Encouraged, a much belated update

Just stopping in to give a very overdue and brief update on our school's implementation of PBIS. 

Of note, there has been an administrative change at our school this year.  One headmaster left for another district as our school's restructuring plans were being finalized.  The new structure moved us from two headmasters to one principal and an assistant principal.  The remaining headmaster was chosen as principal and we hired a former teacher from a neighboring district as assistant principal.  The assistant principal comes from Beecher Elementary, a school using Responsive Classroom.  In a lovely show of irony, the headmaster who left became principal at a school in a district that uses Responsive Classroom system wide. 

In addition, new staff members have joined the "behavior committee" and bring their responsive rather than controlling style to group.  Over the summer some of the committee attended training in Responsive Classroom and saw how well it can complement PBIS.

Updates on the program and training were provided to the school/parent community over the summer.

Within the first month of school, an informational meeting for parents was held by the "behavior committee."  Most parents were very appreciative to have a time for discussion and questions.  I commend the school for providing information proactively. 

At that informational meeting what was outlined is not the "canned" version of PBIS with extrinsic rewards at its core.  Rather, it was very encouraging to hear that the committee has been mindfully tailoring a program specific to our needs as a community of learners.  In particular, BCS will not be using a system of external motivators.  We seem to be taking the best parts of PBIS - consistency, information gathering, well articulated expectations - and combining them with a more responsive format.  Noted were the importance of building positive relationships, providing meaningful learning experiences, and meeting the needs of the full array of students - those behaving regularly to those who struggle daily with behavior. 

(photo by woodleywonderworks)

It was explained that teachers will have autonomy to decide what classroom management works best for the students in their classrooms.  Teachers are being encouraged (and hopefully supported), to reduce (and even eliminate) the reliance on "class-wide" punishments/incentives such as needing a certain number of stars for the class to get a reward.  Students have shared how detrimental this type of system is for developing a positive, caring community.  As my daughter, Emma, stated "they create enemies kid to kid and kid to teacher." 

(photo by dchrisoh)

I am encouraged to be told our district is not just picking up PBIS and slapping it on our students and teachers.  I am encouraged by the personnel changes and that responsive-minded staff have joined the committee.  I am encouraged by the sharing of information.  I hope the goal of helping children develop responsibility and the desire for behaving well in an appropriate and engaging learning environment remains in sight as time goes on. 

If you are visiting this site because your school is adopting PBIS and you have issues with the program I would encourage you to speak up.  It seems voices may have been heard here in Bethany.  I remain very encouraged as the year progresses.

My best,

~Aimee Cotton Bogush

Welcome

Welcome to this site, click around to find some alternatives to Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS or PBS).  

You will also find information on our request that our child's school investigate other options and on our concerns with both the PBIS program and how it came to be at our school.

Another voice from the Board of Education meeting on May 12, 2010:

Brian Laubstein spoke at the Board of Education meeting on May 12, 2010.  He did not use prepared remarks.  When he spoke he mentioned the co-chair of the BOE, Mr. Fournier, has wondered in past meetings why parents do not feel like a part of the school and this PBIS program is an example of why.  He asked about the cost of PBIS and where it was in the budget.  Brian noted he has attended every BOE meeting for the past year and this was the first mention of PBIS.


Here is Brian's summary of the PBIS portion of the meeting:

It was interesting.  There was a presentation on PBIS and how it ended up in our school. The story goes, a few teachers were visiting another school about the RTI program there. They noticed the students in the school were walking in the hallways quietly. The reason... yes, PBIS.  The teachers did discuss all the buzz words you mentioned -  research-based, consistency, etc.  They did show a matrix and how it would apply to BCS . The teachers did discuss that most of the teachers already use a reward incentive plan, now it would be uniform. They also felt that it was a good idea that now they could teach the proper behavior as a lesson so all the students knew what was to be expected (i.e. how to walk in the hallway).

Currently they only have the disciplinary side down. They do not have the reward side together. There was a suggestion that all the students receive tokens in the morning and they get taken away if a wrong behavior is displayed. 

The BOE asked about the cost (which was reported as $500) and the giving of tokens and trinkets.  Ms. Harrigan on the BOE declared that there was a lot of misinformation out about the program. The program also has not started yet and will not start until the rest of the teachers are trained which will be in August - so the April start date was another misrepresentation.  

Mr Pettinger did say that even though many of the teachers are doing this, to have such an overhaul without notifying the parents and asking for input was not the best. There are 2 parent advisers on the group, I do not know their names.  Mary Federico stated that she went to 2 PTO meetings to explain PBIS and brought back any concerns to the group.

