Moving Toward Small Group/ Targeted and Individual

Supports: Building Efficient and Effective Systems

Janice Morris and Barbara Mitchell

Columbia Public Schools

Primary Prevention:School-/Classroom-Wide Systems for

All Students,Staff, & Settings

Secondary Prevention:Specialized Group

Systems for Students with At-Risk Behavior

Tertiary Prevention:Specialized

IndividualizedSystems for Students

with High-Risk Behavior

~80% of Students

~15%

~5%

CONTINUUM OFSCHOOL-WIDE

INSTRUCTIONAL & POSITIVE BEHAVIOR

SUPPORT

What Do We Know?

1. Understand interaction between behavior and the teaching environment

Behavior is functionally related to the teaching environment

2. Provide supports to Teach pro-social “replacement” behaviors

Small group or targeted to function

3. Create environments to support the use of appropriate behaviors

Practice and acknowledge success

SYST

EMS

PRACTICES

DATASupportingStaff Behavior

SupportingDecisionMaking

SupportingStudent Behavior

PositiveBehaviorSupport OUTCOMES

Social Competence &Academic Achievement

Research Findings on “Scaling Up”(Fixsen, Naoom, Blase, Friedman, & Wallace, 2005, p. 70)

• Best evidence documents what doesn’t work:

– Information dissemination alone

– Training by itself

Research Findings on “Scaling Up”(Fixsen, Naoom, Blase, Friedman, & Wallace, 2005, p. 70)

• What works

– Long term, multi-level approaches

– Skills-based training

– Practice-based coaching

– Practioner performance-feedback

– Program evaluation

– Facilitative administrative practices

– Methods for systems intervention

Applied Work in Progress

Gentry Middle School

Background and Context

• PBS in Columbia Public Schools– 18 elementary buildings– 3 middle schools– 3 junior highs– 3 high school programs– 17,000 students

Gentry Middle School

• Three core teams per grade level– Five general education teachers– One special education /One paraprofessional

• Elective team

• Literacy support center

• Self-contained/Special education

• Administrative team

PBS at Gentry Year 1-2

• Universal Features– Administrative and faculty buy in– Building wide expectations (RRKS)– PBS team– Matrix

PBS at Gentry Year 3-4

• Universal Features– Lesson plans– Redesign office referral – Track discipline data– System for acknowledging (RRKS Ribbon)– Team process revisited

PBS at Gentry Year 5-6

• Universal Features– Revisit matrix– Lesson plans and teaching schedule– Behavioral expectations posted– RRKS Ribbon data collection– Assign sub-committee work

158

42

22

14 12

19

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

1-3 referrals 4-6 referrals 7-9 referrals 10-15 referrals 16-20 20-45

Number of Referrals

The Saga Begins

• Student Assistance Team (SAT)– Administrator– School psychologist– Counselors– Team teacher– Behavior specialist

• Goal = Individual supports

Painful Lessons…

• Year 1: Floundering, Flailing and Failing– Inadequate universal supports– Targeted interventions not systematic or data-

based– Individual plans overwhelming and ineffective

Initial Outcomes

• Multiple changes in individual plans

• Ineffective supports for teachers and students

• Loss of time

• Increased number of referrals

• Diminished credibility

The Saga Continues

• Year 2: Reinforcements Arrive– Outside expertise– Administrative supports

• Money

• Meetings

• Melee

Building Systems

• How to get there1. Develop method for communication

2. Provide tools for decision making

3. Design process for accessing support

4. Plan for maintaining and sustaining

Communicating Practice

SAT-STAT-RRKS

RRKS Team

STAT Team

School-Wide SystemsMatrixLesson PlansSchool-Wide DataAcknowledgementCommunication

Core Team RepresentativeDistrict PBS Support

Building Administrator and Counselors

*Meets Monthly

Core Team Representative

SAT PartnerCore Team Teachers

*Meets Weekly

Core Team/ClassroomsImplement AISMonitor ProgressRefer to SAT

SAT ProcessTeacher Assistance and SupportTargeted InterventionsIndividual Student Plans

SAT Team

AdministratorCounselorBehavior Specialist

Method for Communicating Practice

Skills-Based Assistance

• Assistance Model– SAT members with behavior specialist

• Behavior basics and management• SAT process• Function-linked strategies

– SAT members with STAT team representative– SAT and STAT with core team teachers

Ongoing Intensive Support

• Weekly, skills-based, with feedback

• Periodic, intensive, with follow-up

• Example: 2007-08 Sessions• Classroom/team universals

• AIS process

• Follow-up AIS

• Peer observations

• Feedback and systems maintenance

Decision Making Tools

Pyramid to SuccessRRKS TOC

AIS guide (Alternative Intervention Strategies)

Classroom Teacher IssuesOut of seat, Talking to classmates, Talking out, Off-task, Violation of class rules, Inappropriate language,

Lack of materials, Gum, Disrespect, Cheating, Tardies, Minor destruction of propertyMethod for handling student behaviors

Proactive: Positive call to parents, Use praise, Use Rewards, Daily/Weekly Goal sheets, Proximity to instructor, Provide choices, One-to-One assistance, Pre-correct for transitions/trouble situations, Regular

breaks for exercise, Give a job, RRKS Review, Reward lunch with teacher, etc.Corrective: One and only one REDIRECT, RRKS Review, Safe-seat, Buddy Room, Think Sheet, Parent Phone call, Lunch Detention, Recovery Study Hall, Removal of privilege in classroom, etc.

