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Schoolwide Expectations: WINGS

WINGS: Schoolwide Expectations

WINGS (Welcoming, Innovative, Nurturing, Goal-oriented, Service-minded)  is a school-wide program based on the district-wide Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) framework.

PBIS is rooted in the behavioral or behavior analytic perspective in which it is assumed that behavior is learned, is related to immediate and social environmental factors, and can be altered. With clear expectations in place, students will learn appropriate behaviors in the same way they learn any other skill—through instruction, practice, feedback, and encouragement. 

Key features of PBIS include: 

  • Administrative leadership team 
  • A clear set of defined positive expectations  
  • Recognition of meeting expected behaviors 
  • Monitoring and correcting errors in behaviors 
  • Using data-based information for decision-making, monitoring, and evaluating outcomes. 

School-wide PBIS is a researched-based framework that has been proven to improve school climate, reduce problem behaviors, and increase academic instructional time in schools. Previously, school-wide discipline has focused mainly on reacting to specific student misbehavior by implementing punishment-based strategies including reprimands, loss of privileges, office referrals, suspensions, and expulsions. Research has shown that the implementation of punishment, especially when it is used inconsistently and in the absence of other positive strategies, is ineffective. Introducing, modeling, and reinforcing positive social behavior is an important aspect of a student’s educational experience. Teaching behavioral expectations and recognizing students for following them is a much more positive approach than waiting for misbehavior to occur before responding.

Recognizing Desired Behaviors:
It is not adequate to simply teach an expected behavior; recognition and rewards for engaging in positive behavior are also paramount to a successful school climate. Research has shown that recognizing students for engaging in expected behaviors is even more important than catching students breaking the rules. In fact, research on effective teaching has found that teachers should engage in a rate of four positive interactions to every one negative interaction. As a staff member, it is easy to focus on catching students engaging in negative behavior.

The goal of an acknowledgment system is to increase the number of positive interactions that all school staff have with students. Students who are caught displaying elements of WINGS are acknowledged with 5 Star Student Points. All staff members at Anzar have access to obtaining and are encouraged to distribute 5 Star Student Points to students. Any staff member can award points to any student caught displaying elements of WINGS. WINGS points are an immediate reward used by individual teachers, at their discretion, as a tool of encouragement and a student motivator. WINGS Points can also be redeemed, by the student, on Wednesdays at lunch and during Advisory for a reward with our Campus Supervisor.