All schools in the School District of Lancaster implement a framework known as Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports, or PBIS for short. It’s a way to teach kids about behavior, just like any subject.
And Price Elementary is earning high marks.
For the second consecutive year, the Center on PBIS awarded Price it’s “Fidelity Award” for what it calls Tiers 1, 2, and 3. That means Price is effectively implementing and sustaining the framework at all levels—school wide, for students at risk of developing problem behaviors, and among students receiving intensive, individualized support.
For Price students, that means positive behavior is being taught and rewarded and they are being supported if they make a mistake.
Price is the only school in the district to achieve fidelity at the Tier 3, or most intensive, level.
“There isn’t a lot out there for tier 3 interventions for academics or behavior, so we kind of made our way in that,” says Dr. Florence Krane, the Price principal. “Tier 3 is making sure we have the minute details of how we’re giving interventions to children checked off.”
School-wide, it’s a focus on three core concepts: “Be respectful, be responsible, be safe.” A hallmark of a school using PBIS is that everyone knows what appropriate behavior is.
“It’s huge for climate and culture, and our behavior referrals are way down compared to last year,” Dr. Krane says. “I think kids understand how to be responsible, respectful, and safe because the teachers are doing all the things that they’re supposed to be doing, too.”
The school celebrated with “Priceapalooza” on Valentine’s Day, inviting families to visit the school for a morning of games, activities, and to learn a little bit about how PBIS is taught at Price. The highlight was a beach ball dance party in the gym.