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Moving Up the Continuum: Implementing Successful Small

Group Supports

Tim Lewis, Ph.D.

University of Missouri

OSEP Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports

<pbis.org>

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Small Group / Targeted Interventions

Social Skill Training Self-Management Mentors/Check-in Peer tutoring / Peer Network Academic support Individual plans (FBA)

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School-wide Positive Behavior Support

SW-PBS is a broad range of systemic and individualized strategies for achieving important social and learning outcomes while preventing problem behavior

OSEP Center on PBIS

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SYST

EMS

PRACTICES

DATASupportingStaff Behavior

SupportingDecisionMaking

SupportingStudent Behavior

PositiveBehaviorSupport OUTCOMES

Social Competence &Academic Achievement

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Academic Systems Behavioral Systems

1-5% 1-5%

5-10% 5-10%

80-90% 80-90%

Intensive, Individual Interventions•Individual Students•Assessment-based•High Intensity

Intensive, Individual Interventions•Individual Students•Assessment-based•Intense, durable procedures

Targeted Group Interventions•Some students (at-risk)•High efficiency•Rapid response

Targeted Group Interventions•Some students (at-risk)•High efficiency•Rapid response

Universal Interventions•All students•Preventive, proactive

Universal Interventions•All settings, all students•Preventive, proactive

Designing School-Wide Systems for Student Success

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Universal Strategies: School-Wide

Essential Features• Statement of purpose• Clearly define expected behaviors (Rules)• Procedures for teaching & practicing expected behaviors• Procedures for encouraging expected behaviors• Procedures for discouraging problem behaviors• Procedures for record-keeping and decision making

(swis.org)• Family Awareness and Involvement

I am…. All Settings Classroom Hallways Cafeteria Bathrooms Playground Assemblies

Safe •Keep bodies calm in line•Report any problems•Ask permission to leave any setting

Maintain personal space

WalkStay to the right on stairsBanisters are for hands

•Walk•Push in chairs•Place trash in trash can

Wash hands with soap and waterKeep water in the sinkOne person per stall

Use equipment for intended purposeWood chips are for the groundParticipate in school approved games onlyStay in approved areasKeep body to self

•Walk•Enter and exit gym in an orderly manner

Respectful

•Treat others the way you want to be treated•Be an active listener•Follow adult direction(s)•Use polite language•Help keep the school orderly

Be honestTake care of yourself

Walk quietly so others can continue learning

Eat only your foodUse a peaceful voice

Allow for privacy of othersClean up after self

•Line up at first signal •Invite others who want to join in•Enter and exit building peacefully•Share materials•Use polite language

Be an active listenerApplaud appropriately to show appreciation

A Learner

•Be an active participant•Give full effort•Be a team player•Do your job

•Be a risk taker•Be prepared•Make good choices

Return to class promptly

•Use proper manners•Leave when adult excuses

•Follow bathroom procedures•Return to class promptly

•Be a problem solver•Learn new games and activities

•Raise your hand to share•Keep comments and questions on topic

Benton Elementary

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Universal Strategies: Non-Classroom Settings

• Identify Setting Specific Behaviors• Develop Teaching Strategies• Develop Practice Opportunities and

Consequences• Assess the Physical Characteristics• Establish Setting Routines• Identify Needed Support Structures• Data collection strategies

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Universal Strategies:Classroom

• Use of school-wide expectations/rules• Effective Classroom Management

– Behavior management– Instructional management– Environmental management

• Support for teachers who deal with students who display high rates of problem behavior

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The key

BEHAVIOR is functionally related to the TEACHING

ENVIRONMENT

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School-wide PBS Process Analyses

applying science to create and sustain school-wide systems

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Practices (what we do for students)

• Clear Outcomes/Objectives

• Research supported

• Technical assistance input

• Stake holder input

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Systems (how we support adults)

• Evaluate Current systems – New system– Modify system

• Allocate/reallocate resources• Develop process/model and forms (adult & student)• Training / information dissemination• On-going support (adult & students)• Develop formative evaluation process (student

outcomes, adult use, success and barriers)

• Provide frequent positive & instructional feedback to staff

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Data (how we make decisions)

• Student outcomes

• Adult perceptions

• System analyses

• Cost benefit

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Policy (how to maintain change)

• Operationalize processes• Codify within existing policy• Dissemination to multiple audiences

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Small Group / Targeted Interventions

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Small Group / Targeted Interventions

• When universals not sufficient to impact behavior

• When students display chronic patterns

• When concerns arise regarding students’ behavior

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Small Group Starting Points

1. Universals firmly in place

2. Data used consistently in team meetings

3. Data decision rules to identify students who need secondary supports

Equal attention to practices (student support) and systems (adult support)

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Pre-Requisites

• Universals must be well established and in-place• Target practices that are preferred or promising

(empirically validated) • Teach basic features of strategies first (general

case)• Keys

– Match intervention to student need – Staff implementing interventions have skills and

support– ALL staff aware of interventions and their part in

promoting generalization• Focus on the systems to support throughout

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Important Themes

• Part of a continuum – must link to school-wide PBS system

• Efficient and effective way to identify students

• Assessment = simple sort

• Intervention matched to presenting problem but not highly individualized

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Small Group / Targeted Interventions

