducing these statistics. PBIS programs are important tools schools can use to clearly define their behavioral expectations and to hold students consistently accountable.
The environment you can create in your school through positive reinforcement can have a huge effect on student outcomes. In a recent webinar, Will Squires and Justin Neel of Caddo Hills High School shared that a switch to emphasizing positive reinforcement for behavior resulted in a 56% drop in student discipline referrals.
Let’s take a deeper look at how positive reinforcement, or PBIS can improve your high school.
PBIS stands for Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports. PBIS best practice is to promote positive behavior by explicitly teaching desired behaviors to students and reinforcing these behaviors by rewarding them.
This can be as simple as gold foil stickers for cleaning up at the end of class. Or it could even be raffling a PlayStation 5 for an entire year of positive behaviors.
The important aspect to consider for your high school PBIS is to determine what behaviors you want your students to exhibit on your campus. You’ll need to develop a behavior rubric or PBIS matrix for that. Then decide how you can go about recognizing and rewarding those behaviors on a consistent basis.
Consistency among teachers in implementing and maintaining the system will help students understand which behaviors will keep them out of trouble and which will even lead to tangible rewards.
PBIS systems built on the foundation of positive reinforcement will lead to an efficient and effective atmosphere where students understand the expectations and are constantly encouraged to meet and exceed them.
One of the biggest issues with punitive discipline is that punishment does not frame the expectations for the behaviors that we seek but only ostensibly discourages the behaviors that we find objectionable.
Additionally, these forms of punishment can be counterproductive as they can sometimes reinforce negative behavior. Punishments for students can also be misconstrued by students as retribution in the absence of clearly communicated and defined expectations.
As the Trauma-Informed Programs and Practices for Schools, or TIPPS, program at the University of Michigan suggests, “research shows a strong connection between the use of punitive discipline in schools, high school completion, and post-secondary education: Students who are punitively punished, complete high school and pursue higher education at a lower rate than their peers.”
If our ultimate goal is to modify student behaviors in a way that creates safer and more productive learning communities, punitive discipline is actually working against us. Reframing the conversation to positive reinforcement can be a transformative tool.
An initial step in adopting positive behavior reinforcement involves changing our approach to language. For example, common classroom and school rules might read “Don’t Run” or “No Horseplay”.
This simply points out the things that we do not want to see from our students and implies that punishment will follow if these behaviors take place.
Flipping this language to phrasing such as “Walk Quietly” or “Keep Your Hands to Yourselves” communicates the desired behavior and allows for opportunities for positive reinforcement. The expectations can remain consistent while the communication is enhanced.
This shift in language and approach also contributes to the sense of community in your school and in individual classrooms. Shifting the focus away from “do not” toward “do” will be a vital paradigm shift.
Establishing a reward system is another key component of positive reinforcement. Caddo Hills High School implemented LiveSchool and worked with their student leadership team to develop a school-wide PBIS behavior plan.
Of course, neither the process nor the positive results were instant. But involving students in the process of developing the expectations and rubric led to higher levels of student engagement with the program.
On the other side of the equation, teachers at Caddo Hills continued to buy into the program once they were able to see the value in the program through the shifts in student engagement and behavior.
As a vast majority of teachers will attest, programs that seem “extra” will not encourage fidelity, but worthwhile programs with tangible results are welcomed and embraced!
Once students are able to accrue points for their positive behaviors, opening your school store can take the engagement to the next level; after all, what good is earning currency in a token economy if you can’t spend it?
From everyday items as simple as school supplies and snacks to big ticket raffle items like gift certificates to local activities and sports tickets. Incorporating worthwhile goals will give students both short-term and long-term motivations.
This step specifically was key for Caddo Hills in encouraging buy-in for students which led to higher levels of teacher fidelity with the system. Higher teacher fidelity then led to more accurate student data which supported both academic and SEL support systems with meaningful conversations with students and families.
Yet another important strategy for positive reinforcement is employing restorative practices in lieu of punitive discipline. Taking the time to discuss student behaviors with involved parties from various perspectives helps students to understand the impact of their actions and to identify healthy alternatives.
Resolving conflicts and misbehaviors in this manner maintains community and culture while upholding consistent accountability.
Positive reinforcement is a transformational approach to overhauling behavior management and school culture. Building your school’s PBIS program around points along with a PBIS store can lead to big-time results for your school community.
