This is the first issue of the Muskegon ISD Positive Behavior Supports Monthly Newsletter. There are 22 schools in Muskegon implementing school-wide PBS programs, For more info contact Steve at svitto@muskegonisd.org

1. ISSUE #1
MiBLSi PBS
Newsletter
DECEMBER 2008
Inside This Issue
Welcome!
Welcome to the first online edition of the MAISD Michigan
A review of commonly used
Integrated Behavior and Learning Support Initiative (MiBLSi)
Positive Behavior Support Tools
Positive Behavior Support (PBS) Newsletter. We would like to be-
Effective Behavior Survey 4 gin by congratulating all of you for your efforts in providing a posi-
School Evaluation Tool 4 tive behavior supports initiative in your school this year. We believe
Team Implementation Checklist 4 that your hard work will make a positive difference in the lives of all
of your students.
School Wide Information System 4
PBS at Wesley School 5 Your PBS-ISD coaches, Susan Mack and Steven Vitto, and MiBLSi
Making a Case for Rewards 5 specialist, Deanna Holman, will provide a monthly sample of some
of the exciting PBS activities going on in your schools. In addition,
we will provide summaries of PBS tools, regional trainings, and PBS
Participating Schools success stories. Each month, we will be asking for PBS information
Beach Elementary (Fruitport) from your school. Our hope is that the newsletter will be shared with
Beachnau Elementary (Ravenna) all teachers in PBS participating schools and the result will be an
Bluffton Elementary (Muskegon) increased understanding of the hard work being accomplished by all
Campbell Elementary (Mona Shores) of your PBS/MiBLSi teams. To share questions or ideas, please
Cardinal Elementary (Orchard View) e-mail me at svitto@muskegonisd.org. Thanks!
Churchill Elementary (Mona Shores)
Edgewood Elementary (Fruitport)
Edgewood Elementary (Muskegon Heights)
Steve Vitto, Newsletter Editor
Holton Elementary
Lincoln Park Elementary (Mona Shores)
Loftis Elementary (Muskegon Heights)
Marquette Elementary (Muskegon)
Martin Luther King (Muskegon Heights)
McLaughlin Elementary (Muskegon)
McMillan (Reeths Puffer)
Muskegon Heights Middle School
Nelson Elementary (Muskegon)
Nims Elementary (Muskegon)
Oakview Elementary (Muskegon)
Orchard View Early Elementary
Orchard View Middle School
Reeths-Puffer Elementary
Roosevelt Elementary (Muskegon Heights)
Shettler Elementary (Fruitport)

2. Page 2
Cohort #2 Expectations
Shettler Elementary (Fruitport)
Principal: Norm Heerema
RESPECT, RESPONSIBILITY &
SAFETY
Cardinal Elementary (Orchard View)
Principals: Pam Snow & Brenda Hodge
S.O.A.R.
Riding the W.A.V.E.
Martin Luther King (Muskegon Heights)
Cohort #1 Expectations Principal: Marvin Nash
The FIVE B’s
We are Responsible,
Always Respectful, Very Safe, Loftis Elementary (Muskegon Heights)
Excellent Attitude Principal: Rosie Holmes
Beach Elementary THE THREE B’s
Principal: Julie Van Bergen Roosevelt Elementary (Muskegon Heights)
W.A.V.E. Principal: Jaronique Benjamin
Beachnau Elementary (Ravenna) Be Safe, Be Respectful,
Principal: Sue Sharp Be Responsible
P.E.A.C.E. Reeths-Puffer Elementary
Lincoln Park Elementary (Mona Shores) Principal: Greg Helmer
Principal: Raymond McCloud ROCKET
C.R.E.W.
“A teacher affects eternity;
he can never tell where his
influence stops.quot;
THUMBS UP
Pictures like the one above are displayed
throughout Orchard View Early Elementary.
Orchard View Early Elementary (OVEE)
In November Orchard View Early
Elementary Staff served up 475 snow Principals: Sue Fuller and Brandy Dahl
cones to students who received eight
“The object of teaching children
“Thumbs Up” slips for the month of
October. Orchard View Early Elementary is to enable them to get along
offers different rewards each month. without their teacher.”

