For the first time, the high school placed in the bronze category for PBIS under the leadership of Assistant Principal Katie Slifkin.
According to the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce, “PBIS is a program for Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports. Ohio schools and districts are responsible for creating a positive school environment where each student can thrive and reach their potential. PBIS is a framework that guides school teams in the selection, integration and implementation of evidence-based practices for improving academic, social and behavior outcomes for all students.”
Slifkin, who has worked at the high school since 2023, said that she is thrilled that SHHS accomplished its goal by earning this award. “It was a pretty big deal, pretty exciting, and it’s essentially all things culture and acknowledging and celebrating,” she said.
She emphasized how important PBIS is to the school. “This system recognizes those who meet expectations, provides supports and interventions on an individual level for students who need targeted support, and allows us all to learn in an environment that is safe, fun and effective,” she said.
Because SHHS earned bronze this year, the school is eligible to earn silver next year. “You have to earn bronze before you can earn silver before you can earn gold,” Slifkin said.
As PBIS coordinator, some of Slifkin’s responsibilities include recording student videos at the beginning of the year about being respectful and responsible, and acknowledging students for exemplifying these attributes.
Slifkin organizes prizes for students who exemplify these characteristics within the high school.“Every week we have PBIS shout out, in which teachers input student names for being responsible, respectful and safe, and then every week we do a drawing,” Slifkin said.
She sends staff a weekly email titled, “STOP, DROP AND SHOUT OUT!” Teachers enter names of students they want to recognize, and the reasons why they deserve a shout out. Students whose names are drawn receive a $5 gift card.
Shaker Heights’s PBIS also supports the high school’s new Sources of Strength group. The national program promotes mental wellbeing, suicide prevention and community throughout schools. Guidance counselor Cathy Szendrey organized the high school’s Sources of Strength effort, which launched in October.
PBIS and Sources of Strength collaborate to organize spirit events at the high school. “PBIS is who supports our Sources of Strength group in partnership to come up with the spirit weeks and the pep rallies,” Slifkin said.
Slifkin went to high school in Youngstown. She was a middle school science teacher in Pinellas County, Florida for seven years before becoming an administrator there.
After five years in that role, she moved back to Ohio and was drawn to work in Shaker Heights because of the welcoming environment and the students.“The staff is willing to come together, try new things, do whatever it takes for kids,” she said.
“The staff is amazing with utilizing the PBIS shoutout Google Sheet to recognize students for being responsible, respectful and safe. They were also willing to collaborate and utilize valuable class time during our staggered start to explicitly teach expectations through the use of student created videos and admin created lessons,” she said.
“When it comes to things like spirit weeks, the pep rally, Sources of Strength — I invite staff to provide feedback and participate, and they are all in with a smile on their face.”
“Shaker has an amazing family feel,” she said, “and PBIS is just one of many amazing layers making our community so great.”
Assistant Principal Logan Cawley said that he appreciates Slifkin’s passion for her job. “Ms. Slifkin is an outstanding educator who is dedicated to student-centered practices, and she is deeply passionate about supporting our Sources of Strength program and building policies around PBIS,” Cawley said.
Slifkin said she enjoys her job because of students. “Interacting with the kids, watching you guys grow, seeing kids go from shy, not-so-sure freshmen to really, upbeat, driven” people, she said, who “have these goals and then go get them.”
A version of this article appears in print on page 5 of Volume 96, Issue 3, published Dec. 15, 2025.