With the onboarding process of any new program, flexibility and commitment will be paramount to successful implementation. It is important to consider input from stakeholders at every level of your school to encourage engagement and positive communication.
Shifting the focus away from punitive discipline will change the outlook of your students, teachers, and administrators.
Teaching respect, responsibility, patience, kindness, and accountability are just as important in modern schools as the core curriculum…and it supports the learning of all students.
Male and minority students disproportionately comprise the percentages of suspensions in schools nationwide, as well. These alarming statistics suggest that schools across the United States need new strategies for establishing expectations and addressing student behavior.
We need strategies that will keep students in classrooms where they can achieve higher levels of success.
Creating an environment of positive expectations and interactions can go a long way toward reducing these statistics. PBIS programs are important tools schools can use to clearly define their behavioral expectations and to hold students consistently accountable.
The environment you can create in your school through positive reinforcement can have a huge effect on student outcomes. In a recent webinar, Will Squires and Justin Neel of Caddo Hills High School shared that a switch to emphasizing positive reinforcement for behavior resulted in a 56% drop in student discipline referrals.
Let’s take a deeper look at how positive reinforcement, or PBIS can improve your high school.
PBIS stands for Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports. PBIS best practice is to promote positive behavior by explicitly teaching desired behaviors to students and reinforcing these behaviors by rewarding them.
This can be as simple as gold foil stickers for cleaning up at the end of class. Or it could even be raffling a PlayStation 5 for an entire year of positive behaviors.
The important aspect to consider for your high school PBIS is to determine what behaviors you want your students to exhibit on your campus. You’ll need to develop a behavior rubric or PBIS matrix for that. Then decide how you can go about recognizing and rewarding those behaviors on a consistent basis.
Consistency among teachers in implementing and maintaining the system will help students understand which behaviors will keep them out of trouble and which will even lead to tangible rewards.
PBIS systems built on the foundation of positive reinforcement will lead to an efficient and effective atmosphere where students understand the expectations and are constantly encouraged to meet and exceed them.
One of the biggest issues with punitive discipline is that punishment does not frame the expectations for the behaviors that we seek but only ostensibly discourages the behaviors that we find objectionable.
Additionally, these forms of punishment can be counterproductive as they can sometimes reinforce negative behavior. Punishments for students can also be misconstrued by students as retribution in the absence of clearly communicated and defined expectations.
As the Trauma-Informed Programs and Practices for Schools, or TIPPS, program at the University of Michigan suggests, “research shows a strong connection between the use of punitive discipline in schools, high school completion, and post-secondary education: Students who are punitively punished, complete high school and pursue higher education at a lower rate than their peers.”
If our ultimate goal is to modify student behaviors in a way that creates safer and more productive learning communities, punitive discipline is actually working against us. Reframing the conversation to positive reinforcement can be a transformative tool.
An initial step in adopting positive behavior reinforcement involves changing our approach to language. For example, common classroom and school rules might read “Don’t Run” or “No Horseplay”.
This simply points out the things that we do not want to see from our students and implies that punishment will follow if these behaviors take place.
Flipping this language to phrasing such as “Walk Quietly” or “Keep Your Hands to Yourselves” communicates the desired behavior and allows for opportunities for positive reinforcement. The expectations can remain consistent while the communication is enhanced.
This shift in language and approach also contributes to the sense of community in your school and in individual classrooms. Shifting the focus away from “do not” toward “do” will be a vital paradigm shift.
Establishing a reward system is another key component of positive reinforcement. Caddo Hills High School implemented LiveSchool and worked with their student leadership team to develop a school-wide PBIS behavior plan.
Of course, neither the process nor the positive results were instant. But involving students in the process of developing the expectations and rubric led to higher levels of student engagement with the program.
On the other side of the equation, teachers at Caddo Hills continued to buy into the program once they were able to see the value in the program through the shifts in student engagement and behavior.
As a vast majority of teachers will attest, programs that seem “extra” will not encourage fidelity, but worthwhile programs with tangible results are welcomed and embraced!
Once students are able to accrue points for their positive behaviors, opening your school store can take the engagement to the next level; after all, what good is earning currency in a token economy if you can’t spend it?
From everyday items as simple as school supplies and snacks to big ticket raffle items like gift certificates to local activities and sports tickets. Incorporating worthwhile goals will give students both short-term and long-term motivations.
This step specifically was key for Caddo Hills in encouraging buy-in for students which led to higher levels of teacher fidelity with the system. Higher teacher fidelity then led to more accurate student data which supported both academic and SEL support systems with meaningful conversations with students and families.
