The PBIS Effect at Ballard Middle School
This school year, Ballard Middle School has made it our mission to place a renewed focus on positive student behavior with a new and improved Positive Behavioral Interventions Support (PBIS) system.
The new system was created with a vision that all middle school students and staff will contribute to a positive culture designed for social-emotional wellbeing and academic success for all. We are happy to report that we are seeing huge improvements in behavior and a 33 percent decrease in office referrals since the start of the school year!
Bomber 3
The BMS team developed a new set of building expectations for the 2022-23 school year: the Bomber 3. Our three major expectations for students are to be responsible, be respectful, and have self-control.
Acknowledgements, Celebrations, and Awards
Individual and group rewards for reaching certain behavioral milestones are a major component of our PBIS system. We have several grade-level goals for students to obtain throughout the year, which are displayed in the lunchroom and on our TVs.
For demonstrating positive behavior in any of the Bomber 3, students are individually acknowledged with a credit or ticket that they can use to purchase rewards in our SurPlus store. The number of credits/tickets a student receives is tracked. Individual students are recognized at a PBIS assembly each trimester and in the Ballard Dimensions, and they also receive an automatic entry into being chosen for the Bomber 3 Award for reaching certain credit milestones. The milestones include:
- Wingman = 250 credits
- Pilot = 500 credits
- Mastor Pilot = 1,000 credits
- Senior Pilot = 1,200 credits
- Command Pilot = 1,500 credits
At the trimester assemblies, we recognize students who have met each goal, present the Bomber 3 Award to one student, and recognize 10 students who are Making a Difference (M.A.D.) demonstrating good character. Our student council M.A.D. team runs the assembly. Students that have met the milestones also receive a group reward at the end of each trimester, with options that include a movie and snack for the afternoon, a dodgeball or kickball tournament, a field day, and more.
The Effect
We collect student data for each grade level monthly, tracking the number of credits students have earned and the number of office discipline referrals (ODRs).
In sixth grade, there were only three ODRs in October, compared to 11 in September. In seventh grade, we had 12 ODRs in September and just seven in October. Eighth graders went from 38 ODRs in September to only 14 in October.
As a building, our students earned a total of 14,955 credits in September and 11,639 credits in October. There were 63 total ODRs in September and just 21 in October.
Keeping Momentum
The BMS administration and staff are focused on maintaining the positive culture we have built thus far. Our staff PBIS team meets and communicates regularly regarding our PBIS system, and our teachers re-teach the PBIS system to students as needed and after breaks from school. We continue to emphasize the active supervision of students and uphold classroom behavior policies.
Overall, we are pleased with the positive changes we are seeing at our middle school. We would like to thank our BMS families for encouraging their children to do their best academically and behaviorally. We also would like to thank the businesses in the area for their support with contributions to our program. The following businesses have been amazing with their support: Double Dip, Fareway, BFabs, Center Grove, Bud’s Auto, Hokel Machine Supply, Huxley Communications, Primmer family, Coldwell Banker, Perfect Game, and Compass Nutrition. We look forward to continued success in our PBIS system and communicating the positive news to our families and community!