Zoe Sermons
Staff Writer
The new Titan Ticket system is a part of a new ACPS PBIS (positive behavioral intervention and supports) practice that is being implemented this year. Titan Tickets are raffle tickets that staff will begin to hand out to students when they are seen demonstrating positive behaviors. After collecting tickets, students can then trade them in for a commensurate prize or enter it into a raffle by putting their ticket in their administrators’ fish bowl. Each week, the administration will draw a ticket from the bowl, and the selected student will win a prize.
PBIS is an evidence-based practice for promoting social and academic success and building a positive social culture. PBIS recognizes positive behavior and rewards students that demonstrate these positive traits. It has not been made clear when the new Titan Ticket system will begin, but as of now, staff have not been given tickets to distribute.
Some students are weary about the practice’s effectiveness. “I think that it’s good that they are rewarding kids who follow the rules and who want to make a difference in our school. However, I don’t think it is going to encourage kids who are already making bad decisions to be better,” said junior Lexi Eveges.
The rewards that will be offered include: gift cards, Playstation video games, access to Minnie Howard game room and activities, school store privileges, access to school events and athletic games, ice cream socials, a party on the Upper Courtyard and classroom pizza parties.
“There’s no proof that it’s actually going to give a student rewards, and we haven’t seen the impact Titan Tickets can have,” Eveges continued. Some students are unsure if Titan Tickets will have any impact on the culture of our school and the academic success of students, but it is also not clear if the system will be implemented at all.
Some teachers seem to be unsure of the system as well. “I think that ultimately, it oversimplifies being a good person and takes away actually creating kind citizens,” said DE College Composition 11 teacher Katherine Bentley.
Teachers are not the only ones who can hand out tickets. Office staff, security, administrators, the food/nutrition team and the custodial team will all distribute Titan Tickets.
Teachers like Bentley also feel that a reward ought not be required for doing what is expected of students. “I think your reward for doing those things is that people like you, people respect you, [and] you’ll get better grades. The rewards are built in for why you should do those things. We don’t need to add on external rewards on top of that,” she said.