3. Page 3
More About Cohort #2 New PBS Schools
Cardinal Elementary’s Churchill Elementary in
Golden Tray Award Mona Shores
Principals: Pam Snow & Brenda Hodge Principal: Mark Platt
Cardinal Elementary has a quot;Golden Trayquot; The theme at Churchill is R.O.C.K.S!
competition each week. Each day the Really Outstanding Churchill Kids! The
Lunch/Play supervisors choose the best Rock Star awards are given to students
behaved class from each lunch period. that Stay positive, Take responsibility,
The winning classes will be the ones that Act respectfully, and are Ready to Learn.
receive the most nominations for their Tickets have been given a new look.
grade level that week. These classes are Banners with expectations have been
announced over the P.A. Friday afternoon. designed and displayed.
They also get the Golden Tray to display
in their room. Monday of the following Edgewood Elementary
week the winning classes have their tables in Fruitport
decorated with table cloths, centerpieces,
quot;Considerate Cardinalquot; placemats, and a Principal: Amy Upham
small treat. The winning classes also get
PBS is off to a very positive start at
to be first in line on that day.
Edgewood Elementary in Fruitport. From
“To catch the reader's atten-
the posters and training of students, to the
McLaughlin Elementary tion, place an interesting sen-
extra recess earned for meeting our
tence or quote from the story
Principal: Alina Fortenberry R.O.C.K.S. expectations, students, staff
here.”
and families have embraced these new
McLaughlin hosts a pizza party for all practices. The response has been great!
Little Red ticket winners. They also
announce all of their names at our
monthly spirit assembly.
Welcome Cohort #5
MiBLSi & PBS Schools
Cohort 4 Schools This school year we have four new school
joining our PBS family.
Enter Year Two
McMillan Elementary
Campbell Elementary (Reeths-Puffer)
Principal: Nate Smith Principal: Ann White
McMillan is using the acronym “STAR”
Nims Elementary
which stands for Stay safe, Take
Principal: LaKisha Williams
responsibility, Always do your best, and
Marquette Elementary Respect everyone. They have their
Principal: Gaye Monroe behavior matrix with expectations
throughout the school, and have posted
Nelson Elementary
signs. They are seeing a difference in
Principal: Pam Johnson
behaviors already.
Oakview Elementary
Principal: Pam Varga Muskegon Heights Middle School
Principal: Bernard Colton
Bluffton Elementary
Principal: Jerry Johnson Orchard View Middle School
Principal: Jim Nelson
McLaughlin Elementary
Principal: Alina Fortenberry Edgewood Elementary
(Muskegon Heights)
Moon Elementary Principal: Ed Causey
Principal: Christina Precious

4. Page 4
Effective Behavior Team Implementation
Support (EBS) Survey PBS Tools Checklist
The EBS Survey is used by school The Team Implementation Checklist
staff for initial and annual assessment For Schools guides the development, implementa-
of effective behavior support systems tion, monitoring and revision process
in their school. The survey examines for building a positive school wide
the status and need for improvement culture. The team managing the
of three behavior support systems: positive behavior support goal
(a) school wide discipline, (b) non- completes the Team Checklist at the
classroom management systems, and beginning of PBS implementation and
(c) systems for individuals students uses it at regular intervals thereafter
engaging in chronic behaviors. (monthly or quarterly) to monitor
Surveys assessing implementation School Evaluation progress. The first section of the
status and needs can be conducted Checklist, Startup Activities, is
online and reports can be viewed as Tool (SET) primarily for initial implementation
soon as a survey is completed. These The School wide Evaluation Tool monitoring, although it can also be
surveys have been developed to meet (SET) is designed to assess and used at any time to re-assess the status
the data requirements of PBS usage in valuate the critical features of of implementation. The second
schools. PBS school teams can use school wide effective behavior section, Ongoing Activities, provides
this survey data to assess whether support across each academic school the team with a tool to evaluate the
school wide behavior support programs year. The SET results are used to: activities required to sustain a PBS
are (a) being implemented with fidelity assess features that are in place, system. Team Checklist information
and (b) providing benefits to students. determine annual goals for school is used to monitor the progress of the
Click this link to access a PBS wide effective behavior support, entire initiative and to help sustain
Implementers' Blueprint and Self- evaluate on-going efforts toward efforts across time (years) as well as
Assessment guide from the Office of school wide behavior support, design through administrative and staff
Special Education Programs (OSEP) and revise procedures as needed, and changes. Data is summarized and
of the U.S. Department of Education. compare efforts toward school wide graphed to show progress in each of
effective behavior support from year nine areas addressed by the Team
to year. Information necessary for Checklist, and these results are used to
The School Wide this assessment tool is gathered create an Action Plan.
Information System through multiple sources including
The School Wide Information review of permanent products,
System (SWIS) is a web-based observations, and staff (minimum of
information system designed to help 10) and student (minimum of 15)
school personnel use office referral interviews or surveys.
data to design school wide and
individual student interventions. The Surveys assessing implementation
three primary elements are: (1) An status and needs can be conducted
efficient system for gathering online and reports can be viewed as
information (2) A web-based computer soon as a survey is completed. These
application for data entry and report surveys have been developed to meet
generation (3) A practical process for the data requirements of PBS usage in
using information for decision making. schools. PBS school teams can use
These elements give school staff the this survey data to assess whether Please send questions,
capability to evaluate individual school wide behavior support pro- comments, PBS photos and
student behavior, the behavior of grams are (a) being implemented with celebrations to
groups of students, in specific settings, fidelity and (b) providing benefits to svitto@muskegonisd.org
behaviors occurring during specific students. Click this link to access a
time periods of the school day. SWIS PBS Implementers' Blueprint and
reports indicate times and/or locations Self-Assessment guide from the
prone to elicit problem behaviors, and Office of Special Education Programs
allow teachers and administrators to (OSEP) of the U.S. Department of
shape school wide environments to Education.
maximize students' academic and