Yet another important strategy for positive reinforcement is employing restorative practices in lieu of punitive discipline. Taking the time to discuss student behaviors with involved parties from various perspectives helps students to understand the impact of their actions and to identify healthy alternatives.
Resolving conflicts and misbehaviors in this manner maintains community and culture while upholding consistent accountability.
Positive reinforcement is a transformational approach to overhauling behavior management and school culture. Building your school’s PBIS program around points along with a PBIS store can lead to big-time results for your school community.
With the onboarding process of any new program, flexibility and commitment will be paramount to successful implementation. It is important to consider input from stakeholders at every level of your school to encourage engagement and positive communication.
Shifting the focus away from punitive discipline will change the outlook of your students, teachers, and administrators.
Teaching respect, responsibility, patience, kindness, and accountability are just as important in modern schools as the core curriculum…and it supports the learning of all students.
Male and minority students disproportionately comprise the percentages of suspensions in schools nationwide, as well. These alarming statistics suggest that schools across the United States need new strategies for establishing expectations and addressing student behavior.
We need strategies that will keep students in classrooms where they can achieve higher levels of success.
Creating an environment of positive expectations and interactions can go a long way toward reducing these statistics. PBIS programs are important tools schools can use to clearly define their behavioral expectations and to hold students consistently accountable.
The environment you can create in your school through positive reinforcement can have a huge effect on student outcomes. In a recent webinar, Will Squires and Justin Neel of Caddo Hills High School shared that a switch to emphasizing positive reinforcement for behavior resulted in a 56% drop in student discipline referrals.
Let’s take a deeper look at how positive reinforcement, or PBIS can improve your high school.
PBIS stands for Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports. PBIS best practice is to promote positive behavior by explicitly teaching desired behaviors to students and reinforcing these behaviors by rewarding them.
This can be as simple as gold foil stickers for cleaning up at the end of class. Or it could even be raffling a PlayStation 5 for an entire year of positive behaviors.
The important aspect to consider for your high school PBIS is to determine what behaviors you want your students to exhibit on your campus. You’ll need to develop a behavior rubric or PBIS matrix for that. Then decide how you can go about recognizing and rewarding those behaviors on a consistent basis.
Consistency among teachers in implementing and maintaining the system will help students understand which behaviors will keep them out of trouble and which will even lead to tangible rewards.
PBIS systems built on the foundation of positive reinforcement will lead to an efficient and effective atmosphere where students understand the expectations and are constantly encouraged to meet and exceed them.
One of the biggest issues with punitive discipline is that punishment does not frame the expectations for the behaviors that we seek but only ostensibly discourages the behaviors that we find objectionable.
Additionally, these forms of punishment can be counterproductive as they can sometimes reinforce negative behavior. Punishments for students can also be misconstrued by students as retribution in the absence of clearly communicated and defined expectations.
As the Trauma-Informed Programs and Practices for Schools, or TIPPS, program at the University of Michigan suggests, “research shows a strong connection between the use of punitive discipline in schools, high school completion, and post-secondary education: Students who are punitively punished, complete high school and pursue higher education at a lower rate than their peers.”
If our ultimate goal is to modify student behaviors in a way that creates safer and more productive learning communities, punitive discipline is actually working against us. Reframing the conversation to positive reinforcement can be a transformative tool.
An initial step in adopting positive behavior reinforcement involves changing our approach to language. For example, common classroom and school rules might read “Don’t Run” or “No Horseplay”.
This simply points out the things that we do not want to see from our students and implies that punishment will follow if these behaviors take place.
Flipping this language to phrasing such as “Walk Quietly” or “Keep Your Hands to Yourselves” communicates the desired behavior and allows for opportunities for positive reinforcement. The expectations can remain consistent while the communication is enhanced.
This shift in language and approach also contributes to the sense of community in your school and in individual classrooms. Shifting the focus away from “do not” toward “do” will be a vital paradigm shift.
Establishing a reward system is another key component of positive reinforcement. Caddo Hills High School implemented LiveSchool and worked with their student leadership team to develop a school-wide PBIS behavior plan.
Of course, neither the process nor the positive results were instant. But involving students in the process of developing the expectations and rubric led to higher levels of student engagement with the program.
On the other side of the equation, teachers at Caddo Hills continued to buy into the program once they were able to see the value in the program through the shifts in student engagement and behavior.
