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CONTACT:
John Lahley
Sutherlin School District Superintendent
Phone: 541-459-2228
Entire Sutherlin School District focuses on positive behavior
With careful consideration and input from administrators and instructional staff, the Sutherlin School District built a district-wide disciplinary intervention model that was positive and preventative instead of reactive and punitive. The key was the commitment of staff on the front line
-- those who met daily with the kids.
Sutherlin has about 1,500 students in four school buildings: a K-3 primary; 4-6 intermediate; 7-8 middle; and a high school. Elementary schools had already successfully used teaching strategies much like the Positive Behavior Support design (conflict management) and a PAWS behavior-support program that led to the district finding a way to extend a similar program throughout upper grades.
A Positive Behavior Support team composed of administrators and teachers planned an all-employee district in-service at the beginning of 2005, which was critical for the program’s success. The team recognized that students interact over the course of their day with bus drivers, food-service personnel, teachers and instructional assistants, custodial and maintenance staff, clerical staff, coaches and other personnel, which meant a comprehensive approach was needed.
Periodic reviews and meetings helped everyone with program implementation. The in-service and most meetings were led by PBS consultant Cory Dunn, whom the district paid a total of about $2,000.
Each school developed its own PBS team, which then designed a system for frequently recognizing and rewarding good behavior, grades, attitudes and overall daily decorum among students. The secondary schools were faced with finding ways to motivate older students (7-12). All schools chose periodic group-recognition ceremonies at which staff presented rewards to students for chits they accumulated from school personnel. Each school had between $500 and $1,000 for tangible awards from a combination of a grant, general fund and specials programs budgets, and ASB and booster funds as well as donations from local businesses and staff members.
Sutherlin High School recognized the challenges in motivating older students with trivial tangible rewards. This prompted an “ultimate grand prize” to be awarded at the end of the year. Some staff members came up with the idea of a car, and teacher Sean Tripp secured the donation of a used 2000 Plymouth Neon from local car dealer Lithia Motors.
The end-of-year giveaway was extremely popular with students and the news media, but the district as a whole found that starting every day with positive skills and attention benefited the entire school community.
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