Last year the Superintendent of the Dollarway School District, Barbara Warren, implemented Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS). The PBIS Behavioral Specialist is Mr. Andrew Roshell, III. PBIS is essentially a behavior management system used to understand what maintains an individual’s challenging behavior and provides tools to correct it, according to Mr. Roshell. During the 2018-2019 school year, students as well as teachers received incentives for their positive support concerning PBIS. Students were awarded tickets to UAPB athletic events and positive reinforcement from the staff in the district. Teachers also received rewards for supporting and teaching the matrix with fidelity in their respective buildings, and as a result they were also awarded.
There are four main goals that the district intends to accomplish in the upcoming school year. First, Dollarway School District plans to improve the culture and climate throughout the district. Second, attendance will be addressed in decreasing absences of students and staff. Third, staff will model and promote the desired behavior expected for excellence from students. Fourth, the district plans to work with community stockholders in increasing engagement at all levels celebrating achievements and accomplishments.
As a result of their support of PBIS, a number of students and staff (28 in total) earned tickets to the Arkansas Travelers baseball game on August 23rd at Dickey-Stephens Park in North Little Rock. They were rewarded tickets because of their hard work, great behavior and commitment in supporting PBIS. High school teachers used the tickets to take their families to the event. Those teachers were: Phyllis Childs, Elouise Shorter and Velma Barnes. Students awarded were: (4th graders) Iyahweh Azeez Tyler Johnson, Raphael Delacruz, Jewel Ann Smith, Angela Williams, and Jamrion Nowden. (5th graders) Marquette Brooks, London Callum and JaKobe Johnson. (6th graders) Reginald Howard and Adrianna McAfee. (7th grader) Jhykerion Battles. (8th graders) Saniah Goodloe, Ronnie Baker and Xavier Arnold.