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"Positive Behavior Support" (PBS) Gives Great Results at DownesThe idea of Positive Behavior Support (PBS) is to catch students doing the right thing. The main focus of PBS is to emphasize the "right" behaviors, so that the wrong behaviors will decrease. Behavior referrals in our school have decreased significantly, and we believe this shows us that PBS is working. Our school has adopted honesty, respect, and responsibility as the right behaviors that we want to catch the students doing. When a student holds the door for another student or adult, this is an example of respect and the student then earns a coupon. Students who do the morning announcements earn coupons for being responsible. Students who clean up after they eat lunch in the cafeteria are earning coupons for being responsible. It is really exciting to give a student a coupon for doing something right. It is especially exciting to give a coupon to a student who doesn't always do the right thing. This type of student is used to negative attention, and is so excited to receive positive recognition. Another really great thing about PBS is that every student in the school has the same opportunity to earn coupons. There is no difference among the grade levels as to how many coupons a student can earn. A first grader has the same opportunity to earn coupons as a fifth grader. When we have our monthly boosters (50 coupons), students from all grade levels attend. It is really neat seeing the younger students and the older students interacting with each other. The major celebrations require 100 coupons, and lots of students attend those as well as the 50 coupon boosters. The students are working hard to be honest, respectful, and responsible, and look forward to having their efforts recognized. The 2009-10 school year will be our sixth year with PBS, and we are just as excited as we were in our first year. We did so well during that school year that when we were reviewed by the State of Delaware, we received a score of 97%, which is unheard of for a first-year school. PBS has made a definite impact on Downes and we are so pleased that we had the opportunity to get involved in the program. If you have any questions regarding the PBS program, please contact Tracy Coburn at tracy-coburn@hotmail.com or Jeanette Robison at jrobis@comcast.net. |
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John R. Downes Elementary School • 220 Casho Mill Road • Newark, DE 19711 • Tel. (302) 454-2133 | ||
