PBIS in High Schools

Often times we hear that high schools can't implement PBIS because their students don't want parties. Well, PBIS is so much more than parties. PBIS is a framework for acknowledging and recognizing students and their behavior, setting clear expectations and boundaries, building community and reinforcing positive behaviors. While PBIS may look a bit different in high schools, it has successfully been implemented all over the country!

• Presenting to smaller groups via professional learning communities, content level, or department meetings • Sharing ongoing discipline data with all faculty

• Including all staff in the development of the PBIS plan (e.g., developing expectations) through surveys and individual or small group meetings

• Visiting another successfully implementing PBIS high school

Strategies for Maintaining Buy-In

• Identifying beliefs and mindsets that align with the principles of PBIS

• Increasing visibility of those implementing, including the PBIS team, administration, teachers, and families

• Communicating how PBIS meets the specific needs of classrooms or the high school • Connecting PBIS with other school initiatives and classroom activities

• Incorporating the school mascot

• Intentionally bringing others along, especially key “social influencers” at the school to support and share their personal experiences

• Viewing PBIS in action - seeing it actively work on campus

• Making it easy for the staff to implement (e.g. providing materials, scripted lessons)

• Sharing the data to show that PBIS works

• Recognizing staff for their efforts in supporting PBIS (e.g., providing recognitions from students, gift certificates, school sports team clothing, prime parking spot, recognition at meetings)

• Providing ongoing PD that includes obtaining and using staff input for revisions (e.g. summer leadership meeting planning)

Strategies for Ongoing Communication and Data Sharing

• Establishing a regular schedule of communications through faculty meetings, emails, bulletin boards, information in mailboxes, newsletters, schoolwide announcements, smart board slide shows, flat screen TVs in cafeteria, google classrooms

• Holding open PBIS meetings

• Sharing data through weekly e-mail/newsletter from the principal or PBIS team to staff

• Showing data trends before and after PBIS implementation (e.g., TFI or BoQ scores and office referrals), including disproportionality data

What do students really want? They want to be acknowledged by their teachers, have their names used, build relationships and feel like part of a community. Listening circles across CCSD high schools all reported that students want to feel connected and be seen as more than just a student - as a human first, going through the ups and downs of adolescence. Consider how you recognize students - do they prefer private or public shout outs? Do they want a call or email home? These should be our first go to for recognitions. Below, there are suggestions for additional tangible recognitions. These should be secondary to the relationship building, and we hope become a natural part of the educational experience - positively acknowledging when students are doing the right thing!

Common ideas for High School PBIS celebrations/recognitions with tokens:

School store
- snacks
- headphones
- school "swag" - t-shirts/hats/sweatshirts/stickers
School sports tickets (football/basketball/volleyball/soccer games - X per game available)
Staff vs students games - basketball/dodgeball/volleyball/kickball/etc. (tickets/spectators)
Tickets to enter food truck areas (quarterly?)
Pep Rally events
- Pie an administrator
- Basketball free-throw contest entrance
Reduced or free dance tickets - homecoming, prom, spring fling
Special parking spot (could be second semester parking pass options)

How can we recognize students for doing the right thing, while also increasing school belonging? How can we build community?

Looking for additional ideas or suggestions for in class recognition and celebrations? Check out these sites:

50 High School Rewards

PBIS High School Rewards

Has your school considered using PBIS Rewards? This digital program allows staff to give any student in your building PBIS points by scanning a students CCSD student ID, classes and grade levels can be created, etc. This can also be used as a data collection source!

Research shows that schools that implement PBIS with integrity and fidelity are more likely to experience the following outcomes:

Improved Student Outcomes
- academic performance
- engagement and belonging
- social emotional competency
- decreased drug/alcohol violations
- decreased bullying behaviors
Reduced Exclusionary Discipline
- suspensions
- restraint and seclusion
- office discipline referrals
Improved Teacher and Staff outcomes
- school climate
- school safety
- reduced teacher stress