At the end of the meeting, I did ask why we need it.  We have a hand book with rules. If the problem is inconsistencies, how does PBIS change this?  With problems on the buses for years, who is going to enforce it  and why is not that person doing it now?  Are they going to have cameras in the bathrooms - because the current attitude is if an adult did not see it, nothing can be done.  Are they going to change that?  I also brought up that I am tired of trying to explain why my kids can not wear flip flops to school and other children can even though it is against the rules. I also pointed out about the small knife in the second grade and the rules were not followed.  Or the child who spat on another child who was not reprimanded.  The problem is the administration does not enforce the rules so any program is destined to failure.

Other voices:
Paul Bogush
Emma Bogush, student
Valerie Knight-DiGangi
Aimee Bogush

Did we put Emma up to speaking? Was she telling the truth?

Albert Einstein said, "The aim (of education) must be the training of independently acting and thinking individuals who, however, can see in the service to the community their highest life achievement."

Paul and I are very proud of Emma for speaking at the Board of Education meeting on May 12, 2010.  

Emma wrote her own remarks, speaking her own mind - and from the start, she wanted to make a difference by participating at the Board of Education meeting.  There she stood, not yet even 12 years old, a critical thinker speaking up for what she believes in a room full of adults; not a peer in sight.  If we aren't educating children for that very act, then what -- truly-- is the point?

According to those present, there was confusion about Emma's statements.  It may have been suggested her remarks bore no merit because 6th grade does not use a ticket/token/reward/incentive program when in fact, class rewards are most definitely used in 6th grade gym, music and art. 

In addition, Emma was speaking about her experience in general with the ticket/reward program that was in place in her grade 5 class as well as the school-wide ticket program put in place sometime during her 4th or 5th grade year at BCS.  Children were "caught being good," given tickets, and then names were drawn to win prizes.  She talked about how that made her feel.

Of particular note: Emma was also speaking about the truly positive learning environments she has experienced at BCS in 4th grade and 6th grade.  And, that's the real kicker... 

She so astutely has observed that the classes she has had with the least or no rewards, were the best environments.  She clearly sees that when students work together, have a teacher who takes the time to get to know them and provides opportunities for interesting, engaging learning, and choice -- the behavior problems either do not exist or are minor enough in nature that a skilled teacher can use humor to redirect a misbehaving student. 

In choosing to get hung up on whether or not Emma's statement was accurate, it appears the wisdom she spoke was lost on this group of adults charged with educating our children.  

Emma stood up with the intention of making a difference for the younger students she'll leave behind as she graduates to Amity Middle School.  She spoke her truth, which happened to also be THE TRUTH.  You can read her remarks here.  I think Einstein would have been proud too.

Another voice from the Board of Education meeting on May 12, 2010:

Another voice from the Board of Education meeting on May 12, 2010:

My name is Paul Bogush.  On the BCS website Mr. Spino states:

Education is a community responsibility and that Communication is essential to our success, and that 

"Parents, teachers and students share responsibility for the learning process, and therefore are partners in the decision making process."

After being told in an email from Mr. Spino that a parent cannot observe their child's class and stay in school for more than 45 minutes because they will disrupt the educational process, after having my ideas and thoughts and those of other parents constantly being dismissed by teachers and administrators, and after being told last week at a PTO meeting that parents will have no say in implementing PBIS at BCS, I am very dismayed and saddened at the current atmosphere at BCS.

Tonight you will hear about PBIS from the administration and from some of the 30 teachers who brought this program to the attention of the administration.

As you listen you must not fall for the rhetoric.

You must not fall for the re-direction of your questions.

You must not fall for the trap of debating the finer points of the program instead of the big picture and core of the problem

You must dig deeper and ignore the PBIS jargon smokescreen.

Do not get stuck on debating the merits of PBIS

Do get stuck on what is creating the behaviors that we are trying to save the school from with PBIS?

Do ask whether this system of coercive behavior management will prepare our kids to be 21st century leaders, or support more of the 19th century style education that I have come accustomed to my kids receiving from BCS?

Do ask where is the student engagement?

Where are the creative projects?

Where are the inquiry units?

Where are the authentic lessons?

Where are the units that don't rely on worksheet after worksheet?

Ask what is being done to instill a life long love of learning?  Timed tests, reading logs, spelling tests, worksheet homework, and sitting a kid in chair for 6 hours a day simply is not good enough.

Do ask how did we get to this point?

And most importantly...Do ask who let us get to this point?

