Wisconsin School for the Deaf - The Wisconsin Times Vol. 134 No. 2 Winter 2012-2013 | Page 13
Changes in the Dorm’s Points System
Shari Decker alongside Jude Haugen, Dean Kemp, and Jeff Rawlings had a discussion on how to gain
the student’s attraction to privileges and at the same time help the students improve their choice making.
They had recently adopted the Positive Behavior Intervention Support theory that the School had begun
previously. It was discovered that the students were saving their coupons that they had earned in the dorm
to use in the school’s store. After asking the students why they were not using their coupons in the dorm it
was found that Peter Schultz’s store had more items that were of the student’s interest as compared to the
Dorm’s store. After collaborating between the CCC3s and Shari Decker they had decided to set up a points
system that was to align with the concept of PBIS. After looking at the setup of the points system that they
had before the PBIS concept was implemented it seemed to be more punitive than rewarding and they
wanted to turn it around by offering a diverse way of earning a privilege that the student may want to have.
The new points system has four different levels. Everybody starts on level three. Level four is reserved
for seniors only where they will earn special privileges such as being excused from attending breakfast
and supper in the dining room, going downtown daily and not have to return to campus until ten at night,
extended bedtimes, having a personal television in their bedroom to name a few. Each student starts every
week with a hundred points. Their goal is to maintain that through the week. If a student loses more than
fteen points they are automatically demoted to level two. That student will have two weeks to earn a
promotion back to level three by having at least 85% average. If they do not have enough they are given
another chance of an additional two weeks’ time to improve themselves. If a studen Ё