Team IssuesRepeated minor & major disruptions in multiple classrooms, Throwing things, Hallway/Lockers problems,

Attendance, Repeated disrespect to peers or adults, Cheating, Inappropriate to substitute, Insubordination, Chronic Disruptions

Method for handling student behaviorsProactive: Parent contact (mandatory), RRKS review, Team conference, Team conference with student, Team conference with Parents, Team conference with Administrator/Counselor, Triage in the AM with the

student, Triage at lunch with the student, Team Focus, etc.Corrective: Removal of privilege on team, Recovery Study Hall, Buddy Room, etc.

Office IssuesBus referrals, Truancy, Chronic offender, Threatening student or adult,

Fighting, Refusal to go to or Disruptive in Buddy Room, Sexual harassment, Weapons, Drug/cigarettes/ tobacco/alcohol, Assault – physical or verbal

Teacher Method for handling student behaviorsReferral Form – send student to office with completed form

Process with student before re-entry

Office Method for handling student behaviorsProactive: RRKS Review, Parent Contact

Corrective: Loss of Privilege, Saturday detention, Opportunity Center, Suspension, etc.

Pyramid to Success for All

RRKS TOC (front side)

RRKS – Time Out of Class Code: _____

Student: _________________________ Date:______________________

Incident Time: ____________________# of min. out of rm.: __________

Teacher: _______________________Subject: ____________________

What did you do/not do that got you sent out of class? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Circle the RRKS expectation that was not followed:Respect Responsible Kind Safe

What will you do differently next time?______________________________________

RRKS TOC (back side)

Processing Checklist:Processing data & time:

• Review with the student reason he/she was sent out.

• Teach & practice replacement behavior.

• Provide positive reinforcement for replacement behavior.

• Check the setting in which the behavior occurred.

Whole group instruction

Small group instruction

Individual work

Working with peers

Alone

1-on-1 instruction

Interacting with peers

Other: Please identify belowMinor List: Circle the appropriate code

(MDD) Defiance/Disrespect/Non-compliance

(MDS) Disruption

(MI) Inappropriate Verbal Language

( MO) Other (MPC) Phys. Contact

(MP) Property Misuse

Problem Behavior Function Replacement

Behavior Intervention Outcome for Replacement

Behavior Off-task, Non-disruptive

Peer Attention On-task, work completion

RRKS lesson Š Ņon-taskÓ Pre-correct @ start of class Self-monitor: on-task Periodic praise by teacher

for on-task Quick de-brief at end of

class on self-monitoring

Earn time with peers for meeting self-management goals

Off-task, Disruptive Peer Attention On-task, respectful responses, work completion

RRKS lesson Š Ņon-taskÓ RRKS lesson Š Ņconflict

management/respectÓ Pre-correct @ start of class Self-monitor: on-task &

RRKS Periodic praise by teacher

for on-task Quick de-brief at end of

class on self-monitoring

Earn time with peers for meeting self-management goals

Off-task, Non-disruptive, work completion

Escape (avoids teacher and peers during instruction)

On-task, work completion

RRKS lesson Š Ņon-taskÓ Pre-correct @ start of class Self-monitor: on-task +

work completion Quick de-brief at end of

class on self-monitoring

Earn a Ōskip a homeworkÕ pass Earn other preferred activity for meeting self-management and work completion goals

Off-task, Non-disruptive, work completion

Attention (responds to teacher directions, engages peers)

On-task, work completion

RRKS lesson Š Ņon-taskÓ Pre-correct @ start of class Self-monitor: on-task +

work completion Periodic praise by teacher

for on-task +work completion

Quick de-brief at end of class on self-monitoring

Earn Ņa work with peerÓ activity Earn other preferred activity for meeting self-management and work completion goals

Off-task, Disruptive, Escape On-task, respectful RRKS lesson Š Ņon-taskÓ Earn a Ōskip a homeworkÕ pass

Gentry FBA Matrix

Lewis, 2008

Process for Accessing Support

AIS - SAT Flowchart

Plan for Maintaining and Sustaining

Administrative Perspective

Work Smarter Not Harder

• Restructure resources

• Realign responsibilities

• Revise routines

• Review results

Build Buy-In

• Same things we do for students– Teach expected behavior– Reinforce reasonable

approximation– Acknowledge success

A Happy Ending…

• Outcomes to Date– Increased implementation of universals– Paradigm shift– Building infra-structure to sustain small group/

targeted and individual supports

Pulling It All Together

• Success in building sustained systems– Long-term, multi-level approach– Skills-based training– Practice-based coaching– Practitioner performance-feedback– Program evaluation– Facilitative administrative practices– Methods for systems intervention