The Power of One: A Continuing Dialogue between PBIS and Title I

Format

Individual Presentation

First Presenter's Institution

Henry County Schools

Second Presenter's Institution

NA

Third Presenter's Institution

NA

Fourth Presenter's Institution

NA

Fifth Presenter's Institution

NA

Location

Session 9 (Scarbrough 1)

Strand #1

Social & Emotional Skills

Strand #2

Academic Achievement & School Leadership

Relevance

The proposed session addresses the “Heart” of this conference’s theme. Initial support derives from Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports (PBIS), where a central aim of this initiative involves creating a positive school climate through fostering social and emotional skills. This accompanies the integration of communication and/or literacy-based skills, affording students an early opportunity to participate as democratic citizens in educational policy and/or practice.

The proposed session also addresses the “Head” of this conference’s theme. Rationale stems from a school-based, team approach in creating activities that promote literacy (e.g., listening comprehension and written/oral expression) at a Title I elementary school. This fosters an early intervention to prevent dropout at higher levels of education.

Brief Program Description

This session will review the effects of a three-year implementation of Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports (PBIS) at a Title I elementary school. Presented under a social justice lens, participants will learn specific strategies to promote a positive school climate through the following individuals: students, faculty/staff, and community members. Additional discussions will address empowerment techniques that will transform students into global-minded advocates.

Summary

This session will review the effects of a three-year implementation of Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports (PBIS) at a Title I elementary school. Influenced by a social justice lens, the initiative affords empowerment strategies that yield the following: a decrease in office disciplinary referrals, an increase of student engagement, and an increase of building-level capacity.

Initial strategies focused on the formation of a multi-disciplinary team (e.g., administration, general education, special education, and school-based mental health), all of whom receiving state-level training from the Georgia Department of Education. This coincided with the development of a school-wide matrix, where faculty and staff came to a consensus of non-classroom examples that aligned with these universal expectations: Be Respectful, Be Responsible, and Be Safe. Accompanying input from the student population (grades K-5) resulted in the formation of classroom norms for the entire school building.

Additional practices involved systems-level training that afforded student participants (N =25) introductory skills in leadership development. This was secondary to a school-wide implementation of a social-emotional learning curriculum, where students learned skills that promoted problem-solving methods as well as traits aligned with academic engagement. The integration of these lessons culminated in a service-learning project, where the entire student population participated in a letter-writing campaign to support similar-aged students affected by Hurricane Harvey.

Final methods centered on the development of school-community partnerships. This included year-long partnerships with social services and/or behavioral agencies, with the latter providing faculty and staff periodic trainings that promoted a positive integration between efficacy and mental health. Additional contacts came courtesy of state-level actors in education and politics.

Evidence

Results indicated a three-year consecutive decline in office disciplinary referrals between the 2014-2015 and 2017-2018 terms. Fidelity reports obtained from the SAS, TFI, and BOQ also produced favorable results; this culminated in a 2017 distinction as an Operational PBIS school.

Qualitative findings obtained from teachers identified a general understanding of mental health and its effect on school-based behaviors. This correlated with a positive reception of social-emotional learning, as teachers recognized students’ capacity in learning concepts as well as addressing conflicts in classroom-based discussions. Final contributions obtained from the student population emphasized emerging capabilities in expressing empathy and respect for similar-aged peers.

These collective findings corresponded with prior research that positioned PBIS as a promising approach in addressing school-to-prison pipeline (STPP) policies. Furthermore, PBIS served in promoting opportunities conducive to a positive quality of life (QOL).

Biographical Sketch

Brian Mincey is a school psychologist for Henry County Schools. For 11 years, Mr. Mincey served as a consultative resource in leading and/or facilitating procedures aligned with the Multi-Tiered Systems of Supports (MTSS) model. This included the implementation of Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports (PBIS), where Mr. Mincey’s role as a school-based coach garnered an “Operational PBIS Status” award from the Georgia Department of Education as well as a resolution bill from the Georgia State Senate.

Mr. Mincey’s prior engagements in public speaking focused on best practices in school-based mental health services, as supported by these organizations: Florida Association of School Psychologists (FASP), Student Support Team Association for Georgia Educators (SSTAGE), and Georgia Association for Positive Behavior Support (GAPBS). Additional responsibilities came from a past stint with the Georgia Association of School Psychologists (GASP), where Mr. Mincey served as a region representative for the South Metropolitan Atlanta area.

Final contributions involved a past stint at the Florida Center for Reading Research. Mr. Mincey’s contributions to a qualitative study resulted in a published article in Remedial and Special Education, for which he received credit as a co-author.

Keyword Descriptors

PBIS, Social-Emotional Learning, Title I, Literacy

Presentation Year

2019

Start Date

3-6-2019 11:15 AM

End Date

3-6-2019 12:30 PM

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Mar 6th, 11:15 AM Mar 6th, 12:30 PM

The Power of One: A Continuing Dialogue between PBIS and Title I

Session 9 (Scarbrough 1)

This session will review the effects of a three-year implementation of Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports (PBIS) at a Title I elementary school. Presented under a social justice lens, participants will learn specific strategies to promote a positive school climate through the following individuals: students, faculty/staff, and community members. Additional discussions will address empowerment techniques that will transform students into global-minded advocates.