In Dodgeville Progress BlogPost #1, we described the district’s initiatives and how we use data to
make timely decisions about student needs. As part of our Multi-Tiered Systems
of Support, student academic achievement and behavior are monitored to support
student success. We are using a state-supported model called “Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports” (PBIS) in each of our buildings to help students learn about
“pro-social” behaviors and improve their motivation to learn. The model uses a
tiered approach, where all students are taught the basics, some students get
supplemental support, and a few students get intensive assistance. PBIS uses
data from office referrals, teacher and parent information, and student surveys
to help us support students in making positive choices and being fully engaged
in learning. Here is an example from Dodgeville Elementary School.
For the last three years, Dodgeville Elementary School has
implemented the Tier I PBIS model. The recommendation from the state is that effective instruction at this level should result in
at least 80% of students meeting social and behavioral expectations. One data
source we use to gauge our work in this area is a teacher survey that helps
identify student growth and their needs. Using this data-collection process,
our data last year showed that 78% of students were progressing well in terms
of behavior and motivation. We were close, but as always, wanted to do better
at Tier I and expand into Tier II to provide more intensive supports.
Last year, a core team teachers, pupil services, and
administrators attended a series of workshops to learn how to create these targeted
supports for students. Since beginning to use the additional supports, our
2013-14 data indicates that 83.4% of DES students demonstrate pro-social
behaviors and good motivation to learn. In addition, we had a substantial decrease
in the number of students who had significant behavior concerns. Our discipline
referrals are down by almost 50% and out-of-school suspensions have been
reduced by almost 80%!
All of this progress translates to many more hours of
classroom instruction for all of our students, and improved academic performance.