As a vast majority of teachers will attest, programs that seem “extra” will not encourage fidelity, but worthwhile programs with tangible results are welcomed and embraced!
Once students are able to accrue points for their positive behaviors, opening your school store can take the engagement to the next level; after all, what good is earning currency in a token economy if you can’t spend it?
From everyday items as simple as school supplies and snacks to big ticket raffle items like gift certificates to local activities and sports tickets. Incorporating worthwhile goals will give students both short-term and long-term motivations.
This step specifically was key for Caddo Hills in encouraging buy-in for students which led to higher levels of teacher fidelity with the system. Higher teacher fidelity then led to more accurate student data which supported both academic and SEL support systems with meaningful conversations with students and families.
Yet another important strategy for positive reinforcement is employing restorative practices in lieu of punitive discipline. Taking the time to discuss student behaviors with involved parties from various perspectives helps students to understand the impact of their actions and to identify healthy alternatives.
Resolving conflicts and misbehaviors in this manner maintains community and culture while upholding consistent accountability.
Positive reinforcement is a transformational approach to overhauling behavior management and school culture. Building your school’s PBIS program around points along with a PBIS store can lead to big-time results for your school community.
With the onboarding process of any new program, flexibility and commitment will be paramount to successful implementation. It is important to consider input from stakeholders at every level of your school to encourage engagement and positive communication.
Shifting the focus away from punitive discipline will change the outlook of your students, teachers, and administrators.
Teaching respect, responsibility, patience, kindness, and accountability are just as important in modern schools as the core curriculum…and it supports the learning of all students.
Male and minority students disproportionately comprise the percentages of suspensions in schools nationwide, as well. These alarming statistics suggest that schools across the United States need new strategies for establishing expectations and addressing student behavior.
We need strategies that will keep students in classrooms where they can achieve higher levels of success.
Creating an environment of positive expectations and interactions can go a long way toward reducing these statistics. PBIS programs are important tools schools can use to clearly define their behavioral expectations and to hold students consistently accountable.
The environment you can create in your school through positive reinforcement can have a huge effect on student outcomes. In a recent webinar, Will Squires and Justin Neel of Caddo Hills High School shared that a switch to emphasizing positive reinforcement for behavior resulted in a 56% drop in student discipline referrals.
Let’s take a deeper look at how positive reinforcement, or PBIS can improve your high school.
PBIS stands for Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports. PBIS best practice is to promote positive behavior by explicitly teaching desired behaviors to students and reinforcing these behaviors by rewarding them.
This can be as simple as gold foil stickers for cleaning up at the end of class. Or it could even be raffling a PlayStation 5 for an entire year of positive behaviors.
The important aspect to consider for your high school PBIS is to determine what behaviors you want your students to exhibit on your campus. You’ll need to develop a behavior rubric or PBIS matrix for that. Then decide how you can go about recognizing and rewarding those behaviors on a consistent basis.
Consistency among teachers in implementing and maintaining the system will help students understand which behaviors will keep them out of trouble and which will even lead to tangible rewards.
PBIS systems built on the foundation of positive reinforcement will lead to an efficient and effective atmosphere where students understand the expectations and are constantly encouraged to meet and exceed them.
One of the biggest issues with punitive discipline is that punishment does not frame the expectations for the behaviors that we seek but only ostensibly discourages the behaviors that we find objectionable.
Additionally, these forms of punishment can be counterproductive as they can sometimes reinforce negative behavior. Punishments for students can also be misconstrued by students as retribution in the absence of clearly communicated and defined expectations.
As the Trauma-Informed Programs and Practices for Schools, or TIPPS, program at the University of Michigan suggests, “research shows a strong connection between the use of punitive discipline in schools, high school completion, and post-secondary education: Students who are punitively punished, complete high school and pursue higher education at a lower rate than their peers.”
If our ultimate goal is to modify student behaviors in a way that creates safer and more productive learning communities, punitive discipline is actually working against us. Reframing the conversation to positive reinforcement can be a transformative tool.
An initial step in adopting positive behavior reinforcement involves changing our approach to language. For example, common classroom and school rules might read “Don’t Run” or “No Horseplay”.
This simply points out the things that we do not want to see from our students and implies that punishment will follow if these behaviors take place.
Flipping this language to phrasing such as “Walk Quietly” or “Keep Your Hands to Yourselves” communicates the desired behavior and allows for opportunities for positive reinforcement. The expectations can remain consistent while the communication is enhanced.
