PBIS Program Implemented at the Jr/Sr High School

December 10, 2014 (Independence, IA) – The Independence Community School District (ICSD) is proud of its many positive changes this school year, one of them being the continued implementation of the Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) program at the Junior Senior High School.

PBIS is a proactive approach to establishing the behavioral supports and social culture needed for all students in a school to achieve social, emotional and academic success. This proactive approach shifts the focus from negative to positive, as it encourages recognition and reinforcement when students do right.

The Junior Senior High School administration team, paraprofessionals and teachers have set, taught and modeled expectations for students and are now helping them practice these expectations in their day to day routines. The administration team, paraprofessionals and teachers then provide positive recognition and reinforcement to students who have followed these expectations; such as handing out an Up-Slip, which is a positive note home. Staff is striving to have a 5:1 positive to negative ratio; for every one negative situation with a student, they aim to point out five positive things students are doing.

This positive momentum is also seen throughout the Junior Senior High School; including the multiple displays of the ICSD logo, positive quotes, mottos or the implementation of “Live the Mustang Way” which focuses on four positive key mottos:

• Be Responsible
• Be Respectful
• Show Kindness
• Live Gratefully

Students and staff are encouraged to live these four mottos out throughout their time at school, be that in the Admin office, the hallways, the locker pods or in the classrooms with hopes they take this positive behavior outside the school as well.

With only being in the second year of implementation, the Junior Senior High School receives support on the PBIS program from AEA 267; who provides the school admin team, teachers and paraprofessionals with monthly meetings and monthly trainings on the program initiatives. The district administration team is eager to continue the application of the PBIS program in the years to come.

For more information on the PBIS program, visit their website at www.pbis.org or contact the Junior Senior High School Assistant Principal, Josh Payton at jpayton@independence.k12.ia.us.

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