Thank you & Stay tuned for more!

Thank you to the District School Behavior Management Committee for the hard work and the outstanding presentation on Monday, June 11, 2012. Special thanks to the parents who served on the committee and have been lobbying for change over the past 4 years - Michelle Jobe, Anna Riggan, & Connie Toth. Thank you to Renee Monson for her efforts! Many parents have stepped out with heart and courage to make a difference for our children. Thank you! Changes are coming to Wenatchee School District. It will take time, training, and awareness. Stay tuned this summer to learn more about how you can help facilitate change at your child's school.

You're invited to the special presentation!

Dear Reader,

Thank you for supporting the Wenatchee School District's exploration into Positive Behavior Interventions & Support (PBIS), a research & evidence based school-wide behavior management model.

On March 13, 2012, Superintendent Brian Flones made a special presentation to the Wenatchee School Board.  Below is an excerpt from his action plan:

"In order to address both the concerns from our stakeholders and the need to continually improve and align our student behavior support model with current research and best practices I am recommending the following action:

1. Form a committee of administrators, staff, and parents to review current research and best practices (i.e. PBIS framework) that will be used to improve our current Make Your Day model and for any new model.

2. Allow schools to modify or adjust components of Make Your Day to meet the criteria of the framework and guidelines.

3. Allow schools to use a different student behavior support model that is endorsed by the United States Department of Education as a research based best practice.

The timeframe for the committee work will be over the next three months with a recommendation made to the school board by [June 11, 2012].  Schools will be allowed to continue with Make Your Day or pursue a new model beginning in the 2012-13 school year."

Over the past months, the District School Behavior Management Committee has met to accomplish the following purpose and charge:

·         Review the best practice research on positive behavioral supports and develop a framework that includes the essential components and universals that are needed in a school behavior management model.

·         Incorporate a self-assessment survey tool that schools can use in assessing and planning best practices alignment.

·         Prioritize the best practices and essential components so that schools have a starting point for improving upon their school behavior management model.

·         Provide a phased implementation plan for schools to use in their planning process.

Furthermore, Valley Academy of Learning and Lewis & Clark Elementary School will be starting PBIS this fall.  Lewis & Clark Elementary will not continue Make Your Day.

I would like to invite you to the Wenatchee School Board meeting on Monday, June 11, 2012 at 7 p.m. at the School District Office.  Please attend and show your support for the work of our committee, our District Superintendent, our Board members, and the students in the Wenatchee School District.  

Thank you again for your support.

Sincerely,

Jennifer Talbot

Leader of Time for Change group

Member of District School Behavior Management Committee

Parent of children in the Wenatchee School District

District Committee, Wenatchee Learns, & more...

District School Behavior Management Committee meets today to finish recommendation for School Board on June 11, 2012. Thanks for all your support in this process. It is not over yet. There is lots of work left to be done.  Mark your calendar for next Monday at 7 p.m. - School District Office. 

In the meantime, please check out the latest Wenatchee Learns survey regarding what changes you are ready to support. More positive learning environments is on the list. You can fill out form online or at any purple mailbox at schools or around Wenatchee.

http://www.wenatcheelearns.com/

PTA & PBIS

National PTA 2012 Public Policy Agenda 112^th Congress, Second Session

Excerpt from General Education - Federal Policy Recommendations

• Require “school-parent compacts” to support school and family partnerships in the development of recommendations for

student attendance, expectations and supports for student behaviors. Compacts must include rational disciplinary policies that

include the implementation of school-wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) or similar evidence-based

programs, and phase-out zero-tolerance policies and out-of-school suspension that contribute to the achievement gap.

• Increase investment for technical assistance, training, and implementation of the PBIS model of addressing behavioral

problems in schools, making it an allowable use of funds under ESEA-NCLB.

• Assist states in the development and implementation of integrated data systems in schools and districts,

allowing for:

1. Improved accuracy and consistency of local data on attendance maintained by individual schools and district-wide;

2. Improved monitoring and reporting on chronic absenteeism by grade school and by school; and

3. Use of data to inform implementation of school-wide strategies and to trigger supports and strength-based interventions

for students and their families.

Many states in the United States have policy or initiatives regarding PBIS (Positive Behavior Interventions & Support).  This offers support for schools or districts within the state i.e. grant funds for implementation, training, and additional networking.

National PTA is lobbying for more support at the National level.  Wouldn't it be fantastic to have more support at the Washington State level?  If you are able, please email a quick note to Washington State PTA in support of PBIS.  I have already submitted a proposal through the following process.    

