Port Jervis Middle School describes 'Level Up' program and reports declines in suspensions and referrals

Port Jervis Middle School unveiled a yearlong "Level Up" initiative on Wednesday night, presenting the board with data showing lower disciplinary incidents and steps to expand student leadership and supports.

Eileen Cook, one of the presenters, said the building unified programs such as PBIS, the Leader in Me curriculum and character education into a single system that uses a common language for recognizing growth. "We leveled up our culture, ownership, learning and supports," Cook said, summarizing the school’s approach to student behavior and character development.

The presentation, which included assistant principal Alexa Daga and staff lead Erica Bloverczyk, described tangible engagement strategies: restored recess, assemblies, a student-run "ClassBank" digital economy where students receive biweekly paychecks and pay "bills," and expanded mentoring with 30 high-school mentors paired to middle-school students. Students also spearhead a Lighthouse leadership team that runs attendance trackers and other initiatives.

Student speakers shared aspects of the program in recorded segments. Eva Moore, a sixth grader, recited the seven Leader in Me habits and announced homeroom attendance rankings; she told the board, "80% of success is showing up." Victoria Palazzo, an eighth grader on the Lighthouse team, promoted a student event (a Snowflake Social on Jan. 21, 6–7 p.m.) and described how student-led activities are used to boost participation and leadership.

Cook and Daga presented outcome data to the board: discipline referrals are down 31% year-to-year, superintendent hearings are down 75%, out-of-school suspensions are down 36% and "lead to class" incidents are down 86%. They also reported a 127‑count jump in contacts home and credited staff efforts and the presence of four security guards in the middle school for helping reduce incidents.

Looking ahead, presenters framed the just-completed year as "Level 1" work and outlined "Level 2" objectives to deepen student ownership, strengthen systems and build capacity with ongoing goals to increase test scores and attendance. The presenters said some actions, such as extending the Leader in Me curriculum to additional grades and expanding literacy supports (including Wilson reading classes), are already scheduled.

The board thanked the presenters and asked no substantive follow-up questions at the meeting. The report was presented as an information item; no board action was required.

Next steps outlined by the presenters include continued data use through common assessments and PLCs, expanding Lighthouse leadership opportunities and rolling out additional mentoring and literacy supports districtwide.