The Step-By-Step Guide for Building a PBIS Store

Here are a few tasks that should be considered when building a PBIS Store.
By 
Charmaine Williams
 | 
August 9, 2022

Or to take it a step further, how cool would it be if we had tangible rewards for students who display positive behavior, able to take a trip to the school store after earning tickets to spend on their favorite things?  

What is PBIS?

PBIS stands for Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports. PBIS best practices promote positive behavior by explicitly teaching desired behaviors to students and reinforcing these behaviors by rewarding them.

Students are given opportunities to be proud of behavior improvements and be rewarded accordingly. Students thrive in environments where rewards are present. Although it can be frowned upon by some in higher education to have incentive-based learning techniques, this is an opportunity to invigorate student learning, especially in K12. 

It also catalyzes promoting self-initiative. Furthermore, it shifts the agency of behavioral modification on the student.

The nucleus that guides PBIS involves:

Teachers are encouraged to also use their professional discretion for rewarding students for showing positive behavior. In using discretion, teachers should be mindful to reward the “little things” especially if it showcases significant progress. 

This not only builds confidence in the student but strengthens the student/teacher bond. This process involves relational leadership and circumstantial rewards. Relational leadership tactics amongst teachers focus not only on what the student can do, but who the student is. 

How to Build a PBIS Store

Enter: the PBIS store.

Although the PBIS store is an incentive to encourage positive student behavior and achievement with rewards they can shop for using points they earned under your PBIS program. Your PBIS store – and the rewards within it – are an opportunity to reflect your school culture. Therefore, it is important to understand the various dynamics that are present in each school’s unique environment. 

1. Decide who will operate the store (Students or Teachers)

This is an important component that can help “make or break” your school store. The task of opening a school store takes collaboration and organizational skills to ensure that store is running at its optimal potential. 

Consider every variable while deciding who will be in charge of the school stores’ daily operations. Who will restock? Who will serve as a cashier? Who maintains records? If students are “operations managers” this gives them the autonomy to showcase their growth, develop leadership and learn new skills.

A school store can be a major undertaking. That’s why many schools are looking at ways to incorporate leadership opportunities in the form of a student-run rewards store.

PBIS Store Example

2. Choose your currency

Students have to be able to buy the items in your reward system! That takes currency, and it can come in many forms. For example, schools often use paper bucks that include their school name, mascot, colors, and more.  

However, it is important to make this currency durable for reuse. After all, we endeavor to go green as we consider the environment.  There may also be ways to distribute tickets virtually through QR codes and compatible apps that offer customization and tracking. 

If you haven’t noticed by now, this requires teamwork and innovation amongst the school's faculty and staff.

What’s most important, however, is that this currency is coveted, yet obtainable. 

3. Location and frequency of store hours

When will your school store be open for business? The time and location are critical to the orderly success of any store. This also means careful consideration of who will manage and carry out the operations of the store, which we discussed in Step 1.

Consider a location that avoids the potential for loitering, clutter, and storage. It may not be necessary to have the store open every day of the week and certainly not all day when open. 

We’ve seen it all when it comes to location and frequency for PBIS Stores: 

4. Establish Store Expectations

If students are disrespectful, unruly, or not showing kindness during shopping days, school store leaders have the authority to ban students for a specific period in order to maintain order.

The goal of the store is to reward good behavior therefore if a student were to abuse, disrespect, or mishandle their opportunity to frequent the store, the behavior must yield consequences. 

However, it is important to remember that the focus should be given to rewarding students not disciplining them. As most schools already have more than enough disciplinary procedures in place. 

Students must clearly understand, and prove their understanding of, the guidelines, reward opportunities, and rubric for determining reward eligibility. 

It may even be wise to involve the students in some dynamics of the PBIS store planning. Students are empowered when they are given opportunities to speak for themselves, be invited to make decisions that will directly affect them, and prepare them with a unique set of social skills. 

Isn’t this why we teach? Isn’t this why we equip students? How can we teach them what it means to be a model citizen without allowing them to showcase what they have learned? 

5. Prioritize student voice

Create a survey so that the rewards in your store will garner excitement and make the incentive worthwhile. Student buy-in is a real thing and should be taken into account when building a school store.

Therefore, students' voice is essential in ensuring the success of the store that is being built. You can think of it as “market research”. Students will also feel partly responsible for the success of the school because they had a “say” in the items that are included. 

Utilizing technology and apps will be important. After all, this is a generation of digital natives. Meaning, that they are practically born understanding and depending upon technology for almost everything. There are plenty of apps that allow simple customization. 

Starting Your PBIS Store

Building a PBIS Store is laborious work that yields extraordinary results. The task of building a store will take intentionality and strategic planning. However, you will see improvement in the most challenging students and effort from those who may have lacked motivation. 

But more importantly, you will have a front-row seat to the transformation of your students and the incredible power of transformative school culture. Need more specific resources, check out our information on PBIS in Elementary Schools. Want to learn all you can possibly learn about PBIS? Check out our Complete PBIS Field Guide.

Looking for a place to start your school culture journey? Check out our free PBIS template where you can download a sample to get started.

To learn what other educators are saying take a look at our PBIS reviews. How do you unlock the full potential of PBIS? Check out our resources on harnessing the power of PBIS for your school district. Providing behavior support in today's schools requires that we address behavior problems holistically. Check out how The Dulles School of Excellence is doing just that by blending PBIS and SEL.

Who doesn’t love being rewarded? It is the feeling of setting a goal and achieving it. The moment you make your mind up to be a winner and get something worthwhile for it.

Or to take it a step further, how cool would it be if we had tangible rewards for students who display positive behavior, able to take a trip to the school store after earning tickets to spend on their favorite things?  

What is PBIS?

PBIS stands for Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports. PBIS best practices promote positive behavior by explicitly teaching desired behaviors to students and reinforcing these behaviors by rewarding them.

Students are given opportunities to be proud of behavior improvements and be rewarded accordingly. Students thrive in environments where rewards are present. Although it can be frowned upon by some in higher education to have incentive-based learning techniques, this is an opportunity to invigorate student learning, especially in K12. 

It also catalyzes promoting self-initiative. Furthermore, it shifts the agency of behavioral modification on the student.

The nucleus that guides PBIS involves:

  • Effectively communicating acceptable behavior to all children and its benefits
  • Early-onset intervention before inappropriate behavior intensifies
  • Collaborative methods that involve research and intentionality that circumvents misbehavior
  • Tracking student growth and progress with measurable incentive-based behavioral modification tools

Teachers are encouraged to also use their professional discretion for rewarding students for showing positive behavior. In using discretion, teachers should be mindful to reward the “little things” especially if it showcases significant progress. 

This not only builds confidence in the student but strengthens the student/teacher bond. This process involves relational leadership and circumstantial rewards. Relational leadership tactics amongst teachers focus not only on what the student can do, but who the student is. 

How to Build a PBIS Store

Enter: the PBIS store.

Although the PBIS store is an incentive to encourage positive student behavior and achievement with rewards they can shop for using points they earned under your PBIS program. Your PBIS store – and the rewards within it – are an opportunity to reflect your school culture. Therefore, it is important to understand the various dynamics that are present in each school’s unique environment. 

1. Decide who will operate the store (Students or Teachers)

This is an important component that can help “make or break” your school store. The task of opening a school store takes collaboration and organizational skills to ensure that store is running at its optimal potential. 

