Reducing disruptive behavior through “Positive Behavior Supports and Honor Level System”

By: Fan WuTE808Fall 2010

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Educational BackgroundI’m teaching 8th grade Chinese at Forsythe Middle School. In my class, most of them love learning Chinese, but there are several students that have disruptive behaviors. The most challenge behaviors for three students are:

Lawrence: talk-out, Jackson: un-engaged, Demoni: un-respect

Research Question

How does “Positive Behavior Supports and Honor Level System” change my challenging students’ behavior from disruptive towards cooperative?

Justification:My aim of classroom management is to maintain a respect, trust, and support, positive, productive learning environment.

But the truth is just as Karweit mentioned: “You might be surprised by how little actual teaching takes place. Many minutes each day is lost through interruptions, disruptions, late starts, and rough transitions” (Karweit, 1989).

Through this action research, I would like to further understand students’ behavior and have a better classroom management and efficient teaching.

Positive Behavior Supports (PBS) and Honor Level SystemThis semester, Forsythe Middle School adopts a new behavior system—Positive Behavior Supports and Honor Level System. This system is an integrated system with school wide, classroom management, and individual student supports, which designed to give teachers simple but effective tactics and strategies to improve behavioral outcome. (Sprague & Golly, 2005).

How does it work

The VOE and Honor Level System is:(1) If the students are cooperative, they will

get rewards:• Daily reward: a ticket• Weekly reward: Honor Level Posting• Bi-weekly reward: drawings for candy bars

and school supplies• Monthly reward: drawing for PTSO

clothing, gift cards, free fun night passes.

How does it work(2) If the students are disruptive, they will get

Warning 1: I will put a blank Violation of Expectation (VOE) slip on students’ desk. (That will not interrupt my teaching and let the student know he should be aware of his behavior) Warning 2: I will ask Students to put his name on the VOE slip. (I have to stop my teaching, and the student will feel it’s serious when he writes his name on the VOE slip).Warning 3: I will take VOE slip and phone call parents at evening. (After twice warning, this time, students will get consequences.)

The consequences for the VOEThe consequences for the VOE are:1st VOE =30 minutes of lunch detention2nd VOE=60 minutes of lunch detention3rd VOE = 60 minutes of after school detention4th VOE = 120 minutes of after school detention

14-days window

(3) The difference from this system to the system before is that there is a14-days window: after 14 days, the challenging students have a chance to have a clean slate and a fresh start. That means: the challenging students can move up and down the honor level every 14 days.

MethodsSince I research behaviors, so the methods for generating data will be qualitative method, focused and structured observation (Hopkins, 89).

The methods are including: SurveyForms (focused and structure observation,

Hopkins, 89)Emails evidences from parents and

students (Documentary evidence, Hopkins, 122)

Crosscheck the data with other teachers

VOE surveyVOE and Honor Level System is a school wide behavior system, so I will not be confused by different teachers use different behavior rewards or consequences

Stronglyagree

Agree

5

Neutral

5

Disagree

2

Stronglydisagree

I will realize my or my classmate’s disruptive behavior when I see the teacher take out the VOE slip will bewared of my disruptive behavior when I have a VOE slip on my desk

2 3 4 3

I will be aware of my disruptive behavior when I have a VOE slip on my desk

3 6 2 1

I will make sure I have a cooperative behavior after my teacher let me write down my name on the VOE slip

5 3 3 1

I feel regret that I couldn’t control my misbehavior after my teacher take VOE slip away and announce I get a VOE

4 1 5 2

I feel embarrassed during my lunch or afternoon detention

3 5 3 1

My parents will have a talk with me about my disruptive behavior after I got VOE

5 2 5

Survey (continue)My advisor teacher will have a talk with me about my disruptive behavior after I got VOE

2 2 7 1

Talk with parents and advisor help me to further understand my teacher’s expectation, so I will have a better cooperative behavior

2 4 5 1

I often check my honor level 1 3 1 7

I want to be an all-star student 3 1 6 2

The rewards of Honor level and tickets motivate me to have a cooperative behavior

2 2 4 1 3

14-days window gives me a hope

to be a better Honor-Level student 4 1 6 1

Lawrence’s talk out VS Raise hand

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

1 2 3Week

TimesTalkoutRaise hand

Week 1(Oct. 18--22) : 75 times “talk out” VS 10 times “raise hand”.Week 2 (Oct. 25--29): 50 times “talk out” VS 23 times “raise hand”.Week 3 (Nov.1--5): 45 times “talk out” VS 25 times “raise hand”.