This shift in language and approach also contributes to the sense of community in your school and in individual classrooms. Shifting the focus away from “do not” toward “do” will be a vital paradigm shift.
Establishing a reward system is another key component of positive reinforcement. Caddo Hills High School implemented LiveSchool and worked with their student leadership team to develop a school-wide PBIS behavior plan.
Of course, neither the process nor the positive results were instant. But involving students in the process of developing the expectations and rubric led to higher levels of student engagement with the program.
On the other side of the equation, teachers at Caddo Hills continued to buy into the program once they were able to see the value in the program through the shifts in student engagement and behavior.
As a vast majority of teachers will attest, programs that seem “extra” will not encourage fidelity, but worthwhile programs with tangible results are welcomed and embraced!
Once students are able to accrue points for their positive behaviors, opening your school store can take the engagement to the next level; after all, what good is earning currency in a token economy if you can’t spend it?
From everyday items as simple as school supplies and snacks to big ticket raffle items like gift certificates to local activities and sports tickets. Incorporating worthwhile goals will give students both short-term and long-term motivations.
This step specifically was key for Caddo Hills in encouraging buy-in for students which led to higher levels of teacher fidelity with the system. Higher teacher fidelity then led to more accurate student data which supported both academic and SEL support systems with meaningful conversations with students and families.
Yet another important strategy for positive reinforcement is employing restorative practices in lieu of punitive discipline. Taking the time to discuss student behaviors with involved parties from various perspectives helps students to understand the impact of their actions and to identify healthy alternatives.
Resolving conflicts and misbehaviors in this manner maintains community and culture while upholding consistent accountability.
Positive reinforcement is a transformational approach to overhauling behavior management and school culture. Building your school’s PBIS program around points along with a PBIS store can lead to big-time results for your school community.
With the onboarding process of any new program, flexibility and commitment will be paramount to successful implementation. It is important to consider input from stakeholders at every level of your school to encourage engagement and positive communication.
Shifting the focus away from punitive discipline will change the outlook of your students, teachers, and administrators.
Teaching respect, responsibility, patience, kindness, and accountability are just as important in modern schools as the core curriculum…and it supports the learning of all students.
Trent currently lives in Lexington, KY and works as a high school English teacher. During his
eleven years in education, he has served as a teacher, department head, mentor, and coach; his
experience includes work with PBIS, Special Education, MTSS, SEL, Restorative Practices, PLC
and SLC Frameworks, Academic Interventions, Curriculum Development, New Teacher
Induction, College and Career Readiness, and Summer Program Coordination.
According to the National Center for Educational Statistics, 4.96% of students in public elementary and secondary schools received out-of-school suspensions during the 2017-2018 school year; the two states with the highest rates of out-of-school suspensions managed to eclipse the 10% mark for the year.
Male and minority students disproportionately comprise the percentages of suspensions in schools nationwide, as well. These alarming statistics suggest that schools across the United States need new strategies for establishing expectations and addressing student behavior.
We need strategies that will keep students in classrooms where they can achieve higher levels of success.
Creating an environment of positive expectations and interactions can go a long way toward reducing these statistics. PBIS programs are important tools schools can use to clearly define their behavioral expectations and to hold students consistently accountable.
The environment you can create in your school through positive reinforcement can have a huge effect on student outcomes. In a recent webinar, Will Squires and Justin Neel of Caddo Hills High School shared that a switch to emphasizing positive reinforcement for behavior resulted in a 56% drop in student discipline referrals.
Let’s take a deeper look at how positive reinforcement, or PBIS can improve your high school.
PBIS stands for Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports. PBIS best practice is to promote positive behavior by explicitly teaching desired behaviors to students and reinforcing these behaviors by rewarding them.
This can be as simple as gold foil stickers for cleaning up at the end of class. Or it could even be raffling a PlayStation 5 for an entire year of positive behaviors.
The important aspect to consider for your high school PBIS is to determine what behaviors you want your students to exhibit on your campus. You’ll need to develop a behavior rubric or PBIS matrix for that. Then decide how you can go about recognizing and rewarding those behaviors on a consistent basis.
Consistency among teachers in implementing and maintaining the system will help students understand which behaviors will keep them out of trouble and which will even lead to tangible rewards.
PBIS systems built on the foundation of positive reinforcement will lead to an efficient and effective atmosphere where students understand the expectations and are constantly encouraged to meet and exceed them.
