One of eight pilot schools district wide, Sandburg is proud to be a part of this exciting initiative.  We are already seeing a difference at our school!

PBS (Positive Behavior Support) is a program supported by the Colorado Department of Education and Littleton Public Schools to promote and maximize academic achievement and behavioral competence. It is a school-wide strategy for helping all students achieve important social and learning goals. We know that when good behavior and good teaching come together, our students will excel in their learning. 

Desired Outcomes of PBS at Sandburg

• Everyone knows expectations -- We are Safe, Respectful, Responsible and Productive
• Fewer office referrals
• More time spent learning and teaching
• Positive, safe environment
• Increase in student achievement

We Started with a Team . . .  Our school team is made up of teachers from the classroom/specials/support, as well as a paraprofessional and a parent liaison to attend PBS training by the Colorado Department of Education (CDE). Together this team chose the mountain lion paw logo to symbolize our expectations --“We are Safe, Respectful, Responsible, and Productive” at Sandburg.

Starting on the First Day of School . . . Students toured with their teachers to five areas of safety--playground, bus area, car area, crosswalk and cafeteria and shared their ideas for a safe, respectful, responsible, and productive school. Their work was posted throughout the building on large white chart paper.

Continuing Through the First Week . . .   Teacher facilitated additional tours/conversations with their students to define expected behavior in their own classroom, the bathroom and the hallway. Check out classroom expectations on Teacher Pages.  Mrs. Linger (office), Mr. Newell (science center), and Mrs. Tejan (library) also met with each class to establish positive behaviors in these settings. Expected behaviors are now posted in each setting.  Scroll down to see examples of expected behaviors in other settings

We're Well on Our Way to Success!  PBS is not a one time event. CDE estimates, based on implementation at other schools, that it will take 3 – 5 years to fully implement. Success depends on explicit teaching, consistent modeling, and a heap of positive feedback—5 positives to 1 negative is recommended. Thanks to the high level of commitment at Sandburg, we are well on our way.

Parents Support PBS. . .  Parents report that their children can recite the PBS expectations with ease and want their friends and classmates to follow the rules.  Parents are encouraged to support this model by incorporating the language (safe, respectful, responsible, and productive) and increasing the use of positive feedback at home. At Back-to-School-Night, parents were given a matrix of their child’s classroom expectations and a suggested matrix for completing homework. They were also given Top Ten Positive Behavior Tips to working with their child at home.

You can learn more about PBS at http://www.cde.state.co.us/pbs/.

Expected Behaviors in Other Settings