Awsaj Academy team represents Middle East in US conference

Representatives of Awsaj Academy, which serves students with learning challenges, recently gave a presentation at the NorthWest Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports conference in the US. The conference held in Eugene, Oregon, is renowned for offering expertise in behavioural support to schools at all levels. Awsaj Academy, a member of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development, made a presentation at the conference for the first time. The presentation, titled “Implementing Positive Behavior Intervention Supports (PBIS) in a Middle East, Special Needs Context”, focused on how to establish a school-wide behaviour support system at Awsaj Secondary School. A team of school leaders and teachers, including secondary principal Dr Don Francis, assistant principal Ali al-Shaabi, PBIS facilitator/mathematics teacher Noah Spaulding, and teacher leader/science teacher Lamya Beydoun provided a unique experience to the audience. Al-Shaabi, in his traditional Qatari thobe, treated the attendees to this country’s hospitality, greeting them at the door with dates and Arabic coffee in decorative Qatari cups. Attendees were able to keep the cups as souvenirs along with decorative camels that were presented to the conference organisers and keynote speakers. The conference participants not only learned about how to establish positive behaviour support in their schools, but also about Qatari culture, Qatar Foundation and the leadership of HH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of the foundation. Data was shared regarding improvements within Awsaj Academy since its implementation of PBIS systems almost two years ago.   Three PBIS board members who attended the session were impressed with the progress made by Awsaj Academy. They were keen to see Awsaj participate in next year’s conference as well. Teachers and school administrators also found the session to be highly valuable.   The Awsaj team prepared a number of slides in advance and then adapted their presentation on the spot to meet the audience’s needs. Kevin Workman, a HS social studies teacher who attended the event, said: “We have all been to conferences where some of the sessions are bad and some are good. Your session was the best I have ever attended. I loved the way you guys went over the targets you would cover and then asked the audience if there was any other reason they came to this session and what else they might like to learn about. What was even more incredible was that you actually hit on everything that the audience requested.” Another attendee said, “This was by far the best conference I attended this week. Thank you so much for coming all the way to present.” All four Awsaj staff members had a line of conference participants waiting to talk to them after the session, thanking the team for making the presentation and sharing information. During the conference, the Awsaj team not only presented, but also was able to receive training that would allow them to lead a PBIS cohort in Qatar. Dr Flint Simonsen, a PBIS trainer and national board member, thanked Dr Francis and spoke on how valuable the team would be in helping promote PBIS systems in the region. PBIS is a systems approach to supporting appropriate student behaviour in the school setting. In the US, school-wide PBIS measures have seen a drastic decrease in office discipline referrals and an increase in graduation rates. Awsaj Academy has also seen these benefits since adopting the system almost two years ago. The system focuses on teaching all students explicitly the expected school-wide behaviour based on a set of positive rules. Awsaj has adopted four simple rules - Be Respectful, Be Responsible, Be Safe and Be Your Best. School staff members use a common language to teach these rules in the various common areas of the school using scripted lesson plans. For instance, in the cafeteria, students who talk in a polite voice, who clean up their table and clear their tray are given tickets that allow them certain privileges within the school. The goal of a PBIS school is to have five positive interactions with each student to every one redirection or disciplinary-type interaction.   Awsaj Academy will start a cohort to train schools in Qatar that are interested in establishing this positive behaviour system. The module will require a school leadership team to receive two days of training during the first week of September, with three follow-up days of training and support through the school year.