Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports
Positive Behavior Intervention Support (PBIS) is a research-based, school-wide approach to teaching positive behavior to all students. Rochester School for the Deaf has established a PBIS team that includes: administrators, psychologists, teachers, teaching assistants, and other school support staff members.
Rochester School for the Deaf implements a tier system to increase positive school behaviors. This tier system provides a framework that allows for acknowledgment of students who follow the rules and display appropriate behaviors. Equally as important, the system has built-in support for students who have difficulty demonstrating appropriate behaviors.
The PBIS program for students in RSD Early Childhood Programs is called C.A.T. It is an acronym used to represent: C – Care; A – Accept; and T – Try Your Best. Preschool-age children at RSD encounter C.A.T. reteaching and reminders everywhere they go at RSD. These expectations are all campus-wide, from the lunch room to the classroom to the playground. Parents of children in RSD Early Childhood Programs and Kindergarten with questions or concerns about the C.A.T. PBIS program can contact Director Karen Fisher-Malley.
The PBIS program for students in Elementary School Grades K-5 is called P.A.W.S. It is an acronym used to represent: P – Positive; A – Accountable; W – Work hard; and S – Supportive. Like C.A.T., these expectations apply across all areas of the RSD campus including the school bus line-up while waiting to go home at the end of the school day.
The PBIS program for the Middle School and High School Grades 6 – 12 is called R.O.A.R. It is an acronym used to represent: R – Responsible; O – Optimistic; A – Achievement; and R – Respect. Here ‘Positive’ and ‘Accountable' from elementary school now become ‘Optimistic’ and ‘Responsible,’ qualities that are important for life-long success. ‘Work hard’ leads to ‘Achievement,’ and being ‘Supportive’ naturally translates to showing ‘Respect’ when students leave RSD.
Rochester School for the Deaf implements a tier system to increase positive school behaviors. This tier system provides a framework that allows for acknowledgment of students who follow the rules and display appropriate behaviors. Equally as important, the system has built-in support for students who have difficulty demonstrating appropriate behaviors.The PBIS program for students in RSD Early Childhood Programs is called C.A.T. It is an acronym used to represent: C – Care; A – Accept; and T – Try Your Best. Preschool-age children at RSD encounter C.A.T. reteaching and reminders everywhere they go at RSD. These expectations are all campus-wide, from the lunch room to the classroom to the playground. Parents of children in RSD Early Childhood Programs and Kindergarten with questions or concerns about the C.A.T. PBIS program can contact Director Karen Fisher-Malley.
The PBIS program for students in Elementary School Grades K-5 is called P.A.W.S. It is an acronym used to represent: P – Positive; A – Accountable; W – Work hard; and S – Supportive. Like C.A.T., these expectations apply across all areas of the RSD campus including the school bus line-up while waiting to go home at the end of the school day.The PBIS program for the Middle School and High School Grades 6 – 12 is called R.O.A.R. It is an acronym used to represent: R – Responsible; O – Optimistic; A – Achievement; and R – Respect. Here ‘Positive’ and ‘Accountable' from elementary school now become ‘Optimistic’ and ‘Responsible,’ qualities that are important for life-long success. ‘Work hard’ leads to ‘Achievement,’ and being ‘Supportive’ naturally translates to showing ‘Respect’ when students leave RSD.
Parents of students in Elementary, Middle, and High School with questions or concerns about the P.A.W.S. or R.O.A.R. PBIS programs at RSD can contact Grades 1-12 Principal, Susan Ogden.
C.A.T., P.A.W.S., and R.O.A.R. acronyms were selected to symbolize PBIS programs at RSD because they closely relate to Wildcat, which is our school mascot.
How can you as an RSD parent support PBIS at home?
Research shows that when behavior expectations are clearly established and taught in the home, children’s problem behavior is prevented or reduced.PBIS at home consists of a few simple steps:
1 – Clear Expectations
2 – Family Meetings
3 – Use Positive Reinforcement for Appropriate Behaviors
4 – Use of Consequences for Problem Behaviors
1. Create a behavior matrix that establishes expected behaviors for essential routines at home. Base this on either C.A.T., P.A.W.S., or R.O.A.R. acronyms that your child already understands.
2. It is a good idea to hold a Family Meeting to present this behavior matrix at home. Explain the expected behavior. Demonstrate the expected behavior. Role play/practice the expected behavior. Explain the positive reinforcers and the consequences.
3. It is essential to consistently provide positive reinforcement of expected behaviors. You can use a point/sticker chart where one point or sticker is earned for each expectation met. This leads to a specific reward. There could be a “menu” of rewards, some big, some small that the child can “buy” with his/her points. There could also be a Family Goal: “when we earn 50 as a family we will…”
4. When problem behavior occurs it is important to remain calm. Remind your child of the expected behavior. Reteach/model and have your child practice the expected behavior. Use consequences appropriately. Decide ahead of time what the consequence will be for problem behaviors, and communicate this with your child. Give the minimum amount of attention to the problem behavior. Be sure the consequence is age-appropriate. (i.e. You left your bike out, there will be no bike privileges tomorrow.)
Home + School = Positive, Happy, Healthy Kids. Thank you for joining our team!
