Dec. 23, 2024 -- All CHUH schools use Positive Behavioral Interventions or Supports (PBIS), a state-mandated, evidence-based system designed to enhance student behavior and well-being. And as of the 2023-24 school year, all district buildings had earned the Bronze Recognition Award from the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce. While this is a significant achievement and means that every school has implemented Tier 1 supports for all their students, the staff at Gearity Professional Development School see this as just the beginning.
“We were one of the first schools in the district to reach the Bronze level,” said Gearity Principal Patrick McNichols. “And while that means that our supports are appropriate for 90% of the kids, what about that other ten percent?”
That’s where Tier 2 comes into play, which Gearity is currently implementing. According to the PBIS website, Tier 2 refers to “the practices and systems that enable targeted interventions for students who are not successful with Tier 1 supports alone.”
Gearity’s Tier 1 supports include both schoolwide and individual celebrations of positive behavior, from lunchtime karaoke and rock wall climbing to recognition in special assemblies. Students and parents are frequently updated on behavioral expectations and both McNichols and School Counselor Heather Higham have noticed a significant reduction in repeat behavior problems since implementing PBIS practices.
But there are always some children who don’t respond to the typical system of rewards and need more explicit guidance on how to handle big emotions and tough situations. McNichols and Higham have spent the past year working with Social Worker Wendy Burkey and School Psychologist Michelle Cecconi to develop systems and practices to reach those students.
Whereas Tier 1’s “universal supports” are designed for the entire student body, Tier 2 focuses on about ten percent of students. The PBIS team uses seven indicators each month to determine which kids require extra supports, tracking everything from office referrals for disruptions that can’t be managed in the classroom to nurse visits which could indicate a student is avoiding the learning environment.
The team then chooses from a menu of behavioral interventions, including individual check-ins for students seeking additional adult attention and lunch bunch for those who would benefit from learning social skills in a small group. Student progress is rigorously tracked so that any given support can either fade out or intensify, depending on need.
Intense documentation is required of all building staff: “Teachers monitor and we provide support,” is how Principal McNichols described it. Higham added that teachers need to feel supported, especially with parent communication. Every aspect of the behavioral expectations is shared with families so that the positive culture and climate permeate throughout the school.
And they feel like it’s working. Not only are all referral numbers down, but both Higham and McNichols noticed that at the start of this school year, there was a clear distinction between students who had been at Gearity the previous year and those who were new to the district. The increased enrollment, which was seen in many CHUH schools, meant that some students needed a little extra time and instruction to learn the Gearity way. Higham described hearing some of the school’s long-standing students say, “We don’t do that here,” when a new kid was being disruptive. “That’s just not part of our culture,” she said.
“Kids who’ve been here, know that,” said McNichols.
The PBIS success should positively impact all aspects of the school. “The goal is to maximize instructional time, minimize disruptions, and keep kids in the classroom learning,” said Higham.
Gearity will learn in May if they’ve been awarded the Silver/Tier 2 recognition from the State. Their confidence is buoyed by the fact that they received a perfect score on last year’s Tier 1 evaluation. “Things are working!” said McNichols. “But can we be even better?”