using information for behavior support decision-making

Using Information for Behavior Using Information for Behavior Support Decision-MakingSupport Decision-Making

Taken from Rob Horner, Anne Todd, & Taken from Rob Horner, Anne Todd, & George SugaiGeorge Sugaiwww.swis.orgwww.swis.org

Big Messages about PBISBig Messages about PBIS Traditional approaches to punishment and Traditional approaches to punishment and

exclusion are ineffective when used alone.exclusion are ineffective when used alone. Behavior support needs to occur at the “whole-Behavior support needs to occur at the “whole-

school” levelschool” level Teaching is the most powerful behavior support Teaching is the most powerful behavior support

strategy availablestrategy available On-going use of information for decision-On-going use of information for decision-

making is a key feature of successful school-making is a key feature of successful school-wide discipline systemswide discipline systems..

Effective Behavior SupportEffective Behavior Support Effective Behavior Support is a set of Effective Behavior Support is a set of

strategies and systems to increase the capacity strategies and systems to increase the capacity of schools to (a) reduce school disruption, and of schools to (a) reduce school disruption, and (b) educate students with problem behaviors(b) educate students with problem behaviors

Research-validated Research-validated practicespractices Supportive administrative Supportive administrative systemssystems Use of Use of informationinformation for problem solving for problem solving

SYSTEMS

PRACTICES

INFORMATION

SupportingStaff Behavior

SupportingDecisionMaking

SupportingStudent Behavior

Effective Behavior Support

Why Collect Discipline Information?Why Collect Discipline Information?

Decision makingDecision making Professional AccountabilityProfessional Accountability Decisions made with data (information) are Decisions made with data (information) are

more likely to be (a) implemented, and (b) more likely to be (a) implemented, and (b) effectiveeffective

Key features of data systems that Key features of data systems that work.work.

The data are accurateThe data are accurate The data are very easy to collect (1% of staff time)The data are very easy to collect (1% of staff time) Data are used for decision-makingData are used for decision-making

The data must be available when decisions need to be The data must be available when decisions need to be made (weekly?)made (weekly?)

Difference between data needs at a school building Difference between data needs at a school building versus data needs for a districtversus data needs for a district

The people who collect the data must see the The people who collect the data must see the information used for decision-making.information used for decision-making.

What data to collect for decision-What data to collect for decision-making? making?

USE WHAT YOU HAVEUSE WHAT YOU HAVE Office Discipline Referrals/DetentionsOffice Discipline Referrals/Detentions

Measure of overall environment. Referrals are affected by (a) Measure of overall environment. Referrals are affected by (a) student behavior, (b) staff behavior, (c) administrative contextstudent behavior, (b) staff behavior, (c) administrative context

An under-estimate of what is really happeningAn under-estimate of what is really happening Office Referrals per Day per MonthOffice Referrals per Day per Month

AttendanceAttendance Suspensions/ExpulsionsSuspensions/Expulsions VandalismVandalism

Office Discipline Referral Office Discipline Referral Processes/FormProcesses/Form

Coherent system in place to collect office discipline Coherent system in place to collect office discipline referral datareferral data Faculty and staff agree on categoriesFaculty and staff agree on categories Faculty and staff agree on processFaculty and staff agree on process Office Discipline Referral Form includes needed informationOffice Discipline Referral Form includes needed information

Name, date, timeName, date, time StaffStaff Problem Behavior, maintaining functionProblem Behavior, maintaining function LocationLocation

When Should Data be Collected?When Should Data be Collected?

ContinuouslyContinuously Data collection should be an Data collection should be an embedded partembedded part of of

the school cycle not something “extra”the school cycle not something “extra” Data should be summarized prior to meetings of Data should be summarized prior to meetings of

decision-makers (e.g. decision-makers (e.g. weeklyweekly)) Data will be inaccurate and irrelevant unless the Data will be inaccurate and irrelevant unless the

people people who collect and summarizewho collect and summarize it see the data it see the data used for decision-making. used for decision-making.

