Conference Call

1. What it Takes! Implementing and Sustaining a Program-Wide Model to Promote Young Children’s Social Development and Address Challenging Behavior

2. Conference Call • Introduction to program-wide adoption of the pyramid • Conceptual model • Critical elements • SEK-CAP discussion – Linda Broyles • Resources for adoption, implementation, and scale-up

3. Center for Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (2002)

4. Evidence Re: SW-PBS • Decreases in Office Discipline Referrals • 6000 schools nation-wide • First year decrease averages 33-66% • Improvements in school culture • School-wide academic improvements • www.pbis.org

5. Issues to Consider when Implementing Program Wide in ECE Settings • Range of service delivery systems • Training and expertise of teachers • Program philosophy, curriculum practices • Age and developmental level of children • Many early childhood programs do not have expertise in behavior support or resources to access this expertise • Lack of policies and procedures in place related to behavior support and guidance • Lack of systematic measure of effects 5

6. Treatment/Focused Intervention Intensive Interventions The Teaching Pyramid: Promoting Social and Emotional Competence and Addressing Challenging Behavior Targeted Social Emotional Supports Prevention High Quality Supportive Environments Universal Promotion Nurturing and Responsive Caregiving Relationships

7. Program-Wide Commitment Teacher Training and Technical Assistance Intensive Interventions Data-Based Decision Making Well-Defined Procedures The Teaching Pyramid: Program-Wide PBS Targeted Social Emotional Supports High Quality Supportive Environments Partnerships with Families Administrative Support Nurturing and Responsive Caregiving Relationships

8. Program Wide Models • Kansas; SEK-CAP Head Start • Florida; Child Care, Head Start, ECSE • Iowa; Head Start, ECSE, Child Care • Colorado; ECSE, Child Care, Head Start • Illinois; Child Care, ECSE & Public School Pre-K • West Virginia; ECSE, Child Care • Tennessee; ECSE

9. Critical Elements: Leadership Team • Establish a Team • Broad representation • Administrative support • Regular meetings • Implementation plan (use critical elements) • Review and revise plan at-least annually

10. Critical Elements: Staff Buy-In • Staff Buy-In • Staff poll establishes buy-in • Leadership team maintains buy-in by inviting input and feedback

11. Critical Elements: Expectations • Teaching and Acknowledging the Expectations • Strategies developed for embedded instruction • Variety of teaching strategies • Strategies for acknowledging use of expectations

12. Critical Elements: Family Involvement • Family Involvement • Input at the beginning • Multiple mechanisms for sharing the initiative • Multiple mechanisms for home implementation • Family partnerships in developing and implementing individualized support

13. Critical Elements: Teaching Pyramid • Classrooms are implementing the Teaching Pyramid • Positive relationships • Supportive environments • Teaching social emotional skills • Initiate the development of individualized supports for children with persistent challenging behavior

14. Critical Elements:Professional Development and Staff Support • Staff Support Plan • Ongoing technical assistance • Behavior support facilitators are trained • Needs assessment for pyramid implementation • Individualized professional development plans • Group and individualized training strategies • Incentives and acknowledgment

15. Critical Elements:Responding to Challenging Behavior • Responding to problem behavior • Developmentally appropriate, classroom strategies • Crisis responses • Problem solving and support • Team assessment-based process for tertiary level • Partnerships with families

16. Critical Elements: Monitoring Implementation & Outcomes • Monitoring implementation and outcomes • Measurement of Implementation • Measure outcomes • Data collected and summarized • Data shared with staff and families • Data used for ongoing monitoring and problem solving • Plan is updated, revised based on data

17. What it Takes!Implementing and Sustaining a Program-Wide Model to Promote Young Children’s Social Development and Address Challenging Behavior Linda Broyles, Deputy Director Southeast Kansas Community Action Program (SEK-CAP) Head Start

18. The SEK-CAP story • Desire to adopt the model • Process • Outcomes • Administrative actions to sustain

19. Desire to adopt the model Even with training in behavior management techniques, Head Start staff reported: • Leaving work in tears • Unable to deal with all children • High levels of stress, burnout, fatigue and turnover • Unable to teach because they were always dealing with challenging behaviors • Looking to outside “experts” to solve the problems in the classroom • Lack of joy for the job

20. Desire to adopt the model Our experience indicates that: • Workshops don’t work • Reactive strategies don’t work • A system is really necessary to have a consistent response to challenging behavior • The teaching pyramid model offers an approach to promote social competence and address challenging behavior

21. ProcessThis systems level approach requires • Administrative commitment and leadership • Resource deployment and budgeting • Staff development and staff support plans • Shared decision making and collaboration with staff, families & community partners • Accountability

22. Administrative Commitment and Leadership • Develop a staff support model for addressing challenging behavior • Develop a core team – The original SEK-CAP core team was comprised of administrative and management staff • Build internal expertise as a safeguard and additional support prior to the implementation of the program-wide approach

23. Resource deployment and budgeting • Know what you don’t know! • Obtain the services of an expert who does know • Plan for costs associated with the development of the model • Learn how people react and adapt to change and have strategies in place to help them make a successful transition to a new culture

