The district, school and classroom: managing disruptive students with special needs

1. The district, school and classroom: managing disruptive students with special needs Rachel Collins University of mary washington dr. hooper edel: 539

2. DISCLAIMER • The project serves as a guide for administrators and educators who need to know the basic laws surrounding special education discipline and how to incorporate other research-based techniques for school-wide and classroom management. • It is not meant to be an exhaustive list of strategies, but it is a showcase for current effective theories and practices.

3. The problem • “If a child does not know how to read, we teach. If a child does not know how to multiply, we teach. If a child does not know how to swim, we teach. If a child does not know how to behave, we…punish…teach?” (Andrews, 2014, p. 2)

4. The problem cont’d • Students with special needs might have behaviors that do not respond to standard classroom management techniques. • In many schools, students are punished for poor behavior. They are punished with time outs, trips to the principal’s office, suspension and sometimes expulsion or jail time. • Andrews (2014) cites often when a student acts out, he or she is trying to express a feeling or emotion. The child may be tired, sad, frustrated, anxious or confused.

5. The solution • Handbook- “The District, School and Classroom: Managing Disruptive Students with Special Needs.” • Faculty and staff in the nation’s school districts need to be equipped with tools that reduce negative student behavior and replace it with appropriate positive communication. • If a student can be taught to read, write and do arithmetic—he or she can be taught how to behave (Andrews, 2014). • The ability to communicate with others and have appropriate behavior is a life skill that all children need (OSEP, 2014).

6. Chapter one, The district • Chapter one, the District, focuses on special education law and discipline including the Individuals with Disabilities Act 2004 (IDEA). • Hooper (2014a) and Bates and Bates (2006) cite there are several steps a school district must follow when a special education student commits a major infraction: • There will be written notice of the charges. This includes notice of the evidence, witnesses and substance of testimony. • There may be a hearing. At the hearing the student and his or her family has the right to confront witnesses and present witnesses. • The proceedings may be written or taped. • The student has the right to an appeal if the findings of the hearing are deemed unsatisfactory.

7. The district cont’d • When a special education student is suspended for more than 10 days, the school team has to determine whether the infraction was a manifestation of the student’s disability or not (Hooper, 2014b; Bateman & Bateman, 2006): • Evaluation and diagnostic results; • Information provided by the parents; • Observation of the student; and • Student’s IEP and placement such as appropriateness and implementation (Hooper, 2014b; Bateman & Bateman, 2006). • If the behavior is not a manifestation of the student’s disability then he or she may be disciplined like any student without a disability (Hooper, 2014b; Bateman & Bateman, 2006). • If the behavior is a manifestation of the disability, the IEP team is required to conduct a functional behavioral assessment and implement a behavioral intervention plan if one has not already been done (Hooper, 2014b; Bateman & Bateman, 2006).

8. Chapter 2, The school • Chapter two, the School, highlights positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS). This plan teaches students how to replace their negative behavior with more appropriate communication. • Positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) is a systems change process for an entire district or school (OSEP, 2014). • The fundamental idea behind PBIS is to teach behavioral expectations in the same manner as a core curriculum subject (OSEP, 2014). • Usually a team is formed of approximately 10 school members that includes administrators and faculty including special education. They are trained. • The school will focus on three to five behavioral expectations that are positively stated and easy to remember (OSEP, 2014).

9. The school cont’d • The school will not focus on telling the students what not to do, they will set high expectations of preferred behaviors (OSEP, 2014). Some examples from other schools are as follows: • Respect Yourself, Respect Others, and Respect Property; • Be Safe, Be Responsible, Be Respectful; and • Respect Relationships and Respect Responsibilities (OSEP, 2014).

10. The school cont’d Examples of PBIS School Expectations • Note. Adapted from “SWBIS for Beginners,” by OSEP, Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports, 2014.

11. Major components of pbis Major Components of PBIS Note. Adapted from “Primary FAQs,” by OSEP, Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports, 2014.

12. Steps to implementing pbis Note. Adapted from “Primary FAQs,” by OSEP, Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports, 2014.

13. Chapter 3, The classroom • Chapter three, the Classroom, reviews functional behavioral assessments and behavioral intervention plans. This chapter is a combination of special education law and PBIS.

14. Functional behavioral assessments (FBA) • “Functional behavioral assessment (FBA) is a data driven, team problem-solving process” (VDOE, 2009, p. 5). • It calls for a variety of techniques and strategies to identify the reason or reasons behind inappropriate or unacceptable behavior and ways to deal with the behavior. • “The purpose for conducting a FBA is to identify and promote behavior that serves the same function for the student as the inappropriate behavior but is more acceptable or appropriate” (VDOE, 2009, p. 5).

