Cultivating Behavioral Success: Sowing Change, Harvesting Growth

Presenters

• Michelle D. Bicey Lawrence, Suffolk Public SchoolsFollow
• Johnetta S. Vaughan, Suffolk Public SchoolsFollow

First Presenter's Highest Degree Earned

EdD

Year First Presenter's Degree Was Awarded

2011

First Presenter's Field of Study

Education

Institution Where First Presenter Received Highest Degree

Argosy University

First Presenter's Institution

Suffolk Public Schools - Nansemond River High School

First Presenter's Brief Bio and Description of Credentials for This Presentation

With over 15 years of experience spanning both higher education and K–12 settings, Dr. Michelle D. Bicey Lawrence brings a wealth of knowledge and passion for teaching, leadership, and student success. A lifelong lover of learning, Dr. Bicey Lawrence has dedicated her career to fostering growth in diverse educational environments. Holding a doctorate in Educational Leadership, she specializes in building systems that support equity, innovation, and sustainable improvement.

Second Presenter's Institution

Suffolk Public School - The College and Career Academy at Pruden

Second Presenter’s Email Address

johnettavaughan@spsk12.net

Second Presenter's Highest Degree Earned

M.Ed

Second Presenter's Field of Study

Education

Second Presenter's Brief Bio and Description of Credentials for This Presentation

With nearly 30 years of experience in K–12 education, Johnetta S. Vaughan has dedicated her career to empowering students and supporting educators. She began as a math teacher, where she cultivated a love of learning and problem-solving in the classroom. Her journey continued as an instructional coach, guiding teachers in effective practices and fostering professional growth. She later served as an assistant principal, building strong school cultures and advancing student achievement. Today, she leads as a principal, bringing together her deep instructional expertise and leadership skills to create thriving, student-centered environments. Mrs. Vaughan is currently finishing her doctorate at Regent University.

Location

Westbrook

Document Type

Individual Presentation

Primary Strand

Positive Behavior Interventions and Support

Alignment with School Improvement Plan Topics

Climate and Culture

Brief Program Description

This session highlights a four-year journey of implementing and sustaining a Multi-Tiered PBIS framework in a Career and Technical High School. Participants will explore data-driven growth in staff and student engagement, significant behavioral improvements, and practical strategies for integrating PBIS with CTE safety, professionalism, and industry standards

Summary

This session will detail the successful four-year journey of implementing and sustaining a Multi-Tiered Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) framework in a urban/suburban Career and Technical High School (CTHS). Initially adopted to address high rates of classroom disruption and out-of-school suspension, our program has matured to a high-fidelity, data-driven system. We will demonstrate the exponential growth in staff and student participation in Tier 1 and Tier 2 supports, and present longitudinal data showing a radical improvement in student behaviors, including a significant decrease in office referrals and an increase in prosocial behaviors. Attendees will learn specific strategies for integrating PBIS with CTE-specific safety, professionalism, and industry standards.

Learning Objective 1

Identify key strategies for integrating the PBIS framework (e.g., expectations, matrix, rewards) directly into Career and Technical Education (CTE) classrooms and worksite environments.

Learning Objective 2

Develop methods for increasing staff and student buy-in and sustaining exponential participation growth in Tier 1 and Tier 2 PBIS systems after the initial implementation phase.

Learning Objective 3

Adapt our model for aligning school-wide behavior expectations with CTE industry standards for professionalism, safety, and teamwork.

Start Date

6-1-2026 2:15 PM

End Date

6-1-2026 3:15 PM

Recommended Citation

Bicey Lawrence, Michelle D. and Vaughan, Johnetta S., "Cultivating Behavioral Success: Sowing Change, Harvesting Growth" (2026). Southeast Conference on School Climate. 24.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/secsc/2026/2026/24

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.