One of the biggest issues with punitive discipline is that punishment does not frame the expectations for the behaviors that we seek but only ostensibly discourages the behaviors that we find objectionable.
Additionally, these forms of punishment can be counterproductive as they can sometimes reinforce negative behavior. Punishments for students can also be misconstrued by students as retribution in the absence of clearly communicated and defined expectations.
As the Trauma-Informed Programs and Practices for Schools, or TIPPS, program at the University of Michigan suggests, “research shows a strong connection between the use of punitive discipline in schools, high school completion, and post-secondary education: Students who are punitively punished, complete high school and pursue higher education at a lower rate than their peers.”
If our ultimate goal is to modify student behaviors in a way that creates safer and more productive learning communities, punitive discipline is actually working against us. Reframing the conversation to positive reinforcement can be a transformative tool.
An initial step in adopting positive behavior reinforcement involves changing our approach to language. For example, common classroom and school rules might read “Don’t Run” or “No Horseplay”.
This simply points out the things that we do not want to see from our students and implies that punishment will follow if these behaviors take place.
Flipping this language to phrasing such as “Walk Quietly” or “Keep Your Hands to Yourselves” communicates the desired behavior and allows for opportunities for positive reinforcement. The expectations can remain consistent while the communication is enhanced.
This shift in language and approach also contributes to the sense of community in your school and in individual classrooms. Shifting the focus away from “do not” toward “do” will be a vital paradigm shift.
Establishing a reward system is another key component of positive reinforcement. Caddo Hills High School implemented LiveSchool and worked with their student leadership team to develop a school-wide PBIS behavior plan.
Of course, neither the process nor the positive results were instant. But involving students in the process of developing the expectations and rubric led to higher levels of student engagement with the program.
On the other side of the equation, teachers at Caddo Hills continued to buy into the program once they were able to see the value in the program through the shifts in student engagement and behavior.
As a vast majority of teachers will attest, programs that seem “extra” will not encourage fidelity, but worthwhile programs with tangible results are welcomed and embraced!
Once students are able to accrue points for their positive behaviors, opening your school store can take the engagement to the next level; after all, what good is earning currency in a token economy if you can’t spend it?
From everyday items as simple as school supplies and snacks to big ticket raffle items like gift certificates to local activities and sports tickets. Incorporating worthwhile goals will give students both short-term and long-term motivations.
This step specifically was key for Caddo Hills in encouraging buy-in for students which led to higher levels of teacher fidelity with the system. Higher teacher fidelity then led to more accurate student data which supported both academic and SEL support systems with meaningful conversations with students and families.
Yet another important strategy for positive reinforcement is employing restorative practices in lieu of punitive discipline. Taking the time to discuss student behaviors with involved parties from various perspectives helps students to understand the impact of their actions and to identify healthy alternatives.
Resolving conflicts and misbehaviors in this manner maintains community and culture while upholding consistent accountability.
Positive reinforcement is a transformational approach to overhauling behavior management and school culture. Building your school’s PBIS program around points along with a PBIS store can lead to big-time results for your school community.
With the onboarding process of any new program, flexibility and commitment will be paramount to successful implementation. It is important to consider input from stakeholders at every level of your school to encourage engagement and positive communication.
Shifting the focus away from punitive discipline will change the outlook of your students, teachers, and administrators.
Teaching respect, responsibility, patience, kindness, and accountability are just as important in modern schools as the core curriculum…and it supports the learning of all students.
According to the National Center for Educational Statistics, 4.96% of students in public elementary and secondary schools received out-of-school suspensions during the 2017-2018 school year; the two states with the highest rates of out-of-school suspensions managed to eclipse the 10% mark for the year.
Male and minority students disproportionately comprise the percentages of suspensions in schools nationwide, as well. These alarming statistics suggest that schools across the United States need new strategies for establishing expectations and addressing student behavior.
We need strategies that will keep students in classrooms where they can achieve higher levels of success.
Creating an environment of positive expectations and interactions can go a long way toward reducing these statistics. PBIS programs are important tools schools can use to clearly define their behavioral expectations and to hold students consistently accountable.
The environment you can create in your school through positive reinforcement can have a huge effect on student outcomes. In a recent webinar, Will Squires and Justin Neel of Caddo Hills High School shared that a switch to emphasizing positive reinforcement for behavior resulted in a 56% drop in student discipline referrals.