15. Steps to conducting an fba • Verify the seriousness of the problem (e.g. Johnny comes to class without his pencils vs. Johnny curses at the teacher when asked to solve math problems) • Define the behavior : The teacher and IEP team should define the problem behavior in measureable, observable and objective terms before choosing a data collection technique (VDOE, 2009; OSEP, 2014). (e.g. Suzy has a “bad attitude” vs. Suzy slams books, breaks pencils and yells at other students) • Team members observe the student and the school environment to determine the exact nature of the problem (e.g. Billy hates school vs. Billy has limited eyesight and cannot see from the back of the room and he disrupts other around him) • Formulate a hypothesis statement or “best guess” regarding the likely function(s) of the problem behavior: This statement explains what the student gains from misbehaving, avoids or gets out of by misbehaving or may be communicating with the misbehavior (VDOE, 2009 ; OSEP, 2014). • It is suggested that time is taken to modify different classroom conditions in an attempt to verify the IEP team’s assumptions regarding the likely function (s) of the behavior (VDOE, 2009, p. 9)

16. Steps to conducting an fba cont’d • When the IEP teams has enough data, the behavioral intervention plan must be written or revised if one already exists. • Teach the student more acceptable behavior that serves the same function as the inappropriate behavior (e.g. ways to get peer attention); • Modify the classroom setting events (e.g. physical arrangement of the classroom); • Modify the antecedent events (e.g. clear expectations with examples); • Modify the consequent events (e.g. verbal and nonverbal feedback); and • Modify aspects of the curriculum and/or instruction (e.g. matching student abilities and interests) (VDOE, 2009, p. 10). • VDOE (2009) cites an important step is to evaluate fidelity in implementing the plan. This means the IEP team must monitor the accuracy and consistency with which the intervention plan is implemented • The final step is to modify the intervention plan (VDOE, 2009). IDEA states that behavioral intervention plan must be reviewed and revised whenever it is deemed necessary by the IEP team (VDOE, 2009).

17. Professional development tool: Learning circles • Research shows that the learning circle can be used to implement culture change. • According to Keane (2014), learning circles are different from discussion groups in that they are more focused, based on common resources and there is a targeted learning objective. • Effective learning circles are beneficial because they inspire deep thinking, trust building, exploration of issues and they move people from debate to shared vision (Lewis, n.d.). • There should be guidelines to participating in a learning circle that include the following: speaking from the heart, intending no malice, honoring silence, respecting confidentiality and practicing mindfulness (Lewis, n.d.).

18. The talking piece • Lewis (n.d.) believes some circles may decide to use a talking piece. This is an object that is passed from speaker to speaker. • Only the person with the talking piece may talk aloud. • Lewis (n.d.) shares using the talking piece serves as an invitation. • When someone has the piece he or she is invited to speak. • When someone does not have the talking piece, he or she is invited to listen.

19. Learning circle activity • Divide into 4 circles • Each circle will have one talking piece • Circle guidelines : speak from the heart, intend no malice, honor silence, respect confidentiality and practice mindfulness (Lewis, n.d.). • Each circle will have 5-10 minutes to discuss a topic. • BE READY TO SHARE!

20. Learning circle topics • Each circle will have 5-10 minutes to discuss one of the topics below: • Table 1: Who are the teachers who have had experiences with special education students and the law? Tell your stories—include positives and perhaps negatives. • Table 2: What aspects of PBIS does your school currently use? What can be added or revised? • Table 3: What are some strategies a teacher may use on herself or himself when stressed by a disruptive student? • Table 4: What are three to five classroom rules that may be modeled and coached each day? Brainstorm and share some lesson plans around teaching these life skills.

21. Post-discussion questions • Share topics. • How was the learning circle experience? • Guidelines: speak from the heart, intend no malice, honor silence, respect confidentiality and practice mindfulness (Lewis, n.d.)? • Talking piece? • Deep thinking?

22. Questions?

23. REFERENCES: • Andrews, T. (2013). Positive behavior interventions and supports. PowerPoint retrieved from • http://www.pbisnetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/PBIS-101-Wellness-Summit.pdf • Hooper, N. (2014, February). Discipline process: Student with a disability.PowerPoint presented at the meeting of University of Mary Washington, Virginia. • Hooper, N. (2014, February). IDEA discipline regulations. PowerPoint presented at the meeting of University of Mary Washington, Virginia. • Keane, B. (n.d.). The learning circle in culture change: Why use it? Retrieved from http://www.pioneernetwork.net/Data/Documents/LearningCircleKeane.PDF • Lewis, G. (n.d.). Teaching and learning circles. Retrieved from http://www.pioneernetwork.net/Data/Documents/LearningCircleKeane.PDFhttp://www.iirp.edu/pdf/mn02_lewis.pdf • Silberman, J. (2014). Benefits of a training manual. Retrieved from • http://trainingstation.walkme.com/benefits-employee-training-manual/ • U.S. Office of Special Education Programs. (2014). Positive behavioral interventions and supports: OSEP resource and technical center. Retrieved from http://www.pbis.org/ • Virginia Department of Education. (2009). Functional behavioral assessment, behavioral intervention plans, and positive intervention and supports: An essential part of effective school-wide discipline in Virginia (Research Report, Fifth Edition). Retrieved from http://www.doe.virginia.gov/support/student_conduct/functional_behavioral_assessment.pdf