Good boards of education hold their staff accountable to find the source of the problem, they don't let them bring in a school changing program to mask it.  

Mrs. Federico once said, “Possessing a genuine interest and taking part in your child’s school community is imperative to his development.” I hope that my involvement can be more than just picking up the empty pieces of my children each night after they come home depleted of hope each day.  You see I do not know everything about teaching, but after two decades of teaching and and two decades of serious research and practicing almost every conceivable method and pedagogy, I can draw on valuable empirical and research based evidence in which to rely on for my conclusions.

Since my children have attended BCS my opinion has been dismissed by first year teachers, and administrators who have far, far less experience in a classroom than I do...what happens to the parent who simply loves their child, asks the right common sense questions, but is defenseless against the rhetoric they are bombarded with because they don't know the research, they don't know the meaning behind the code words and jargon, they don't know how the actions of programs play out in a classroom, but most importantly a child's heart. How many parents get walked over and convinced that new programs will turn out just fine because they don't know the research about using coercive behavioral management plans in the classroom?  How many know about the the Theory of Behaviorism that PBIS is rooted in? How many can take a look at the building and classroom plans and policies and analyze those to show that the behaviors they create are the ones that PBIS is meant to mask?   How many of you know about those things? If you don't, then you can get easily sucked into the hype and programs such as PBIS.   I worry not just about parents voices going unheard, but what about your voices.

If our voices, as parents and the ones who know our children best, are not valued is hard to imagine that our children are truly valued.

Other Voices:
Aimee Bogush
Valerie Knight-DiGangi
Emma Bogush, student 
Brian Laubstein

Another voice from the May 12, 2010 Board of Education meeting

Another voice from the May 12, 2010 Board of Education meeting:

My name is Valerie Knight-Di Gangi, and I am the parent of a second grader at BCS.  On behalf of my son, and all the sons and daughters at BCS I respectfully request the Board to reconsider the implementation of PBIS in the coming school year.

I have seen first hand the negative and adverse effects that a rewards program can have on a child who has exhibited “good behavior” in the past- to the point of trying to obtain “tickets” from others in order to receive a reward.  I believe that the majority of the students at BCS are “well behaved” and that what we need to do is to address the classroom and school community environment in order to achieve our goals.

One such way is to consider alternatives, such as the responsive classroom, which is already in place at Beecher Rd. School in Woodbridge.  Keeping children motivated and engaged throughout the day not only helps them to learn and become self starters, but truly helps those children who have behavior issues outside of the classroom.  Also allowing them more time to release pent up physical energy – whether it is simply standing and stretching in the classroom for a minute or two, or having five extra minutes of recess can have positive effects on learning and will reduce behavior problems in all areas of the school.

Rewards systems do not work.  Rather than spending our time and energy on programs that some have likened to how dogs are trained, we need to nurture our children and support our classroom teachers with programs that are both human and humane.  I urge you to consider other alternatives than PBIS, such as responsive classroom.  For the record, neither Orange nor Woodbridge is using PBIS, and both are implementing RTI.  I find it hard to believe that our children are less behaved than children in either of our sister districts and are in need a formal program to help them “behave.”  Thank you.

Here's what other speakers had to say:
Aimee Bogush
Emma Bogush, Student 
Paul Bogush 
Brian Laubstein

A student voice at the Board of Education Meeting on May 12, 2010

A student speaks at the Board of Education meeting on May 12, 2010:

My name is Emma Bogush and I am in 6^th grade. I know I will be leaving (for middle school) but I’m doing this for the good of the kids younger than me.  Thank you for letting me speak to you tonight.

I think the reward system that is part of PBIS is terrible.  We need to get rid of the ticket and reward systems.

Tickets and rewards are often given to a child who usually behaves badly and suddenly behaves well.  It makes the kids who always or mostly behave well feel bad.

When tickets were given out all over school and then you could win prizes, everyone except the kid who won the prize felt terrible.

When rewards and tickets are given out to the whole class it causes problems.   It causes problems because when you are very close to getting the prize and one kid does something (even a minor something) the teacher will take away your chance even if all the other kids are behaving.  This makes enemies kid to kid and kid to teacher.  And it makes you feel bad about yourself because it makes you start to think you did something bad because the teacher took away the prize.

Instead of tickets and rewards, have teachers talk to kids.  The classes I have with the least amount of rewards have the best behavior.  The teacher gets to know kids and knows their needs.  In classes with interaction, choice, and teachers who are ready to help there are less problems.  Teachers can also use humor to help kids behave. 

