How to Improve Your Children’s School Successes 

As an elementary school principal, I provide guidance and resources to support our students’ social-emotional and academic successes. Our school also uses Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) to reinforce positive social behaviors and define consequences for problem behaviors. We focus on ensuring a predictable, consistent, positive, and a safe school environment for all students. By using a common language on school-wide expectations, less time is spent on discipline. More time is focused on instruction, building a positive school climate, and promoting positive interactions between staff, students, and families.

Student Success PBIS School-Wide Strategies

Effective strategies at our school that may have immediate results include:

• Providing a weekly student leadership recognition program for grade levels and teacher assigned classrooms
• Clarifying school-wide and individual classroom expectations and routines so students understand the consequences of their actions
• Providing active supervision in the classroom, during recesses and at lunch time to ensure students are experiencing a positive school climate of support and respect
• Using individualized praise and encouragement for expected behaviors
• Ensuring students can earn privileges and rewards for expected behaviors and classroom supportive collaborations

Added PBIS Student Success Strategies

Added effective PBIS strategies that can be implemented at schools include:

• Providing a weekly student leadership recognition program for grade levels and teacher assigned classrooms
• Encouraging students to become school leaders and collaborative problem solvers through school-wide clubs and leadership councils
• Hosting school-wide community activism days and sports activity days for students, their parents, and the school community
• Creating expanded after school programs that promote academic successes, leadership, citizenship, sportsmanship, performing arts, STEM programs, and community partnerships
• Facilitating collaborative grade level and school-wide team meetings for effective problem-solving and to create innovative solutions to ongoing challenges

Qualifying for a Silver Medal

As we continue to establish our PBIS program, we submitted first year school year outcome data to qualify for a silver medal. I believe that the commitment and grit of our teaching staff empowered the students to work beyond their traditional achievement levels. We are excited about expanding our academic support programs this coming school year. My next post on October 26th will focus on our social-emotional programing plans for students this upcoming school year.