Positive Behavior Support: Beyond Discipline

1. Positive Behavior Support:Beyond Discipline George Sugai Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports Center for Behavioral Education & Research University of Connecticut July 28, 2008 www.pbis.org www.cber.org www.swis.org George.sugai@uconn.edu

3. “141 Days!” Intermediate/senior high school with 880 students reported over 5,100 office discipline referrals in one academic year. Nearly 2/3 of students have received at least one office discipline referral.

4. 5,100 referrals = 76,500 min @15 min = 1,275 hrs = 159 days @ 8 hrs

5. Purpose Describe how school administrators can adopt more preventive & positive approach to school discipline Rationale Features Examples Outcomes

6. SW-PBS Logic! Successful individual student behavior support is linked to host environments or school climates that are effective, efficient, relevant, & durable for all students (Zins & Ponti, 1990)

7. SWPBS is about….

8. Messages • Successful Individual student behavior support is linked to host environments or schools that are effective, efficient, relevant, & durable • Learning & teaching environments must be redesigned to increase the likelihood of behavioral & academic success

9. Two School-wide Discipline Worries • Get Tough (practices) • Train-&-Hope (systems)

10. Worry #1“Teaching” by Getting Tough Runyon: “I hate this f____ing school, & you’re a dumbf_____.” Teacher: “That is disrespectful language. I’m sending you to the office so you’ll learn never to say those words again….starting now!”

11. Immediate & seductive solution….”Get Tough!” • Clamp down & increase monitoring • Re-re-re-review rules • Extend continuum & consistency of consequences • Establish “bottom line” ...Predictable individual response

12. Reactive responses are predictable…. When we experience aversive situation, we want select interventions that produce immediate relief • Remove student • Remove ourselves • Modify physical environment • Assign responsibility for change to student &/or others

13. When behavior doesn’t improve, we “Get Tougher!” • Zero tolerance policies • Increased surveillance • Increased suspension & expulsion • In-service training by expert • Alternative programming …..Predictable systems response!

14. Erroneous assumption that student… • Is inherently “bad” • Will learn more appropriate behavior through increased use of “aversives” • Will be better tomorrow…….

15. But….false sense of safety/security! • Fosters environments of control • Triggers & reinforces antisocial behavior • Shifts accountability away from school • Devalues child-adult relationship • Weakens relationship between academic & social behavior programming

16. Science of behavior has taught us that students…. • Are NOT born with “bad behaviors” • Do NOT learn when presented contingent aversive consequences ……..Do learn better ways of behaving by being taught directly & receiving positive feedback….consider function

17. Non-examples of Function-Based approach “Function” = outcome, result, purpose, consequence • “Lantana, you skipped 2 school days, so we’re going to suspend you for 2 more.” • “Phloem, I’m taking your book away because you obviously aren’t ready to learn.” • “You want my attention?! I’ll show you attention,…let’s take a walk down to the office & have a little chat with the Principal.”

18. Worry #2:“Train & Hope”

19. Development “Map” • 2+ years of team training • Annual “booster” events • Coaching/facilitator support @ school & district levels • Regular self-assessment & evaluation data • Develoment of local/district leadership teams • State/region & Center on PBIS for coordination & TA

20. WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT PREVENTING VIOLENCE? • Surgeon General’s Report on Youth Violence (2001) • Coordinated Social Emotional & Learning (Greenberg et al., 2003) • Center for Study & Prevention of Violence (2006) • White House Conference on School Violence (2006) • Positive, predictable school-wide climate • High rates of academic & social success • Formal social skills instruction • Positive active supervision & reinforcement • Positive adult role models • Multi-component, multi-year school-family-community effort

21. Supporting Social Competence & Academic Achievement 4 PBS Elements OUTCOMES Supporting Decision Making Supporting Staff Behavior DATA SYSTEMS PRACTICES Supporting Student Behavior

