Cape-area educators to get recognition for work on student behavior

On June 13, educators from all over Missouri will converge on the city of Osage Beach for an annual summer institute where they will be recognized for outstanding work on student behavior.

Among the honorees is Cape Girardeau Central Middle School, where several kinds of interventions are in place for students who need them.

“I think one of the biggest things that helps is just our staff getting to know the kids,” said Rex Crosnoe, the principal of the middle school.

As with the other honorees, Crosnoe and his staff use a program called Missouri Schoolwide Positive Behavior Support, or SW-PBS. It’s a systematic method of reinforcing expectations and rewarding students who respond well by not getting in trouble and improving their academic performance.

An example of one of the program’s interventions is a check-in/check-out system in which a teacher meets with a student at the beginning of the day and then follows up at the end with a record of how the student did.

If the student behaves well throughout the morning and afternoon, he or she can earn Tiger tickets toward fun events or other rewards.

The same concept applies for students who are given weekly check-ins. For other students, they might need to follow a behavior plan.

Either way, students are reminded constantly of what is expected of them.

“It seems simple, but it’s very effective,” Crosnoe said.

Sandy Rhinehart, assistant principal at the middle school, said faculty there strive to meet children wherever they’re struggling.

“We specialize it for the student,” she said.

One technique that has evolved at the school is a positive-referral system in which students who have done well are recognized formally.

During the school year just ended, 1,600 middle school students were given such recognition compared to 751 who received disciplinary referrals, Crosnoe said.

Jefferson Elementary in Cape Girardeau is another school that uses these types of student interventions and is being recognized for its efforts.

Principal RaeAnne Alpers said she is not only excited for the recognition Jefferson is receiving, but she’s also looking forward to deepening the behavioral interventions available at her school.

Right now, Jefferson belongs to the first tier of interventions in the PBS program. Next year, the school will belong to Tier 2.

“It just extends the expectations and rewards that we currently have,” Alpers said.

One way is recognizing those who have performed well by announcing their names during each morning’s schoolwide address at 8 a.m.

Since the PBS regimen began two years ago, discipline referrals have declined at the school while positive referrals have risen, Alpers said, although she did not have specific numbers.

ljones@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3652

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Area schools to receive recognition

Region 1 schools: Southeast/Cape Girardeau

Cape Girardeau School District

• Clippard Elementary — Silver/Tier 2 recognition
• Franklin Elementary — Bronze/Tier 1 recognition
• Jefferson Elementary — Bronze/Tier 1 recognition
• Central Middle School — Silver/Tier 2 recognition

Jackson School District

• East Elementary — Bronze/Tier 1 recognition
• Gordonville Attendance Center — Bronze/Tier 1 recognition
• Orchard Elementary — Bronze/Tier 1 recognition
• South Elementary — Silver/Tier 2 recognition

Nell Holcomb School District

• Nell Holcomb Elementary — Silver/Tier 2 recognition