Panther Pride
New program reinforces appropriate behavior
Robert J. Kaiser Middle School is rewarding students for good behavior.
Middle school teachers and staff now use incentives and positive interventions to create an environment that encourages appropriate behavior.
The school-wide PBIS process- named Panther Pride - was introduced to the middle school community during Spirit Week 2006. Throughout the week-long celebration, each of the three floors in the middle school building will be decorated, by the students, to reflect the school's three main rules: Be Safe, Be Responsible, and Be Respectful.
Students who are caught following the school rules or doing a good deed will qualify to win incentive prizes. Such prizes and incentives are introduced to increase positive behaviors and then weaned away to help the students make the transition to internal rewards (feeling good about themselves) rather than relying on external rewards.
Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is a process where a team in each building, in conjunction with the entire faculty, analyzes student discipline data and designs positive interventions to reward positive behaviors instead of reacting to negative behaviors. The faculty comes together to define desired behaviors and infractions so that everyone has the same expectations.
An alternative to traditional discipline, the middle school PBIS process is part of a district-wide initiative to prevent discipline problems, while improving positive behavioral expectations for all students. The Panther Pride model was developed by the middle school PBIS Team, which is comprised of general education teachers, special education teachers, administrators, support staff, parents, students, and community members.