Consider every variable while deciding who will be in charge of the school stores’ daily operations. Who will restock? Who will serve as a cashier? Who maintains records? If students are “operations managers” this gives them the autonomy to showcase their growth, develop leadership and learn new skills.

A school store can be a major undertaking. That’s why many schools are looking at ways to incorporate leadership opportunities in the form of a student-run rewards store.

PBIS Store Example

2. Choose your currency

Students have to be able to buy the items in your reward system! That takes currency, and it can come in many forms. For example, schools often use paper bucks that include their school name, mascot, colors, and more.  

However, it is important to make this currency durable for reuse. After all, we endeavor to go green as we consider the environment.  There may also be ways to distribute tickets virtually through QR codes and compatible apps that offer customization and tracking. 

If you haven’t noticed by now, this requires teamwork and innovation amongst the school's faculty and staff.

What’s most important, however, is that this currency is coveted, yet obtainable. 

3. Location and frequency of store hours

When will your school store be open for business? The time and location are critical to the orderly success of any store. This also means careful consideration of who will manage and carry out the operations of the store, which we discussed in Step 1.

Consider a location that avoids the potential for loitering, clutter, and storage. It may not be necessary to have the store open every day of the week and certainly not all day when open. 

We’ve seen it all when it comes to location and frequency for PBIS Stores: 

  • A once-a-month occasion with items set up on tables in the hallway
  • A Fun Friday Recurring Event
  • An Online Marketplace
  • Daily Store where passes also have to be earned to gain access
  • A Once a Semester Event where the whole community chips in to support

4. Establish Store Expectations

If students are disrespectful, unruly, or not showing kindness during shopping days, school store leaders have the authority to ban students for a specific period in order to maintain order.

The goal of the store is to reward good behavior therefore if a student were to abuse, disrespect, or mishandle their opportunity to frequent the store, the behavior must yield consequences. 

However, it is important to remember that the focus should be given to rewarding students not disciplining them. As most schools already have more than enough disciplinary procedures in place. 

Students must clearly understand, and prove their understanding of, the guidelines, reward opportunities, and rubric for determining reward eligibility. 

It may even be wise to involve the students in some dynamics of the PBIS store planning. Students are empowered when they are given opportunities to speak for themselves, be invited to make decisions that will directly affect them, and prepare them with a unique set of social skills. 

Isn’t this why we teach? Isn’t this why we equip students? How can we teach them what it means to be a model citizen without allowing them to showcase what they have learned? 

5. Prioritize student voice

Create a survey so that the rewards in your store will garner excitement and make the incentive worthwhile. Student buy-in is a real thing and should be taken into account when building a school store.

Therefore, students' voice is essential in ensuring the success of the store that is being built. You can think of it as “market research”. Students will also feel partly responsible for the success of the school because they had a “say” in the items that are included. 

Utilizing technology and apps will be important. After all, this is a generation of digital natives. Meaning, that they are practically born understanding and depending upon technology for almost everything. There are plenty of apps that allow simple customization. 

Starting Your PBIS Store

Building a PBIS Store is laborious work that yields extraordinary results. The task of building a store will take intentionality and strategic planning. However, you will see improvement in the most challenging students and effort from those who may have lacked motivation. 

But more importantly, you will have a front-row seat to the transformation of your students and the incredible power of transformative school culture. Need more specific resources, check out our information on PBIS in Elementary Schools. Want to learn all you can possibly learn about PBIS? Check out our Complete PBIS Field Guide.

Looking for a place to start your school culture journey? Check out our free PBIS template where you can download a sample to get started.

To learn what other educators are saying take a look at our PBIS reviews. How do you unlock the full potential of PBIS? Check out our resources on harnessing the power of PBIS for your school district. Providing behavior support in today's schools requires that we address behavior problems holistically. Check out how The Dulles School of Excellence is doing just that by blending PBIS and SEL.

Or to take it a step further, how cool would it be if we had tangible rewards for students who display positive behavior, able to take a trip to the school store after earning tickets to spend on their favorite things?  

What is PBIS?

PBIS stands for Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports. PBIS best practices promote positive behavior by explicitly teaching desired behaviors to students and reinforcing these behaviors by rewarding them.

Students are given opportunities to be proud of behavior improvements and be rewarded accordingly. Students thrive in environments where rewards are present. Although it can be frowned upon by some in higher education to have incentive-based learning techniques, this is an opportunity to invigorate student learning, especially in K12. 

It also catalyzes promoting self-initiative. Furthermore, it shifts the agency of behavioral modification on the student.

The nucleus that guides PBIS involves:

  • Effectively communicating acceptable behavior to all children and its benefits
  • Early-onset intervention before inappropriate behavior intensifies
  • Collaborative methods that involve research and intentionality that circumvents misbehavior
  • Tracking student growth and progress with measurable incentive-based behavioral modification tools

Teachers are encouraged to also use their professional discretion for rewarding students for showing positive behavior. In using discretion, teachers should be mindful to reward the “little things” especially if it showcases significant progress. 

This not only builds confidence in the student but strengthens the student/teacher bond. This process involves relational leadership and circumstantial rewards. Relational leadership tactics amongst teachers focus not only on what the student can do, but who the student is. 

How to Build a PBIS Store

Enter: the PBIS store.

Although the PBIS store is an incentive to encourage positive student behavior and achievement with rewards they can shop for using points they earned under your PBIS program. Your PBIS store – and the rewards within it – are an opportunity to reflect your school culture. Therefore, it is important to understand the various dynamics that are present in each school’s unique environment. 

1. Decide who will operate the store (Students or Teachers)

This is an important component that can help “make or break” your school store. The task of opening a school store takes collaboration and organizational skills to ensure that store is running at its optimal potential. 

Consider every variable while deciding who will be in charge of the school stores’ daily operations. Who will restock? Who will serve as a cashier? Who maintains records? If students are “operations managers” this gives them the autonomy to showcase their growth, develop leadership and learn new skills.

A school store can be a major undertaking. That’s why many schools are looking at ways to incorporate leadership opportunities in the form of a student-run rewards store.

PBIS Store Example

2. Choose your currency

Students have to be able to buy the items in your reward system! That takes currency, and it can come in many forms. For example, schools often use paper bucks that include their school name, mascot, colors, and more.  

However, it is important to make this currency durable for reuse. After all, we endeavor to go green as we consider the environment.  There may also be ways to distribute tickets virtually through QR codes and compatible apps that offer customization and tracking. 

If you haven’t noticed by now, this requires teamwork and innovation amongst the school's faculty and staff.

What’s most important, however, is that this currency is coveted, yet obtainable. 

3. Location and frequency of store hours

When will your school store be open for business? The time and location are critical to the orderly success of any store. This also means careful consideration of who will manage and carry out the operations of the store, which we discussed in Step 1.

Consider a location that avoids the potential for loitering, clutter, and storage. It may not be necessary to have the store open every day of the week and certainly not all day when open. 

We’ve seen it all when it comes to location and frequency for PBIS Stores: 

  • A once-a-month occasion with items set up on tables in the hallway
  • A Fun Friday Recurring Event
  • An Online Marketplace
  • Daily Store where passes also have to be earned to gain access
  • A Once a Semester Event where the whole community chips in to support

4. Establish Store Expectations

If students are disrespectful, unruly, or not showing kindness during shopping days, school store leaders have the authority to ban students for a specific period in order to maintain order.

