Sioux City Community Schools -

The Sioux City Community School District is currently implementing the CHAMPS program at all grade levels to meet the key components of high-quality classrooms. CHAMPS is made available through Safe and Civil Schools.

The CHAMPS acronym defines expectations for positive student behavior.

• Conversation: What kind of conversation and what voice level is appropriate for the activity

• Help: How to ask for help during an activity or get the teachers attention appropriately

• Activity: What is the activity? How will students know how they are progressing or finished with the activity?

• Movement: What movement is appropriate with this activity? Can students move freely to use bathroom, get drinks, sharpen pencils?

• Participation: What does active participation look like?

• Success: We did it!

CHAMPS provides teachers with supportive tools to help them plan and prepare their classroom through the acronym STOIC, which stands for the following:

• Structure your classroom for success.

• Teach your expectations- clarify and communicate them to students.

• Observe and monitor student behavior.

• Interact positively by providing praise and non-contingent attention.

• Correct misbehavior fluently.

The CHAMPS program supports our goal of teaching positive student behavior and treating all students with dignity and respect.

It’s important to define, teach, and support appropriate student behavior at all grade levels. Using Positive Behavior Intervention Supports (PBIS), all students in the District are taught positive behavior expectations and are acknowledged for following these expectations. Research shows that the PBIS positive reinforcement model is more effective than waiting to respond to misbehavior. 

PBIS is a multi-tiered systems approach that addresses the social, emotional, and behavioral needs of students. The three-tiered system addresses both prevention and intervention. The strategies used can address the needs of students as a whole, in groups, or individually. Ultimately, PBIS is a method of teaching that acknowledges appropriate student behavior. 

At the elementary level, PBIS is reinforced by the Second Step Program, which also designed to decrease problem behaviors, increase students’ school success, and promote social and emotional competence and self-regulation. Second Step is an effective social-emotional learning tool used to nurture students in their early school years. 

In the middle and high school years, students are introduced to the Mentors in Violence Prevention, or MVP, program. MVP is a peer-based, prevention program that gives upperclassmen the tools to mentor underclassmen on topics such as gender equality and bullying prevention. Interactive scenarios and group discussions create hands-on learning among students and address relevant topics for today’s youth.