Case Study: Lyon Academy at Blow cuts suspensions from 200 to 3 and transforms school culture with Kickboard

Lyon Elementary Reduces Suspensions by Creating a Positive School Culture

Lyon Academy at Blow, a K–8 magnet in St. Louis Public Schools serving about 400 students (95% free/reduced lunch), was grappling with severe behavior problems and one of the district’s highest rates of out‑of‑school suspensions. To address these challenges and support its PBIS work, the school adopted Kickboard in fall 2014 to give teachers and leaders a consistent way to track and respond to student behavior.

Kickboard was rolled out in every classroom to record positive and negative behaviors, enforce a 3:1 positivity ratio, run a paycheck‑based PBIS reward system, automate intervention triggers, and generate weekly parent progress reports. As a result, Kickboard helped shift the school culture to focus on positive behavior, increased parent engagement, reduced Reflection Room placements, and drove a dramatic drop in suspensions—from historically over 200 to just three or four out‑of‑school suspensions in the first semester using Kickboard.

Lyon Academy at Blow

Wesley Owings

Teacher & Elementary Team Leader