The goal of the store is to reward good behavior therefore if a student were to abuse, disrespect, or mishandle their opportunity to frequent the store, the behavior must yield consequences. 

However, it is important to remember that the focus should be given to rewarding students not disciplining them. As most schools already have more than enough disciplinary procedures in place. 

Students must clearly understand, and prove their understanding of, the guidelines, reward opportunities, and rubric for determining reward eligibility. 

It may even be wise to involve the students in some dynamics of the PBIS store planning. Students are empowered when they are given opportunities to speak for themselves, be invited to make decisions that will directly affect them, and prepare them with a unique set of social skills. 

Isn’t this why we teach? Isn’t this why we equip students? How can we teach them what it means to be a model citizen without allowing them to showcase what they have learned? 

5. Prioritize student voice

Create a survey so that the rewards in your store will garner excitement and make the incentive worthwhile. Student buy-in is a real thing and should be taken into account when building a school store.

Therefore, students' voice is essential in ensuring the success of the store that is being built. You can think of it as “market research”. Students will also feel partly responsible for the success of the school because they had a “say” in the items that are included. 

Utilizing technology and apps will be important. After all, this is a generation of digital natives. Meaning, that they are practically born understanding and depending upon technology for almost everything. There are plenty of apps that allow simple customization. 

Starting Your PBIS Store

Building a PBIS Store is laborious work that yields extraordinary results. The task of building a store will take intentionality and strategic planning. However, you will see improvement in the most challenging students and effort from those who may have lacked motivation. 

But more importantly, you will have a front-row seat to the transformation of your students and the incredible power of transformative school culture. Need more specific resources, check out our information on PBIS in Elementary Schools. Want to learn all you can possibly learn about PBIS? Check out our Complete PBIS Field Guide.

Looking for a place to start your school culture journey? Check out our free PBIS template where you can download a sample to get started.

To learn what other educators are saying take a look at our PBIS reviews. How do you unlock the full potential of PBIS? Check out our resources on harnessing the power of PBIS for your school district. Providing behavior support in today's schools requires that we address behavior problems holistically. Check out how The Dulles School of Excellence is doing just that by blending PBIS and SEL.

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Or to take it a step further, how cool would it be if we had tangible rewards for students who display positive behavior, able to take a trip to the school store after earning tickets to spend on their favorite things?  

What is PBIS?

PBIS stands for Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports. PBIS best practices promote positive behavior by explicitly teaching desired behaviors to students and reinforcing these behaviors by rewarding them.

Students are given opportunities to be proud of behavior improvements and be rewarded accordingly. Students thrive in environments where rewards are present. Although it can be frowned upon by some in higher education to have incentive-based learning techniques, this is an opportunity to invigorate student learning, especially in K12. 

It also catalyzes promoting self-initiative. Furthermore, it shifts the agency of behavioral modification on the student.

The nucleus that guides PBIS involves:

  • Effectively communicating acceptable behavior to all children and its benefits
  • Early-onset intervention before inappropriate behavior intensifies
  • Collaborative methods that involve research and intentionality that circumvents misbehavior
  • Tracking student growth and progress with measurable incentive-based behavioral modification tools

Teachers are encouraged to also use their professional discretion for rewarding students for showing positive behavior. In using discretion, teachers should be mindful to reward the “little things” especially if it showcases significant progress. 

This not only builds confidence in the student but strengthens the student/teacher bond. This process involves relational leadership and circumstantial rewards. Relational leadership tactics amongst teachers focus not only on what the student can do, but who the student is. 

How to Build a PBIS Store

Enter: the PBIS store.

Although the PBIS store is an incentive to encourage positive student behavior and achievement with rewards they can shop for using points they earned under your PBIS program. Your PBIS store – and the rewards within it – are an opportunity to reflect your school culture. Therefore, it is important to understand the various dynamics that are present in each school’s unique environment. 

1. Decide who will operate the store (Students or Teachers)

This is an important component that can help “make or break” your school store. The task of opening a school store takes collaboration and organizational skills to ensure that store is running at its optimal potential. 

Consider every variable while deciding who will be in charge of the school stores’ daily operations. Who will restock? Who will serve as a cashier? Who maintains records? If students are “operations managers” this gives them the autonomy to showcase their growth, develop leadership and learn new skills.

A school store can be a major undertaking. That’s why many schools are looking at ways to incorporate leadership opportunities in the form of a student-run rewards store.

PBIS Store Example

2. Choose your currency

Students have to be able to buy the items in your reward system! That takes currency, and it can come in many forms. For example, schools often use paper bucks that include their school name, mascot, colors, and more.  

However, it is important to make this currency durable for reuse. After all, we endeavor to go green as we consider the environment.  There may also be ways to distribute tickets virtually through QR codes and compatible apps that offer customization and tracking. 

If you haven’t noticed by now, this requires teamwork and innovation amongst the school's faculty and staff.

What’s most important, however, is that this currency is coveted, yet obtainable. 

3. Location and frequency of store hours

When will your school store be open for business? The time and location are critical to the orderly success of any store. This also means careful consideration of who will manage and carry out the operations of the store, which we discussed in Step 1.

Consider a location that avoids the potential for loitering, clutter, and storage. It may not be necessary to have the store open every day of the week and certainly not all day when open. 

We’ve seen it all when it comes to location and frequency for PBIS Stores: 

  • A once-a-month occasion with items set up on tables in the hallway
  • A Fun Friday Recurring Event
  • An Online Marketplace
  • Daily Store where passes also have to be earned to gain access
  • A Once a Semester Event where the whole community chips in to support

4. Establish Store Expectations

If students are disrespectful, unruly, or not showing kindness during shopping days, school store leaders have the authority to ban students for a specific period in order to maintain order.

The goal of the store is to reward good behavior therefore if a student were to abuse, disrespect, or mishandle their opportunity to frequent the store, the behavior must yield consequences. 

However, it is important to remember that the focus should be given to rewarding students not disciplining them. As most schools already have more than enough disciplinary procedures in place. 

Students must clearly understand, and prove their understanding of, the guidelines, reward opportunities, and rubric for determining reward eligibility. 

It may even be wise to involve the students in some dynamics of the PBIS store planning. Students are empowered when they are given opportunities to speak for themselves, be invited to make decisions that will directly affect them, and prepare them with a unique set of social skills. 

Isn’t this why we teach? Isn’t this why we equip students? How can we teach them what it means to be a model citizen without allowing them to showcase what they have learned? 

5. Prioritize student voice

Create a survey so that the rewards in your store will garner excitement and make the incentive worthwhile. Student buy-in is a real thing and should be taken into account when building a school store.

Therefore, students' voice is essential in ensuring the success of the store that is being built. You can think of it as “market research”. Students will also feel partly responsible for the success of the school because they had a “say” in the items that are included. 

Utilizing technology and apps will be important. After all, this is a generation of digital natives. Meaning, that they are practically born understanding and depending upon technology for almost everything. There are plenty of apps that allow simple customization. 

Starting Your PBIS Store

Building a PBIS Store is laborious work that yields extraordinary results. The task of building a store will take intentionality and strategic planning. However, you will see improvement in the most challenging students and effort from those who may have lacked motivation. 

