Laura Ingalls Wilder Elementary School in Indianola has been presented with an award from the Heartland Area Education Agency praising the school for their work with Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS). PBIS emphasizes a school-wide system of support that includes proactive strategies for creating a positive, supportive school culture. Superintendent Art Sathoff tells KNIA News the system has been extremely effective.

“It’s been very successful, I reported to the school board that PBIS had helped us decrease discipline referrals by 71% at Laura Ingalls Wilder Elementary. Really it’s just a school-wide system of expectations. What do students need to do to stay safe and respectful and responsible. It’s a lot of positive reinforcement of catching kids doing the right thing, and the celebration of those things.”

Sathoff also said that the district is going to attempt to take the positive reinforcement style even further to all schools.