Westside Story Newspaper – Online The News of The Empire – Sharing the Quest for Excellence
SAN BERNARDINO, CA— California PBIS honored 55 San Bernardino City Unified School District (SBCUSD) sites for successfully developing systems to create welcoming, safe, and inclusive learning environments where all students can thrive.
“Whenever our schools are recognized at the state level, it’s certainly a reason to celebrate,” said Superintendent Mauricio Arellano. “And when the majority of our schools are honored for creating nurturing learning environments where all children feel safe and a part of the school community, that means we are creating optimal conditions for learning and academic risk-taking, which are key ingredients for academic excellence.”
PBIS stands for Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports and is described as a framework to establish school-wide support for positive behavior using evidence-based interventions with the goal of improving social and academic outcomes for all students.
PBIS is grounded in classroom practices that are proactive, instructive, and restorative. Staff teach and model good behavior and provide positive corrections to behavior when needed.
Students are equipped with the social skills to respond to situations in a safe, responsible, and respectful manner. School staff also use restorative practices to develop, maintain, and repair relationships with students to ensure they stay connected.
According to Colleen Williams, Director of Student Wellness & Support Services (SWSS), an important aspect of developing a positive school climate and culture is to acknowledge positive interactions and behavior, while also addressing inappropriate behaviors with additional instruction, coaching and practice.
SBCUSD schools, as well as other PBIS schools across the state, are evaluated annually on how well they implement each of the three PBIS tiers using a nationally recognized evaluation method. Tier 1 is universal interventions and support for all students, which is aimed at stopping behavior problems before they start. Tier 2 provides targeted support for small groups of students who may need additional guidance. Tier 3 provides individual support for the few students who need intensive intervention. Based on this evaluation, schools in California may earn bronze, silver, gold, or platinum recognition.
Gold schools must demonstrate a structured approach to implementing Tier 1 and Tier 2, as well as meet data requirements, including that no more than 20% of the school’s student body received two or more major referrals. The 16 SBCUSD schools that earned a prestigious Gold PBIS Implementation Award are:
- Anton Elementary
- Arrowhead Elementary
- Cajon High
- Hunt Elementary
- Indian Springs High
- Jones Elementary
- Kendall-Harmon Complex
- Kimbark Elementary
- Lankershim Elementary
- Newmark Elementary
- Pacific High School
- Ramona-Alessandro Elementary
- Riley Elementary
- Roosevelt Elementary
- Rodriguez Prep Academy Middle
- San Andreas High School
To earn Silver recognition, a school must be fully implementing Tier 1 systems to address the schoolwide proactive and preventive supports and meet data requirements. The 32 sites that earned a silver award are:
- Arrowview Middle School
- Barton Elementary
- Belvedere Elementary
- Bing Wong Elementary
- Bonnie Oehl Elementary
- Bradley Elementary
- Brown Elementary
- Chavez Middle School
- Child Development Program
- Cole Elementary
- Curtis Middle School
- Cypress Elementary
- Davidson Elementary
- Del Vallejo Middle School
- Emmerton Elementary
- Golden Valley Middle School
- Gomez Elementary
- Henry Elementary
- Lytle Creek Elementary
- Marshall Elementary
- Monterey Elementary
- Muscoy Elementary
- North Park Elementary
- North Verdemont Elementary
- Paakuma’ K-8 School
- Parkside Elementary
- Rio Vista Elementary
- San Gorgonio High School
- Serrano Middle School
- Thompson Elementary
- Warm Springs Elementary
- Wilson Elementary
To earn Bronze recognition, a school must begin a systematic approach to Tier 1 implementation. The seven schools that earned a bronze PBIS Implementation Award are:
- Arroyo Valley High
- Fairfax Elementary
- Hillside Elementary
- Holcomb Elementary
- Lincoln Elementary
- Palm Avenue Elementary
- Urbita Elementary
In order to provide continued support for positive changes in school climate and culture and to recognize successful SBCUSD schools, the District provided PBIS Award-winning schools with funds ranging from $500 to $1,000 to purchase student incentives.
Students earn the incentives for meeting behavioral expectations. Additionally, staff from the District’s SWSS department are assigned to support school implementation of positive climate and culture systems Districtwide.
To learn more about Student Wellness & Support Services, visit www.sbcusd.com/departments/student-services-division/student-wellness-support-services.