But more importantly, you will have a front-row seat to the transformation of your students and the incredible power of transformative school culture. Need more specific resources, check out our information on PBIS in Elementary Schools. Want to learn all you can possibly learn about PBIS? Check out our Complete PBIS Field Guide.

Looking for a place to start your school culture journey? Check out our free PBIS template where you can download a sample to get started.

To learn what other educators are saying take a look at our PBIS reviews. How do you unlock the full potential of PBIS? Check out our resources on harnessing the power of PBIS for your school district. Providing behavior support in today's schools requires that we address behavior problems holistically. Check out how The Dulles School of Excellence is doing just that by blending PBIS and SEL.

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Or to take it a step further, how cool would it be if we had tangible rewards for students who display positive behavior, able to take a trip to the school store after earning tickets to spend on their favorite things?  

What is PBIS?

PBIS stands for Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports. PBIS best practices promote positive behavior by explicitly teaching desired behaviors to students and reinforcing these behaviors by rewarding them.

Students are given opportunities to be proud of behavior improvements and be rewarded accordingly. Students thrive in environments where rewards are present. Although it can be frowned upon by some in higher education to have incentive-based learning techniques, this is an opportunity to invigorate student learning, especially in K12. 

It also catalyzes promoting self-initiative. Furthermore, it shifts the agency of behavioral modification on the student.

The nucleus that guides PBIS involves:

  • Effectively communicating acceptable behavior to all children and its benefits
  • Early-onset intervention before inappropriate behavior intensifies
  • Collaborative methods that involve research and intentionality that circumvents misbehavior
  • Tracking student growth and progress with measurable incentive-based behavioral modification tools

Teachers are encouraged to also use their professional discretion for rewarding students for showing positive behavior. In using discretion, teachers should be mindful to reward the “little things” especially if it showcases significant progress. 

This not only builds confidence in the student but strengthens the student/teacher bond. This process involves relational leadership and circumstantial rewards. Relational leadership tactics amongst teachers focus not only on what the student can do, but who the student is. 

How to Build a PBIS Store

Enter: the PBIS store.

Although the PBIS store is an incentive to encourage positive student behavior and achievement with rewards they can shop for using points they earned under your PBIS program. Your PBIS store – and the rewards within it – are an opportunity to reflect your school culture. Therefore, it is important to understand the various dynamics that are present in each school’s unique environment. 

1. Decide who will operate the store (Students or Teachers)

This is an important component that can help “make or break” your school store. The task of opening a school store takes collaboration and organizational skills to ensure that store is running at its optimal potential. 

Consider every variable while deciding who will be in charge of the school stores’ daily operations. Who will restock? Who will serve as a cashier? Who maintains records? If students are “operations managers” this gives them the autonomy to showcase their growth, develop leadership and learn new skills.

A school store can be a major undertaking. That’s why many schools are looking at ways to incorporate leadership opportunities in the form of a student-run rewards store.

PBIS Store Example

2. Choose your currency

Students have to be able to buy the items in your reward system! That takes currency, and it can come in many forms. For example, schools often use paper bucks that include their school name, mascot, colors, and more.  

However, it is important to make this currency durable for reuse. After all, we endeavor to go green as we consider the environment.  There may also be ways to distribute tickets virtually through QR codes and compatible apps that offer customization and tracking. 

If you haven’t noticed by now, this requires teamwork and innovation amongst the school's faculty and staff.

What’s most important, however, is that this currency is coveted, yet obtainable. 

3. Location and frequency of store hours

When will your school store be open for business? The time and location are critical to the orderly success of any store. This also means careful consideration of who will manage and carry out the operations of the store, which we discussed in Step 1.

Consider a location that avoids the potential for loitering, clutter, and storage. It may not be necessary to have the store open every day of the week and certainly not all day when open. 

We’ve seen it all when it comes to location and frequency for PBIS Stores: 

  • A once-a-month occasion with items set up on tables in the hallway
  • A Fun Friday Recurring Event
  • An Online Marketplace
  • Daily Store where passes also have to be earned to gain access
  • A Once a Semester Event where the whole community chips in to support

4. Establish Store Expectations

If students are disrespectful, unruly, or not showing kindness during shopping days, school store leaders have the authority to ban students for a specific period in order to maintain order.

The goal of the store is to reward good behavior therefore if a student were to abuse, disrespect, or mishandle their opportunity to frequent the store, the behavior must yield consequences. 

However, it is important to remember that the focus should be given to rewarding students not disciplining them. As most schools already have more than enough disciplinary procedures in place. 

Students must clearly understand, and prove their understanding of, the guidelines, reward opportunities, and rubric for determining reward eligibility. 

It may even be wise to involve the students in some dynamics of the PBIS store planning. Students are empowered when they are given opportunities to speak for themselves, be invited to make decisions that will directly affect them, and prepare them with a unique set of social skills. 

Isn’t this why we teach? Isn’t this why we equip students? How can we teach them what it means to be a model citizen without allowing them to showcase what they have learned? 

5. Prioritize student voice

Create a survey so that the rewards in your store will garner excitement and make the incentive worthwhile. Student buy-in is a real thing and should be taken into account when building a school store.

Therefore, students' voice is essential in ensuring the success of the store that is being built. You can think of it as “market research”. Students will also feel partly responsible for the success of the school because they had a “say” in the items that are included. 

Utilizing technology and apps will be important. After all, this is a generation of digital natives. Meaning, that they are practically born understanding and depending upon technology for almost everything. There are plenty of apps that allow simple customization. 

Starting Your PBIS Store

Building a PBIS Store is laborious work that yields extraordinary results. The task of building a store will take intentionality and strategic planning. However, you will see improvement in the most challenging students and effort from those who may have lacked motivation. 

But more importantly, you will have a front-row seat to the transformation of your students and the incredible power of transformative school culture. Need more specific resources, check out our information on PBIS in Elementary Schools. Want to learn all you can possibly learn about PBIS? Check out our Complete PBIS Field Guide.

Looking for a place to start your school culture journey? Check out our free PBIS template where you can download a sample to get started.

To learn what other educators are saying take a look at our PBIS reviews. How do you unlock the full potential of PBIS? Check out our resources on harnessing the power of PBIS for your school district. Providing behavior support in today's schools requires that we address behavior problems holistically. Check out how The Dulles School of Excellence is doing just that by blending PBIS and SEL.

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About the Event

Or to take it a step further, how cool would it be if we had tangible rewards for students who display positive behavior, able to take a trip to the school store after earning tickets to spend on their favorite things?  

What is PBIS?

PBIS stands for Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports. PBIS best practices promote positive behavior by explicitly teaching desired behaviors to students and reinforcing these behaviors by rewarding them.

Students are given opportunities to be proud of behavior improvements and be rewarded accordingly. Students thrive in environments where rewards are present. Although it can be frowned upon by some in higher education to have incentive-based learning techniques, this is an opportunity to invigorate student learning, especially in K12. 

It also catalyzes promoting self-initiative. Furthermore, it shifts the agency of behavioral modification on the student.