Consider

• Not fixed group

• Student’s needs vary across continuum over time and within academic/social area

• Least intrusive but matched to student need

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Targeted Interventions: Building Blocks

• Teach/build pro-social replacement behaviors

• Build maintenance and generalization strategies to promote use

• Attend to possible function of the problem behavior

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Important Themes

• Small group = all students get the same intervention (e.g., pull out social skills)

• Targeted = altering classroom or other environment to support a small number of students but will likely benefit all students (e.g., classroom environment changes)

Common misperception is that these strategies will “fix” the student and the classroom teacher does not need to be an active participant since “specialists” or outside staff are often involved in the intervention – Important to stress that these interventions will require high level of involvement among ALL staff within the school building

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Essential Features

Emphasis is on continuum and interrelated components of data,

practices, systems

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Small Group / Targeted Interventions

• Data– Systematic way to identify at-risk students (e.g., office referrals,

teacher nomination, rating scales)– Measure progress and fade support slowly

• Practices– Within class first option– Pull out programs must have generalization strategies– Link small group with school-wide rules and social skills– Academic & social strategies

• Systems– Training for ALL staff on procedures– Options for students who transfer in during school year

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Screening & Assessment

• Office discipline referral data-decision rules– 3 ODR for same offense = child study team

• Review of attendance, grades, achievement, other archival data

• Teacher referral – Simple form– Quick response

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Screening & Assessment

• Routine review of individual student data• Efficient teacher referral system• Parent referral• Screening tools (e.g. SSBD)• Look for those students who are often “under the

radar”...– Students who change addresses frequently – Temporary or seasonal farmers or workers in the

community– Homeless students– Students in foster care or juvenile service homes

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Assessment• Focus is on sorting student for service, not

“diagnosis and placement.”

• Social-Behavioral Concerns– Social skills– Self-management

• Academic Concerns– Peer Tutors– Check in– Homework club

• Emotional Concerns– Adult mentors

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Small Group / Targeted Interventions

Social Skill Training Self-Management Mentors/Check-in Peer tutoring / Peer Network Academic support Individual plans (FBA)

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Work Time

Complete the current small group inventory for one strategy you currently use in your school

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Social Skills

• Identify critical skills (deficit or performance problem)

• Develop social skill lessons– “Tell, show, practice”

– Match language to school-wide expectations

• Generalization strategies

Must provide clear & specific activities all staff follow to promote generalization & make sure staff using strategies

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Assessment: Skill Selection(Data)

• Teacher Ratings

• Ratings by others

• Direct Observation

Importance of discussing cultural, language, and other factors that impact perceptions of “appropriate” social skills

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Planning Requirements(practices, systems)

• Curriculum / Lesson Plans– Adapt/adopt

• Group procedures• Generalization strategies

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Lesson Components(practices)

• rule for when to use the skill• set of useful skill variations

– teach the rule (TELL)– demonstrate the skill (SHOW)– students practice the skill (PRACTICE)– review and test the skill (PRACTICE)– assign homework (PRACTICE)

Teaching social skills follows the same format as teaching academic skills

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Group Procedures(practices, system)

• Who & how many in the group?– 5-8

• When & how long meet?– At least weekly over the school year

• Who teaches?– Combination

• Basic behavior management – Routines– Expectations– Attention signal– Incentives

Social skill outcomes, expectations, etc. must be connected to the school-wide PBS system

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An Example

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Social Skills Club Student Selection

• Designed to meet the needs of repeat offenders

• Criteria for selection: 8 or more referrals across previous school year

Focus =

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Social Skills Club

• Parent letters to extend “invitation”– Voluntary participation

– Presented as prevention/support

– Encouraged parent participation

Focus =

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Social Skills ClubInstructors

• Special Education teacher with fluency in social skills instruction

• Regular class teacher

• Access to technical assistance and resources

Focus =

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Social Skills ClubGroup Management

• Two adults!• Club expectations linked to school-wide expectations• Rules and expectations for group participation in role

play• Planned fun• Reinforcement system linked to school-wide system

Focus =

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Social Skills ClubCurriculum & Delivery of Instruction

• Collected and prepared materials from a variety of sources.

• One hour per week after school for the academic school year

• Attention to pre-requisite skills for participating in lessons.

• Structured format: Advanced Organizer, Teach, Model, Role play, Review, Test & Homework

Focus =

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Social Skills Clubgeneralization

• Posters of each lesson given to classroom teachers to display in class and use as visual prompt.

• “Club” participants present weekly social skill lesson to from club to their class.

