At Davies Career and Technical High School, we are committed to fostering a positive school climate through our core values: Respect, Responsibility, and Readiness to Succeed. Since 2011, our PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports) Team has been guiding students and faculty toward embracing these principles by setting clear expectations and recognizing students who consistently demonstrate these behaviors.

Our Approach: The 3 R’s

• Respect: Treating others with kindness and consideration.
• Responsibility: Taking ownership of actions and decisions.
• Ready to Succeed: Being prepared and motivated to achieve personal and academic goals.

The PBIS program aims to cultivate a supportive environment by positively reinforcing these behaviors, ensuring students understand what it means to be respectful, responsible, and ready to succeed.

The Impact of a Positive School Climate

Research has shown that a positive school climate leads to various student success outcomes, including:

• Increased academic motivation and engagement (Eccles et al., 1993)
• Improvements in academic achievement across all grades (Brand et al., 2003; Stewart, 2008)
• Reduced disciplinary issues (Cohen & Geier, 2010)
• Fewer school suspensions (Lee et al., 2011)
• Lower incidents of bullying (Meyer-Adams & Connor, 2008; Bradshaw et al., 2009)

Positive Changes at Davies

Since implementing PBIS, Davies has seen notable improvements in both student behavior and school culture. Data collected through the 2015 school year highlights:

• Advances in Mathematics, Reading, Writing, and Science as measured by NECAP
• A 15% reduction in reported bullying incidents
• A 64% decrease in harassment cases
• A 54% decline in behavior issues related to profanity and inappropriate language
• Nearly 50% fewer instances of students skipping class
• Increased school spirit and a stronger sense of community
• Higher graduation rates and lower dropout rates (data through 2014)

Monthly PBIS Themes

To enhance our school climate, PBIS at Davies also incorporates monthly themes celebrating diversity, inclusion, and cultural heritage:

• September: Hispanic Heritage Month
• October: Diversity & Inclusion Awareness / Support for SkillsUSA & Breast Cancer Awareness
• November: Native American Heritage Month
• December: Celebrations of Light
• January: National Mentoring Month
• February: Black History Month
• March: Women’s History Month
• April: National Poetry Month
• May: Thank a Teacher / Asian Pacific Islander Month
• June: Pride Month / Cultural Heritage Month

By aligning these themes with our PBIS goals, we aim to inspire our students to embrace diversity, celebrate heritage, and contribute to a positive, inclusive school community.