Editor
Mulberry Elementary School was honored on Dec. 1 for their successful implementation of a new Ohio Department of Education program.
Mulberry, along with 21 other Ohio schools, were honored during the Ohio Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports Showcase.
PBIS is a policy intended to promote evidence-based behavioral interventions, which the ODE believes will enhance the academic and social behavioral outcomes for students, according to the policy.
The policy was implemented on Jan. 15, 2013 and applies to all school districts in Ohio.
Mulberry won the 2015 Bronze Award by the Ohio PBIS Network and the State Support Team for implementation of school-wide PBIS, the only award a building in its first year of the program could receive, said Principal Brian Zawodny.
Mulberry did well with their first year of PBIS because the staff took their time, rather than rushing to implement it. They spent last year planning and looking at what systematic changes needed to be made, Zawodny said.
It meant a lot to the group of teachers that worked on the project. The teachers worked hard to create the system, even over the summer. This is a way to honor those teachers for all they’ve done, Zawodny said.
“It really shows all the hard work that the committee put into this,” Zawodny said.
Amanda Zimmerman and Blaire Schlosser, Stephanie Jones, Terrie Grothaus, Beth Wanamaker, Julia Williamson, who is now at Meadowview Elementary, and Denise Kushner, who is now at Pattison Elementary, worked on the program last year.
The policy stresses treating students with dignity and as a unique individual with their own needs, strengths and circumstances. It also frowns upon physical restraint.
“The OSEP Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports defines PBIS as: a decision making framework that guides selection, integration, and implementation of the best evidence-based academic and behavioral practices for improving important academic and behavior outcomes for all students,” the ODE website states.
The program was implemented for the start of school this year. Every month, the staff talks about how the students are impacted and how teachers are impacted, in addition to looking at data, Zawodny said.
“We’ve seen a big impact on the sense of student pride in the building,” Zawodny said.
He added that they’ve also seen a lot of positive interactions between students, between staff and between students and staff.
This system comes with a set of expectations for everyone at Mulberry: students and staff should be responsible in the way they come to school, interact and behave, be respectful in interactions with others and be ready to learn everyday, Zawodny said.
Mulberry feels more welcoming now, and Zawodny has noticed students being more friendly and respectful to each other. He has also seen closer relationships between students, he said.
“It feels more like a family, like a small community here,” Zawodny said.
He added, “It spills over into everything we do.”
The staff communicates the PBIS ideals to students during pep rallies. They bring students in, go over expectations and get them excited to be part of this program and part of Mulberry, Zawodny said.
They also created a rewards system. Students get “eagle earnings” when they exhibit expected behaviors. Students can use their eagle earnings in a school store, stocked with donations from the Parent Teacher Organization, businesses and parents, Zawodny said.
Next year, Zawodny hopes to win a silver or gold award at the Ohio PBIS showcase.