Image Credit: WMCC’s Hector Martinez

Rewards are a big part of our lives. We go to work to get paid, we eat better to be healthy, and we keep up with hygiene to stay clean. In the same way, students are expected to go to school and learn in order to be successful. For some students, however, the natural reward of learning is not enough to keep them responsible, respectful, and safe in the classroom. That’s where the PBIS point system comes in.

PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Support) points is an online platform used by schools as a reward system. When students behave well  in the classroom, they earn points that they can use towards prizes. But are PBIS points as beneficial in reality as they are in theory?

I interviewed a small anonymous group of students and teachers to understand what McCaskey thinks about PBIS points. 

The teachers that I interviewed observed that the freshmen of our school seem really excited about our reward system. They believe that the points can be motivational, and on top of that they can get McCaskey pride merchandise. 

Upperclassmen, however, seem to have different views. One student said, “Honestly, I forgot about them.”

One argument for this phenomenon is that teachers don’t promote PBIS enough, or only do so for younger students. “We could do a better job on how to run the points and what to use it for,” one teacher admitted. It’s important to note, however, that teachers have a lot going on in a classroom: they have to educate students, hand out assignments, and so much more behind the scenes. 

“I wish things didn’t cost as much as they did,” another teacher mentioned. Students agreed with teachers that the prices were high, but would they actually be motivated to earn points if prices were lower? 

Others don’t even know how to check the amount of points they have. Not all students have lunch period, either, so it can be difficult for those to even purchase items in the PBIS store, located at the cafeteria. 

All in all, teachers and students seem to be pretty split on how they feel about the PBIS reward system: some find it motivating and others don’t. What do you think? Are PBIS points practical or pointless?