What is an acknowledgement system?

An acknowledgement system is an organized and consistent way to recognise students who meet your school’s behavioural expectations. The purpose of an acknowledgement system is to prompt adults to respond positively when a student engages in the behavioural expectations.

Reinforcing students’ appropriate behaviour increases the likelihood that it will happen again, and it allows staff to connect with more students. Highlighting what students are doing well helps build relationships as adults and students positively interact. Handing out tickets to students who display the expected behaviour is one example of an acknowledgement system, but there are multiple options for acknowledging behaviour.

 Why should we use an acknowledgement system?

Behaviour can be taught. Acknowledging the behaviours you want to see repeated teaches students to engage in that behaviour. Acknowledgement systems are a structured way to use behaviour-specific praise to help students understand exactly what they did that was appropriate. When using behaviour-specific praise, it is important to name the specific behaviour that was observed along with the expectation that was displayed so students know exactly what they did well. Using praise to acknowledge appropriate behaviour can lead to more frequent appropriate behaviour in classrooms (Spilt, Leflot, Onghena, & Coplin, 2016; Simonsen, Fairbanks, Briesch, Myers, & Sugai, 2008).

The 4 Rs: Our School Values

The following value statements were co-designed by our teachers, co-educators, parents/carers and students.

These signs will be displayed in every learning space in the school to allow ease of reference for staff and students.

These twelve statements of expected behaviour will underpin our school-wide acknowledgement system, the Rowellyn Road.

Catching them getting it right: The Rowellyn Road

The Rowellyn Road acknowledgement system is based on staff acknowledging students for demonstrating the school values of Respect, Resilience, Responsibility and Reflection in their daily school lives.

Using the 4R value statements as a reference point, students will be acknowledged for the small successes in school life, such as attending every lesson on time for the week.

Students will be acknowledged for academic progress, community and sporting achievements and for positive interactions with staff and peers.

Students will be awarded ‘Rowellyn Achievement Points’, or ‘RAPs’ for demonstrating the 4Rs and these will be allocated by staff on a 3-2-1 basis, depending on the action or behaviour demonstrated.

As students accumulate RAPS, they will climb the Rowellyn Road, receiving acknowledgement in the form of certificates and celebratory lunches at each milestone.

RAPs will be by staff using compass chronicle, with specific ‘RAP’ chronicle templates available for use.

When the RAP Compass chronicle entry is saved by the staff member, Parents/carers will get an automated email to inform them every time a RAP is awarded to their child.

Student progress can be tracked in Compass and some class teachers may choose to use a wall chart with students colouring the boxes as they are awarded points, or something to that effect.

The Rowellyn Road system runs to the academic year, therefore the points totals are reset each year.

Rowellyn Awards Points (RAPs)

Teachers, co-educators and ES staff can allocate students Rowellyn Achievement Points (RAPs) for demonstrating behaviours or actions that align with the school values, in particular the twelve value statements displayed around the school.

A simple tiered system is in place to support staff in deciding the number of RAPs to allocate a particular achievement or action. 3 RAPs is the most a student can be allocated at one time.

Points	Criteria	Example
1	A one-off lesson, where the student demonstrated one of the 4Rs A one-off action in the yard, where the student demonstrated one of the 4Rs Consistently meeting an expectation over an extended period of time (such as a week)	The student completes a set task to a high standard The student participates in a group task effectively in a given lesson The student completes voluntary environmental duty The student is present and on time for every period in one week
2	A project that goes over a sequence of lessons A significant achievement or demonstrated behaviour Considerable improvement in attitude, behaviour or academic achievement over an extended period of time.	An outstanding STEAM project Completion of an assessment or learning task to an extremely high standard Improvement in effort level or Victorian curriculum level in report or other assessment
3	A sustained improvement in a learning area or behaviour, over a sustained period of time A significant contribution to the community A significant act of leadership, kindness, care and support of others.	The student volunteers to lead a project or task The student helps a distressed member of the public on the street The student supports a peer or younger student who is distressed in the yard.