Transforming Complexity into Practical Action

Rob HornerUniversity of Oregonwww.pbis.org

The Challenge•Intense Accountability focused on Student

Outcomes

•Multiple and Evolving Initiatives

•Complex Federal and State Regulations

Development of Science to Practice Efforts

•David Tilly/ Hill Walker

Identification of basic principles of behavior

Development of evidence-based practices

Development of implementation technology

The current technology of Implementation•94-142 and IDEA

▫Focus on Access to Education▫Access to services

•NCLB and RTI▫Focus on Outcomes▫Implementation of Effective Practices

© Dean Fixsen, Karen Blase, Robert Horner, George Sugai, 2008

Implementation

•An effective intervention is one thing

•Implementation of an effective intervention is a very different thing

•Dean Fixsen

© Dean Fixsen, Karen Blase, Robert Horner, George Sugai, 2008Sobering Observation

"All organizations [and systems] are designed, intentionally or unwittingly, to achieve precisely the results they get." R. Spencer Darling (Business Expert)

Unintended Effects•Our systems are organized to meet

administrative requirements, not student outcomes

•Conflicting programs•Conflicting funding streams•Redundancy•Lack of coordination across programs•Inconsistent rules about program access•Extreme complexity and fiscal inefficiency

Our education system has grown up through a process of “disjointed incrementalism” (Reynolds, 1988)

K-12 Education

SPED

Migrant

ELL

At-Risk

Title I

Gifted

Proposed Solution•Combine Response to Intervention

with Conventional Problem Solving Model

Define Proble

m

Develop Plan

Implement

Data Used for Evaluatio

n

Define Proble

m

Develop Plan

Implement

Data Used for Evaluatio

n

Lessons Learned from PBIS •Never stop doing what works

•Focus on the smallest changes that will produce the largest effects on valued outcomes

•Make any initiative adapt to your school culture

•Never introduce something new without simultaneously defining what you will stop doing to create the resources for the new effort.

Lessons Learned• Invest in initiatives that will be implemented with

high fidelity and maintained for at least 10 years.

▫Braid Initiatives by Focusing first on outcomes Implementing practices not programs.

▫Achieve fidelity through comprehensive implementation Provide instruction on content Provide opportunities for demonstration Provide opportunities for practice Provide coaching in performance context.

▫Implement the policies that will support effect practice

Lessons Learned

•Implement innovations with active coaching

Training Outcomes Related to Training Components

Training Components Training Outcomes

Knowledge of Content

Skill Implementation

ClassroomApplication

Presentation/ Lecture

PlusDemonstration

Plus Practice

Plus Coaching/ Admin SupportData Feedback

10% 5% 0%

30% 20% 0% 60% 60% 5%

95% 95% 95%

Joyce & Showers, 2002

Lessons Learned•Implement practices with basic policies

and systems needed for high fidelity and sustainability

Discipline Foundation Policy: LAUSD• School-Wide Positive Behavior Support• NUMBER: BUL-3638.0• ISSUER: Donnalyn Jaque-Antón, Executive Officer, Educational Services• DATE: March 27, 2007

• POLICY:• Every student, pre-school through adult, has the right to be educated in a safe,• respectful and welcoming environment. Every educator has the right to teach

in an• atmosphere free from disruption and obstacles that impede learning. This will

be• achieved through the adoption and implementation of a consistent school-wide

positive behavior support and discipline plan for every school in LAUSD.

• All school level discipline plans will be consistent with the Culture of Discipline: Guiding Principles for the School Community (Attachment A) and Culture of Discipline: Student Expectations (Attachment B). This will include: teaching school rules and social-emotional skills; reinforcing appropriate student behavior; using effective classroom management and positive behavior support strategies by providing early intervention for misconduct and appropriate use of consequences.

Lessons Learned•Avoid competing initiatives

Efficient Systems of Support•“The typical school operates 14 different

prevention activities concurrently, and the typical activity is implemented with poor quality.”

▫Gottfredson, Gottfredson, Czeh, Cantor, Crosse & Hantman, 2000

Initiative, Project,

Committee

Purpose Outcome Target Group

Staff Involved

SIP/SID/etc

Attendance Committee

Character Education

Safety Committee

School Spirit Committee

Discipline Committee

DARE Committee

EBS Work Group

Working Smarter

1. Eliminate all initiatives that do NOT have a defined purpose and outcome measure.

2. Combine initiatives that have the same outcome measure and same target group

3. Combine initiatives that have 75% of the same staff

4. Eliminate initiatives that are not tied to School Improvement Goals.

Initiative, Committee

Purpose Outcome Target Group

Staff Involved

SIP/SID/etc

Attendance Committee

Increase attendance

% of students attending

All students Eric, Ellen, Marlee

Goal #2

Character Education

Improve character

Student behavior?

All students Marlee, J.S., Ellen

Goal #3

Safety Committee Improve safety

Dangerous students

Has not met Goal #3

School Spirit Committee

School spirit All students Has not met

Discipline Committee

Improve behavior

Improve discipline

Bullies, repeat offenders

Ellen, Eric, Marlee, Otis

Goal #3

DARE Committee Decrease drug use

High risk drug users

Don ??

EBS Work Group Implement 3-tier model

Office referrals,Attendance, Grades

All students Eric, Ellen, Marlee, Otis, Emma

Goal #2Goal #3

Sample Team Matrix

One Example•Bully Proofing

Lessons Learned•Organize for comprehensive

implementation

Leadership Team

FundingVisibility Political

Support

Training Coaching Evaluation

Local Demonstration Schools

Active Coordination

BehavioralExpertise

Lessons Learned•Administrators are critical to effective and

durable implementation

▫Gallop poll▫Jennifer Doolittle

“What the Worlds Greatest Managers Do Differently”-- Buckingham & Coffman 2002, Gallup

Interviews with 1 million workers, 80,000 managers, in 400 companies. • Create working environments where employees:

1. Know what is expected 2. Have the materials and equipment to do the job

correctly 3. Receive recognition each week for good work. 4. Have a supervisor who cares, and pays attention 5. Receive encouragement to contribute and improve 6. Can identify a person at work who is a “best friend.” 7. Feel the mission of the organization makes them

feel like their jobs are important 8. See the people around them committed to doing a

good job 9. Feel like they are learning new things (getting

better) 10. Have the opportunity to do their job well.

Summary•School building administrators are

essential for organizational change

•We get the outcomes our systems are designed to produce. If we don’t like the outcome, then change the system.

•Invest in capacity for high fidelity implementation of a small number of core initiatives.