FSD’s Board of Trustees with Fisler School educators and leaders at the district’s PBIS recognition event.

FSD’s Board of Trustees with Fisler School educators and leaders at the district’s PBIS recognition event. Fisler is one of the 20 FSD schools to earn the State’s highest PBIS award.

Fullerton School District (FSD) has added a page to its history book with each of its 20 schools achieving the prestigious Platinum implementation distinction from the California PBIS Coalition in its 2024 awards program. This marks an extraordinary milestone in the district’s commitment to fostering student success through Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) and makes FSD home to the highest percentage of Platinum-level schools in California.

“Fullerton School District is known for its unprecedented growth and achievement in meeting the needs of our learners,” said Dr. Helene Morris, FSD Director of Administrative Services, at the district’s recent PBIS recognition event, noting this unprecedented achievement as a testament to that.

FSD’s SEL team, from left to right: Dr. Helen Morris, Amy Lees, Michael Klein, Rossana Fonseca, and Amy Sotolongo.

PBIS is a research-based framework rooted in the philosophy that students, as with academic skills, need intentional and thoughtful lessons on behavioral expectations to set them up for success in the classroom and beyond. Using a tiered approach, PBIS enables educators and school leaders to proactively teach and reinforce positive behaviors, creating supportive environments where every student can grow their mind and manners. It also aligns seamlessly with Social Emotional Learning (SEL) initiatives, forming a solid foundation for whole-child growth and well-being.

The PBIS framework also helps promote a positive school climate, strengthen relationships, provide feedback-based teaching and reinforcement of expectations, decrease disruption to learning through decreasing office referrals and suspensions, and much more. It consists of a three-tiered framework that is represented as a pyramid. Tier 1, or the bottom layer, represents core instruction and universal support for all students; Tier 2 is the next level up the pyramid that involves more targeted efforts for small groups; and Tier 3, the highest point of the pyramid, denotes the most intensive level of intervention geared towards individual students who need additional support above what is offered in Tiers 1 and 2.

FSD’s SEL team presented the district’s current PBIS data at a board meeting in August

Over the past eight years, FSD has seen remarkable growth in PBIS implementation and recognition. With two FSD schools earning PBIS distinction to start, over the past three consecutive years, nearly all FSD schools have earned a combination of Gold and Platinum awards. The district now celebrates all 20 of its schools holding concurrent Platinum distinction for 2024.

The State’s PBIS recognition program has Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum categories, with Platinum denoting the highest level of PBIS achievement. To earn platinum recognition in the state’s PBIS program, each FSD school had to submit a comprehensive 10-page application to California’s PBIS Coalition. This rigorous application process requires a school to provide several data points and implementation evidence that include showing how classroom expectations are aligned with schoolwide PBIS efforts, that 80% or more of students on campus have no referrals or only one major referral to the office, data to show positive growth through Tier 2 and 3 interventions, and more.

Going the extra mile, FSD has also expanded PBIS beyond traditional settings, becoming the first and only known district in Orange County to implement PBIS on school buses. This initiative underscores FSD’s commitment to fostering safe, respectful, and positive environments wherever students are.

FSD has trained its bus drivers in PBIS strategies to go the extra mile in supporting student growth

As FSD celebrates this significant achievement, the district remains focused on sustaining its culture of growth, inclusivity, and innovation.

“This initiative is a testament to the dedication and forward-thinking leadership in FSD, and we can’t wait to see the continued impact it will have on our students’ overall experience,” said Amy Sotolongo, PBIS Teacher on Special Assignment.

For more information on California’s PBIS Coalition, visit pbisca.org, and to learn more about PBIS in FSD, visit fullertonsd.org.

The Fullerton School District (FSD) is located in northern Orange County, California, and serves over 11,400 students in transitional kindergarten (TK) through eighth grade. FSD is home to 15 elementary schools, two TK through eighth-grade schools, three junior high schools, and a distance learning and home school program. FSD features unique programs for students, including a Dual Language Academy for Spanish and Korean languages; a Performance Academy Sports Program that offers a traditional in-person learning experience with time for advanced athletic training integrated into the school day; and robust before, after, and summer school programs. The mission of the Fullerton School District is to work collaboratively with the community to provide an innovative, high-quality educational experience for all students in a safe learning environment. FSD’s motto, “Great Schools – Successful Kids,” signifies that all FSD students will be given the tools and instruction to achieve academic excellence, hone interpersonal skills, and develop technological expertise to contribute as productive citizens in a democratic society.