With nearly 20 schools and 10,000 scholars across the country, Phalen Leadership Academies is honing in on strengthening climate and culture in each place and space with the implementation of Kickboard across the network.

Kickboard is a part of PLA’s PBIS, or Positive Behavioral Intervention Supports. It helps teachers and school leaders focus less on punishing bad behavior and more on teaching, recognizing, and reinforcing positive behaviors.  This proactive strategy creates behavioral systems and structures needed for all PLA scholars to grow academically and socially. 

“The culture of our schools have a profound impact on student learning and academic achievement,” said Andrea Robinson, PLA’s Chief Academic Officer. “In order to truly grasp and improve the state of culture in each of our buildings, we utilize kickboard.There is a direct correlation between the number of infractions, total learning minutes misses, and how our schools perform academically. We leverage kickboard data in all of our decision making and efforts to impact climate and culture for our school partners.”

Kickboard allows PLA schools to reinforce positive behavior choices in real time.  Principal at our partner schools say, the impact of positive reinforcements makes a difference for scholars and teachers alike.  

“Kickboard is imbedded in our daily expectations for a strong start,”  said Ms. Hayes, principal in PLA Texas. “Here, our ratio of positive interactions matter.  Kickboard is the catalyst transforming our climate and culture to mirror A-Rated campuses across the nation.”

Merrillville principal Coni Taslim Ed.D says, “Utilizing Kickboard as part of our Behavior Management System has enabled HIAT staff and scholars to become accountable for creating and sustaining a positive, nurturing school climate based upon mutually respectful relationships by acknowledging each party's efforts. We are proud and excited by the impact Kickboard has on our daily progress." 

Kickboard allows PLA schools to identify student trends, assess the climate in their buildings, report behavior data for interventions by staff and parents and set consistent behavior expectations. The goal is to provide a safe and supportive school climate by creating consistency across all PLA  schools and meeting the unique needs of students at varying levels of behavioral and social/emotional development. 

Here’s a look at Kickboard in Action Across the Network (below).