Schools that implement school-wide systems of positive behavior support focus on taking a team-based system approach and teaching appropriate behavior to all students in the school. Schools that have been successful in building school-wide systems develop procedures to accomplish the following:
- Behavioral Expectations are Defined. A small number of clearly defined behavioral expectations are defined in positive, simple, rules. Navelencia's School Wide expectations are: Be Respectful, Be Responsible, and Be Safe.
- Be Respectful
- Be Responsible
- Be Safe
Behavioral Expectations are Taught. These expectations are taught to all students in the first two weeks of school and then re-taught after winter & spring break. Teaching appropriate behavior involves much more than simply telling students what behaviors they should avoid.
Behavioral expectations are taught using the same teaching formats applied to other curricula. The general rule is presented, the rationale for the rule is discussed, positive examples (“right way”) are described and rehearsed, and negative examples (“wrong way”) are described and modeled. Students are given an opportunity to practice the “right way” until they demonstrate fluent performance.
Appropriate Behaviors are Acknowledged. Once appropriate behaviors have been defined and taught, they need to be acknowledged on a regular basis. Navelencia has designed a formal system that rewards positive behaviors. “Patriot Bucks” are used by the individual teacher and staff, as a tool of encouragement and a student motivator. “Patriot Bucks” are awarded to encourage and reinforce positive behaviors demonstrated on a consistent basis.
Behavioral Errors are Corrected Proactively. When students violate behavioral expectations, clear procedures have been established so that students are given information to them that their behavior was unacceptable, and preventing that unacceptable behavior from resulting in inadvertent rewards.