5. Page 5
School Wide Positive
Behavior Supports at
Wesley School Making a Case for Rewards and Positive
Wesley School, a center based setting
Reinforcement By Steven Vitto
for children with developmental One controversial issue that seems to surface from time to time in our work with
disabilities will be one of the first schools implementing school wide PBS, is the issue of intrinsic versus extensive
center based programs on this side of reinforcement. Some staff have stated the belief that the use of rewards and ex-
the state to embark on a school wide trinsic reinforcement breads dependency and should not be necessary in develop-
ing pro-social behaviors in their students. The notion that rewards are bribes and
positive behavior supports initiative.
will turn kids into “praise junkies” is one that has been argued about for the past
Based on a PBS model being used at
century. However, this issue has been well researched, and the fact is that motiva-
Highland Pines School in Caro, tion is generally a combination of both extrinsic and intrinsic variables.
Michigan. MAISD Special Education
Director Kathy Fortino, and Those arguing against the use of reinforcement and rewards often have no problem
Principals, Susan Ochs, and Tom with using punishment (i.e., extrinsic based systems designed to discourage
Miller, have created a PBS team and inappropriate behavior through negative consequences). There is no consistent
are in the process of establishing the body of research to support the use of punishment in teaching students better ways
foundation for a school wide PBS ap- of behaving, especially those with problem behaviors. If we are to walk the talk of
proach. Thus far, school staff are be- Positive Behavior Supports, then we need to show our students that we value
their attempts to treat others with respect and exercise self control.
ing trained in SWIS, are developing a
behavior philosophy and guidelines,
So if someone is actively crusading for using only intrinsic motivation, then that
and are beginning to train all staff in person should be equally opposed to punishment– and extrinsic control strategy.
Therapeutic Crisis Intervention, a The notable difference in using reward and positive reinforcement programs is
evidenced based program designed to that these systems change the balance of how we respond to problem behavior.
prevent aggression and other problem The research is clear; if we only attend to problem behavior, then this is what we
behaviors. will get.
By using a systematic reward system, we discipline ourselves to devalue
negative behaviors and give attention and acknowledgement for desired or
“replacement “behavior. Therefore, before a child is punished or excluded
from an educational environment, we need to consider the message we send
when that is our primary response. An evidence based approach should fo-
cus on prevention and a reinforcement ratio that far outweighs the attention
the child receiving for negative behavior (i.e., 5 positives for every correc-
tion). Using systematic reward programs , helps students build positive con-
nections with staff and school, and to view learning as an improving setting
of conditions. Rewards should be a way of celebrating a child’s efforts and
building on existing positive relationships. So keep noticing “the good” and
that’s what you’ll get!
In the Next Issue: Evidenced Based Classroom Management
Strategies, Strategies for Defiant Students, Improving the Integrity of
SWIS, and One Child’s PBS Success Story