tudents focus on
positivity when they
walk through the doors
every day at Espy
Elementary. Some students
are ending up in the principal’s
offi ce for good behavior, as a
result of the school’s Positive
Behavior Interventions and Supports
program, known as PBIS.
Karrie Long, Espy principal,
said she was excited to start the
PBIS program to help reduce
the number of negative referrals.
“We did not have a formal behavior
program at Espy and our
discipline referrals were rising,
so we decided to put something
in place that would be universal
throughout the building and
every setting,” Long said.
With this program, students
can earn rewards by doing positive
things like walking in the
halls quietly, or entire classes
can earn whole-class rewards.
“(The program) encompasses
three behavioral expectations in
every setting of our building as
well as the busses and playground.
The expectations are
‘Be Safe, Be Respectful and Be
Responsible.’ At the beginning of
the year and again in January, all
staff teach lessons for the students
assembled together before
school,” third-grade teacher
Lisa Price said. “We model what
these behaviors should look like
and sound like in each area.”
When students are caught doing
to the principal to be recognized,
which includes a positive call
home. This is a reversal of the
normal reasons a student would
have to visit the principal’s offi
ce.
If a teacher sees a student doing
will earn signatures to their
lanyard. Signatures can be collected
“Students who are meeting the
expectations can earn signatures.
give a student a signature for
coming to the carpet quickly, I
notice that seven-10 other students
to earn a signature,” secondgrade
said. “As a class, we can earn
whole-class rewards for doing
the expected thing as a whole
class.”
Price said she feels this program
and teachers.
“The students are very motivated
which cuts down on some of the
discipline issues in our classrooms,”
our school principal, has also
remarked many times about
how discipline issues have been
reduced both in the building
and on the bus since PBIS has
begun.”
Mancusi said the program is
helping students know the right
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a good thing, they can come
positive things, the student
for rewards.
It’s awesome to see if I
quickly do the same thing
teacher Sarah Mancusi
has helped her students
by earning signatures,
Price said. “Ms. Long,
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expectations.
“I have more time to teach.
Since we do whole building lessons
on what the expectations
are, I can focus on teaching content
rather than what not to do/
what to do. The students love all
the constant positive feedback
and they truly love earning a
positive offi ce referral,” Mancusi
said.
Long said she feels this personalized
PBIS program is helping
students tremendously.
“The program is teaching students
that making positive and
correct decisions is best. It also
is teaching students to recognize
that doing the right thing
is easier than doing the wrong
thing. It has taught the students
to work and encourage each
other,” Long said.
Price said the program has
helped changed her way of
dealing with students’ behavior.
“Sometimes when a student
makes a poor choice, I have to
remind myself to reteach the expected
behavior before handing
him/her an immediate consequence,”
Price said.
Along with this program, the
atmosphere of the school has
changed.
“The atmosphere has changed
drastically. Our discipline referrals
have decreased over 50
percent and students are learning
to encourage one another,”
Long said.
FALL 2017 THE NEST NIXA PUBLIC SCHOOLS MAGAZINE 13