The nucleus that guides PBIS involves:

  • Effectively communicating acceptable behavior to all children and its benefits
  • Early-onset intervention before inappropriate behavior intensifies
  • Collaborative methods that involve research and intentionality that circumvents misbehavior
  • Tracking student growth and progress with measurable incentive-based behavioral modification tools

Teachers are encouraged to also use their professional discretion for rewarding students for showing positive behavior. In using discretion, teachers should be mindful to reward the “little things” especially if it showcases significant progress. 

This not only builds confidence in the student but strengthens the student/teacher bond. This process involves relational leadership and circumstantial rewards. Relational leadership tactics amongst teachers focus not only on what the student can do, but who the student is. 

How to Build a PBIS Store

Enter: the PBIS store.

Although the PBIS store is an incentive to encourage positive student behavior and achievement with rewards they can shop for using points they earned under your PBIS program. Your PBIS store – and the rewards within it – are an opportunity to reflect your school culture. Therefore, it is important to understand the various dynamics that are present in each school’s unique environment. 

1. Decide who will operate the store (Students or Teachers)

This is an important component that can help “make or break” your school store. The task of opening a school store takes collaboration and organizational skills to ensure that store is running at its optimal potential. 

Consider every variable while deciding who will be in charge of the school stores’ daily operations. Who will restock? Who will serve as a cashier? Who maintains records? If students are “operations managers” this gives them the autonomy to showcase their growth, develop leadership and learn new skills.

A school store can be a major undertaking. That’s why many schools are looking at ways to incorporate leadership opportunities in the form of a student-run rewards store.

PBIS Store Example

2. Choose your currency

Students have to be able to buy the items in your reward system! That takes currency, and it can come in many forms. For example, schools often use paper bucks that include their school name, mascot, colors, and more.  

However, it is important to make this currency durable for reuse. After all, we endeavor to go green as we consider the environment.  There may also be ways to distribute tickets virtually through QR codes and compatible apps that offer customization and tracking. 

If you haven’t noticed by now, this requires teamwork and innovation amongst the school's faculty and staff.

What’s most important, however, is that this currency is coveted, yet obtainable. 

3. Location and frequency of store hours

When will your school store be open for business? The time and location are critical to the orderly success of any store. This also means careful consideration of who will manage and carry out the operations of the store, which we discussed in Step 1.

Consider a location that avoids the potential for loitering, clutter, and storage. It may not be necessary to have the store open every day of the week and certainly not all day when open. 

We’ve seen it all when it comes to location and frequency for PBIS Stores: 

  • A once-a-month occasion with items set up on tables in the hallway
  • A Fun Friday Recurring Event
  • An Online Marketplace
  • Daily Store where passes also have to be earned to gain access
  • A Once a Semester Event where the whole community chips in to support

4. Establish Store Expectations

If students are disrespectful, unruly, or not showing kindness during shopping days, school store leaders have the authority to ban students for a specific period in order to maintain order.

The goal of the store is to reward good behavior therefore if a student were to abuse, disrespect, or mishandle their opportunity to frequent the store, the behavior must yield consequences. 

However, it is important to remember that the focus should be given to rewarding students not disciplining them. As most schools already have more than enough disciplinary procedures in place. 

Students must clearly understand, and prove their understanding of, the guidelines, reward opportunities, and rubric for determining reward eligibility. 

It may even be wise to involve the students in some dynamics of the PBIS store planning. Students are empowered when they are given opportunities to speak for themselves, be invited to make decisions that will directly affect them, and prepare them with a unique set of social skills. 

Isn’t this why we teach? Isn’t this why we equip students? How can we teach them what it means to be a model citizen without allowing them to showcase what they have learned? 

5. Prioritize student voice

Create a survey so that the rewards in your store will garner excitement and make the incentive worthwhile. Student buy-in is a real thing and should be taken into account when building a school store.

Therefore, students' voice is essential in ensuring the success of the store that is being built. You can think of it as “market research”. Students will also feel partly responsible for the success of the school because they had a “say” in the items that are included. 

Utilizing technology and apps will be important. After all, this is a generation of digital natives. Meaning, that they are practically born understanding and depending upon technology for almost everything. There are plenty of apps that allow simple customization. 

Starting Your PBIS Store

Building a PBIS Store is laborious work that yields extraordinary results. The task of building a store will take intentionality and strategic planning. However, you will see improvement in the most challenging students and effort from those who may have lacked motivation. 

But more importantly, you will have a front-row seat to the transformation of your students and the incredible power of transformative school culture. Need more specific resources, check out our information on PBIS in Elementary Schools. Want to learn all you can possibly learn about PBIS? Check out our Complete PBIS Field Guide.

Looking for a place to start your school culture journey? Check out our free PBIS template where you can download a sample to get started.

To learn what other educators are saying take a look at our PBIS reviews. How do you unlock the full potential of PBIS? Check out our resources on harnessing the power of PBIS for your school district. Providing behavior support in today's schools requires that we address behavior problems holistically. Check out how The Dulles School of Excellence is doing just that by blending PBIS and SEL.

About the Presenter

Charmaine is a graduate of Winston Salem State University and has a Masters Degree in Secondary Education. She is currently pursuing certification in Educational Leadership and Administration. Charmaine is a passionate English and Language Arts Educator. She leads a life dedicated to being an advocate for students and colleagues and she has over 12 years of experience in Education.


Charmaine is the founder of The Controlled Chaos Academy, which is an interactive Classroom Management Bootcamp for Educators! This program
focuses on building community through transformative learning experiences that translate into tangible academic growth!

Who doesn’t love being rewarded? It is the feeling of setting a goal and achieving it. The moment you make your mind up to be a winner and get something worthwhile for it.

Or to take it a step further, how cool would it be if we had tangible rewards for students who display positive behavior, able to take a trip to the school store after earning tickets to spend on their favorite things?  

What is PBIS?

PBIS stands for Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports. PBIS best practices promote positive behavior by explicitly teaching desired behaviors to students and reinforcing these behaviors by rewarding them.

Students are given opportunities to be proud of behavior improvements and be rewarded accordingly. Students thrive in environments where rewards are present. Although it can be frowned upon by some in higher education to have incentive-based learning techniques, this is an opportunity to invigorate student learning, especially in K12. 

It also catalyzes promoting self-initiative. Furthermore, it shifts the agency of behavioral modification on the student.

The nucleus that guides PBIS involves:

  • Effectively communicating acceptable behavior to all children and its benefits
  • Early-onset intervention before inappropriate behavior intensifies
  • Collaborative methods that involve research and intentionality that circumvents misbehavior
  • Tracking student growth and progress with measurable incentive-based behavioral modification tools

Teachers are encouraged to also use their professional discretion for rewarding students for showing positive behavior. In using discretion, teachers should be mindful to reward the “little things” especially if it showcases significant progress. 

This not only builds confidence in the student but strengthens the student/teacher bond. This process involves relational leadership and circumstantial rewards. Relational leadership tactics amongst teachers focus not only on what the student can do, but who the student is. 

How to Build a PBIS Store

Enter: the PBIS store.

Although the PBIS store is an incentive to encourage positive student behavior and achievement with rewards they can shop for using points they earned under your PBIS program. Your PBIS store – and the rewards within it – are an opportunity to reflect your school culture. Therefore, it is important to understand the various dynamics that are present in each school’s unique environment. 

1. Decide who will operate the store (Students or Teachers)

This is an important component that can help “make or break” your school store. The task of opening a school store takes collaboration and organizational skills to ensure that store is running at its optimal potential. 

