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School Level and Behavior System

PACE West operates a schoolwide behavior management system consisting of PBIS, the point system, and the level system. All students in the school participate in this system.

Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports

The PACE West staff are implementing a behavior management system called Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS).

PBIS is a proactive approach to establishing the behavioral supports and social culture and needed for all students in a school to achieve social, emotional, and academic success. Attention is focused on creating and sustaining schoolwide, classroom, and individual systems of support that improve lifestyle results (personal, health, social, family, work, recreation) for all youth by decreasing and eliminating targeted behaviors of concern and replacing them with a more desired, socially-appropriate behavior.

In conjunction with the program, the PACE West PBIS committee has developed a schoolwide behavioral incentive program known as SWAG, short for Safety First, Work Completion, Acting Kind, Goal-Driven.

Students observed displaying these behaviors will be presented with SWAG Bucks, which can be used toward individual, classroom, or schoolwide rewards. Displayed prominently in the front lobby will be the SWAG Squad, a weekly recognition of the student in each class which accumulates the most SWAG Bucks. Students will also be given the opportunity to present staff with SWAG Bucks. A staff member will be awarded monthly for providing the most SWAG bucks and receiving the most accolades for modeling SWAG behaviors.

Point System

The PACE West point system is built on the premise of providing significant, immediate feedback to students regarding their behavior. Each student has a Daily Interaction Sheet (point sheet) for each day. Point sheets are modified for each school level (elementary, middle, high).

The teacher or teaching assistant is responsible for filling out the sheet each day with the student's name, date, level, day, and starting points. Students may earn a total of 100 points for the day.

Points are awarded at the end of each period. Points may be awarded in increments of five. Up to two points can be earned for completing the assigned task for the period. Up to one point can be earned for each of the following behaviors: speaking appropriately, following directions, having positive adult interactions, respecting property, ignoring inappropriate behaviors, remaining in assigned area, having positive peer interactions, and for their individual goal. The individual goal should be one of their social/emotional goals from the IEP.

Fines

Fines may be taken for infractions, including:

  • Inciting - 10 points
  • Out of location - 15 points
  • Hands-on intervention - 25 points
  • Intentional or repeated bodily emissions - 10 points
  • Sexual comments - 15 points
  • Racial slurs/comments - 20 points
  • Spitting - 20 points
  • Inappropriate language/cursing - Up to 10 points (generally one point per incident as well as losing speaking appropriately point)
  • Horseplay - 15 points
  • Assaultive Behaviors - 25 points
  • Hands on another student - 15 points

The fines are subtracted from the points earned during the day to give a daily point total.

Bonus points may be added for students during the day. These points may be used to purchase items in the school store but are not included in determining the daily point total.

Bus points are based on student behavior on the way home from school and the return to school the next morning. The task points are awarded if the student returns their point sheet with signature of parent or guardian.

The points from the point sheet are used to determine if students have had a successful or unsuccessful day. This is important for determining student eligibility for participating in any special activity for the day and for progress on the level system.

Level System

Level System

All students enter PACE West on Orientation Level. This means that students must earn 65 out of 100 points to have a successful day. Students must have five successful days and fill out a level application with their counselor and have it approved by the Principal to move up to Level 1. Students may not use their points while they are on Orientation Level.

Level 1

  • Students on Level 1 must earn 70 out of 100 points to have a successful day.
  • Students must have 15 successful days at Level 1 to apply for Level 2.
  • They may begin to fill out the application and talk with their counselor about advancing to Level 2 after earning ten (10) days at Level 1.

Level 2

  • Students on Level 2 must earn 80 out of 100 points to have a successful day.
  • Students must have 15 successful days at Level 2 to apply for Level 3.
  • They may begin to fill out the application and talk with their counselor about advancing to Level 3 after earning 15 days at Level 2.

Level 3

  • Students on Level 3 must earn 90 out of 100 points to have a successful day. 
  • Students must have 15 successful days at Level 2 to apply for Level 3.
  • They may begin to fill out the application and talk with their counselor about advancing to Level 3 after earning 15 days at Level 2.
  • Students who have the goal of returning to their base school may request a conference at this time to develop a contract for consideration of a transitional program to their base school. Level 3 students may be unescorted in the school building at the discretion of the staff.
  • Periodically, special field trips are held for students on Level 3 or Honors Level.

If a student has started the transition process back to their base school, but behaviors dictated that they return to PACE West full-time, they must reach honors level to consider returning to their base-school the 2nd time in the same school year.

Honors Level

  • Students on Honors Level must earn 95 out of 100 points to have a successful day.
  • Students on Honors Level receive a 50% discount on points used in the school store.
  • Students must have 15 successful days at Level 3 to apply for Honors Level.
  • They may begin to fill out the application and talk with their counselor about advancing to Honors Level after earning 15 days at Level 3.
  • Honors Level students may be unescorted in the school building at the discretion of the staff.
  • Periodically, special field trips are held for students on Level 3 or Honors Level.

Community Service

Community Service

All students are required to complete community service projects as a part of the level application process.

Level 1

Applicants for Level 1 must complete a 15-minute project before their application for Level 1 can be finalized.

Level 2

Applicants for Level 2 must complete a 15-minute project before their application for Level 2 can be finalized.

Level 3

Applicants for Level 3 must complete a 30-minute project before their application for Level 3 can be finalized.

Honors Level

Applicants for Honors Level must complete a 60-minute project in the community before their application for Honors Level can be finalized.

Level Probation

Level Probation

Students may be placed on Level Probation if:

  • They have had several days in a row of unsuccessful days
  • A pattern of unsuccessful days is evident
  • They have a major incident
  • Student requires Handle with Care (Primary Restraint Technique) to be safe
  • They display chronic incidents of not displaying level-appropriate behavior

Students on Level Probation retain all the privileges of their current level during the probationary period. Students receive five days of probation. During this time, they must earn three successful days to maintain their current level. If during the five-day period they have three unsuccessful days, they are automatically dropped one level. In rare instances, the Principal may drop the student's level automatically for very serious behavioral incidents.