Staff Development

Columbus Elementary follows the "Professional Learning Communities at Work: Best Practices for Enhancing Student Achievement" model. Columbus builds on its strengths and recognizes that it needs to utilize the knowledge, talents, and resources of every member of the school community. Columbus' staff believe there is a crucial link between improved student learning and the professional learning of teachers.

Mr. Fox promotes a building-wide expectation that staff needs to be skillful in guiding continuous instructional improvement. Staff works together to develop curriculum and instruction that are designed to result in powerful learning experiences which are authentic, interactive, learner centered, inclusive and continuous.
 

What is School-wide PBIS?

One of the foremost advances in schoolwide discipline is the emphasis on schoolwide systems of support that include proactive strategies for defining, teaching, and supporting appropriate student behaviors to create positive school environments. Instead of using a piecemeal approach of individual behavioral management plans, a continuum of positive behavior support for all students within a school is implemented in areas including the classroom and non-classroom settings (such as hallways, buses, and restrooms). Positive behavior support is an application of a behaviorally-based systems approach to enhance the capacity of schools, families, and communities to design effective environments that improve the link between research-validated practices and the environments in which teaching and learning occurs. Attention is focused on creating and sustaining Tier 1 supports (universal), Tier 2 supports (targeted group), and Tier 3 supports (individual) systems of support that improve lifestyle results (personal, health, social, family, work, recreation) for all children and youth by making targeted behaviors less effective, efficient, and relevant, and desired behavior more functional.

Mr. Fox, along with all the Columbus staff, has embraced goal setting strategies. The Columbus school community believes, with shared values and commitments, that it can enable achievement and realized goals which will direct success for all.