Kids in RSU 29: What’s in it for me?

By Dawn Matthews
Special to the Houlton Pioneer Times
    HOULTON — It’s not really a selfish question. By nature, when confronted with change, people tend to wonder, “How will this affect me? What will I have to do differently as a result of this change?”
    The staff of SAD/RSU 29 worked diligently last year to include Positive Behavior Support (PBS) into students’ daily learning. What does PBS mean, and more importantly, what are the implications for our students? What’s in it for them?
    Positive Behavior Support (PBS) is a formal way of structuring what teachers have known for years – that all students come to the learning process with their own educational, emotional, and behavioral issues that stem from their lives outside the walls of the school. It is the school’s responsibility to identify and track students who are struggling and to develop individual responses or plans to help these students be more successful at school. The school puts supports in place – behavior supports as well as academic supports — to help teach educational, emotional or behavioral skills so that students can put their energies into the main reason they are at school — to learn at their own pace, using their own learning style, studying content tailored to the individual learner.
    The key word here is “individual.” How this looks varies across the different schools in our district. This makes sense. We would not use the same strategies to support a first grader as we would a sixth grader or a tenth grader. The staff at each school has spent the past year shaping what they have been doing into a comprehensive plan as well as exploring new ways to identify and support students.  The state of Maine has required that schools identify three tiers of support with tier 1 being excellent instruction in every classroom, and tier 3 being the most individualized, such as self-contained programs or a strategy designed to meet the needs of the student.
    All SAD/RSU 29 schools have developed a series of matrixes that outline behavioral expectations in specific areas of the buildings based on the district’s Code of Conduct, which was developed during the 2001-2002 school year by community members, students and staff. Implemented in August of 2003, the Code of Conduct lists kind, trustworthy, honest, responsible, and respectful as its expectations. These newly created matrixes provide a visible, concrete list of expectations that all students can refer to in targeted areas such as the classroom, cafeteria, bathrooms, bus, and playground.
Houlton Elementary School
    Initially the staff and students developed classroom rules, then rules for the whole school. The rules were posted around the building, in bathrooms, the cafeteria, and in the classrooms. Classroom teachers created a variety of motivating activities to promote compliance with the classroom rules. Just a few examples of recognizing positive decision-making and behaviors include the “helping hands” wall based on the book The Kissing Hand, classroom stores, earning stars or gems, the kindness tree, the thumbs up board, and reward time.
    The staff at Houlton Elementary School also worked on improving the dining skills of students during lunch. Classes were assessed on their presentation in the cafeteria and each week one class earned the privilege of eating first and being the first to go outdoors. They also hosted the cafeteria’s Swedish Chef in their classroom and watched video clips of the Swedish Chef (Muppets) cook.
    Efforts to recognize positive student behavior within the school building were also implemented.   Teachers posted students’ names on the bulletin board in the hall when they caught them following one of the positive character attributes.
    The staff also selected social stories for their classroom libraries and used them for read-alouds. The stories’ themes addressed self-confidence, social skills, self-esteem, anger/conflict resolution, bullying, and tolerance. Teachers used these stories when “teachable moments” occurred with their students as well.  
    This fall Houlton Elementary School will be focusing on the playground and student compliance with the rules. A log of students who need to review the rules will be developed based on their performance at recess. Students who are in compliance will earn an additional recess time once per month while those students who need to review the rules will attend a remedial session on playground rules and expectations.
Wellington Elementary School
    At Wellington Elementary School, the students all came up with the behaviors that are listed on the matrix. Each class brainstormed, then the Positive Behavior Support Team compiled it for the whole school.   
    They also did a lot of re-teaching, using re-teaching posters, to help students understand what the expectations were as a school. For example, if there was going to be an assembly, the poster was used to review the rules. If a student broke a rule from the matrix, then an adult staff member could take the student over to the poster in each area, and have him or her practice doing it the right way.
    On Mojo Mondays at Wellington Elementary, they met as a whole school to celebrate one student from each classroom who was doing great with following the rules on the matrix, showing extra effort on their schoolwork, or being a great friend to others in the school. The whole school gave the selected students a round of applause, Mrs. Peterson gave them a sticker and a pencil that said “My Principal is Proud of Me,” and their picture was taken for the newsletter. Cody Johnston, a student at Wellington, said, “Mojo Mondays are fun. It makes me feel happy to get chosen.” Robert Pelton showed his support for the initiative as well. “If someone else gets chosen on Mojo Monday, not you, you should just say good job.”