Consider every variable while deciding who will be in charge of the school stores’ daily operations. Who will restock? Who will serve as a cashier? Who maintains records? If students are “operations managers” this gives them the autonomy to showcase their growth, develop leadership and learn new skills.

A school store can be a major undertaking. That’s why many schools are looking at ways to incorporate leadership opportunities in the form of a student-run rewards store.

PBIS Store Example

2. Choose your currency

Students have to be able to buy the items in your reward system! That takes currency, and it can come in many forms. For example, schools often use paper bucks that include their school name, mascot, colors, and more.  

However, it is important to make this currency durable for reuse. After all, we endeavor to go green as we consider the environment.  There may also be ways to distribute tickets virtually through QR codes and compatible apps that offer customization and tracking. 

If you haven’t noticed by now, this requires teamwork and innovation amongst the school's faculty and staff.

What’s most important, however, is that this currency is coveted, yet obtainable. 

3. Location and frequency of store hours

When will your school store be open for business? The time and location are critical to the orderly success of any store. This also means careful consideration of who will manage and carry out the operations of the store, which we discussed in Step 1.

Consider a location that avoids the potential for loitering, clutter, and storage. It may not be necessary to have the store open every day of the week and certainly not all day when open. 

We’ve seen it all when it comes to location and frequency for PBIS Stores: 

  • A once-a-month occasion with items set up on tables in the hallway
  • A Fun Friday Recurring Event
  • An Online Marketplace
  • Daily Store where passes also have to be earned to gain access
  • A Once a Semester Event where the whole community chips in to support

4. Establish Store Expectations

If students are disrespectful, unruly, or not showing kindness during shopping days, school store leaders have the authority to ban students for a specific period in order to maintain order.

The goal of the store is to reward good behavior therefore if a student were to abuse, disrespect, or mishandle their opportunity to frequent the store, the behavior must yield consequences. 

However, it is important to remember that the focus should be given to rewarding students not disciplining them. As most schools already have more than enough disciplinary procedures in place. 

Students must clearly understand, and prove their understanding of, the guidelines, reward opportunities, and rubric for determining reward eligibility. 

It may even be wise to involve the students in some dynamics of the PBIS store planning. Students are empowered when they are given opportunities to speak for themselves, be invited to make decisions that will directly affect them, and prepare them with a unique set of social skills. 

Isn’t this why we teach? Isn’t this why we equip students? How can we teach them what it means to be a model citizen without allowing them to showcase what they have learned? 

5. Prioritize student voice

Create a survey so that the rewards in your store will garner excitement and make the incentive worthwhile. Student buy-in is a real thing and should be taken into account when building a school store.

Therefore, students' voice is essential in ensuring the success of the store that is being built. You can think of it as “market research”. Students will also feel partly responsible for the success of the school because they had a “say” in the items that are included. 

Utilizing technology and apps will be important. After all, this is a generation of digital natives. Meaning, that they are practically born understanding and depending upon technology for almost everything. There are plenty of apps that allow simple customization. 

Starting Your PBIS Store

Building a PBIS Store is laborious work that yields extraordinary results. The task of building a store will take intentionality and strategic planning. However, you will see improvement in the most challenging students and effort from those who may have lacked motivation. 

But more importantly, you will have a front-row seat to the transformation of your students and the incredible power of transformative school culture. Need more specific resources, check out our information on PBIS in Elementary Schools. Want to learn all you can possibly learn about PBIS? Check out our Complete PBIS Field Guide.

Looking for a place to start your school culture journey? Check out our free PBIS template where you can download a sample to get started.

To learn what other educators are saying take a look at our PBIS reviews. How do you unlock the full potential of PBIS? Check out our resources on harnessing the power of PBIS for your school district. Providing behavior support in today's schools requires that we address behavior problems holistically. Check out how The Dulles School of Excellence is doing just that by blending PBIS and SEL.

All Reward Ideas for Students

🎉
👑
🎁
Bonfire
Grades 9-12
Class/House
Event
Deluxe
🎉
👑
🎁
Classroom DJ
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Silly School Leader
Grades 6-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Uber by a Principal
Grades 6-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Lunch Reservations
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Kickback Vibes
Grades 6-12
Class/House
Event
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Lunch Fast Pass
Grades 3-8
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
The Love Soiree
Grades 6-12
School
Event
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Emcee the Announcements
Grades 6-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Tutor
Grades 6-8
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Movie Night
Grades 9-12
Student
Event
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Decades Party
Grades 6-12
School
Event
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Fake The Funk
Grades 9-12
School
Event
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Parking Spots
Grades 9-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Virtual Talent Show. 🎤
Grades 3-12
Class/House
Event
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Pie a Teacher
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY

All Reward Ideas for Elementary School Students

🎉
👑
🎁
Drop Lowest Quiz
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Family Feast
Grades K-8
Class/House
Event
Deluxe
🎉
👑
🎁
Student Messenger
Grades 3-8
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Show & Tell
Grades K-8
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Sports Tickets
Grades 3-12
Student
Tangible
Deluxe
🎉
👑
🎁
Pen Pouch
Grades K-8
Student
Tangible
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Morning Meeting Leader
Grades 3-8
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Video Game Rewards
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Loudspeaker Shoutout
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Teacher Q&A
Grades K-12
Class/House
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Line Leader
Grades K-5
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Picnic Lunch
Grades K-12
Class/House
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Class Jobs
Grades 3-8
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Toys
Grades K-8
Student
Tangible
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Meet the Teacher
Grades K-8
School
Event
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Silly Science Experiments
Grades K-5
Class/House
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY

All Event Ideas for Schools

All Free Reward Ideas for Schools

🎉
👑
🎁
Be a Comedian.
🎉
👑
🎁
Partner Work
🎉
👑
🎁
House Induction
🎉
👑
🎁
Hat Pass
🎉
👑
🎁
Extra Reading Time
🎉
👑
🎁
Virtual Field Trip
🎉
👑
🎁
Extra Recess
🎉
👑
🎁
Stairway Messages
🎉
👑
🎁
Tutor
🎉
👑
🎁
Line Leader
🎉
👑
🎁
Special Screening

All Reward Ideas for High School Students

🎉
👑
🎁
Snack Pack
Grades K-12
Student
Tangible
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Locker Choice
Grades 9-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Wild ‘N Out High School Edition
Grades 9-12
School
Event
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Game Week
Grades 9-12
School
Event
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Decades Party
Grades 6-12
School
Event
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Early Lunch Dismissal
Grades 9-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
“Let's Make A Difference Week"
Grades 9-12
Class/House
Event
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Social Media Reporter
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Seating Choice
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Lunch with an Admin
Grades K-8
Student
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Board Game Party
Grades 3-12
Class/House
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Picnic Lunch
Grades K-12
Class/House
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Video Game Rewards
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
House Induction
Grades 6-12
Class/House
Event
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Silly School Leader
Grades 6-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Movie Night
Grades 9-12
Student
Event
Low Cost/DIY