Kids behave and help others because it feels good and it helps people.  I behave and help others because it feels good and it helps people.  Giving rewards for this makes it all confusing.

Please cancel this program.  Thank you. 

Other voices from the meeting:
Aimee Bogush
Valerie Knight-DiGangi
Paul Bogush
Brian Laubstein

Board of Education Meeting 4/12/2010

Regarding last night's BOE meeting:

In addition to the Board of Education members, administrators, and PBIS committee members there were 6 parents, 1 grandparent, 1 student, and 2 teachers present at last night's meeting (note: I do not know the views of the 2 teachers or if they were in attendance due to the PBIS issue).  Of those 10 visitors, 5 adults and the 1 student spoke (for no more than the 3 minutes allotted) with deep concerns about the adoption of PBIS at BCS -- some had issue with the rewards/incentives, some had issue with the way the program had been decided upon, some had issue with the lack of leadership shown by the Board of Education.  Excellent and important points were made.  We left to get Emma home for homework and to pick up our 7 year old and get her to bed.

Later in the meeting a PBIS presentation was given.  According to those present, BOE member questions seemed to show they were not going to critically examine the program and how it came to our school and, after hearing about it for the first time at this meeting, seem willing to let it continue forth.  A board member said those who spoke out were "misinformed."  One administrator even went on to dismiss the student's remarks. 

Over the next few posts I will reprint the remarks given at the start of the meeting, beginning with mine:

My name is Aimee Bogush and I thank you for your volunteer service on behalf of the children at BCS and for the opportunity to speak regarding the PBIS program.

It is my opinion as a parent and an educator that 

• BCS doesn't need a behavior program, as much as a philosophy and leadership
• BCS doesn't need a behavior program, as much as consistency, communication, collaboration, and community among both the staff, parents and student body.
• BCS doesn't need a behavior program, as much as it needs to support its teachers and paraprofessionals in teaching and learning and growing and stretching.
• BCS doesn't need a behavior program, as much as it needs an engaging curriculum that emphasizes exploration over assessment.

Instead, BCS is taking the "easy way out" by purchasing a short-term, short-sighted, potentially damaging program. 

Tonight they'll say the teachers identified the need and brought the program to the administrators, but do not be confused -- while it may have been a teacher or two who initiated this, it was most definitely not The Teachers who still have not been told the full extent of the program.  They'll tell you they have a parent on the committee, but do not be confused -- parent concerns were never heard during the decision and design stages of bringing to BCS a program that will dramatically alter the culture of the school.  And, those critical of the program have been told we will not be heard at all.   

They'll say the vast majority of children behave properly and it's time they were recognized for it, but do not be confused -- the children who behave properly do it because it's what they do, it's what's expected, and just maybe the learning is active and engaging.  A paper paw print or a pizza party does nothing to truly recognize their efforts the way meeting the needs of the children who misbehave would.  My consistently well-behaved kid doesn't want a paw print as much as she'd like the kids in her class to behave appropriately! She doesn't want a certificate, she wants the adults to take charge of the situation and rescue the learning environment from the few students who hold it captive by truly meeting the needs of those students.  And, what about the consistently misbehaving child - PBIS uses coercion, referral forms, and peer pressure to attempt to get them in line, but it does not help them develop skills and responsibility.

They'll say the children behave inappropriately on the bus, in the hall, on the playground, in the bathroom, and in the cafeteria, and they do -- but do not be confused -- in each of these areas the situation could be improved if the adult staff created consistent expectations, made changes to the environment, developed solutions that help students raise their responsibility, and then, held themselves accountable.

They'll call the rewards, prizes, and tokens "reinforcements", but do not be confused -- they are rewards, prizes, and tokens. And, they'll explain enthusiastically about the awarding of these paws, the filling of buckets, the assemblies, the character education, but do not be confused -- studies show the use of rewards has a damaging effect on character development. 

They'll tell you PBIS is the most effective program, but do not be confused -- they did not investigate any other approach.  

They'll tell you PBIS is research based, but do not be confused -- it is based on Skinner's research that people behave like pets and long term research does not show a positive correlation between rewarding good behavior and the continuation of that behavior.  

BCS has purchased this program and is training select staff and purchasing the bells and whistles. I ask you, the BOE, to direct the school to truly identify the situation, explore alternative approaches, and design a solution that makes sense for our school -- one with the development of responsibilty rather than obedience as the goal. 

Thank you.  I have researched this issue extensively and would be happy to provide you with resources and further information.  You have my contact info.

Other Voices:
Emma Bogush, student
Valerie Knight-DiGangi
Paul Bogush
Brian Laubstein

REPOST: Beecher uses Responsive Classroom and they are in good company...