Demoni’s talk out VS Raise hand

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10

20

30

40

50

60

1 2 3

Week

TimesTalk OutRaise Hand

Week 1(Oct. 18--22) : 50 times “talk out” VS 12 times “raise hand”.Week 2 (Oct. 25--29): 40 times “talk out” VS 25 times “raise hand”.Week 3 (Nov.1--5): 20 times “talk out” VS 35 times “raise hand”.

Jackson’s talk out VS raise hand

02468

101214161820

1 2 3

Week

TimesTalk OutRaise Hand

Week 1(Oct. 18--22) : 15 times “talk out” VS 5 times “raise hand”.Week 2 (Oct. 25--29): 12 times “talk out” VS 12 times “raise hand”.Week 3 (Nov.1--5): 18 times “talk out” VS 15 times “raise hand”.

Lawrence’s VOE VS Ticket

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

1 2 3

Week

TimesVOE SlipsTickets

Week 1(Oct. 18--22) : 3 “VOEs” VS 0 “Tickets”.Week 2 (Oct. 25--29): 2 “VOEs” VS 1 “Tickets”.Week 3 (Nov.1--5): 1 “VOEs” VS 2 “Tickets”

Demoni’s VOE VS Ticket

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

1 2 3

Week

TimesVOE SlipsTickets

Week 1(Oct. 18--22) : 3 “VOEs” VS 0 “Tickets”.Week 2 (Oct. 25--29): 2 “VOEs” VS 1 “Tickets”.Week 3 (Nov.1--5): 1 “VOEs” VS 2 “Tickets”

Jackson’s VOE VS Ticket

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

1 2 3

Week

TimesVOE SlipsTickets

Week 1(Oct. 18--22) : 2 “VOEs” VS 0 “Tickets”.Week 2 (Oct. 25--29): 1 “VOEs” VS 1 “Tickets”.Week 3 (Nov.1--5): 0 “VOEs” VS 2 “Tickets”

Analysis from SurveyThe data from this survey shows that (1) PBS and Honor Level was in effect students’ behavior toward cooperative.

(2) The students will be more aware of their behaviors when they get second warning (write down their names on VOE slip).

(3) Their parents’ supporting play important roles.

(4) 14-day window motivates students to have better behaviors.

Analysis from graphsFrom graphs, we could easily to find out (1) In those three weeks (from Oct.8 to Nov.15), Lawrence, Demoni and Jackson’s hand-raisings are increased, and talk-outs are decreased. (2) They got more tickets and less VOE slips.

All in all, PBS and Honor Level was in effect students’ behavior toward cooperative.

AnalysisAnalysis from email evidence from email evidence and cross check with other and cross check with other teachersteachersI found:

PBS and honor Level System are good tools to help students have better behaviors, but students’ attitude is important too. Chinese is an elective class, compare with the subjects which have MEAP tests, students not very seriously concern it.

(2) When I plan the lesson, I should consider the down time and transition time.

(3) Crosscheck provides me some strategies to deal with students behavior issues.

Finding

From those three cases studies and observation of their behavior everyday, I found that VOE and Honor Level system works for my students’ behavior. The third week students talked out the answer less than the first week, and their behavior is more engaged and polite. Also, if a teacher builds a positive and trusting relationship with students and parents, the students will be more cooperative with you in the classroom.

conclusion

All in all, “Positive Behavior Supports and Honor Level System” not only changes my challenging students’ behavior from disruptive towards cooperative, but also helps students to

build a better attitude in Chinese class; Have a trust and honest relationship with teacher and their parents.

Further research

I found the most behavior issues are happen at down time and transition time. when I plan the lesson, I should consider the strategies to deal with those times. That gives me the idea for the further research. I could research how I could plan a smooth transition time to avoid issuing the VOE slip.

Reference:Hopkins, David. A Teacher’s Guide to classroom research, 4th Edition. England: Open University Press, 2008.

Karweit, N. (1989). Time and learning: A review. In R. E. Slavin (Ed.), School and classroom organization (pp.69-95). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

Sprague, J., Golly, A. (2005). Best Behavior: Building Positive Behavior Support in Schools. Longmont, CO: Sopris West Educational Severices.