11 Poway Unified Schools Awarded 2024-2025 California PBIS Recognition

SAN DIEGO, CA — Poway Unified School District is proud to announce that 11 district schools have been awarded a 2024-2025 California PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports) Statewide Recognition.

The recognition highlights the dedication of staff, students, and families in creating welcoming, supportive, and inclusive school communities. Congratulations to the following PUSD schools for their work building positive school environments and implementing PBIS:

Gold Implementation Award

Sunset Hills Elementary School

Silver Implementation Award

Canyon View Elementary School

Chaparral Elementary School

Deer Canyon Elementary School

Highland Ranch Elementary School

Mount Carmel High School

Pomerado Elementary School

Shoal Creek Elementary School

Stone Ranch Elementary School

Willow Grove Elementary School

Bronze Implementation Award

Morning Creek Elementary School

More than 2,500 schools across the state were awarded recognition this year. This is also the second consecutive year that Sunset Hills Elementary has been honored.

Jessica Pineda, director of Attendance and Student Engagement at Poway Unified, said the honor across all PUSD schools that were recognized highlights the incredible work being done to create positive environments for students.

“We believe every child deserves a school environment where they feel safe, supported, and inspired to learn. That’s why we use [PBIS]—a nationally recognized framework that helps schools teach and reinforce positive behavior, create welcoming classrooms, and strengthen relationships between students, staff, and families,” said Pineda. “Research shows that PBIS leads to improved student engagement, fewer discipline issues, and stronger academic outcomes.

PBIS is a systems approach aimed at establishing positive student culture and individualized behavior supports necessary to create a safe and effective learning environment for all students. Education leaders across the state, counties, and districts can also utilize professional learning communities through the California PBIS network to support their implementation of this framework. According to California PBIS, schools that effectively implement PBIS see more than 80% of students and staff able to indicate the positive behavioral expectations of a given school setting, and report more than 70% to 80% of students at their given school have not experienced an office discipline referral.