I repeat...our neighbor, Beecher Road School, uses Responsive Classroom -- an approach Bethany Community School did not even consider in their haste to adopt PBIS.  But it's not too late...let's take a look at Responsive Classroom especially since Beecher students COMBINE with Bethany Community School students to attend Amity Middle School together.  Here is the parent info on Beecher's website regarding Responsive Classroom.  And, Responsive Classroom can be used with PBIS instead of the rewards/incentives/tokens.  The Responsive Classroom site has a 2-page fact sheet and an 9-page white paper on combining their approach with PBIS.

Beecher is in good company.  Quinnipiac University trains prospective teachers in Responsive Classroom in their educator preparation classes, and below is information on a handful of the many Connecticut schools using Responsive Classroom school-wide:

• Branchville Elementary School in Ridgefield, CT uses Responsive Classroom.  Follow these links for a newspaper article about their decision and to their school's site.
• A study was done at K.T. Murphy School in Stamford, Connecticut demonstrating Responsive Classroom has a positive impact on the social skills and behaviors of those at the school.  The abstract can be found here and the entire paper here.
• Hurlbutt Elementary in Weston, CT uses Responsive Classroom.
• Highcrest Elementary in Wethersfield, CT uses Responsive Classroom.
• Chase Collegiate School a private school in Waterbury, CT uses Responsive Classroom.
• Canton Intermediate School in Canton, CT uses Responsive Classroom.
• Broadbrook Elementary School, in Broadbrook, CT uses Responsive Classroom.
• The Master's School a private school in Simsbury, CT uses Responsive Classroom.

The following information is excerpted from the Responsive Classroom website by Donna Scanlon, Assistant Superintendent for the Hampden-Wilbraham Regional School District in Massachusetts:

Seven principles guide the Responsive Classroom approach:

1.The social curriculum is as important as the academic curriculum.

2.How children learn is as important as what they learn: Process and content go hand in hand.

3.The greatest cognitive growth occurs through social interaction.

4.To be successful academically and socially, children need a set of social skills: cooperation, assertion, responsibility, empathy, and self-control.

5.Knowing the children we teach-individually, culturally, and developmentally-is as important as knowing the content we teach.

6.Knowing the families of the children we teach and working with them as partners is essential to children's education.

7.How the adults at school work together is as important as their individual competence: Lasting change begins with the adult community.

At the heart of the Responsive Classroom approach are ten classroom practices:

1.Morning Meeting - gathering as a whole class each morning to greet one another, share news, and warm up for the day ahead

2.Rule Creation - helping students create classroom rules to ensure an environment that allows all class members to meet their learning goals

3.Interactive Modeling - teaching children to notice and internalize expected behaviors through a unique modeling technique

4.Positive Teacher Language - using words and tone as a tool to promote children's active learning, sense of community, and self-discipline

5.Logical Consequences - responding to misbehavior in a way that allows children to fix and learn from their mistakes while preserving their dignity

6.Guided Discovery - introducing classroom materials using a format that encourages independence, creativity, and responsibility

7.Academic Choice - increasing student learning by allowing students teacher-structured choices in their work

8.Classroom Organization - setting up the physical room in ways that encourage students' independence, cooperation, and productivity

9.Working with Families - creating avenues for hearing parents' insights and helping them understand the school's teaching approaches

10.Collaborative Problem Solving - using conferencing, role playing, and other strategies to resolve problems with students

Schools implementing the Responsive Classroom approach schoolwide typically adopt the following practices:

•Aligning policies and procedures with Responsive Classroom philosophy - making sure everything from the lunch routine to the discipline policy enhances the self-management skills that children are learning through the Responsive Classroom approach;

•Allocating resources to support Responsive Classroom implementation - using time, money, space, and personnel to support staff in learning and using the Responsive Classroom approach;

•Planning all-school activities to build a sense of community - giving all of the school's children and staff opportunities to learn about and from each other through activities such as all-school meetings, cross-age recess or lunch, buddy classrooms, and cross-age book clubs;

•Welcoming families and the community as partners - involving family and community members in the children's education by maintaining two-way communication, inviting parents and others to visit and volunteer, and offering family activities;

•Organizing the physical environment to set a tone of learning - making sure, for example, that schoolwide rules are posted prominently, displays emphasize student work, and all school spaces are welcoming, clean, and orderly.

