Overview
The Vista Verde staff wanted to adopt a school wide behavior system which would create a positive social climate and, at the same time, enhance the learning environment.
As a result of training by the University of Oregon’s Center of Positive Behavioral Interventions and Support and the Orange County Department of Education, our school began the process of creating the STAR (Safety First, There and Ready, Act Responsibly, and Respect Self and Others) program for Vista Verde.
Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports (PBIS) is a school-wide positive behavior system that is focused on defined behavior expectations and positive reinforcement for all students.
Key Components
- Teaching behavioral expectations to all students
- School-wide behavioral expectations
- Continuum of consequences for violating behavioral expectations
- Acknowledging appropriate behavior
- Ongoing use of data for decision-making
- Function-based support for students with chronic problem behavior
Outcomes
- Decrease in office discipline referrals
- Increase in instructional time
- Efficient and effective use of scarce resources
- Increase in school safety
Schools that participate in this project find:
- Increased time for instruction
- Elimination of 85% of problem behaviors
- Positive school climate
- Effective school-wide behavioral and academic systems
- Support for students with severe problem behaviors
- More effective and efficient actions
- Support for teaching diverse populations
- Development of sustainable cultures of competence