Adults at school can give classes compliments on their good behavior, commitment to academics, or hallway excellence. For each compliment a class receives, they add a letter to the phrase they’re aiming to complete. Once a class fills up their current phrase, they earn a Compliment Party.
Each class displays the quarter’s phrase and keeps track of their compliments.
Each quarter of the school year introduces a new phrase to complete. As hallway expectations become more routine, the phrases get longer, requiring exceptional behavior to earn Compliment Parties. The phrases needed in each quarter are:- Q1: Compliments! (12 compliments)
- Q2: Class Compliments! (17 compliments)
- Q3: We Earn Class Compliments! (23 compliments)
- Q4: We Earned All Of Our Class Compliments! (33 compliments)
The first reward for classes each quarter is a sweet treat, usually fruit snacks or rice cereal treats. Classes earn points to the school’s reward store the second time around. Principal Krista Cramer will deliver each group popsicles for their third reward of the quarter, and classes that earn their fourth Compliment Party have a school spirit day with jeans. The fifth reward is up to the class. Cramer said past examples include a costume party and a popcorn party.
This positive behavior incentive was devised to partner with school leadership’s priority on Behave with Care. Cramer said that while teachers are modeling proper hallway etiquette, scholars take pride in matching that example.
Ms. Sherrod’s third-grade class earned enough compliments to spell “We Earn Class Compliments!” for their first celebration of Q3.
“It creates student ownership,” Cramer said. “They know if they’re acting out walking in line, their class risks not getting a compliment, so there’s a lot of encouragement. I will also see adults say, ‘A few of you were not walking straight in the line, but when I see you next time, I bet you will get a compliment.’ So even when the class isn’t earning a compliment, we want to make sure they’re working on why they didn’t.”
This strategy, paired with an emphasis on positive narration, has helped improve student behavior at Paramount. An additional benefit has been increased accountability among staff members.
Teachers have become more comfortable correcting other classes in the halls, something that felt strange at first. Cramer noted that maintaining momentum with compliments was key, adding that she talks with staff often about the importance of giving feedback to other classes.
Ms. Davidson’s fourth-grader scholars earned popsicles for their third Compliment Party of the quarter.
“It starts with us,” Cramer said. “The scholars aren’t going to want to work for it if no one recognizes their hard work. It’s a big part of our Behave with Care and positive behavior incentive processes to bring this up to staff and we’re holding each other accountable to them.”
The Compliment Party system also serves Paramount as an avenue to teach Moral Focus. Staff members often work in the month’s Moral Focus virtue in giving a compliment to classes. Over time, the language has evolved from “good job” to “your class is using so much wisdom right now.”
This specific feedback inspires scholars to repeat their positive actions, reinforcing what each Moral Focus virtue looks like. Compliment Parties have helped turned the once chaotic hallways into a place of positive behavior, student pride, and consistency.
Ms. Smith’s kindergarten class celebrates with fruit snacks for earning a Compliment Party.
“There’s a lot of intentionality behind the Compliment Parties,” Cramer said. “We take it very seriously. It’s not just a freebie.”
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About Paramount Charter Academy
Paramount Charter Academy is a tuition-free, public charter school in Kalamazoo, Michigan, serving students in Young 5s through eighth grade. It is part of the National Heritage Academies (NHA®) network, which includes more than 100 tuition-free, public charter schools serving more than 65,000 students in kindergarten through 12th grade across nine states. For more information, visit nhaschools.com.
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