HELP SHAPE WSPTA’S 2013-14 LEGISLATIVE PLATFORM

Even though the 2012 Legislature is barely finished, it’s time to start thinking about Washington State PTA’s legislative platform for the 2013 and 2014 legislative sessions.  WSPTA’s advocacy efforts are guided by our Legislative Principles, Resolutions and by the platform adopted by your delegates to the WSPTA Legislative Assembly held each year.  All previous short term issues adopted in October of 2010 and 2011 have expired, and an entirely new list of top issues will be adopted at this year’s Legislative Assembly, which will be October 19-20, 2012 at the SeaTac Marriott.  This is a member driven process—any member can submit a proposed issue for consideration.   More information about the issues process –including the form used to propose an issue for consideration—is available in the Advocacy section of the Washington State PTA website.  The deadline for submission is June 1, 2012, so now is the time to let your voice be heard.

Wenatchee school to implement PBIS - Fall 2012

Exciting NEWS - Lewis & Clark Elementary will be implementing PBIS and dropping Make Your Day starting this fall.  How did this come about?  Lewis & Clark choose the option and sent a team of teachers to the PBIS training in April.  The majority of the staff voted to continue their training and implement PBIS.  Way to go, Lewis & Clark Trailblazers! 

Note: Valley Academy of Learning will be implementing PBIS in the fall as well.  Valley is a public school that offers an alternative learning experience for parents wishing to homeschool.  

PBIS & Wenatchee Learns

What is Wenatchee Learns?  What does it have to do with PBIS?

Wenatchee Learns is a revolution in how Wenatchee plans for and supports education.  The mission is to establish a permanent, community-driven approach to learning success.  If Wenatchee is to thrive in a changing world, we must rewire local learning for a global future.

The planning process is led by the Wenatchee School District, guided by community advisors, and driven by input from community members.  The Identity section was developed through feedback from the community on what does a successful education system include.  The Direction and Path sections were developed through Wenatchee Learns committees.

PBIS is an acronym for Positive Behavior Interventions & Support.  PBIS is the research and evidence based framework for school-wide positive behavior support.  It is supported by the U.S. Department of Education through funding, policy, and law.  The U.S. Department of Education exclusively recommends PBIS in the 2011-2014 Strategic Plan.  The National PTA discusses PBIS in the 2012 Public Policy Agenda - Federal Policy Recommendations.  Most states throughout the United States have initiatives and/or policy regarding PBIS or acknowledge PBIS as the research based best practice for school-wide behavior management.

On March 13, 2012, Wenatchee School District Superintendent Brian Flones recommended to the Board that a committee be formed to review and present a recommendation on the research based best practices for school-wide behavior support (i.e. PBIS) to the Board.

Currently, the District School-wide Behavior Management committee is working on this recommendation.  The correlation between the PBIS framework and Wenatchee Learns is compelling.  Below is the link to the Wenatchee Learns page on Positive Behavior Support.  The yellow highlighted areas on the flow chart are just some of the correlations.  The committee noted many more areas that should be highlighted as well.  It is very exciting that the work our committee is doing supports a large portion of the Wenatchee Learns process.

http://wenatcheelearns.com/behaviorsupport/

I would recommend checking out the Wenatchee Learns web site for more information and how you can provide your input. 

http://www.wenatcheelearns.com/

Sources of information:
Wenatchee Learns Facebook Page
U.S. Department of Education www.ed.gov
National PTA http://www.pta.org/
National PBIS www.PBIS.org

Write a letter of support today!

It is not too late to write a letter of support to Wenatchee School District Superintendent Brian Flones for the formation of a committee to look at the research based best practices for school-wide behavior management - PBIS.  Below is an excerpt from the School Board minutes.

Wenatchee School District Board Meeting Minutes - April 10, 2012

Board Communication

"Several letters of support to the Superintendent and board to

re-visit the Classroom Behavior Models and for putting a

committee together."

So, go to Action Plan #4 and Examples for Action Plan#4 and write your letter today!

http://makeyourday-timeforchange.blogspot.com/2012/04/action-plan-4.html

http://makeyourday-timeforchange.blogspot.com/2012/04/examples-for-action-plan-4.html

For those of you just learning about the changes happening in Wenatchee School District, I would suggest going to the NEWS - Wenatchee Schools tab to get caught up.

For those still unclear on "what is the research?" and "how will it make a difference in our schools?"  I would suggest going to http://www.pbis.org/.  I do hope to offer more on this subject once my committee obligations are done for the season.  Thanks for being patient!