    Wellington Elementary School also had “Something to Crow About” punch cards for each student. To earn prizes from the treasure chest, extra recess, and other rewards, students could be recognized by any staff member anywhere in the building for doing something extra nice for another student or staff member, or for being respectful, responsible, or safe.  “Be kind to others so you can get punches for your card and because they are your friend,” said Taylor Fitzpatrick.
Houlton Southside School
    At Houlton Southside School, new behavior support efforts have been added to the school’s anti-bullying program, which has been in effect since 2003, and the school’s long-running Gotcha awards program that recognizes individual students for spontaneous actions that follow the district’s Code of Conduct, such as helping a fellow student or assisting a teacher.
    Following in-service workshops this year, staff at the school set about  developing a behavior matrix that outlined specific student behaviors that were expected within different areas of the school, including hallways, bathrooms and classrooms. Students in all three grades were solicited for suggestions on being respectful, responsible and safe at school. Their offerings made up the large part of the matrix. Laminated posters were made and put up on walls around the school as reminders of expected behaviors.
    The school’s behavior committee decided to include students directly in developing the matrix in order to give students a sense of ownership in the process rather than have it totally dictated by staff.
    Following the development of the matrix, teachers set up recognition programs to reward students who followed the behavior guidelines. Sixth grade used a Rewards Tuesday that allowed children to earn a free activity period once a week if they followed the matrix and completed all required academic assignments.
    Fourth grade used a rewards-ticket process. Students earned tickets by using appropriate behaviors. Each week five names, one from each homeroom, were drawn. Rewards included such things as having lunch with a teacher or spending time with the school custodian. Students whose names were drawn also got to write their name on a special bulletin board, which added public recognition for what they had done.
    “It’s the little things like this that can make a huge difference,’’ said Rachel Upton, a fourth grade teacher and member of the committee. “Positive behavior directly impacts (academic) achievement and the students really look forward to it.” She added that having clearly defined expectations as students move from classroom to classroom means less time is spent dealing with negative behaviors and therefore more time can be spent on academics.
    The staff at the school is optimistic that positive behaviors that are supported as a school will carry over to how students act outside of school.
    “Hopefully we can involve the community in efforts to continue to reinforce these behaviors.’’ said Peggy Martin, an educational technician at the school and a member of the committee.
Houlton Junior/Senior High School
    At Houlton Junior/Senior High School there have already been various educational supports put in place in addition to the behavior matrixes. Learning labs for English and math have helped students adjust to the high school curriculum and strengthened weak skills. An alternative education program for junior high has provided tier 3 supports for students who struggle with the more structured routine of the school day. Peer mentoring has been expanded into a Mentoring Team. These teens and adults have participated in specific training for their new roles next year. The 2012-2013 school year will begin with a one-day orientation for the 7th and 9th graders to help them adjust more successfully to their new school expectations. Attendance was being emphasized with a “Be the Boss!  Be in School!” awareness campaign which was meant to not only teach the importance of being in school, but also provide rewards for attendance.
    Whenever a student was struggling in school – whether because of poor attendance, low grades, or unmet behavioral expectations – parents were invited to meetings with teachers, guidance counselors and administrators to determine a suitable educational plan to help alleviate the problems.
WIIFY?
    What’s in it for you, teachers? Less time spent addressing behavioral problems in the classroom translates into more time to teach. 
    What’s in it for you, parents?  Your children will be taught the expected behaviors, and will be treated fairly and consistently in school. 
    What’s in it for you, kids?  You can be recognized and rewarded for your hard work, good behavior, and effort. 
    Superintendent Michael Hammer is excited about the gains made as a result of Positive Behavior Support in the district’s schools. “We’ve clearly articulated our expectations for behavior and taken responsibility for teaching the students how to act so that we can hold them accountable. Knowing that we’ve bridged the gap between what students know and what we think they know, our teachers will be able to understand the perspectives of the students a little better.”
    When school begins in September, students in SAD/RSU 29 will be rewarded for fulfilling behavioral expectations, which includes attendance. Other areas the Behavior Matrixes cover are emergency situations, field trips, hallway, parking lot, and technology.