The district’s Positive Behavior Interventions and Support (PBIS) program handed out two awards for those making a difference in problematic student behaviors during a seminar held November 12 at the Instructional Resource Center. 

Sherwood Middle Academic Magnet School was recognized as the district’s PBIS School of the Year (2008-2009) because of the commitment demonstrated by its principal, Phyllis Crawford, to implement PBIS with fidelity on the campus. 

Sherwood Middle School was awarded the highest honor from the LA Positive Behavior Support Project last spring and is recognized as a Demonstration Site for exemplary implementation of the PBIS model.  Upon receipt of this recognition, Sherwood faculty received additional training over the summer in the second tier of PBIS, Secondary Intervention, Tier 2, or the Yellow Level, which addresses strategies for more at-risk student behavior.  Accepting the award for the school were (first photo, left to right) PBIS coach Lauren Dugas, Crawford and PBIS Team Leader Anna MacMorran.

                            
 
PBIS named Alesha Cavanaugh (second photo) its district PBIS Coach of the Year (2008-2009).  Cavanaugh has been an active PBIS school-based coach since 2007.  Under her leadership, she has moved the school to the status of a Tier 2 PBIS School, which will address more complex problematic student behaviors.  She is an English Literature teacher at Sherwood Middle School. She has been employed by the East Baton Rouge Parish School System since 2003.

PBIS is based on understanding why problem behaviors occur. It is the application of evidence-based strategies and systems to assist schools to increase academic performance, increase safety, decrease problem behavior and establish positive school cultures.

On an individual level, PBIS uses functional behavior assessments to understand the relationships between a student's behavior and characteristics of his or her environment. On a school-wide level, the program relies on accurate and reliable discipline referral data to understand the behaviors occurring across campus. An analysis of the data allows a school team to identify the problem areas, brainstorm interventions such as where and what to teach, reward the students exhibiting the expected behavior and communicate findings to the staff, students, and families.

Positive Behavior Support is a mandated program to be implemented in all public schools in the state of Louisiana. This Act emphasizes that good student behavior and discipline are prerequisites to academic learning. For more information, contact Lee Dixon, the School System’s director of Exceptional Student Services, at (225) 929-8601.