22. Tertiary Prevention: Specialized Individualized Systems for Students with High-Risk Behavior CONTINUUM OF SCHOOL-WIDE INSTRUCTIONAL & POSITIVE BEHAVIOR SUPPORT ~5% Secondary Prevention: Specialized Group Systems for Students with At-Risk Behavior ~15% Primary Prevention: School-/Classroom- Wide Systems for All Students, Staff, & Settings ~80% of Students

23. Academic Systems Behavioral Systems • 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 1-5% 1-5% 5-10% 5-10% 80-90% 80-90%

24. Main Messages STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT Good Teaching Behavior Management Increasing District & State Competency and Capacity Investing in Outcomes, Data, Practices, and Systems

25. Team GENERAL IMPLEMENTATION PROCESS: “Getting Started” Agreements Data-based Action Plan Evaluation Implementation

26. SWPBS Subsystems School-wide Classroom Family Non-classroom Student

27. School-wide 1. Common purpose & approach to discipline 2. Clear set of positive expectations & behaviors 3. Procedures for teaching expected behavior 4. Continuum of procedures for encouraging expected behavior 5. Continuum of procedures for discouraging inappropriate behavior 6. Procedures for on-going monitoring & evaluation

28. Non-classroom • Positive expectations & routines taught & encouraged • Active supervision by all staff • Scan, move, interact • Precorrections & reminders • Positive reinforcement

29. Classroom • Classroom-wide positive expectations taught & encouraged • Teaching classroom routines & cuestaught & encouraged • Ratio of 6-8 positive to 1 negative adult-student interaction • Active supervision • Redirections for minor, infrequent behavior errors • Frequent precorrections for chronic errors • Effective academic instruction & curriculum

30. Individual Student • Behavioral competence at school & district levels • Function-based behavior support planning • Team- & data-based decision making • Comprehensive person-centered planning & wraparound processes • Targeted social skills & self-management instruction • Individualized instructional & curricular accommodations

31. Family • Continuum of positive behavior support for all families • Frequent, regular positive contacts, communications, & acknowledgements • Formal & active participation & involvement as equal partner • Access to system of integrated school & community resources

32. Team GENERAL IMPLEMENTATION PROCESS Agreements Data-based Action Plan Evaluation Implementation

33. Working Smarter

34. Sample Teaming Matrix

35. Team GENERAL IMPLEMENTATION PROCESS Agreements Data-based Action Plan • Priority • 3-5 years • Administrator • Funding • > 80% Evaluation Implementation

36. Team GENERAL IMPLEMENTATION PROCESS Agreements Data-based Action Plan Evaluation Implementation

39. Referrals by Problem Behavior

40. Referrals per Location

41. Referrals per Student

42. Referrals by Time of Day

43. Team GENERAL IMPLEMENTATION PROCESS Agreements Data-based Action Plan Evaluation Implementation

44. School-wide 1. Common purpose & approach to discipline 2. Clear set of positive expectations & behaviors 3. Procedures for teaching expected behavior 4. Continuum of procedures for encouraging expected behavior 5. Continuum of procedures for discouraging inappropriate behavior 6. Procedures for on-going monitoring & evaluation

45. Few positive SW expectations defined, taught, & encouraged

46. Teaching Academics & Behaviors

47. Expectations

48. Teaching Matrix Activity Classroom Lunchroom Bus Hallway Assembly Respect Others • Use inside voice • ________ • Eat your own food • __________ • Stay in your seat • _________ • Stay to right • _________ • Arrive on time to speaker • __________ Respect Environment & Property • Recycle paper • _________ • Return trays • __________ • Keep feet on floor • __________ • Put trash in cans • _________ • Take litter with you • __________ Respect Yourself • Do your best • __________ • Wash your hands • __________ • Be at stop on time • __________ • Use your words • __________ • Listen to speaker • __________ Respect Learning • Have materials ready • __________ • Eat balanced diet • __________ • Go directly from bus to class • __________ • Go directly to class • __________ • Discuss topic in class w/ others • __________

49. Expectations & behavioral skills are taught & recognized in natural context Expectations

50. Character Education • Easy to change moral knowledge..... ...difficult to change moral conduct • To change moral conduct... • Adults must model moral behavior • Students must experience academic success • Students must be taught social skills for success