Organizing Data for “Information”Organizing Data for “Information”

Counts are good, but not always usefulCounts are good, but not always useful To compare across months use “To compare across months use “average office average office

discipline referrals per day per monthdiscipline referrals per day per month””

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Ref

erra

ls

Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun

School Month

Total Ref versus Ref/Day/MoNV High School

0

1

2

3

4

5 M

ean

Ref

erra

ls p

er D

ay

Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun

School Month

Total Ref versus Ref/Day/Mo

Using Data for On-Going Problem Using Data for On-Going Problem SolvingSolving

Start with the decisionsStart with the decisions not the data not the data Use data in “Use data in “decision layersdecision layers””

IsIs there a problem? (overall rate of ODR) there a problem? (overall rate of ODR) Localize Localize the problem the problem

(location, problem behavior, students, time of day) (location, problem behavior, students, time of day) Get specificGet specific

Don’t drownDon’t drown in the data in the data It’s “OK” to be It’s “OK” to be doing welldoing well Be Be efficientefficient

Is there a problem?Is there a problem?

Office Referrals per Day per MonthOffice Referrals per Day per Month AttendanceAttendance Faculty ReportsFaculty Reports

Interpreting Office Referral Data:Interpreting Office Referral Data:Is there a problem?Is there a problem?

Absolute Absolute levellevel (depending on size of school) (depending on size of school) Middle Schools (>5 per day)Middle Schools (>5 per day) Elementary Schools (>1.5-2 per day)Elementary Schools (>1.5-2 per day)

TrendsTrends Peaks before breaks?Peaks before breaks? Gradual increasing trend across year?Gradual increasing trend across year?

Compare levels to last yearCompare levels to last year Improvement?Improvement?

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

Ave

Ref

erra

ls p

er D

ay

Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun

School Months

Office Referrals per Day per MonthLast year

0

5

10

15

20

Ave

Ref

erra

ls p

er D

ay

Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun

School Months

Office Referrals per Day per MonthLast year

0

5

10

15

20

Ave

Ref

erra

ls p

er D

ay

Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun

School Months

Office Referrals per Day per MonthLast year

0

5

10

15

20

Ave

Ref

erra

ls p

er D

ay

Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun

School Months

Office Referrals per Day per MonthThis Year

0

5

10

15

20

Ave

Ref

erra

ls p

er D

ay

Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun

School Months

Office Referrals per Day per MonthLast Year and This Year

0

5

10

15

20

Ave

Ref

erra

ls p

er D

ay

Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun

School Months

Office Referrals per Day per MonthLast Year and This Year

Is There a Problem? #1Is There a Problem? #1Maintain - Modify - TerminateMaintain - Modify - Terminate

0

5

10

15

20

Ave

Ref

erra

ls p

er D

ay

Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May

School Months

Office Referrals per Day per MonthThis Year

Is There a Problem? #2Is There a Problem? #2Maintain - Modify - TerminateMaintain - Modify - Terminate

0

5

10

15

20

Ave

Ref

erra

ls p

er D

ay

Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun

School Months

Office Referrals per Day per MonthThis year (Middle)

Is There a Problem? #3Is There a Problem? #3Maintain - Modify - TerminateMaintain - Modify - Terminate

0

5

10

15

20

Ave

Ref

erra

ls p

er D

ay

Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun

School Months

Office Referrals per Day per MonthLast Year and This Year

Is There a Problem? #4Is There a Problem? #4Maintain - Modify - TerminateMaintain - Modify - Terminate

0

5

10

15

20

Ave

Ref

erra

ls p

er D

ay

Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun

School Months

Office Referrals per Day per MonthLast Year and This Year

What systems are problematic?What systems are problematic? Referrals by Referrals by problem behaviorproblem behavior??

What problem behaviors are most common?What problem behaviors are most common? Referrals by Referrals by locationlocation??

Are there specific problem locations?Are there specific problem locations? Referrals by Referrals by studentstudent??

Are there many students receiving referrals or only a small Are there many students receiving referrals or only a small number of students with many referrals?number of students with many referrals?

Referrals by Referrals by time of daytime of day?? Are there specific times when problems occur?Are there specific times when problems occur?

