This week, Ashgrove Elementary teachers and staff celebrated their success in the school-wide Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports (PBIS) initiative. This Fremont County School District #25 first through third grade school implemented PBIS in 2017.
“This fall, they achieved a goal that many strive for, but few attain: 80% of their students are successful with “tier 1” or the regular school-wide level of support, 15% need just a little extra support at the “tier 2″ level, and 5% need and receive individualized supports (tier 3),” shared FCSD #25 Board Certified Behavior Analyst Cheryl Coleman.
Coleman shares more on how Ashgrove has worked to develop and refine systems to support all students:
They [Ashgrove staff] understand that students’ social, emotional, and behavioral development is just as important as their academic growth.
At the “tier 1” level, all students are taught expectations, which are consistent across all school settings. The “Stallion Standards” are to be Safe, Respectful, and Responsible and are specifically defined and visibly posted for each setting (playground, lining up, drinking fountain, etc.).
Teachers and staff work hard to nurture positive relationships with students, and use Restorative Justice, which focuses on building community in spite of difficulty or differences, when corrections need to be made. With this strong foundation, more students than ever are successful without any specialized or additional strategies. All learners are different, and Ashgrove has multiple interventions and supports available for both academic and social/emotional/behavioral needs.
Supports include, but are not limited to Connection Kids (an evidence-based check in check out intervention), social skills groups, individualized support plans, and a newly introduced mentoring program. In Connection Kids, students check in at the beginning and end of the school day to share their successes or problem solve any difficulties they are facing with a trusted adult. School-home communication occurs weekly, and caregivers play an essential role in supporting their students’ positive progress.