The board also heard a presentation on the Positive Behaviors and Intervention Supports program at the elementary and secondary level at Lisbon.
Tier 1 interventions are something all students at Lisbon receive, whether that’s more individualized help in math, reading or science.
Tier 2 interventions are intended for students who are struggling in a class or need to address a behavioral problem.
Lisbon focuses on encouraging and rewarding positive behaviors in school by giving away tickets.
Amelia Kibbie, instructional support coach and talented and gifted teacher said that the goal with all interventions taught at the school are to make expectations clear for students, wherever they are in the district, help students with responsibility and skills, make environment more positive.
The four goals of PBIS are respect, caring, responsible and safe.
The PBIS teams work together to address whenever a student is sent to them for help, and that includes teachers explaining what has been done as an intervention prior to the student coming to the team.
“The goal is so we’re not going to come up with solutions that have already been attempted,” Kibbie said.
Most students at Lisbon are successful in stepping down from a Tier 2 support back to a Tier 1 support, which elementary principal Justin Brown said isn’t the case at other schools.
Superintendent Autumn Pino agreed, noting at Lisbon, PBIS feels more like coaching for kids, where at other places it feels like teachers and administrators are teaching or reteaching these skills.
This year, PBIS at the elementary level moved to semesterly awards, as opposed to quarterly awards and assemblies.
Kibbie and Brown both said parental involvement is one thing that still needs to be seen at all grade levels. While the elementary has a lot of referrals for behavioral issues, at the secondary level there are fewer of those types of referrals. Secondary principal Jack Leighty said a lot of that is because of the positive reinforcements instilled earlier carrying over into middle and high school.