COME to the Board of Education meeting on Wednesday, May 12th, at 6:30pm in the BCS library.  Let the BOE members hear your concerns with the full-blown rewards/incentives/tokens being proposed.  Ask the BOE to direct the school to further investigate alternatives such as Responsive Classroom.

"Am I the kind of person who helps people in need?"

A Story About Motivation, by Peter Bregman, found in the Harvard Business Review online.

A teacher interviews Dr. Marvin Marshall, author of Discipline without Stress

Teacher Larry Ferlazzo recently interviewed Dr. Marvin Marshall on the topic of positive discipline.  You can find and read the interview on Larry's website: Interview Of The Month: Marvin Marshall On Positive Classroom Management.
 .

Empowering vs. Overpowering

More from MarvinMarshall.com

"A responsive classroom culture that honors students' voices may enhance students' ownership of literacy learning and alleviate feelings of anger, anxiety, alienation, and powerlessness..." finds Dr. Penny Oldfather

Responsive Classroom can help with more than just behavior.  It can also have a positive impact on literacy learning.  Below is an abstract to a study conducted by Dr. Penny Oldfather who teaches courses on teaching/learning processes, early childhood curriculum, motivation, and qualitative research methodology. Her research interests include qualitative research on student motivation, constructivism in teaching and teacher education, and issues of student voice in research methodology.

When Students Do Not Feel Motivated for Literacy Learning: How a Responsive Classroom Culture Helps

AUTHOR: Penny Oldfather

INSTITUTION: University of Georgia

ABSTRACT: Teachers' responsiveness to and empathic understanding of students' perceptions when they are not motivated are critical in a) promoting students' ownership of the literacy learning agenda; b) in helping students with their motivational difficulties; and c) in establishing classrooms that focus on the enhancement of caring. This report of an interpretive study, conducted in a 5th/6th-grade whole language classroom, provides insights about students' thoughts, feelings, and actions when not motivated for literacy tasks, and examines students' subjective experiences in three different motivational situations. The study offers clues about the affective and cognitive processes that enable some students to become engaged in literacy activities and prevent others from beginning them. It argues that a responsive classroom culture that honors students' voices may enhance students' ownership of literacy learning and alleviate feelings of anger, anxiety, alienation, and powerlessness.

READ THE ENTIRE STUDY

Beecher Road School uses Responsive Classroom and they are in good company!

I repeat...our neighbor, Beecher Road School, uses Responsive Classroom -- an approach Bethany Community School did not even consider in their haste to adopt PBIS.  But it's not too late...let's take a look at Responsive Classroom especially since Beecher students COMBINE with Bethany Community School students to attend Amity Middle School together.  Here is the parent info on Beecher's website regarding Responsive Classroom.  And, Responsive Classroom can be used with PBIS instead of the rewards/incentives/tokens.  The Responsive Classroom site has a 2-page fact sheet and an 9-page white paper on combining their approach with PBIS.

Beecher is in good company.  Quinnipiac University trains prospective teachers in Responsive Classroom in their educator preparation classes, and below is information on a handful of the many Connecticut schools using Responsive Classroom school-wide:

• Branchville Elementary School in Ridgefield, CT uses Responsive Classroom.  Follow these links for a newspaper article about their decision and to their school's site.
• A study was done at K.T. Murphy School in Stamford, Connecticut demonstrating Responsive Classroom has a positive impact on the social skills and behaviors of those at the school.  The abstract can be found here and the entire paper here.
• Hurlbutt Elementary in Weston, CT uses Responsive Classroom.
• Highcrest Elementary in Wethersfield, CT uses Responsive Classroom.
• Chase Collegiate School a private school in Waterbury, CT uses Responsive Classroom.
• Canton Intermediate School in Canton, CT uses Responsive Classroom.
• Broadbrook Elementary School, in Broadbrook, CT uses Responsive Classroom.
• The Master's School a private school in Simsbury, CT uses Responsive Classroom.

The following information is excerpted from the Responsive Classroom website by Donna Scanlon, Assistant Superintendent for the Hampden-Wilbraham Regional School District in Massachusetts:

Seven principles guide the Responsive Classroom approach:

1.The social curriculum is as important as the academic curriculum.

2.How children learn is as important as what they learn: Process and content go hand in hand.

3.The greatest cognitive growth occurs through social interaction.

4.To be successful academically and socially, children need a set of social skills: cooperation, assertion, responsibility, empathy, and self-control.

5.Knowing the children we teach-individually, culturally, and developmentally-is as important as knowing the content we teach.

6.Knowing the families of the children we teach and working with them as partners is essential to children's education.

7.How the adults at school work together is as important as their individual competence: Lasting change begins with the adult community.

