Positive reinforcement effort in schools nets fewer discipline referrals

More than 20 Southeast Missouri schools have received state recognition for their use of Positive Behavior Intervention Support, including campuses in Cape Girardeau, Jackson and Perryville.

The awards are issued by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and come in bronze, silver and gold. It can take two to four years to achieve the bronze and up to eight to earn gold, according to pbismissouri.org.

Cape Girardeau's Franklin Elementary has received a bronze award for the second year in a row. All of its 43 staff members -- from teachers to custodians and cafeteria workers -- are involved in PBIS, principal Rhonda Dunham said.

Since implementing the preventive approach to discipline, the 360-student school has seen its average number of discipline referrals drop from 3.5 a day to 1.2 a day. "It's not the level we want, but this is an ongoing process," she said.

The first year, Dunham said she knew it was going to get worse before it got better because the school was placing more limits on children.

"We still have students that make poor choices. I think you will always have that with children being children, but the level has changed and the number has changed," Dunham said.

In Cape Girardeau, Clippard Elementary also took a bronze award. In Jackson, Orchard Drive and North elementary schools won the bronze, while South Elementary took the silver. Perryville Elementary and High schools won the bronze, too.

Cape Girardeau assistant superintendent for academic services Sherry Copeland said Clippard was one of the first schools to implement PBIS. Other Cape Girardeau schools implementing it include Central Middle, Central Junior High and the Alternative Education Center.

"The idea is to be proactive, not reactive, in our buildings," Copeland said. "We set expectations. We tell [students] up front what the expectations are," whether it's in the classroom, in the hallways, on the playground, in the cafeteria, on the bus or in the restrooms."

Then, when officials at a campus see a student doing something good, such as having all their work ready in class, teachers will compliment them for the good behavior. That makes other children want to gain recognition, too.

As part of the positive reinforcement, students earn paw tickets they can redeem for prizes every two weeks at the GRR store (GRR stands for go safely, responsibly, respectfully).

Students can earn many other privileges, too, such as the princpal's chair for the day, which she delivers to them; doing announcements; helping in the office; working in the cafeteria; helping another teacher; reading to students; or having lunch with a special friend, Dunham said. Other recognitions come during "good choice" assemblies and parties, where a student with no discipline referrals in a month may bring snacks to school, and the last part of the day can watch a movie, eat a snack and visit with friends.

Since Clippard implemented PBIS a year before Franklin, Franklin has borrowed some of the other school's ideas.

One of the biggest changes with PBIS is increased contact with parents. When a child receives a major office referral for fighting, for example, the teacher will call the parent so they know what's going on, Dunham said.

Schools will receive their awards during the School Wide Positive Behavior Support Summer Training Institute from June 11 to 13 at Tan-Tar-A in Osage Beach, Missouri.

rcampbell@semissourian.com

388-3639

Other Southeast Missouri PBIS award winners are:

* Crystal City Elementary, bronze

* Doniphan Middle School, bronze

* Pevely Elementary, bronze

* East Carter County Middle, bronze

* North County Middle, bronze

* Sikeston Kindergarten Center, bronze

* Chaffee Elementary School, silver

* Fredericktown Elementary School, silver

* Lake Road Elementary School, Poplar Bluff, silver

* Sikeston Fifth and Sixth Grade Center, silver

* Sikeston Junior High School, silver

* West County Elementary School, silver

* Southwest Elementary, Dexter, gold

* Sikeston Alternative School, gold