All Reward Ideas for Middle School Students

🎉
👑
🎁
Teacher Q&A
Grades K-12
Class/House
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Wristband
Grades K-12
Student
Tangible
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Passing Period Music
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Lunch Concert
Grades 6-8
Class/House
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Trunk or Treat
Grades K-8
School
Event
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Homework Pass
Grades 6-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Awards Show Afterparty
Grades 6-12
School
Event
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Play Games
Grades 6-12
Class/House
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Pen Pouch
Grades K-8
Student
Tangible
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Create the Seating Chart
Grades 6-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Holidays Around the World
Grades K-12
School
Event
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Seating Choice
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Loudspeaker Shoutout
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Student Messenger
Grades 3-8
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
The A-List
Grades 6-12
School
Event
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Technology
Grades 6-12
Student
Tangible
Deluxe

All Student Reward & Incentive Ideas

💰
🎨
Assist the Custodian.
Grades 6-8
Student
Privilege
Free
💰
🎨
Special Screening
Grades K-12
School
Privilege
Free
💰
🎨
Donate $1
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
💰
🎨
Passing Period Music
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Free
💰
🎨
Lunch Reservations
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
💰
🎨
Partner Work
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Free
💰
🎨
Podcast
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Free
💰
🎨
Sports Tickets
Grades 3-12
Student
Tangible
Deluxe
💰
🎨
Snacks
Grades K-12
Student
Tangible
Low Cost/DIY
💰
🎨
Emcee the Announcements
Grades 6-12
Student
Privilege
Free
💰
🎨
Extra Computer Games
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Free
💰
🎨
Play Games
Grades 6-12
Class/House
Privilege
Free
💰
🎨
Seating Choice
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
💰
🎨
Free Dress
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
💰
🎨
Create the Seating Chart
Grades 6-12
Student
Privilege
Free
💰
🎨
Pie a Teacher
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY

All Virtual Reward Ideas for Schools

🎉
👑
🎁
Podcast
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Virtual Talent Show. 🎤
Grades 3-12
Class/House
Event
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Social Media Reporter
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Classroom DJ
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Stickers
Grades K-5
Student
Tangible
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Digital Escape Rooms
Grades 6-12
Class/House
Privilege
Deluxe
🎉
👑
🎁
Student Spotlight Board
Grades K-5
Student
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Brain Break
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Certificate of Achievement
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Extra Computer Games
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Host a Virtual Party. 🎶
Grades 6-12
Class/House
Event
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Morning Meeting Leader
Grades 3-8
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Teacher Q&A
Grades K-12
Class/House
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Virtual Field Trip
Grades K-12
Class/House
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Show & Tell
Grades K-8
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Positive Note or Call Home
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
See all Rewards

Want more ideas?

Rewards that Rock 🎸 has 100+ rewards, incentives, and event ideas to build your school culture.
Find Rewards
Learn more about the author, 
Charmaine Williams
 

Who doesn’t love being rewarded? It is the feeling of setting a goal and achieving it. The moment you make your mind up to be a winner and get something worthwhile for it.

Or to take it a step further, how cool would it be if we had tangible rewards for students who display positive behavior, able to take a trip to the school store after earning tickets to spend on their favorite things?  

What is PBIS?

PBIS stands for Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports. PBIS best practices promote positive behavior by explicitly teaching desired behaviors to students and reinforcing these behaviors by rewarding them.

Students are given opportunities to be proud of behavior improvements and be rewarded accordingly. Students thrive in environments where rewards are present. Although it can be frowned upon by some in higher education to have incentive-based learning techniques, this is an opportunity to invigorate student learning, especially in K12. 

It also catalyzes promoting self-initiative. Furthermore, it shifts the agency of behavioral modification on the student.

The nucleus that guides PBIS involves:

  • Effectively communicating acceptable behavior to all children and its benefits
  • Early-onset intervention before inappropriate behavior intensifies
  • Collaborative methods that involve research and intentionality that circumvents misbehavior
  • Tracking student growth and progress with measurable incentive-based behavioral modification tools

Teachers are encouraged to also use their professional discretion for rewarding students for showing positive behavior. In using discretion, teachers should be mindful to reward the “little things” especially if it showcases significant progress. 

This not only builds confidence in the student but strengthens the student/teacher bond. This process involves relational leadership and circumstantial rewards. Relational leadership tactics amongst teachers focus not only on what the student can do, but who the student is. 

How to Build a PBIS Store

Enter: the PBIS store.

Although the PBIS store is an incentive to encourage positive student behavior and achievement with rewards they can shop for using points they earned under your PBIS program. Your PBIS store – and the rewards within it – are an opportunity to reflect your school culture. Therefore, it is important to understand the various dynamics that are present in each school’s unique environment. 

1. Decide who will operate the store (Students or Teachers)

This is an important component that can help “make or break” your school store. The task of opening a school store takes collaboration and organizational skills to ensure that store is running at its optimal potential. 

Consider every variable while deciding who will be in charge of the school stores’ daily operations. Who will restock? Who will serve as a cashier? Who maintains records? If students are “operations managers” this gives them the autonomy to showcase their growth, develop leadership and learn new skills.

A school store can be a major undertaking. That’s why many schools are looking at ways to incorporate leadership opportunities in the form of a student-run rewards store.

PBIS Store Example

2. Choose your currency

Students have to be able to buy the items in your reward system! That takes currency, and it can come in many forms. For example, schools often use paper bucks that include their school name, mascot, colors, and more.  

However, it is important to make this currency durable for reuse. After all, we endeavor to go green as we consider the environment.  There may also be ways to distribute tickets virtually through QR codes and compatible apps that offer customization and tracking. 

If you haven’t noticed by now, this requires teamwork and innovation amongst the school's faculty and staff.

What’s most important, however, is that this currency is coveted, yet obtainable. 

3. Location and frequency of store hours

When will your school store be open for business? The time and location are critical to the orderly success of any store. This also means careful consideration of who will manage and carry out the operations of the store, which we discussed in Step 1.

Consider a location that avoids the potential for loitering, clutter, and storage. It may not be necessary to have the store open every day of the week and certainly not all day when open. 

We’ve seen it all when it comes to location and frequency for PBIS Stores: 

  • A once-a-month occasion with items set up on tables in the hallway
  • A Fun Friday Recurring Event
  • An Online Marketplace
  • Daily Store where passes also have to be earned to gain access
  • A Once a Semester Event where the whole community chips in to support

4. Establish Store Expectations

If students are disrespectful, unruly, or not showing kindness during shopping days, school store leaders have the authority to ban students for a specific period in order to maintain order.

The goal of the store is to reward good behavior therefore if a student were to abuse, disrespect, or mishandle their opportunity to frequent the store, the behavior must yield consequences. 

However, it is important to remember that the focus should be given to rewarding students not disciplining them. As most schools already have more than enough disciplinary procedures in place. 

Students must clearly understand, and prove their understanding of, the guidelines, reward opportunities, and rubric for determining reward eligibility. 

It may even be wise to involve the students in some dynamics of the PBIS store planning. Students are empowered when they are given opportunities to speak for themselves, be invited to make decisions that will directly affect them, and prepare them with a unique set of social skills. 

Isn’t this why we teach? Isn’t this why we equip students? How can we teach them what it means to be a model citizen without allowing them to showcase what they have learned? 

5. Prioritize student voice

Create a survey so that the rewards in your store will garner excitement and make the incentive worthwhile. Student buy-in is a real thing and should be taken into account when building a school store.