At the heart of the Responsive Classroom approach are ten classroom practices:

1.Morning Meeting - gathering as a whole class each morning to greet one another, share news, and warm up for the day ahead

2.Rule Creation - helping students create classroom rules to ensure an environment that allows all class members to meet their learning goals

3.Interactive Modeling - teaching children to notice and internalize expected behaviors through a unique modeling technique

4.Positive Teacher Language - using words and tone as a tool to promote children's active learning, sense of community, and self-discipline

5.Logical Consequences - responding to misbehavior in a way that allows children to fix and learn from their mistakes while preserving their dignity

6.Guided Discovery - introducing classroom materials using a format that encourages independence, creativity, and responsibility

7.Academic Choice - increasing student learning by allowing students teacher-structured choices in their work

8.Classroom Organization - setting up the physical room in ways that encourage students' independence, cooperation, and productivity

9.Working with Families - creating avenues for hearing parents' insights and helping them understand the school's teaching approaches

10.Collaborative Problem Solving - using conferencing, role playing, and other strategies to resolve problems with students

Schools implementing the Responsive Classroom approach schoolwide typically adopt the following practices:

•Aligning policies and procedures with Responsive Classroom philosophy - making sure everything from the lunch routine to the discipline policy enhances the self-management skills that children are learning through the Responsive Classroom approach;

•Allocating resources to support Responsive Classroom implementation - using time, money, space, and personnel to support staff in learning and using the Responsive Classroom approach;

•Planning all-school activities to build a sense of community - giving all of the school's children and staff opportunities to learn about and from each other through activities such as all-school meetings, cross-age recess or lunch, buddy classrooms, and cross-age book clubs;

•Welcoming families and the community as partners - involving family and community members in the children's education by maintaining two-way communication, inviting parents and others to visit and volunteer, and offering family activities;

•Organizing the physical environment to set a tone of learning - making sure, for example, that schoolwide rules are posted prominently, displays emphasize student work, and all school spaces are welcoming, clean, and orderly.




COME to the Board of Education meeting on Wednesday, May 12th, at 6:30pm in the BCS library.  Let the BOE members hear your concerns with the full-blown rewards/incentives/tokens being proposed.  Ask the BOE to direct the school to further investigate alternatives such as Responsive Classroom.

A teacher offers advice and alternatives...

This comes from a teacher, written on MarvinMarshall.com's Discipline without Stress yahoo-group.  Thank you, Kerry!

Hi Aimee,

I just checked in at your blog. Good luck to the parents who go to your school meeting!

I don't know if the following links might help you to give the parents at your school some other visions for how schools can promote personal and social responsibility in ways other than rewards.

In my own K-6 school we have been using DWS for a number of years now. Last year I had an article published in Educational Leadership about a program we developed as a direct result of our staff study of the DWS textbook. In the article I explain some of the philosophy of DWS and how it was translated into a program of daily announcement questions. Although, obviously this little program is only a portion of how we promote high level personal and social behaviour at our school, it might give someone at your school (teachers or parents) a taste of what an alternative to PBIS could look like. Marv once said to me that audience members at his presentations often mention that there is a whole different "feel" to this approach and they are right, there is!

http://disciplineanswers.com/one-question-a-day/

And there's another article that also might be of use. It's a two part article... the first part written by Marv explains how and why he developed his DWS approach. The second part was written by me and describes the results that my teaching partner and I saw almost immediately in our grade one classroom once we started to implement DWS.

http://www.marvinmarshall.com/pdf/Phi_Delta_Kappan.pdf

As well, here's a post on the DWS blog that explains how my own staff greatly (and easily) improved the behaviour of the students at our regular school assemblies using ideas from DWS. Seven years later the behaviour in our assemblies remains near perfect. Originally we wanted to improve school assembly behaviour because kids were calling out, talking and even booing etc.

http://disciplineanswers.com/school-assembly-procedures/

Once again, I hope that all your efforts get parents/teachers to start thinking and questioning!

Kerry

Please attend the PTO meeting on Tuesday, May 4th at 7pm in the library, PBIS presentation

I cannot attend the PTO meeting where there will be a Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports presentation.  I did attend the one last month and I will be at the Board of Education meeting on May 12.  My husband, Paul, will be at the meeting with his own list of questions.  He's a teacher with 20 years experience in urban and suburban settings and among other things is a cooperating teacher (one who trains student teachers), a provider of professional development to other teachers, a mentor teacher (for the State Dept. of Education mentoring and evaluating new teachers), a life-long learner, and a father.  I encourage everyone and anyone to join Paul; to come and hear what will be presented to the PTO regarding PBIS at Bethany Community School, come to your own conclusions, and be heard.

