School-wide Positive Behaviour · School-/Classroom-Wide Systems for All Students, Staff, & Settings Targeted Group Interventions: Specialized Group Systems for Students with At-Risk

School-wide Positive BehaviourSupport

A Systems-Level Approach to Improving Prosocial Skills and Reducing Challenging Behaviour

Kent McIntoshUniversity of British Columbia

Handouts: http://kentmcintosh.wordpress.com

Goals for this Afternoon

1. Describe the reasons for approaching student behaviour from a systems level

2. Explain the essential elements of School-wide Positive Behaviour Support (PBS)

Rules, rules, rules…

Think of a “rule” you have seen lately Share your experience (briefly) with your

neighbourWhat was it?What was your reaction?

What do we want students to learn by the time they leave school? Academic skills… Social responsibility…No chewing gum?No hats?No running in the hallways?No fighting?No PDAs?

How do we react to problem behaviour? “Joseph, I’m taking your book away because you

obviously aren’t ready to learn. That’ll teach you a lesson.”

“Hsin, you are going to learn some social responsibility by staying in timeout until the class is willing to have you back.”

“You want my attention?! I’ll show you attention…let’s take a walk down to the office & have a little chat with the Principal.”

“Karyn, you skipped 2 school days, so we’re going to suspend you for 2 more.”

The “Get Tough” approach:Assumption that “problem” student…

Is inherently “bad”Will learn more appropriate behaviour

through increased use of aversivesWill be better tomorrow…

…after the suspension

Science and our experiences have taught us that students….

Are NOT born with “bad behaviours” Do NOT learn when presented with

increasing levels of punishment…Do learn better ways of

behaving by being taught directly & receiving positive feedback

One-Shot Professional Development:The “train & hope” approach

1. React to identified problem2. Hire expert to train staff3. Expect & hope for implementation4. Wait for new problem…

Our Solutions…

PLAN A:PLAN B: PLAN C:PLAN D:

Divine interventionGet rid of the bad applesA professional development dayTake a systems-level approach to student (and adult) behaviour

What would a positive, encouraging school climate look like? Students know what is expected of them and

choose to do so because they: Know what to do Have the skills to do it See the natural benefits for acting responsibly

Adults and students have more time to: Focus on relationships Focus on classroom instruction

There is an instructional approach to discipline Instances of problem behaviour are opportunities to learn

and practice prosocial behaviour

PRACTICES

SupportingStaff Behaviour

SupportingDecisionMaking

SupportingStudent Behaviour

PositiveBehaviourSupport OUTCOMES

Social Responsibility &Academic Achievement

Lewis & Sugai, 1999 Lewis & Sugai, 1999

PRACTICES

SupportingStaff Behaviour

SupportingDecisionMaking

SupportingStudent Behaviour

PositiveBehaviourSupport OUTCOMES

Social Responsibility &Academic Achievement

Not specific practice orcurriculum…it’s ageneral approach

to preventingproblem behavior and encouraging

prosocial behaviour

Not limited to anyparticular group of

students…it’sfor all students

Not new…its based onlong history of

effective educationalpractices & strategies

Universal Interventions:School-/Classroom-Wide Systems for

All Students,Staff, & Settings

Targeted Group Interventions:

Specialized GroupSystems for Students with At-Risk Behaviour

Intensive Individual Interventions:Specialized

IndividualizedSystems for Students

with High-Risk Behaviour

CONTINUUM OFSCHOOL-WIDE

INSTRUCTIONAL & POSITIVE BEHAVIOUR

SUPPORT

What does PBS look like?








~80% of Students

~15%

~5%


INSTRUCTIONAL & POSITIVE BEHAVIOUR

SUPPORT

School-wide & Class-wide Systems1. Define school-wide expectations

(i.e., social competencies)2. Teach and practice expectations3. Monitor and acknowledge prosocial

behaviour4. Provide instructional consequences

for problem behaviour5. Collect information and use it for

decision-making

Critical Features of EffectiveSchool-wide Expectations Small number2 to 5

BroadCover all expected behaviours

Memorable Positively stated

Define Expectations by Setting Transform broad

school-wide expectations into specific, observable actions

Clear examples of what is and what is not expected

Take care in defining culturally responsive expectations

Plan to Teach Expectations

Create a schedule and lesson plans for: Start of the year Booster sessions

Teach the expectations in the actual settings Teach the:

Words Rationale Actions

Teaching Schedule Example: Cultus Lake Community School

Teach social and emotional skills just like academic skills Use positive & negative examplesGoal is for students to identify the line

between acceptable and not acceptable Regular practice is needed to build skills Provide performance feedback Monitor progress in skills If students have trouble, reteach and provide

practice

On-going Acknowledgement of Appropriate Behaviour Every faculty and staff member

acknowledges appropriate behaviour 5 to 1 ratio of positive to negative contacts

System that makes acknowledgement easy and simple for students and staff

Different strategies for acknowledging appropriate behaviour (small frequent incentives more effective)

Are “rewards” dangerous?

