STRUTHERS — A school in the Struthers Local School District has been recognized for a behavioral program.

Struthers Elementary School was awarded the PBIS Bronze for the 2019-20 school year.

The Positive Behavioral Interventions and Support program is an effort to establish a safe, consistent and positive environment through evidence-based practices.

Bronze recognition shows success in universal prevention efforts of PBIS Tier 1 with methods focusing on creating a positive atmosphere in the school building by engaging students.

Struthers Elementary carried Tier 1 by clearly stating behavioral expectations, then communicating them to students both verbally in the classroom by teachers, and visually.

Throughout the school, signs were posted with positive behavioral expectations for the classrooms, cafetorium, hallways, restrooms, buses, assemblies, arrival and dismissal times.

Heading into the current school year, it was easier to implement COVID-19 protocols as the PBIS program already was in place from last year, said assistant Principal Joanie Jones.

“Students knew how to respond to expectations set for them, so additional expectations to stay 6 feet apart and wear masks was an easy adjustment for even our youngest students,” she said.

Now that Tier 1 of the program is situated in the elementary school, work to build the Tier 2 practices of handling interfering behaviors can begin.

Tier 2 includes targeted interventions for groups of students that may need additional guidance to meet the behavioral expectations outlined in Tier 1.

“We’re committed to the success of all students in our school,” Jones said. “PBIS has enabled us to create a strong foundation of positive behaviors in our schools, enabling teachers to teach more effectively.”