PBIS in SFSD

April 2023

How is fidelity monitored? Is this at the district level or the individual school level?

Each building (K-12) is completing the Tiered Fidelity Inventory (TFI) this spring to assess their current level of implementation and to identify areas of strength and growth. Ali and Cindy are working with teams to administer this self-assessment, and building PBIS teams will identify next steps to ensure PBIS is implemented with high fidelity.

Part of the TFI is assessing to what degree students and staff know the schoolwide expectations/values and how often the acknowledgment system is utilized. Ali and Cindy will be conducting walkthroughs within the buildings who have rolled out their school wide expectations/values and will share results with teams.

What will be the same in every building? What might look different?

All buildings will develop the core elements of tier one PBIS. These include: schoolwide expectations/values, a clear outline of what those expectations/values look like in each setting of the building, an acknowledgment system, defined behaviors, a flowchart for behaviors that are classroom-managed or office-managed, and a physical or electronic handbook for sharing this information with staff. Each element may look different from building to building. PBIS is a framework, and each building's PBIS team determines how the tools are best utilized for their students.

When is the true "start date" for needing to use PBIS?

All schools will be implementing tier one of PBIS next school year. Some schools have already started to roll out some of the elements listed above.

Can PBIS also be student-led?

Yes! The more students are involved, the more they will buy-in. At secondary levels, it is expected that student voice is included within the development of PBIS. Students can participate by providing feedback to the PBIS team, attending the PBIS team meetings, leading students with the PBIS initiative, etc. At the elementary level, students can also provide insight. One of the elementary schools conducted focus groups with each grade level to identify what the students would be motivated by for the acknowledgement system!

Building relationships with students is a highly effective tier one strategy. It is possible that those students who engage in externalizing or internalizing problem behavior require additional effort to build relationships with, but they are also likely the students who need intentional relationships the most.

Consider when you are given a directive from someone you respect and who has taken the time to get to know you versus a stranger you have little relationship with. Who are you more likely to comply with? The same applies to our students. The time and effort teachers spend to ask students how their morning was, what they did over the weekend, what their favorite hobby is, etc. gets noticed.

It isn't too late to build that relationship.

If you have a student who has been struggling to be successful in your classroom, set aside a few moments each day to build that relationship. Chances are the results will outweigh the initial effort.

Thank you for your continued feedback and responses to our monthly questions!

Congratulations to Gretchen Johnson (Garfield), Alyssa Anderson (Edison), and Kelsey Heinert (Jefferson) for being selected as the winners from last month! We appreciate the feedback provided in the google form.

Keep an eye out for a gift coming through school mail.

Submit your answers in the form below. Your name will be entered into our monthly drawing.

Contact your MTSS/PBIS Implementation Leads at the below:

Ali Saban- alexandra.saban@k12.sd.us

Cindy Breen- cynthia.breen@k12.sd.us