BUILDING AND SUSTAINING A SUCCESSFUL SCHOOL- WIDE REINFORCEMENT SYSTEM Jennifer Toperzer, Jefferson Elementary

Element #1: Build together  Take your time brainstorming.  Keep the end in mind.  Connect system to your acronym.  If a committee is creating the system, take to the whole faculty AND staff for feedback.

Element #2: Motivating and Manageable  What motivates your kiddos?  Manageable for all faculty and staff  Teacher incentives  Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic paradigm shift

Element #3: Tell and Teach  Tell, tell, and tell again.  As you teach common area expectations, integrate incentive plan.  When new kiddos join your school family, decide how to teach them about your expectations and incentive system.

Element #4: Frequent Check-ins  PBIS committee must assess the system… is it working?  Decide how you will assess effectiveness.  Get faculty/staff feedback, parent feedback, and student feedback

Element #5: Be flexible  If the system needs tweaking, tweak it.  Do a systems check before the start of each school year.  Don’t worry about having it all figured out or making something that will always work. You won’t and it won’t!

A Little Bit About Jefferson  students  Five years and going strong  Acronym: HEARTS  Jefferson Dragons have HEARTS: They are Honest, Encouraging, Accountable, Respectful, they TRY Their Best, and are Safe in Their Actions  PBIS Committee= PULSE committee  PULSE Team meets once a week.

Jefferson’s Plan  Lesson plans, power points, skits, and coaching/ “pump-up” videos  Small hearts and big hearts  Student sticker  Phone calls home  HEART chart in classrooms  Class HEART celebrations  Class recognition at assembly  School-wide celebrations  HEARTS winner in assembly

Back in Time  HEARTS Bingo  Bingo celebrations  Spelling out HEARTS in the classroom

Upcoming Changes  Bigger and better whole-school kick-off  Hand-out more hearts  More whole school celebrations during Friday assemblies  Classroom incentive connected to HEARTS