Here is what I would share if I could be there:

• BCS doesn't need a behavior program, as much as a philosophy.
• BCS doesn't need a behavior program, as much as leadership.
• BCS doesn't need a behavior program, as much as consistency, communication, collaboration, and community among both the PAID ADULT STAFF as well as the student body.
• BCS doesn't need a behavior program, as much as it needs to support its teachers and paraprofessionals in teaching and learning and growing and stretching.
• BCS doesn't need a behavior program, as much as it needs an engaging curriculum that emphasizes exploration over assessment.

Instead, BCS is taking the "easy way out" by purchasing a short-term, short-sighted, potentially damaging program. 


They'll call the rewards, prizes, and tokens "reinforcements", but do not be confused -- they are rewards, prizes, and tokens. 


They'll say the teachers identified the need and brought the program to the administrators, but do not be confused -- while it may have been a teacher or two who initiated this, it was most definitely not The Teachers as the majority of The Teachers knew nothing about it, continue to know nothing about it, and have not been asked for their input on adopting a program that will dramatically alter the culture of the school, and would not choose this approach.  Teachers may agree there are issues to be solved, but their voices have not been heard in HOW this will occur.


They'll say the vast majority of children behave properly and it's time they were recognized for it, but do not be confused -- the children who behave properly do it because it's what they do, it's what's expected (they want to learn, they are curious, they love their teacher, and they simply like being in class) and a paper paw print or a pizza party does nothing to truly recognize their efforts the way meeting the needs of the children who misbehave would; eliminating the misbehaviors thereby benefiting the whole class, for those who regularly behave and just want to learn AND for the child who regularly misbehaves. My consistently well-behaved kid doesn't want a paw print as much as she'd like the kids in her class to behave appropriately! She doesn't want a certificate, she wants the adults to take charge of the situation and rescue the learning environment from the few students who hold it captive. 


They'll say the children behave inappropriately on the bus, in the hall, on the playground, in the bathroom, and in the cafeteria, but do not be confused -- in each of these areas the situation could be improved if the ADULT PAID STAFF created consistent expectations, developed solutions that help students raise their responsibility, and then, held themselves accountable.


They'll explain enthusiastically about the awarding of paws, the filling of buckets, the choosing of names and rewards reinforcements, the assemblies, the character education, but do not be confused -- the use of rewards has a damaging effect on character development.  "Studies at the University of Toronto and Arizona State University show that external rewards for socially responsible behaviors are associated with less commitment for helping, caring, and sharing over the long haul." (marvinmarshall.com)


They'll tell you they have teacher and parent input, but do not be confused -- the teachers may have been surveyed about issues, but they were not asked their opinion of PBIS and a parent may have been added to the PBIS committee, but parent concerns were never heard during the decision and design stages of bringing PBIS to BCS.  


They'll tell you PBIS is the most effective program, but do not be confused -- they did not investigate any other approach because the State Department of Ed is promoting PBIS leaving an interesting money trail behind it all the way to NCLB.  


They'll tell you PBIS is research based, but do not be confused -- it is based on Skinner's research that people behave like pets and long term research does not show a positive correlation between rewarding good behavior and the continuation of that behavior.  


It has become clear to me that despite the fact that other approaches achieve the same goals of consistency and appropriate behavior -- the powers that be, the strong personalities driving the discussion, ARE NOT INTERESTED and do not care to investigate any approach other than blanketing all students with a program designed specifically as an alternative to restraint and seclusion of special education students. 


It has been suggested to me that I raise my awareness by reading a dog-training manual as evidence that reward systems work. They may work, in the short term - for tasks the dog child does not want to do, and for tasks that do not require high order thinking or responsibility. Obedience is essential for dogs - responsibility should be our goal for kids.


BCS has purchased this program without the input of teachers, paraprofessionals, BOE members, parents or students. BCS continues training select staff and purchasing the bells and whistles for this program. Despite this, however, I do believe that it is not too late to halt the program, truly identify the situation at BCS, explore alternatives, and design an approach for our school -- one with the development of responsibilty rather than obedience as the goal; one designed to meet the needs of those misbehaving (both adult and student) so they can participate fully in the BCS community of learners. 


UPDATE: (I removed the word offenders from that last sentence...I was using language not my own in a hasty and failed attempt to show how important and vital it is to meet the needs of the students - especially those reacting to the situation with 'misbehavior' and how this program does not account for that.)