Character education programs support student success across HUSD

Higley Unified School District campuses use character education programs to help students develop skills and habits that support academic success and personal growth, according to the district.

While each school uses a framework tailored to its campus culture, common themes include respect, responsibility, perseverance and safety, according to a release.

Schools reinforce these expectations through behavior matrices that outline how students are expected to conduct themselves in classrooms, cafeterias, libraries, playgrounds and other areas of campus.

At Coronado Elementary School, the framework is known as P.A.W.S., which stands for Positive Perseverance, Acting Respectful, Working to Potential and Staying Safe.

The program was introduced in 2019 after school leaders identified a need for a shared understanding of the values and behaviors associated with being a Coronado Coyote. Staff gathered input from teachers, students, families and community members while developing the expectations.

"We want to set students up for success, so they're not having to guess at what success looks like," Principal Brian Griggs said.

School leaders sought to create expectations that extended beyond student behavior on campus by emphasizing skills students could apply throughout their education and in their communities.

"When we talk about what it means to be successful, it's not only in school, which is a huge part of our job, but also we are preparing students for all those opportunities that we talk about in Higley, those limitless opportunities," Griggs said.

Today, P.A.W.S. serves as a common framework for students, staff and families. Students who demonstrate the school's expectations may receive Coyote Cash, a recognition incentive that can be redeemed for prizes and other rewards.

Griggs said the program helps students connect school expectations with their daily choices and actions.

"Students were able to talk about it. 'I was identified as demonstrating working to potential, and what that meant was I was working hard in class,'" Griggs said. "They see that direct connection between what we talk about and the actual choices that they make."

According to Griggs, the language and principles associated with P.A.W.S. have also become part of conversations at home.

"It really has become a conversation of just how we do things at Coronado," Griggs said. "Even families have conversations at home with, 'Hey, are you demonstrating perseverance in this?' and 'I know you have the ability to work to potential. Let's talk about what that potential is.'"

Coronado's P.A.W.S. program is one example of how character education is implemented across HUSD campuses. Each school has established its own set of expectations and guiding principles:

• Bridges Elementary: Keys to Success: Be Safe, Be Respectful, Be Responsible, Be a 21st Century Learner;
• Centennial Elementary: Cardinals R.I.S.E. (Respect, Integrity, Support and Excellence);
• Chaparral Elementary: Leader in Me, based on the Eight Habits framework;
• Coronado Elementary: P.A.W.S. (Positive Perseverance, Acting Respectful, Working to Potential and Staying Safe);
• Cortina Elementary: A Tiger R.O.A.R.S. (Respectful, Organized and Ready to Learn, Accepting of Self and Others, Responsible and Safe);
• Gateway Pointe Elementary: Gators S.N.A.P. (Safe Actions, Non-Stop Learning, Accepting Responsibility and Practicing Respect);
• Higley Traditional Academy: Hawk High-Fives (Respect, Accountability, Integrity, Safety and Excellence);
• Power Ranch Elementary: P.A.W.S. (Persistent, Accountable, Welcoming and Safe);
• San Tan Elementary: Leader in Me, based on the Eight Habits framework
  Cooley Middle School: C.H.A.M.P.S. (Conversation, Help, Activity, Movement, Participation and Success);
• Sossaman Middle School: Respect and Accountability;
• Higley High School: United in Excellence and Honor;
• Williams Field High School: Black Hawks Soar With Four Core Values: Dedication, Mental Toughness, Integrity and Selflessness.

Although the names and structures vary by campus, district schools share a focus on helping students develop skills that can be applied beyond the classroom.

As sixth-grade students prepare to leave Coronado Elementary, Griggs said the goal is for them to carry those lessons forward.

"They are leaving with those skills for success," Griggs said. "They know how to persevere. They know how to work hard. They know how to be able to work as a team and be able to do it in a way that really not only builds themselves up, but also their community. It really is setting those kids up to be people who make a positive difference in the world around them."