State praises Bibb schools for student discipline program

Four of Bibb County’s schools are being recognized for their implementation of a discipline program that’s now districtwide.

Howard Middle School, Rutland High School, Elam Alexander Academy Burke Campus and Elam Alexander Northeast Campus have been named Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports Operational Schools by the state Department of Education for the 2016-17 year, according to Curlandra Smith, the district’s PBIS coordinator.

PBIS focuses on changing the culture and climate of a school and rewarding students for good behavior. Bibb County trained the first schools in the program in 2014-15 and has now implemented it in all its schools except Northwoods Academy.

Operational School is the highest of three recommendations that the state’s PBIS team can award to schools. The starting level is Installing School and the second is Emerging School, which was given to Appling Middle, Alexander II Magnet School, Williams Elementary, Porter Elementary, Ingram-Pye Elementary and Union Elementary.

As Operational Schools, these four Bibb schools can receive credit on the College and Career Readiness Performance Index for personalized climate and school climate ratings, and they can serve as PBIS demonstration sites and be asked to present during conferences.

This story was originally published September 21, 2017 at 11:58 AM with the headline "State praises Bibb schools for student discipline program."