One families' story One families' story

How PBS works How PBS works for usfor us

•Schools are at different places on the continuum. They’ll get there!•Changing into a school that was further along puts me in a position to be able to compare.•The benefits have been so remarkable, we considered having our child repeat 6th grade

Why am I Here?

The behavior benefits of my child’s PBS school program

Non-PBS School:

There were calls every week, multiple calls in a day.

PBS School:

I received 5 calls all year – two were calls to brag, and the others were to collaborate and problems

solve

Non-PBS School:Both my child and I began to avoid contacts from school

PBS School:My child began to love school

again

The Benefits of my child’s PBS School

Non-PBS School:

The reaction to my child’s behavior learning needs was often blame and exclusion in the form of suspension

and detention PBS School:

The school developed educational approaches to

solve behavior learning challenges at school

The benefits of my child’s PBS school

Behavior Benefits

In the Non –PBS School:She would often storm out of classroom

In the PBS School:My child learned self-control-removing herself briefly,

becoming more flexible

In the Non-PBS School:My child was sleeping in school

two hours a day

In the PBS School:My child became fully engaged

Behavioral Benefits

Academic Benefits

In the Non-PBS School:My child was reading below grade level (less than 5th)

In the PBS School:My child was reading above

grade level (7.8)

In the Non-PBS school:My child had received 3 F’s

and a C

In the PBS school:My child made the Honor Roll

Academic Benefits

Academic Benefits

In the non–PBS School:My child couldn’t remember times table

In the PBS school:My child caught up and was only

½ year behind in math

What’s the Difference?

My child has the same IEP

We’re the same parents, parenting the same way

We had taken Parent Management Training prior to the new school

Nothing else in my child’s environment changed (no deaths, didn’t move, still married…)

We even STOPPED getting mental health support

… … The only difference is PBSThe only difference is PBS

My child ran her own IEP/school re-entry meeting

The team treated her like an equal partner

They negotiated a system for behavior support

The Principal connected her with a social network from the start

The school calls to brag about her

What Worked?

She is able to be removed from the class when she needs it and talk about what’s going wrong She is praised for handling her anger well

She has a mentor

She knows the adults are trying to understand and help, not “get her in trouble”

What Else Worked?

What Teachers Said

The Old Way: “We need to keep her under our thumb more.” “We need to make a [negative] example of her.”

The PBS Way: “I LOVE your kid. She is one of my all-time favorites, and I will never forget her. She is so much fun, and so interesting and knowledgeable, and I don’t know who can’t see that.”

Lessons learned from the schools’ perspective

The reality is that many of us need to heed Covey's advice to "Seek first to

understand… then to be understood."

“The premise of ‘one teaching style fits all,’ which is attributed to a teacher-centered instructional approach, is not working for a

growing number of diverse, student populations.”

Brown, K. (2003) Brown, K. (2003) Education, Fall 2003Education, Fall 2003

Where trust is presentThere is:

-less stress

-more willingness to commit to goals

-no feeling of manipulation

--easier to anticipate behavior

When a student struggles When a student struggles academically, we look for academically, we look for instructional solutionsinstructional solutions

We have to look for We have to look for solutions when a student solutions when a student

struggles behaviorallystruggles behaviorally

Parents and professionals need each other. We need to be partners.

•“Every parent and family, no matter whether

the school has viewed them as difficult, dysfunctional,

trouble makers, “crazy,” out of touch, in denial, defenders,

rescuers, etc. deserves to be treated with dignity and respect.

If we truly want to make a positive difference in every child’s life

we have to make a positive difference their parents lives as well.”

LESSONS LEARNED

SO, LET’S BEGIN…SO, LET’S BEGIN…