Looking to foster exemplary behavior, students at Booneville Junior High School are being exposed to the PBIS program this year.
PBIS is an acronym for positive behavior intervention and support.
“This is an evidence-based strategy we have chosen to take part in,” said counselor Sarah Smithson, who is leading the system, describes the system. “Mr. (principal Josh) Walker wanted to do something that would build a more positive culture at the junior high.
“He wants this to be a place where students want to come to school and they want to give their best effort, and this is a tool that we will use to reinforce that.”
The system spells out both rules and clear expectations in terms of respect due fellow students and staff, kindness expected, and effort necessary.
“We went through some training on positive behavior intervention and support and developed a three-tier system,” said Smithson. “We narrowed it down to three main areas.
“One of the things about clear expectations is what does respect look like in the hallways, in the classroom, in the cafeteria, in the library, because it looks different in all those areas.”
To be clear, posters were created and posted prominently throughout the campus making committing the rules and expectations to memory largely unnecessary.
“We have them in the classroom,” said Smithson. “We have them in the restroom, hallways, cafeteria and library.
“This is what kindness looks like in the classroom and this is what kindness looks like in the library.”
For example, in the classroom students should contribute to the learning environment without interruption, should following instructions, and cell phones are to be silenced and put away when the tardy bell rings.
“No matter which classroom you’re in, they all say the same,” Smithson adds.
Teachers can also add their own expectations for their classrooms.
“But we wanted as a building everyone to understand the same expectations,” said Smithson.
In the hallway kindness includes using kind words and helping others. In the cafeteria effort includes pushing in your chair when finished eating.
There is also positive reinforcement.
“One thing we’re doing is teachers have these purple tickets, and as students are showing they are meeting these expectations they give them the tickets and on Friday I have a cart that has candy and stickers and bracelets and water bottles and things they can cash in their tickets for,” said Smithson. “And there is immediate reinforcement.”
Each quarter there will be a prize wheel for random students drawn to spin for awards. Those will include donated gift cards, athletic passes, and other prizes.
There will also be flex period contests and student of the week awards starting in September
There are also, of course, consequences and the system has its expectations of BJHS personnel.
“Some things can be handled in the classroom, some things can be handled with a demerit, and some things that are severe require an office referral,” said Smithson. “Part of this training with the staff so somebody is not giving a demerit for a kid being off task and in another class they just get a prompting and redirect.
“We don’t want students to think that it’s one way in one class and one way in another class.”
Should a student need more direction there are Tier 2 and Tier 3 – a very small portion Smithson suspects – intervention strategies as well.
Smithson’s team in reinforcing the positive behavior includes herself, Principal Walker, and three teachers, one representing each grade level on the campus.
“So far it’s going great,” Smithson said earlier this week.