24. Staff development and support plan • Ongoing technical assistance from behavior consultant • Core team trained in basics of the Teaching Pyramid model before school year begins • Entire early childhood team receive training in the model • Self assessment results in site specific implementation plans developed by the direct service team & their direct supervisor

25. Staff development and support plan continued • Monthly meetings of core team & consultant used for sharing information, data analysis, planning and further development of the model • Quarterly brainstorming sessions with field staff, the core team and the behavior consultant to discuss lessons learned, share successes, review strategies & set goals

26. Staff development and support plan continued • Individualized professional development plans for each member of the team • Group and individualized training opportunities based on identified need • Incentives and acknowledgement

27. Shared decision making & collaboration with staff, families and community partners • Build staff buy-in and commitment to change • Articulate expectations of the model so that everyone clearly hears and understands the goals • Openly discuss and provide opportunities for input into the development of the model • Identify potential barriers to success

28. Shared decision making & collaboration with staff, families and community partners • Involve families as partners as you are developing the relationship • Give community partners a voice • Provide feedback

29. How did we do this? Accountability! • Self assessment and ongoing observation used to make immediate corrections • Data collection needs established in the beginning • Baseline data accumulated, compiled & analyzed by consultant

30. Accountability continued • Data collection tools established to provide feedback from a variety of sources (many CSEFEL tools used) • Data is reported, analyzed and used for planning and continuous quality improvement • Ongoing monitoring and evaluation

31. Outcomes • Staff view themselves as having the skills to better support children in the classroom. They feel confident and competent. • Staff report having time to actually teach! • Staff look to each other as sources of additional information and support • Staff can demonstrate the fundamental elements of the Teaching Pyramid model in their classrooms • Teamwork has been strengthened

32. Outcomes continued: • Staff now understand that there is not a “bad child”…there is only inappropriate behavior • A culture of friendship and support is created throughout the program • We have become intentional and purposeful in our interactions with children in order to build on their strengths • We look at ways children are alike instead of how they are different • Children are able to self- regulate

33. Outcomes continued: • The Teaching Pyramid model works for all children • Internal expertise has increased. Staff have asked for fewer suggestions from outside experts on dealing with challenging behavior • Time out has been eliminated

34. Outcomes continued: • The number of children receiving individual counseling from psychologists has decreased • The number of children identified as having challenging behavior and referral for mental health services has decreased

35. Outcomes continued: • Resources have been reallocated to prevention instead of intervention • In management and direct service staff debriefings at the end of the last two years, challenging behavior was not mentioned one time as a barrier to teaching. They now have the skills and support they need to figure it out! Staff satisfaction has increased • Staff turnover has decreased • We have hope!

36. Administrative Actions to Sustain the Effort Over Time • Provide leadership and vision • You do not have power until you give it away • Promote cooperative visioning and goal setting • Appeal to shared aspirations • Comply with requirements • Ensure child well- being and progress

37. Administrative Actions to Sustain the Effort Over Time Continued: • Provide effective policies and resources. Embed the model throughout every aspect of programming • Ensure staff competence • Support professional development • Support the transfer of learning • Provide opportunities for coaching/mentoring • Evaluate and acknowledge efforts of staff • Engage in collaborative leadership and planning

38. Administrative Actions to Sustain the Effort Over Time Continued: • Employ “substitutes” who are trained in the model as additional support • Support continuing education • Maintain contact with consultants • Listen to staff concerns and respond • Provide feedback on data to improve performance and celebrate growth • Maintain a level of enthusiasm, passion, and excitement for the work that is contagious. Live that passion.

39. Impact of PBS Our staff say: “…it has changed my actual teaching style.” “The stress level is reduced. I feel more confident to try new things.” “By having the program, it’s helping daily. More children are more successful.” “And it helps keep our turnover down. People stay.” “I think overall the environment has shifted.”

40. Resources Pyramid Training and Program-Wide Implementation

41. National Centers - Resources • Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning • www.vanderbilt.edu/csefel • Technical Assistance Center on Social Emotional Intervention (TACSEI) • www.tacsei.org

42. CSEFEL Resources

43. CSEFEL - What Works Briefs

44. Training Materials • 3rd Edition of Training Modules • Focused on 2 – 5 year olds • Expanded activities, scripts, handouts • More case examples • New videoclips with guidance for presenters • More diverse examples - Available in English & Spanish

45. “Promoting Social Emotional Competence” 22 min. video Overview of Framework English and Spanish open captioning Pyramid Model Overview DVD

46. Teaching Social Emotional Skills • 28 minute video • Illustrates application of practices in 3 classrooms

47. CSEFEL New Materials – Coming in 2008 • Research Syntheses • Infant mental health • Screening and assessment • Implementing and sustaining practices • New What Works Briefs • What Works Briefs Training Kits • Expanded Training Modules (birth – 2) • Decision-making Guidelines • Tools for Families

48. Technical Assistance Center on Social Emotional Intervention • Provide a unified message and approach to the field • Work in collaboration with existing organizations and technical assistance providers • Develop and evaluate models of effective practice • Support states to sustain scaled-up implementation of evidence-based models and evidence-based practices

49. TACSEI/CEBP Resources

50. TACSEI Recommended Practices