Albuquerque Elementary School Emphasizes the Positive

by Amanda Kooser

Alamosa Elementary hosts a celebration each month. Attendees may see Folklorico dancers, hear a jazz band or watch a magician. These aren't just any performances. These events are ways to reinforce the good efforts put in by students that have opened doors for others, paid attention in class, carried cafeteria trays with both hands and behaved in the bathroom. All those small triumphs are recognized by the teachers and staff at Alamosa with a PAWS slip – a paper coupon that acknowledges good behavior. Collect enough PAWS and you can join in at the monthly party.

Look on the Bright Side

This is School-Wide Positive Behavioral Support (SWPBS) in action. It is an approach that accentuates the positive. "SWPBS works by recognizing even the smallest thing that is positive. It starts changing the students' ideas of themselves through what we're doing," says Chery Work, 4th grade teacher at Alamosa. The school is going on its sixth year of using the SWPBS model. "Years ago, when I started here, discipline was horrible. We had fights every day," says Work. She credits SWPBS and the work of the teachers, administrators, staff and parents with helping to change the atmosphere at Alamosa. "I've seen a huge drop in referrals and discipline problems. The kids are a lot more positive and a lot more willing to do good things because they know they are going to be rewarded for it," she says.

Spreading the Word

SWPBS works best when everyone is on board: teachers, administrators, staff, parents and students. The students themselves are key. Each school year starts with the students learning what the expectations are for them. They get hands on training all over the school, from the cafeteria to the classroom. "For some of these kids, it's more of a skill deficit. You can't assume that they've ever been in a cafeteria before or have the same rules in their bathroom at home. We need to teach them," says  Andrea Villano, special education teacher at Alamosa. The kids all get t-shirts that show they successfully completed the training. Parents receive calendars and newsletters that communicate the principles of SWPBS so that the concepts can be carried over at home.

SWPBS has been a positive mind shift for the staff at Alamosa. "It's been really good for our school. Teachers can use it as a tool in their rooms. It's been good for me as a teacher because I can focus on the positive things that kids are doing," says Work. She recognizes that the school has some students that have challenging family situations and may not be having some basic needs met at home. "We are trying to refocus on how we turn what problems they're having into better behaviors and what we can do to meet those kids needs in a supportive and nurturing kind of setting," says Work.

Putting Data to Work

SWPBS can help teachers and staff track down areas of the school that need attention. Teachers keep an eye on where and when behavioral referrals come in. The SWPBS team can then find out why there might be more issues on the playground during recess or in the cafeteria during lunch and take steps to correct them. "We're having better discussions about the data. We're analyzing and using it," says Villano. Ongoing training sessions have helped Work and her fellow team members refine SWPBS at Alamosa. Here's another piece of data that is looking good for the school. Work estimates that referrals for behavioral issues have been about a fourth of what they were before SWPBS. That's worth a celebration.