• Staff instructed on how to prompt and reinforce

Focus =

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STUDENTS RECEIVING A "BEHAVIOR PLAN"

EIGHT OR MORE REFERRALS

1999/2000 vs. 2000/2001

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18

20

A* B C D E F* G H I J* K L M N O P

STUDENT NAME

NUMBER OF REFERRALS

REFERRALS 99-00 REFERRALS 00-01

AVERAGE PERCENT DECLINE IN REFERRALS

50%%

*STUDENT LEFT SCHOOL DISTRICT BEFORE THE END OF THE ACADEMIC YEAR

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Self-Management

• Teach self-monitoring & targeted social skills simultaneously

• Practice self-monitoring until students accurately self-monitor at 80% or better

• Periodic checks on accuracy

It is not simply giving students a self-evaluation check-list, must teach and practice to fluency and reinforce both accurate self-evaluation and appropriate behavior

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Check-in

• Focus is on academic & social compliance– AM / PM

• Teach strategies to enter work /objectives to accomplish– Agendas

• All staff must prompt/reinforce student use

Emphasize the goal is to fade out the check-in so the focus should be on reinforcing students for accurately self-monitoring and work completion across the school day

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Mentoring

• Focus on “connections” at school– Not monitoring work– Not to “nag” regarding behavior

• Staff volunteer– Not in classroom– No administrators

• Match student to volunteer– 10 minutes min per week

Emphasize the importance of being ready to meet with student on a regular, predictable, and consistent basis. Goal is not to become a “friend,” but a positive adult role model who expresses sincere and genuine care for the student

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Mentor’s Role

• To provide guidance, support, and encouragement for the student while modeling such skills as effective communication, empathy and concern for others, and openness and honesty

• Commitment for entire academic year

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Involve Personnel who have Contact with Students

• Teachers– suggest program type “best fit”

• Administrators– actively involved in scheduling, recruiting, and mentor

selection

• Counselors– Train mentors, troubleshoot problems, etc.

• Secretaries• Cooks • Custodians

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Determine Program Goals and Objectives

• Based on needs of students

• Determined by Team– Focus on basic needs

• Academic• Achievement• Behavior• Communication• Attendance• Social skills

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Determine Who Should be in Program

• Clearly define population and selection criteria– Academic failure, absentees, etc.– Age/grade level

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Develop Activities and Procedures

• Determine length and frequency of mentor-student contact– Weekly

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Orient Mentors and Students

• Before formal process begins

• Both mentor and student should understand roles and hold positive expectations

• Mentors must be aware of student needs and characteristics

• Determine individual student goals and outcomes

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Monitor Mentoring Process

• Continuous monitoring to determine success

• Provide ongoing support for the Mentor– Formal/informal

• Where• When• How often

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Evaluate Program Effectiveness

• Pretest/posttest comparison of criterion for entrance into program (attendance, grades, suspensions, etc.)

• Possible outcomes– Increase in

• Student attendance• Work completion/grades• Academic performance• Completion of homework• Parental/teacher involvement• Positive student-teacher interactions

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Evaluate Program Effectiveness

– Decrease in• Meetings with counselor• Office referrals• Time outs• Suspension • Detention

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Practical Suggestions

• Keep in mind the importance of communication, especially “Listening”

• Remember your purpose for mentoring

• Continue ongoing assessment of program effectiveness

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5

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Number of Behavior Referrals

YR2 YR3

Pals - Combined Discipline ReferralsSept-J an

YR2 vs. YR3

46%

Average

5.38

Average

2.88

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AMOUNT OF TIME PER WEEK

SPENT WORKING DIRECTLY WITH STUDENT

9

6

3

0

0

0

10 minutes or less

10 to 20 minutes

20 to 30 minutes

30 to 40 minutes

40 to 60 minutes

More than 60 minutes

NUMBER OF TEACHERS

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Peer Tutoring

• Tutors must be taught how to teach • Tutors must be taught what to do if tutee

does not comply• Tutors must be given the option to drop

out at any time without penalty

Initially, peer tutoring should be undertaken only with close and on-going teacher supervision to ensure success

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Academic Support

• Homework– If data indicate it doesn’t come back, give up the

battle and build support within the school day• Remediation

– Direct instruction in addition to the current curriculum• Accommodation

– Within instruction

Emphasize the need to identify and intervene early before students fall behind – Ideal is routine screening using Curriculum Based Measures (CBM) to identify students early

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Small Group Planning Sheet1. Purpose / Outcome (Operationally define targets and goals of

intervention)2. Student Identification (Data Decision Rule)

– Existing data (ODR)– Staff referral– Parent referral

3. Parent notification– Written notice– Phone call– Dist policy

4. Who implements– Training for Implementers– Technical Assistance for Implementers– Implementation Checks (include timeline)

5. When / where implement (include start/end dates)

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Small Group Planning Sheet6. Connect points to classroom and other settings / follow-along activities

– Training for staff on implementation of follow-along activities– Tip Sheets for follow-along activities– Technical assistance / follow-up for staff– Follow-along implementation checks

7. Strategies to share plan and progress with home and community agencies

8. Follow-up support for student (s) after support ends– Information sharing with new staff– Student participation in support activities

9. Evaluation (include timeline)– Student Outcomes & data source– Staff perception & data source– Parent perception & data source– Assess generalization across settings– Assess maintenance of treatment outcomes

10. Cost/benefit analysis

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Final Thoughts

• SYSTEM, SYSTEM, SYSTEM

• Train on both practices and how schools can implement (General to Specific Case)

• Fluency on underlying process (data, practices, systems)