School Days: Morgan Hill Unified School District
Finding Success with PBIS
By Lanae Bays, Public Information Officer, Morgan Hill Unified School District
T
he Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports
(PBIS) program is a multi-tiered approach to social,
emotional and behavioral support that has seen
widespread success in the Morgan Hill Unifi ed
School District in recent years. PBIS aims to improve social,
emotional and academic success for all students, including
those with disabilities or from underrepresented groups.
This district-driven initiative started five years ago in
several Morgan Hill schools and gained national recognition
before being implemented district-wide. While each school
can implement PBIS in its own way, the program’s founda-
tion involves setting behavior expectations for the students
and creating a culture of safety and responsibility. Whether
students are in the classroom, library, cafeteria or the park-
ing lot, expectations for behavior are defined. Parents are
involved in the process to help ensure their students are suc-
cessful.
The district’s PBIS Coach, Michele Bergeron, said the goal
is for teachers “to get to know their students, and to be pro-
active and positive with them,” and for students “to feel safe
coming to school and knowing there is someone to talk to.”
Proactive, positive reinforcement verbiage and acknowl-
edgment of students for doing the right thing creates a cul-
ture of positive behavior. At some schools, a student can earn
an item from the student store, or a no homework day. A
school might earn a pajama day or a DJ during lunch for col-
lectively reaching a certain amount of points. On the high
school level, students may use a QR code and scan it for
points toward school swag.
Nordstrom Elementary School achieved a PBIS gold award
this year. Principal Debra Grove said she has seen “positive
changes” on campus since Nordstrom began using PBIS.
“Our students love being noticed for the responsible choices
that they make, and our teachers love focusing on the posi-
tive growth of children,” she added.
Bergeron works closely with teachers and ensures schools
are fully implementing their processes. She provides results
and feedback where improvement is needed. A student who
is not responding well may need what’s known as a Tier-2
plan of intervention.
“We use a check-in/check-out process,” Grove said. The
student checks in with a mentoring adult on campus who
reviews his or her daily goals, and returns at the end of the
day to ‘check out’ with that same caring adult. “Being a part-
ner with the adult and celebrating the child’s daily successes
is such a positive way to reinforce positive behavior,” Grove
added.
Tier-3 students, who may have trouble meeting the behav-
ioral expectations, require behavioral plans. “We want the
GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN
teachers to
have the tools
and the strategy to deal
with the problem,” Bergeron
explained.
Along with Nordstrom
Elementary School, El Toro Health
Science Academy also earned a PBIS
Gold Implementation Award. Darren McDonald
is Principal at El Toro.
Every MHUSD school has received anywhere from three
to five years of PBIS training. In 2018, all but one MHUSD
school received a Silver Implementation Award from the
California PBIS Coalition, and that school had a change in
administration.
Pleased with the continued success of PBIS, MHUSD
Superintendent Steve Betando said, “Creating a culture
where behavior expectations are posted, taught and
positively reinforced is highly beneficial to the student,
their families and their school communities.”
Nordstrom
Elementary
School Principal
Debra Grove
El Toro Science
Academy Principal
Darren McDonald
FALL/HOLIDAY 2019
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