Therefore, students' voice is essential in ensuring the success of the store that is being built. You can think of it as “market research”. Students will also feel partly responsible for the success of the school because they had a “say” in the items that are included. 

Utilizing technology and apps will be important. After all, this is a generation of digital natives. Meaning, that they are practically born understanding and depending upon technology for almost everything. There are plenty of apps that allow simple customization. 

Starting Your PBIS Store

Building a PBIS Store is laborious work that yields extraordinary results. The task of building a store will take intentionality and strategic planning. However, you will see improvement in the most challenging students and effort from those who may have lacked motivation. 

But more importantly, you will have a front-row seat to the transformation of your students and the incredible power of transformative school culture. Need more specific resources, check out our information on PBIS in Elementary Schools. Want to learn all you can possibly learn about PBIS? Check out our Complete PBIS Field Guide.

Looking for a place to start your school culture journey? Check out our free PBIS template where you can download a sample to get started.

To learn what other educators are saying take a look at our PBIS reviews. How do you unlock the full potential of PBIS? Check out our resources on harnessing the power of PBIS for your school district. Providing behavior support in today's schools requires that we address behavior problems holistically. Check out how The Dulles School of Excellence is doing just that by blending PBIS and SEL.

All Reward Ideas for Students

🎉
👑
🎁
Holidays Around the World
Grades K-12
School
Event
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Anime Themed Party
Grades 6-12
School
Event
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Play Games
Grades 6-12
Class/House
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Wristband
Grades K-12
Student
Tangible
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Lunch With the Teacher
Grades K-5
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Homework Pass
Grades 6-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Holiday Classroom Carousel
Grades 9-12
School
Event
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Camp Read Away
Grades K-8
Class/House
Event
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Kickback Vibes
Grades 6-12
Class/House
Event
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
“Let's Make A Difference Week"
Grades 9-12
Class/House
Event
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Virtual Field Trip
Grades K-12
Class/House
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Sports Tickets
Grades 3-12
Student
Tangible
Deluxe
🎉
👑
🎁
Digital Escape Rooms
Grades 6-12
Class/House
Privilege
Deluxe
🎉
👑
🎁
Classroom DJ
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Talk Time
Grades 6-8
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Cut the Principal’s Tie
Student
Privilege
Free

All Reward Ideas for Elementary School Students

🎉
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🎁
Backpack
Grades K-12
Student
Tangible
Deluxe
🎉
👑
🎁
Wristband
Grades K-12
Student
Tangible
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Cut the Principal’s Tie
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Lunch Fast Pass
Grades 3-8
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
School Spirit Day
Grades K-12
School
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Camp Read Away
Grades K-8
Class/House
Event
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Dance Party
Grades K-12
Student
Event
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Extra Reading Time
Grades K-5
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Snowball Fights (& Popsicles!)
Grades K-8
Class/House
Event
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Snack Party
Grades 3-12
Class/House
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Sweatshirt
Grades K-12
Student
Tangible
Deluxe
🎉
👑
🎁
Stickers
Grades K-5
Student
Tangible
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Pie a Teacher
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Free Dress
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Class Book
Grades K-5
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Firebird of the Month
Grades K-12
Student
Event
Low Cost/DIY

All Free Reward Ideas for Schools

🎉
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🎁
Extra Recess
🎉
👑
🎁
Teacher Serenade
🎉
👑
🎁
Blood Drive
🎉
👑
🎁
Free Dress
🎉
👑
🎁
School Assembly
🎉
👑
🎁
Camp Read Away
🎉
👑
🎁
Homework Pass
🎉
👑
🎁
Special Screening
🎉
👑
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Talk Time
🎉
👑
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Tech Time
🎉
👑
🎁
Operate Equipment.

All Reward Ideas for High School Students

🎉
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🎁
Free Dress
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Books
Grades K-12
Student
Tangible
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Operate Equipment.
Grades 9-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
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Homework Pass
Grades 6-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Teacher Serenade
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Game Week
Grades 9-12
School
Event
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Movie Posters
Grades 3-12
Student
Tangible
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Decades Party
Grades 6-12
School
Event
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Meme Party
Grades 6-12
School
Event
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Positive Note or Call Home
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Dress Up or Down Day
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
The Love Soiree
Grades 6-12
School
Event
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Be a Comedian.
Grades 6-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Anime Themed Party
Grades 6-12
School
Event
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Awards Show Afterparty
Grades 6-12
School
Event
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Passing Period Music
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Free

All Reward Ideas for Middle School Students

🎉
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Snack Pack
Grades K-12
Student
Tangible
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Sweatshirt
Grades K-12
Student
Tangible
Deluxe
🎉
👑
🎁
Donate $1
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Social Media Reporter
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Design the Bulletin Board
Grades K-12
Class/House
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Technology
Grades 6-12
Student
Tangible
Deluxe
🎉
👑
🎁
Create the Seating Chart
Grades 6-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Teacher Serenade
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Morning Meeting Leader
Grades 3-8
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Awards Show Afterparty
Grades 6-12
School
Event
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Emcee the Announcements
Grades 6-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
School Spirit Day
Grades K-12
School
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Teacher Q&A
Grades K-12
Class/House
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Play Games
Grades 6-12
Class/House
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Wristband
Grades K-12
Student
Tangible
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Movie Posters
Grades 3-12
Student
Tangible
Low Cost/DIY

All Student Reward & Incentive Ideas

💰
🎨
Stuffed Animal in Class
Grades K-5
Student
Privilege
Free
💰
🎨
Talk Time
Grades 6-8
Student
Privilege
Free
💰
🎨
Extra Computer Games
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Free
💰
🎨
Technology
Grades 6-12
Student
Tangible
Deluxe
💰
🎨
Toys
Grades K-8
Student
Tangible
Low Cost/DIY
💰
🎨
Class Jobs
Grades 3-8
Student
Privilege
Free
💰
🎨
Class Pet
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Deluxe
💰
🎨
Lunch Fast Pass
Grades 3-8
Student
Privilege
Free
💰
🎨
Snack Pack
Grades K-12
Student
Tangible
Low Cost/DIY
💰
🎨
Drop Lowest Quiz
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Free
💰
🎨
Teacher for the Day
Grades 6-12
Student
Privilege
Free
💰
🎨
Trip to the Treasure Box
Grades K-5
Student
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
💰
🎨
Seating Choice
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
💰
🎨
Snacks
Grades K-12
Student
Tangible
Low Cost/DIY
💰
🎨
Tech Time
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Free
💰
🎨
Lunch Reservations
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY

All Virtual Reward Ideas for Schools

🎉
👑
🎁
Donate $1
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Positive Note or Call Home
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Show & Tell
Grades K-8
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Host a Virtual Party. 🎶
Grades 6-12
Class/House
Event
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Teacher Q&A
Grades K-12
Class/House
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Social Media Reporter
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Stickers
Grades K-5
Student
Tangible
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Classroom DJ
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Digital Escape Rooms
Grades 6-12
Class/House
Privilege
Deluxe
🎉
👑
🎁
Brain Break
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Virtual Field Trip
Grades K-12
Class/House
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Virtual Talent Show. 🎤
Grades 3-12
Class/House
Event
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Student Spotlight Board
Grades K-5
Student
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Extra Computer Games
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Certificate of Achievement
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Morning Meeting Leader
Grades 3-8
Student
Privilege
Free
See all Rewards

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