We had the pleasure of hosting our 3rd Annual Behavioral Intervention Support Team (BIST) Leadership Conference in Kansas City, Mo., on January 25 and 26. Administrators and educators from Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska and Illinois gathered for training from our BIST staff and from schools who have been using the program.
We developed BIST in 1990 as a way for educators and administers to interact with students who exhibit negative behavioral issues in a positive, constructive way. The model consists of four steps: early intervention, caring confrontation, implementing a protective plan and outlasting the students’ acting out. BIST gives educators tools to confront disruptive behavior with grace and accountability, and to provide their students with a safe and productive learning environment.
In an effort to give practical expectations to educators new to BIST, Kerry Brungardt, principal at Lansing Middle School in Lansing, Kan., walked attendees through what it looked like to embrace the model as an organization year-by-year. There were initial challenges for Brungardt and his team, and some staff were quicker to embrace BIST than others. Though it took some time in the first year to build trust, by Christmas most of the teachers were on board and were already seeing a positive impact in their classroom.
The results of sticking with BIST speak for themselves.
Since implementing it in 2013, Lansing Middle School has experienced a 34% drop in detentions and a 31% drop in in-school and out-of-school suspensions. Teachers report feeling more empowered to help their students, and Brungardt has enjoyed a healthier and trusting relationship with his staff.
Save the date for the 2019 BIST Leadership Conference, which is scheduled for January 25—26.
Learn More About BIST