“Our research team has conducted a series of reviews and analysis of the literature; our conclusion is that there is no inherent negative property of reward. Our analyses indicate that the argument against the use of rewards is an overgeneralization based on a narrow set of circumstances.” Cameron, 2002

See also: Cameron & Pierce, 1994, 2002 Cameron, Banko & Pierce, 2001

Pitfalls of acknowledgement systems and how to avoid them1. They become expected Should be random Should be deserved

2. The interaction is left out The interaction is what works, not a ticket

3. They are provided in the same way to all Should be used to link attempts to success Should be developmentally appropriate

Discourage Problem Behaviours Do not ignore problem behaviour Provide clear guidelines for what is

handled in class vs. sent to the office Use mild, instructional consequences Remember the PURPOSES of negative

consequencesPrevent escalation of problem behavioursPrevent/minimize reward for problem

behavioursProvide more practice

Using PBS in Daily Teaching:Discouraging Problem Behaviour When you see problem behaviour, make

sure to look for positive behaviour to acknowledge

Try to identify what basic need that the student is trying to meet

REMEMBER: “Getting tougher” is an ineffective approach

Use Data for Decision-making

Two kinds of informationFidelity of ImplementationStudent Outcomes

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

October November

Tota

l ODR

s

PlaygroundClassroom

Use Data for Decision-making Sifton Elementary School Office Discipline Referrals

Sifton Playground Challenge








~80% of Students

~15%

~5%


INSTRUCTIONAL & POSITIVE BEHAVIOR

SUPPORT

Targeted Interventions: Common Features Increased structure and feedback Social/social-emotional skills instruction Regular & frequent opportunities for

success (and recognition) Academic assistance

Examples: Homework Club, Rule School, Contracting, Social Skills Groups, Grief/Loss/Friendship Groups…








~80% of Students

~15%

~5%


INSTRUCTIONAL & POSITIVE BEHAVIOR

SUPPORT

Intensive Individual Interventions

Individualized, function-based behavioursupport

Identify what basic need students are trying to meet with problem behaviourTeach adaptive, prosocial skills to meet those

needsChange environments to make problem

behaviour less likelyStop inadvertently making problem behaviour

worse

Does PBS make a difference?

Empirical Evidence Supporting SWPBS (from McIntosh et al., 2010)

Over 25 studies in peer-reviewed journals 2 randomized control trials (in print)University of Oregon (Horner et al., 2009)

Johns Hopkins University (Bradshaw, Mitchell, & Leaf, 2010)

Broad range of implementersMostly typical school personnel

Central Middle School, Red Deer, AB

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

2005-2006 2006-2007 2007-2008 2008-2009

Tota

l Out

of S

choo

l Sus

pens

ions

SWPBSPre‐SWPBS

BC Elementary School Example:Office Discipline Referrals

What does a reduction of 266 discipline referrals mean?Kay Bingham Elementary

Savings in School Staff time

(ODR = 15 min)

3,990 minutes 67 hours 8 8-hour days

Savings in Student Instructional time

(ODR = 30 min)

7,980 minutes 133 hours 17 6-hour school

daysGet the cost-benefit calculator at: www.pbismaryland.org!

BC Elementary School Example:Out of School Suspensions

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

School District

% m

any

times

or a

ll of

the

time

At school, are you bullied, teased or picked on?

2008

2009

Student Satisfaction Survey: Grade 4

FSA Results 2007-09: Grade 4

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

School District

% m

eetin

g or

exc

eedi

ng

Reading Comprehension

2008

2009

Where can I learn more about PBS?

Resources

Websites: bcpbs.wordpress.compromisingpractices.research.educ.ubc.capbis.org

Making Connections ConferenceRichmond, BC Nov. 1 – 2, 2012

PBIS Implementers ForumChicago, IL Oct. 18 – 19, 2012

Contact Information

Kent [email protected] of British ColumbiaECPS2125 Main MallVancouver, BC V6T 1Z4

Handouts: http://kentmcintosh.wordpress.com

Documents

School-wide Positive Behaviour · School-/Classroom-Wide Systems for All Students, Staff, & Settings Targeted Group Interventions: Specialized Group Systems for Students with At-Risk