Referrals by Problem BehaviorReferrals by Problem Behavior

0

10

20

30

40

50

Num

ber o

f Ref

erra

ls

Lang Achol ArsonBombCombsDefianDisruptDressAgg/fgtTheftHarassProp D Skip Tardy Tobac Vand Weap

Types of Problem Behavior

Referrals per Prob Behavior

Referrals by Problem BehaviorReferrals by Problem Behavior

0

10

20

30

40

50

Num

ber o

f Ref

erra

ls

Lang Achol ArsonBombCombsDefianDisruptDressAgg/fgtTheftHarassProp D Skip Tardy Tobac Vand Weap

Types of Problem Behavior

Referrals per Prob Behavior

Referrals by Problem BehaviorReferrals by Problem Behavior

0

5

10

15

Num

ber o

f Ref

erra

ls

Lang Achol ArsonBombCombsDefianDisruptDressAgg/fgtTheftHarassProp D Skip Tardy Tobac Vand Weap

Types of Problem Behavior

Referrals per Prob Behavior

Referrals per LocationReferrals per Location

0

10

20

30

40

50

Num

ber o

f Offi

ce R

efer

rals

Bath RBus A Bus Caf ClassComm Gym Hall Libr Play G Spec Other

School Locations

Referrals by Location

0

10

20

30

40

50 N

umbe

r of O

ffice

Ref

erra

ls

Bath RBus A Bus Caf ClassComm Gym Hall Libr Play G Spec Other

School Locations

Referrals by Location

Referrals per StudentReferrals per Student

0

10

20

Num

ber o

f Ref

erra

ls p

er S

tude

nt

Students

Referrals per StudentReferrals per Student

0

10

20

Num

ber o

f Ref

erra

ls p

er S

tude

nt

Students

Students per Number of Referrals

Referrals by Time of DayReferrals by Time of Day

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

Num

ber o

f Ref

erra

ls

7:00 7:30 8:00 8:30 9:00 9:30 10:0010:30 11:00 11:3012:0012:30 1:00 1:30 2:00 2:30 3:00 3:30

Time of Day

Referrals by Time of Day

Referrals by Time of DayReferrals by Time of Day

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

Num

ber o

f Ref

erra

ls

7:00 7:30 8:00 8:30 9:00 9:30 10:0010:3011:00 11:30 12:0012:30 1:00 1:30 2:00 2:30 3:00 3:30

Time of Day

Referrals by Time of Day

Decision-making

• Is there a problem?• What areas/systems are involved?• Are there many students or a few involved?• What kinds of problem behaviors are

occurring?• When are these behaviors most likely?

• What is the most effective use of ourresources to address this problem?

Designing SolutionsDesigning Solutions If If manymany students are making the same mistake students are making the same mistake

it typically is the it typically is the systemsystem that needs to change that needs to change not the students.not the students.

Teach, monitor and reward before relying on Teach, monitor and reward before relying on punishment.punishment.

Choices in “Choices in “other reportsother reports”” 1. 1. Custom ReportCustom Report

2. 2. Custom GraphCustom Graph3. 3. Referrals by StaffReferrals by Staff4. 4. Suspension/Expulsion ReportSuspension/Expulsion Report5. 5. Ethnicity ReportsEthnicity Reports (we are going to explain in depth) (we are going to explain in depth) 5.1 5.1 School Ethnicity ReportSchool Ethnicity Report6. 6. Individual Student ReportIndividual Student Report7. 7. Year End ReportYear End Report8. 8. Student & Staff ListsStudent & Staff Lists

The first documents the proportion of The first documents the proportion of students in the school by ethnicity,students in the school by ethnicity,

The second breaks out % of referrals from The second breaks out % of referrals from different ethnic groups, different ethnic groups,

The third breaks out the % of students in an The third breaks out the % of students in an ethnic group who received a referral, ethnic group who received a referral, The last is the % of all students who The last is the % of all students who received referrals by ethnic group.received referrals by ethnic group.

So... the reports document referrals and So... the reports document referrals and students. students.

The 4 Ethnicity reportsThe 4 Ethnicity reports

The first documents the The first documents the proportion of students in the proportion of students in the

school by ethnicity,school by ethnicity,

The second breaks out % of The second breaks out % of all all referralsreferrals from different ethnic from different ethnic

groupsgroups

The third breaks out the % of The third breaks out the % of studentsstudents in an ethnic group who in an ethnic group who

received a referralreceived a referral

The 4th is the % of all students The 4th is the % of all students who received referrals by ethnic who received referrals by ethnic

group.group.

The key message is:The key message is:

It takes more than one report to It takes more than one report to determine over-representationdetermine over-representation

That is why all four are presented.That is why all four are presented.