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Pleasant View Middle School in Ohio sees a 23% decrease in behavioral incidents and an increased sense of belonging after implementing a Digital School Economy with ClassBank (formerly ClassEquity).
“ClassBank is putting data to the positive behaviors, and we’re able to track how positive reinforcement is actually benefiting our kids.” - Christian Meister, Assistant Principal
Pleasant View Middle School (PVMS) is a Title I school in South-Western City Schools, located outside of Columbus, Ohio, serving 760 students in grades 7-8. Aiming to build a positive school culture and climate, PVMS implemented ClassBank (formerly ClassEquity) to help reinforce positive behavior and drive consistency in expectations across classrooms. ClassBank equipped PVMS with a structured, data-driven approach that unified the entire staff, catalyzing a 23 percent reduction in classroom disruptions, improved sense of belonging, and stronger school culture & climate.
“I no longer have to worry about discipline or student responsibility because kids are motivated and build community in a way that I haven’t experienced in 21 years of teaching!” Amber Noonan, Teacher and PBIS Team Member
PVMS faced a common yet daunting challenge: inconsistent behavioral expectations across classrooms led to a fragmented school culture. Students received mixed messages about acceptable behavior, which adversely impacted the learning environment. Recognizing the need for a unified approach, PVMS sought an easy-to-implement solution that would align staff and effectively hold students accountable. The goal was to build a cohesive school environment reflective of the school’s values, which would foster positive social, emotional, and behavioral skills.
From the recommendations of a few teachers, PVMS adopted ClassBank (formerly ClassEquity) to drive consistency and build student engagement school-wide. ClassBank offers a seamless way for educators to uniformly encourage positive behaviors, reinforcing school-wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) frameworks, while offering the flexibility to adapt to individual classroom needs.
With ClassBank, students learn “adult-like” responsibilities like managing virtual bank accounts and making decisions on how to spend their school’s currency, “Panther Bucks.” This approach not only makes learning engaging, but also teaches valuable financial literacy and life skills, all within the existing class schedule. Assistant Principal Christian Meister and the PBIS team leverage the platform for comprehensive behavioral data tracking and accountability, ensuring alignment among teachers and recognition of every student's achievements.
“ClassBank helped us shift from a myopic focus on the things kids were doing wrong to what kids are doing right. It really dovetails nicely with this concept of Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports.”
– Brett Harmon, Principal
The implementation of ClassBank (formerly ClassEquity) at PVMS led to a dramatic shift in the school's culture, moving from a focus on disciplinary measures to a celebration of positive student behaviors. Teachers, feeling more connected and supported by the uniform approach, have observed notable changes in the classroom dynamics. Amber Noonan, a teacher at PVMS, shared, "The culture change is that teachers feel like they are on the same page, which has made a huge difference in how students interact with one another." Principal Harmon added that through this improvement of Tier 1 implementation, even the harder-to-reach students have become more engaged and motivated.
Teachers quickly noticed students' enthusiasm for a system that empowered them with decision-making capabilities, actively involving them in shaping their learning environment. Students are not only accountable for their actions but are also active participants in a community that values and recognizes their contributions.
These observations are reflected in the data; Behavioral incidents have decreased by 23% within just two quarters. Assistant Principal Christian Meister highlighted the role of data in these outcomes: “ClassBank is putting data to the positive behaviors, and we’re able to track how positive reinforcement is actually benefiting our kids.” Teachers noted these benefits include a decrease in classroom disruptions, improvements in academic performance and financial literacy skills, and a strengthened sense of belonging among students.
With the support of ClassBank, PVMS has not only managed to significantly reduce behavioral issues but has also strengthened its school culture, creating an environment where every student and teacher feels valued and integral to the community.
“Everybody has a purpose. Nobody gets overlooked.”
– Amber Noonan, Teacher and PBIS Team Member
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