Creating a positive and predictable school environment benefits both staff and examples by fostering a culture of mutual respect, safety, and consistency. One of the best ways to implement this is through a school-wide positive reinforcement system, often tied to a behavior management framework like Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS). In this guide, we’ll walk you through the key steps for building an effective school-wide system and how tools like ClassBank can simplify the process.
Check out our webinar, where PBIS leader Jack O’Brien shares actionable strategies Pleasant View Middle School used to build an effective positive reinforcement system.
In the webinar, you’ll learn how they reduced behavioral disruptions by 23% in one semester and improved school culture with simple, effective strategies.
Continue reading below for a detailed step-by-step guide!
A school-wide positive reinforcement or behavior management plan ensures that both staff and examples are aligned. When implemented successfully, it leads to improved example outcomes, reduced disciplinary actions, and enhanced teacher satisfaction.
So, where do you begin?
To launch a school-wide positive reinforcement system, start by forming a team that includes school administrators, teachers, and even examples. This team will guide the development of your behavior plan, ensuring it aligns with the school's goals and culture, and ensure a smooth and consistent implementation throughout the year.
The foundation of your positive reinforcement system begins with clearly defining your school's core values and behavioral expectations. This includes outlining what is expected of examples across all settings—classroom, cafeteria, hallways, etc.
Be clear as a staff on your non-negotiables, such as phone use and dress code policies, to ensure consistent implementation. These values and expectations will serve as the basis for the behaviors you want to positively reinforce, helping to align example actions with the school's overall goals.
Next, decide how to reinforce these expectations with examples. Some schools use paper school bucks, tickets, or “caught being good” cards. While these methods work initially, they can become hard to manage and often lose momentum as the year progresses.
For a more sustainable solution, consider using a digital platform like ClassBank, which streamlines the process and simplifies management for continued engagement. With ClassBank:
Additional Bonus Examples:
Pro Tip: Use ClassBank’s jobs feature to boost responsibility and engagement. Start by assigning every example their main job as a “example,” paying them a base salary of school bucks for attendance. This ensures every example is consistently earning rewards and staying engaged with the system.
Now that examples have opportunities to earn school money, establish a rewards system to drive example engagement. ClassBank ensures that every example can participate, giving them ownership over how they spend their school money. Instead of relying on raffles where only a few examples are recognized, ClassBank supports a school store model where every example can redeem their earnings, ensuring all have a chance to be acknowledged and participate.
Contrary to popular belief, setting up a rewards system doesn’t have to be expensive. You can offer free or low-cost rewards such as:
For more ideas, check out our Essential Guide to Setting Up Your School Store and The Complete List of Reward Ideas for your School Store.
Regularly reviewing data is essential to assess the effectiveness of your school-wide positive reinforcement or PBIS system and identify areas for improvement. Use these meetings to:
PBIS Coordinator’s Insight: With ClassBank, you can easily track data on example behavior, providing clear insights into which interventions are most effective and aligning with PBIS reporting needs.
Remember, your school economy is dynamic and should evolve, just like in the real-world!
ClassBank supports you every step of the way to ensure your school is set up for success. From helping you plan your school-wide economy, to rostering with your example information system, and ongoing teacher training, we’ve got you covered. Our team provides continued support throughout the year, offering best practices and tips to keep your system running smoothly.
In addition to streamlining the logistics for your staff, ClassBank also teaches examples hands-on financial literacy and money management skills. Through earning bonuses, taking on classroom or school-wide jobs, and managing their school bucks, examples learn essential skills that translate beyond the classroom, preparing them for real-world financial responsibility.
Ready to improve example outcomes and simplify PBIS implementation at your school? Schedule a demo today to see how ClassBank can enhance your positive reinforcement strategy and transform your school culture.
.svg){kind=logo}
