This document summarizes how Laveen Elementary School in Arizona integrated the Leader in Me program with their existing Positive Behavior Intervention Supports (PBIS) program. It describes how PBIS alone focused only on behavior management, while Leader in Me addresses student development holistically. With the combined approach, student mentoring increased dramatically through community partnerships. Discipline data shows a reduction in referrals and lost instructional days after implementing Leader in Me alongside PBIS. The school experienced a cultural shift where students now see leadership roles and community service as the focus, rather than punishment for behavior issues.

1. Integrating the Leader in Me with
Positive Behavior Intervention
Supports (PBIS)
Presented by
Wanda Fernandez, School Psychologist
& Andrea Serrano, Instructional Coach
Laveen Elementary School – AZ Symposium
Mesa, Arizona
March 4, 2015

2. About Laveen Elementary School
• Located in South Phoenix
• 930 Students
• 75% Free & Reduced Lunch
• 52% Hispanic, 27% Black, 10% White, 6%
Native American, 3% Two or More, 2%
Asian/Pacific Islander
• 4.7% Mobility Rate (Low SES combined with
Large Foster Care Population)

3. History of PBIS in Schools
• Begun as an initiative to address behavioral
interventions similarly to academic interventions
• Tiered system to address levels of need
• Traditional View: “When children have difficulty
learning, we give them additional help; when
they have difficulty with behavior, we give them a
consequence/punishment, but we don’t teach
them how to act differently.” (Paraphrased from
George Sugai, Ph.D., UCONN and Liaison with
OSEP-pbis.org)

4. The Tiered System of PBIS
PBIS Tiers
Tier 1 - Effective for 70-
75% of Students
Tier 2 - Effective for Tier 1
and Another 20% of
Students
Tier 3 - Intensive
Intervention for 10%
where Tier 1 & 2 Aren't As
Effective

5. History of PBIS at Laveen Elementary
• Psychologist involvement with RTI Coaching
through AZ Dept. of Education from 2006-2010
• Training at RTI presentations by Robert March,
Ph.D. (www.successfulschools.org)
• Intensive 4-day Training for the Laveen
Elementary School District staff by Dr. March in
summer 2011
• Each campus created their PBIS Classroom and
Campus matrix and developed individual systems
to fit their school

6. Laveen Hawks SOAR
S.O.A.R. for the CLASSROOM
S
Safe
 Keep hands, feet, and objects to yourself.
 Use personal and school materials appropriately.
 Stay in designated area.
O
Organized
 Keep area neat and clean.
 Always be prepared with necessary materials.
 Put materials and backpacks where they belong.
A
Accountable
 Be ready to learn and participate in class lessons and
activities.
 Be on time.
 Complete and turn in assignments in on time.
 Take responsibility for your own actions
 Be a good peer model.
R
Respectful
 Listen when someone is talking and raise your hand to
speak.
 Treat others and their property as you would like to be
treated.
 Use kind words and gestures.
 Listen to and follow directions of all adults.
 Volume 0-2.

7. • Insert hall matrix

8. What Worked?
• Teachers trained on the matrix during first two
weeks of school
• Matrix was posted in hallways and classrooms
• HALO (former leadership) students video-
taped a brief explanation with the plan of
showing to new students

9. What Didn’t Work?
• No follow-up on reinstructing on the matrix
for hallways, restrooms
• New students weren’t necessarily taught the
expectations
• Video underutilized

10. Discipline Data with PBIS
Referrals & Lost Days of Instruction (Out of School Suspensions/In School Detention)
2010-2011 2011-2012 2012-2013
Referrals 535 770 378
Lost Days/Instruction 1362 1597 856
Note: 2010-11 is pre-PBIS; 2011-12 1st year with PBIS; Assistant Principal assigned mid-year to another
school/various district admin assisted; 2012-13 2nd year with PBIS

11. Laveen’s Journey with
the Leader in Me
• PBIS didn’t seem like it was enough for our students –
We needed something different to address the many
differing needs of our students
• We needed a paradigm shift!
• Began researching the Leader in Me in the Fall of 2012
• Principal attended Symposium in Winter 2013
• Full staff 7H training in spring/summer 2013
• Lighthouse Team and Trainer of Trainers summer 2013
• Implemented 2013-14 school year

17. PBIS vs. the Leader in Me
• PBIS Alone
• Began Mentoring
program involving staff
only, with specials
teachers and
administration,
psychologist serving as
mentors to students
• Mindset of PBIS and LiM
being two separate and
non-equal programs
• Leader in Me w/PBIS
• Continued mentoring
students, but staff
involvement increased
• Four (4) community
partners began mentoring
students: 2 social/life
skills groups, 2
afterschool groups
(construction and Art
Club)
• Integrated process

18. How Do PBIS and LIM Compare?
• PBIS reaches the first and
third habits (with a little
of Habit 5) – being
proactive, planning ahead
for behavior, and learning
social skills to help with
resolving conflict
• Focuses on behavioral
issues and reducing
referrals/lost days of
instruction
• The Leader in Me
addresses the entire child
• Paradigm Shift in How to
View Students & their
abilities
• Mentors use the LiM
language to help students
make more positive
choices and work on ALL
areas of their lives/goal-
setting, not JUST
behavior-focused

19. Mentoring at Laveen
• Due to the Leader in Me and the focus on parents
and community (& not just students’ behavior),
our community partner involvement has
increased dramatically
• Many of the community partners provide
mentoring opportunities for our students,
including small groups focused on life skills and
various afterschool activities
• Huge impact on number of students benefiting
from this service

20. Who Are Our Mentors?
• Luke Air Force Base personnel from all departments on
the base
– Upcoming field trip organized by Luke AFB personnel for
mentees
• Local doctors, attorneys, community artists and
businessmen, including local retail store managers
• Local entrepreneur, who sponsors the Laveen Shark
Tank (entrepreneurial club for students)
• Staff from Grand Canyon University
• Local television news anchor who works in a variety of
classrooms sharing her experiences with students

21. Mentoring by the Numbers
• Note the dramatic increase in the number of students being served
• 2014-15 data is for first semester (August – December 2014) only
• *145 hours is structured mentoring only and does not include afterschool clubs
Mentoring Participation
2013-2014 2014-2015
Number of Students 59 65
Number of Staff 28 17
Number of Community Partners 4 33
Number of Mentoring Hours
Provided
479 145*

22. Discipline Data with PBIS & LiM
Referrals & Lost Days of Instruction (Out of School Suspensions/In School Detention)
2012-2013 2013-2014*
Referrals 378 389
Lost Days/Instruction 856 767
Note: 2013-14 initiated Leader in Me process

23. So What’s It All Mean?
• PBIS is a great process of utilizing positive
behavioral reinforcement to change behavior
– BUT – PBIS does not address the whole child
• Leader in Me encourages growth, leadership, and
development across all areas of the lives of
students, parents, staff and the community
• Leader in Me encompasses the framework of
PBIS and takes it further to inspire growth and
development
• Leader in Me encourages cultural shift and
changing towards effective paradigms

25. Students as Leaders
• Rather than focus only on behavior, students
have begun seeking leadership roles on campus
• Job Fair in December yielded 60 applicants for
assistant positions throughout campus
• Each classroom has jobs which students rotate
through in order to have an opportunity to model
appropriate skills
• Focus has become more about community
service and projects vs. losing instructional days

26. Creating Greatness

27. Resources
• www.leaderinmeonline.org
• www.successfulschools.org
• www.pbis.org
• www.interventioncentral.org
• Community Coaching materials from
FranklinCovey