Positive Behavior Support (PBS) in St. Vrain Valley

School District

Purpose

• The purpose of the Colorado school-wide Positive Behavior Support initiative is to establish and maintain safe and effective school environments that maximize the academic achievement and behavioral competence of all learners in Colorado.

Buckingham & Coffman, 2002, Gallup survey1 million workers, 80,000 managers, 400

companiesPredictable work environments are places where employees: Know what is expected Have materials and equipment to do job correctly Have supervisor who cares and pays attention Receive recognition each week for good work Receive encouragement to contribute and improve Can identify a person at work who is “best friend” Feel mission of organization makes them feel like

their jobs are important See people around them committed to doing a good

job Feel like they are learning new things (getting better) Have opportunity to do their job well

Predictable school environments are places where students, school staff, family members,

and community partners….

Know what is expected Have curriculum and instruction to do the job correctly Receive recognition for demonstrating expectations Have teacher/parent/principal who cares, and pays attention Receive encouragement to contribute and improve Can identify someone “who they can relate to” Feel mission of classroom/school makes them feel like their

efforts are important See students/teachers/principal around them committed to doing

a good job Feel like they are learning new things (getting better) Have an opportunity to do their learning/teaching well

Invest in Prevention (school-wide)Build a Culture of Competence

• Define behavioral expectations• Teach behavioral expectations• Monitor and reward appropriate behavior• Provide corrective consequences for

behavioral errors.• Information-based problem solving• Do not expect school-wide efforts to

affect students with chronic problem behavior.

• Defining and consistently teaching expectations of behavior for students, parents and educators

• Acknowledging and recognizing students and adults consistently for appropriate behaviors

• Monitoring, correcting or re-teaching behavioral errors

Positive School Climate: Essential Practices

Behavior and Academics are Linked

Improvements in student behavior and school climate are related to improvements in academic outcomes.

Fleming et al., 2005; Kellam et al., 1998; McIntosh et al., 2006; Nelson et al., 2006; Nelson et al., 1996; Wentzel, 1993

Talking points on School-wide Positive Behavior Support & school-based mental health (2006). National Center on

Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports, Center on Behavioral Education and Research, University of Connecticut, Positive Behavioral Interventions and Support Website:

http://www.pbis.org/files/gstalkingpoints0107.doc

Differentiated Support

The triangle has become the operating principle for current school reform efforts…– Instruction is differentiated– Progress is monitored frequently– Teams use data for decision making– A continuum of academic and behavioral

support is provided for ALL learners and embedded in a larger systems change effort by the school

Guiding Principles

• Academic achievement and behavioral competence are the result of school personnel and families working together to provide a continuum of support for all learners. A continuum of academic and behavioral support includes:

• (a) school-wide interventions for all learners, • (b) specialized interventions for learners who are at-risk

for academic or social failure due to behavior challenges, and

• (c) individualized interventions for students with intense/chronic behavior challenges.

4 PBS Elements

• Systems = a predictable expectation and reaction

• Data = accurate platform for change

• Practices = teaching behaviors and rewarding expectations

• All components of PBS – systems, data, and practices are critical to achieve the student outcomes of social and academic competence.

SYST

EMS

PRACTICES

DATAOUTCOMES

DATA

• Clear definitions

• Efficient procedures

• Easy input/output

• Readable displays

• Regular review

SYSTEMS

• Training to fluency

• Continuous evaluation

• Team-based action planning

• Regular relevant reinforcers for staff behavior

• Integrated initiativesSY

STEM

S

PRACTICES

DATAOUTCOMES

SYST

EMS

PRACTICES

DATA

OUTCOMES

PRACTICES

• Evidence-based

• Outcome linked

• Cultural/contextual adjustments

• Integrated w/ similar initiatives

• Doable

SUMMARY of PBS “BIG IDEAS”

SYSTEMS (How things are done) Team based problem solving Data-based decision making Long term sustainabilityDATA (How decisions are made) On-going data collection and use of behavioral data to

make decisionsPRACTICES (How staff interact with students) Direct teaching of behavioral expectations On-going reinforcement of expected behaviors Functional behavioral assessment

PBS is…

• Not specific practice or curriculum– it’s general approach to preventing problem

behavior

• Not limited to any particular group of students– it’s for all students

• Not new– its based on long history of behavioral practices

and effective instructional design and strategies

What Will You See in a PBS School?

• Small number of positively stated and behaviorally exemplified expectations are taught and encouraged (PAWS acronym and teaching matrix).

• Positive adult-to-student interactions exceed negative (5 positive to 1 negative)

• Data- and Team-based action planning and implementation are operating (use of discipline data)

• Administrators are active participants in all aspects of implementation

• 80% of students can tell you what is expected of them and give behavioral example because they have been taught, actively supervised, practiced, and acknowledged.

