PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports) is a process for creating a safer and more effective school. The process focuses on improving a school's ability to teach and support positive behavior for all students. PBIS includes school-wide procedures and processes intended for ALL students and ALL staff in ALL settings. Teachers use a common matrix to teach expected behaviors for the different settings that comprise our school. Students are recognized for positive behaviors by all adults in the school. Finally, data analysis related to problem behaviors guides actions for improvement.

In our school, we refer to our system as HOOT – How Oakland Operates Together. We replaced PBIS with HOOT to provide a meaningful acronym for children that is also connected to our recently adopted mascot.

When redirecting minor behaviors, teachers state the positive desired action. Instead of saying, "No running in the halls," we say, "Use walking feet". We have a progressive system for responding to inappropriate behavior. Building-wide, students progress through 4 "Vs" when exhibiting inappropriate behavior:

• Verbal redirection.
• Visual cue - Student is given a classroom clue such as a stop sign or owl card.
• Vicinity change - Student goes to a classroom "thinking spot" to complete a Wiser Choice Form.
• Vacate - If the minor behavior persists or the student commits a major offense, the student is sent to the office with a pass.

Teachers use Wiser Choice Forms to communicate minor offenses with parents. Wiser Choice Forms are signed by both the student and the teacher after a minor infraction. Parents are expected to sign and return forms the next school day.

Referral Forms are used to communicate both major and minor offenses with parents. Students must return referral forms with a parent signature to the office the next school day to avoid further consequences.

We actively seek students exhibiting good behaviors too! Bucket tickets are distributed to children when they are caught demonstrating extraordinary acts of kindness, following the rules, or going the extra mile.

Each grade level has its own color of bucket tickets used to recognize these positive behaviors. When students receive a bucket ticket, it is the student's responsibility to put this ticket into their classroom bucket. Classroom buckets are emptied into the school-wide bucket at the end of each week. The primary (K-2) grade and intermediate (3-5) grade with the most tickets is awarded a traveling trophy. Quarterly school-wide celebrations visually show students the bucket tickets earned for the quarter. The goal is to challenge students to beat the previous quarter's total.

Be Respectful Be Responsible Be Safe

The Oakland Oath Oakland Owls are respectful. We are responsible. We are safe. We give a HOOT!