Let’s take a deeper look at how positive reinforcement, or PBIS can improve your high school.
PBIS stands for Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports. PBIS best practice is to promote positive behavior by explicitly teaching desired behaviors to students and reinforcing these behaviors by rewarding them.
This can be as simple as gold foil stickers for cleaning up at the end of class. Or it could even be raffling a PlayStation 5 for an entire year of positive behaviors.
The important aspect to consider for your high school PBIS is to determine what behaviors you want your students to exhibit on your campus. You’ll need to develop a behavior rubric or PBIS matrix for that. Then decide how you can go about recognizing and rewarding those behaviors on a consistent basis.
Consistency among teachers in implementing and maintaining the system will help students understand which behaviors will keep them out of trouble and which will even lead to tangible rewards.
PBIS systems built on the foundation of positive reinforcement will lead to an efficient and effective atmosphere where students understand the expectations and are constantly encouraged to meet and exceed them.
One of the biggest issues with punitive discipline is that punishment does not frame the expectations for the behaviors that we seek but only ostensibly discourages the behaviors that we find objectionable.
Additionally, these forms of punishment can be counterproductive as they can sometimes reinforce negative behavior. Punishments for students can also be misconstrued by students as retribution in the absence of clearly communicated and defined expectations.
As the Trauma-Informed Programs and Practices for Schools, or TIPPS, program at the University of Michigan suggests, “research shows a strong connection between the use of punitive discipline in schools, high school completion, and post-secondary education: Students who are punitively punished, complete high school and pursue higher education at a lower rate than their peers.”
If our ultimate goal is to modify student behaviors in a way that creates safer and more productive learning communities, punitive discipline is actually working against us. Reframing the conversation to positive reinforcement can be a transformative tool.
An initial step in adopting positive behavior reinforcement involves changing our approach to language. For example, common classroom and school rules might read “Don’t Run” or “No Horseplay”.
This simply points out the things that we do not want to see from our students and implies that punishment will follow if these behaviors take place.
Flipping this language to phrasing such as “Walk Quietly” or “Keep Your Hands to Yourselves” communicates the desired behavior and allows for opportunities for positive reinforcement. The expectations can remain consistent while the communication is enhanced.
This shift in language and approach also contributes to the sense of community in your school and in individual classrooms. Shifting the focus away from “do not” toward “do” will be a vital paradigm shift.
Establishing a reward system is another key component of positive reinforcement. Caddo Hills High School implemented LiveSchool and worked with their student leadership team to develop a school-wide PBIS behavior plan.
Of course, neither the process nor the positive results were instant. But involving students in the process of developing the expectations and rubric led to higher levels of student engagement with the program.
On the other side of the equation, teachers at Caddo Hills continued to buy into the program once they were able to see the value in the program through the shifts in student engagement and behavior.
As a vast majority of teachers will attest, programs that seem “extra” will not encourage fidelity, but worthwhile programs with tangible results are welcomed and embraced!
Once students are able to accrue points for their positive behaviors, opening your school store can take the engagement to the next level; after all, what good is earning currency in a token economy if you can’t spend it?
From everyday items as simple as school supplies and snacks to big ticket raffle items like gift certificates to local activities and sports tickets. Incorporating worthwhile goals will give students both short-term and long-term motivations.
This step specifically was key for Caddo Hills in encouraging buy-in for students which led to higher levels of teacher fidelity with the system. Higher teacher fidelity then led to more accurate student data which supported both academic and SEL support systems with meaningful conversations with students and families.
Yet another important strategy for positive reinforcement is employing restorative practices in lieu of punitive discipline. Taking the time to discuss student behaviors with involved parties from various perspectives helps students to understand the impact of their actions and to identify healthy alternatives.
Resolving conflicts and misbehaviors in this manner maintains community and culture while upholding consistent accountability.
Positive reinforcement is a transformational approach to overhauling behavior management and school culture. Building your school’s PBIS program around points along with a PBIS store can lead to big-time results for your school community.
With the onboarding process of any new program, flexibility and commitment will be paramount to successful implementation. It is important to consider input from stakeholders at every level of your school to encourage engagement and positive communication.
Shifting the focus away from punitive discipline will change the outlook of your students, teachers, and administrators.
Teaching respect, responsibility, patience, kindness, and accountability are just as important in modern schools as the core curriculum…and it supports the learning of all students.
All the behavior resources you need to create the positive culture your school community deserves.