Westview Middle School

•Public voice

•APPROPRIATE aCTIONS

•Winning Attitudes

•Safe Spaces

Indian Peaks Elementary

•PRIDE

•EXCELLENCE

•ACHIEVEMENT

•KINDNESS

•SAFETY

Sanborn Elementary•Sanborn Superstars

•Sanborn

•Treats

•All

•Respectfully

Mountain View Elementary

•R 2B’s•Respect yourself and others

•Be Responsible

•Be safe

Erie Elementary

•Prepared to learn

•Acting respectfully

•Working hard

•Staying safe

RAH – at Adams City High School(Respect – Achievement – Honor)

RAH Classroom

Hallway/Commons

Cafeteria Bathrooms

Respect Be on time; attend regularly; follow class rules

Keep location neat, keep to the right, use appropriate lang., monitor noise level, allow others to pass

Put trash in cans, push in your chair, be courteous to all staff and students

Keep area clean, put trash in cans, be mindful of others’ personal space, flush toilet

Achievement

Do your best on all assignments and assessments, take notes, ask questions

Keep track of your belongings, monitor time to get to class

Check space before you leave, keep track of personal belongings

Be a good example to other students, leave the room better than you found it

Honor Do your own work; tell the truth

Be considerate of yours and others’ personal space

Keep your own place in line, maintain personal boundaries

Report any graffiti or vandalism

School-wide Systems(All students all settings all times)

Create a positive school culture:School environment is predictable

1. common language

2. common vision (understanding of expectations)

3. common experience (everyone knows)

School environment is positive

regular recognition for positive behavior

School environment is safe

violent and disruptive behavior is not tolerated

School environment is consistent

adults use similar expectations.

Differing Instructional Approaches

• Academics

- Teach

- Reinforce

- Guided & independent practice

- Correction of learning errors are data driven

- Proactive

• Social/Behavioral

- Assume

- Punish

- Practice not required

- Corrections are based on how the behavior is performed

- Reactive

Consider…

• WE TEACH:– Academics– Music– Art– Team sport

• WE CORRECT:– Behavior

THIS IS A SCIENCE

• Define it

• Teach it

• Practice it

• Acknowledge it

• Correct it

• Monitor it

• Revise it

Students, teachers, and parents need to model

exactly what the behavior looks like in the setting.

1-5% 1-5%

5-10% 5-10%

80-90% 80-90%

Intensive, Individual Interventions•Individual Students•Assessment-based•High Intensity

Intensive, Individual Interventions•Individual Students•Assessment-based•Intense, durable procedures

Targeted Group Interventions•Some students (at-risk)•High efficiency•Rapid response

Targeted Group Interventions•Some students (at-risk)•High efficiency•Rapid response

Universal Interventions•All students•Preventive, proactive

Universal Interventions•All settings, all students•Preventive, proactive

Designing School-Wide Systems for Student Success

Academic Systems Behavioral Systems

• Students are acknowledged and rewarded for achievement in academics. This recognition reinforces and motivates the student.

• Why not also acknowledge students for exhibiting appropriate behavior?

Acknowledging SW Expectations: Rationale

• To learn, humans require regular & frequent feedback on their actions

• Humans experience frequent feedback from others, self, & environment– Planned/unplanned– Desirable/undesirable

• W/o formal feedback to encourage desired behavior, other forms of feedback shape undesired behaviors

On-going Reward of Appropriate Behavior

• Every faculty and staff member acknowledges appropriate behavior.

• 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 behavior (small frequent rewards more effective)

• Beginning of class recognition

• Raffles

• Open gym

• Social acknowledgement

Continuum of Consequences for Behavioral Errors

• Do not ignore problem behavior.• (unless ignoring is part of a specific program)

• Define specific teacher responses for “minor” and “major” problem behavior.

• Define a general “rule” for when a teacher should send a student to the office.

• Do NOT expect office referrals to change behavior.• Use office referrals to (a) prevent problem behavior from being

rewarded, (b) prevent escalation, and (c) prevent problem behavior from interrupting on-going instruction.

• Use teaching to change behavior• See www.swis.org for a list of behavioral definitions for problem

behavior.

PBS Schools “Work Smarter not Harder”

• Accurately collecting and analyzing behavioral data gives schools the greatest benefit from the smallest change.– Decreases broad generalizations of

behavioral problems (students, locations, time of day, etc.)

– Enables school staff to zero in on “real” issues

PBS Resources

• www.cde.state.co.us/pbs• www.pbis.org• www.swis.org• www.pbismaryland.org• http://behaviordoctor.org

For more information, contact your PBS coach: Kim O’Donohue, Donna Thompson, or KG Campanella-Green

303-772-7700

• Acknowledgement to Colorado Department of Education and National PBIS Center for information and graphics.