Daily Archives: February 26, 2018

Stoughton elementary schools use many tools to teach positive behavior

Stand Up for Public Ed,

Stoughton PBIS photo

ConnectStoughton.com: Monday afternoon, Sandhill Elementary School principal Jeff Fimreite was covered nearly head to toe in dripping pink slime his students had dumped all over him.

And he couldn’t have been more pleased.

These weren’t naughty kids gone wild – in fact, they were some of the most well-behaved students in the school. Fimreite was just “taking one for the team” by getting slimed as a reward for kids’ positive behavior so far this year.

And while not all elementary schools have principal-sliming assemblies, they’re finding creative ways to promote the district’s PBIS (Positive Behavior Intervention and Support) initiative, from handing out colored cards to getting tickets for rewards.

To help teach all students good behavior, Stoughton Area School District staff began using the PBIS framework in 2012 to reinforce positive behavior, rather than focusing on negative ones. While it’s been in place for six years, PBIS continues to evolve.

The students love it, administrators say, and best of all, principals at all three elementaries say, it’s showing positive results in their behavior.

Kegonsa Elementary School principal Erin Conrad said in one year, the schools has cut our “major” behavior referrals by over half, and in some months they are down by 70 percent.

“Our referrals continue to go down,” she said.

Continue reading about the Stoughton Area School District’s PBIS program.

Waunakee students prepare for workforce

Stand Up for Public Ed,

Waunakee CTE photo

Waunakee Tribune: If you graduated from high school 20 years ago, it’s likely you were being prepared for college and anticipating choosing a career from there.

But today, emphasis on career preparation begins as early as middle school.

“The shift is, now in high school, even middle school, is when we start thinking about what we’re good at and interested in, and what we might do to make a living, and start looking at adding courses that support that,” said Michelle McGlynn, Waunakee High School’s Career and Technical Education Advisor.

February is Career and Technical Education month, and it’s a time McGlynn feels especially proud. Unlike many school districts, Waunakee is able to offer high school courses in all six areas of career and technical education. They include agriculture education, business and information technology, family and consumer science, health science, marketing education and technical education and engineering.

Several courses are offered under each umbrella of CTE, allowing students to begin thinking along those career pathways, McGlynn said.

Student organizations under each of those umbrellas allow them to use their classroom knowledge in competitive situations both at state and national levels.

Students following an agriculture or animal science career path can participate in FFA; business and information technology students can be active in FBLA.

“We’re pretty unique and lucky that at Waunakee, we offer all six programs under career and technical education and also offer career and technical education student organizations,” McGlynn said.

Continue reading the article on the Waunakee School District.