Kern County Schools Earn Recognition for Excellence in PBIS Implementation

Several schools across Kern County have been recognized for their outstanding work implementing Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS). PBIS, an evidence-based approach designed to create positive school environments and improve student behavior, has gained traction across California. During the 2023-24 school year, over 2,250 schools across the state applied for PBIS recognition, including many from Kern County.

The California PBIS recognition system, which awards schools at bronze, silver, gold, and platinum levels, celebrates schools that have implemented the framework with fidelity. These schools invest time and resources to train their staff, create enriching and safe classroom climates, and improve behavioral support systems.

“It’s a great feeling because we know that these schools are making sure that our students are receiving whatever support they need to be successful,” said Luis Garcia, the coordinator for social-emotional and academic supports at Kern County Superintendent of Schools (KCSOS). “The framework is necessary for your students that come from trauma, but everyone else benefits from it.”

At its core, PBIS teaches students how to behave appropriately. It’s based on the idea that good behavior isn’t something students are born knowing, it needs to be taught, just like academic subjects.

“Just the same way you have to be taught to read and taught to do math, you have to be taught to have appropriate behavior. It doesn’t just magically come out of you,” explained Georgia Rhett, Arvin Union School District superintendent.

Arvin was one of the several school districts recognized in the California PBIS implementation awards for the 2023-2024 school year. Sierra Vista Elementary School was awarded silver status, while Bear Mountain Elementary and El Camino Real Elementary Schools received bronze.

PBIS operates through a three-tiered system that provides students with different levels of behavioral support. Tier 1 aims to teach all students expected behaviors in various school settings, creating a predictable, positive, and safe learning environment. For students who need more support, Tiers 2 and 3 offer additional resources, ranging from small group sessions to personalized interventions such as counseling sessions.

PBIS focuses on teaching appropriate behaviors, positive reinforcement, and social-emotional well-being rather than punitive punishments for poor student behavior. Studies have shown that students in schools using PBIS are less likely to receive an out-of-school suspension. Research has also found that students with disabilities in schools using PBIS are less likely to be sent to alternative schools for challenging behaviors. By recognizing and reinforcing positive behaviors, schools are actively working to prevent issues before they escalate.

This proactive approach is a key element in PBIS instruction at Valle Verde Elementary School (Greenfield Union School District), which received platinum recognition.

“We consistently choose to be restorative vs. punitive.  We live by the saying: If you can predict it, you can prevent it,” said Valle Verde Principal Nicole Zandes.

School staff in Arvin agree, saying the key to reducing punitive punishments is creating a welcoming place for all students, where the expectations for student behavior are explicitly stated and positive behaviors are rewarded. Schools across the district use the PBIS app to award points to students when they do a good deed. Students can save their points and redeem them for prizes at the student store.

Hilda Ocampo, vice principal of El Camino Real Elementary, says the focus on positive reinforcement comes from a shift in mindset with how staff talks to and relates with students. It’s important to connect with students on a personal level and build positive relationships with them so that they feel safe, supported and engaged when they come to school.

“[You’re] giving them the accountability for what they’re doing, but the adult is there to give them the tools and strategies for them to be able to implement it, for them to self-regulate and make those good choices,” she said.  

Another way to provide a welcoming environment and make students feel safe on campus is to introduce Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) and check in with their mental health. Students at Arvin schools who are upset or overwhelmed can use Calming Corners, areas set aside in each classroom for students to relax and regulate their emotions.

“Students are allowed to take a minute and apply some of the strategies, like deep breathing,” Ocampo said. “Once they’re done with that calming moment, then they can go back and reintegrate with the class.”

Students at Arvin schools who are upset or overwhelmed can use Calming Corners, areas set aside in each classroom for students to relax and regulate their emotions.

One of the main tenets of PBIS is consistency. Elementary schools in the Tehachapi Union School District implemented the same PBIS framework using a common language to instruct young students on appropriate behavior and what’s expected of them. Staff say that consistency pays off when the students graduate to middle school and they already know what to expect.

“It’s really helpful at our middle school, because they know that we’ve laid the foundation and they can just take it forward,” explained Clair Rhea, principal at Tompkins Elementary School. “[students are] getting that recognition and being held accountable for the same things they were at elementary.”

Jacobsen Middle School and Tompkins Elementary School both earned silver status in the statewide PBIS awards. Tehachapi schools apply the PBIS framework to their curriculum through social contracts, a school wide currency reward system, and student celebrations. Rhea says consistently celebrating kids creates a feedback loop of positive reinforcement that contributes to a more positive school environment.

“They call me the fun principal because we’re always doing something fun,” she said. “It really gives our students a sense of community because we continue to celebrate them individually, as a grade level, and as a whole staff.”

KCSOS has recently become a PBIS Technical Assistance Center for Region Eight, supporting schools in their PBIS training and implementation. KCSOS also provides ongoing coaching and on-site support to ensure that PBIS is not just another program but a core part of each school’s culture. As a regional hub, KCSOS extends its support to schools in neighboring Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo counties.

“Prior to us, there was no one really supporting region eight,” explained Garcia. “The goal is to make sure that we are providing behavior support in such a way that it provides those equitable outcomes that we want for all of our students.”

Looking ahead, the goal is to deepen the impact of PBIS in Kern County and beyond. Garcia says PBIS is about more than managing behavior — it’s about adding humanity to our schools and creating environments where every student can thrive. And when students thrive, so does their academic performance.

“There’s a direct correlation between behavior and academic achievement, so if we have good behavioral supports within our school systems, that is going to transfer over to academic achievement,” he said.

Congratulations to all schools that were recognized in Kern County:

Platinum

Gold

Silver

Bronze