PBIS and Dropout Prevention: The APEX II Project of the New Hampshire Department of Education

1. PBIS and Dropout Prevention: The APEX II Project of the New Hampshire Department of Education 14th Annual Conference on Advancing School Mental Health Share fair November 1, 2009 JoAnne Malloy, MSW Maria Agorastou, MSW Jonathon Drake, MSW Institute on Disability/ University of New Hampshire

2. Thanks to APEX II Partners • The NH Department of Education, Bureau of Special Education • The Institute on Disability, UNH • The NH Center for Effective Behavioral Interventions and Supports at SERESC • Main Street Academix, Inc • National Dropout Prevention Center • 10 High schools throughout the state

3. AGENDA • Introduction/Overview • APEX II Model Elements: • PBIS • RENEW • Student Leadership • PBIS in High School • School-wide (Universal) Tier 1 • Secondary (Targeted) Tier 2 • RENEW Intensive Model –Tier 3 • Case Studies • Lessons Learned

4. APEX II Model • To address school-based systems/climate issues: • Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) (Bohanon, et. al., 2004; Sugai & Horner, 1999) • Student Leadership Development • To address issues for students most at-risk: • Rehabilitation for Empowerment, Natural supports, Education and Work (RENEW) (Eber, Nelson & Miles, 1997; Cheney, Malloy & Hagner, 1998; Bullis & Cheney, 1999) • 8th to 9th grade transition system and practices • To impact school climate and foster change- • Student Leadership Development

5. APEX II GOALS • Reduce the annual event dropout rate in 10 NH high schools (Phase I) with the highest dropout rates and numbers of dropouts by no less than 50% from the baseline year (2003-2004) to the end of the grant period, by providing intensive and structured training and technical assistance to schools using two evidence-based models; PBIS and RENEW, • Ensure that no less than 40% of students in the participating school districts identified as not attending (e.g., incarcerated, dropped out), re-engage with the district in a meaningful way annually during the life of the project.

6. APEX II GOALS (cont.) Develop and support the work of student leadership teams in each school to ensure that student voice and participation are part of the school reform effort. Work with sending middle schools to develop transition plans for at risk 8th graders as they transition to high school

7. APEX II Annual Dropout Rates

8. Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports Defined Muscott & Mann (2006) PBIS is a comprehensive 3-tiered evidence-based systems approach to schoolwide discipline that can efficiently and effectively improve social, behavioral, and academic outcomes through the use positive, preventative, and function-based behavior support practices within the context of collaborative teaming and data-based decision-making.

9. Implementation of Project Elements

10. APEX PBIS MODEL Tertiary Prevention: RENEW Intervention ~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

11. PBIS Support Systems Supporting Decision Making Supporting Staff Behavior DATA SYSTEMS PRACTICES Supporting Student Behavior

12. APEX Features: Universal Tier • Systems: • Leadership Team & Processes • Student Leadership • Data-based decision making, decision rules • Universal expectations, response system • Practices: • Classroom Management • Teach and recognize expected behavior • Responding to problem behavior • Data: • Office Discipline Referrals Attendance, Progress Reports, • Universal screening

13. APEX Features- Tier 2 • Systems: • Targeted Team • Early Identification, Decision Rules. • Communication with teacher, parents and students. • Practices: • Check In/Check Out • Social Contracting • Other Targeted Group Interventions • Simple Functional Behavioral Assessment and Behavior Support Plans • Data: • Weekly (Bi-weekly) ODRs, Attendance, Progress Reports. • Functional Behavioral Assessment, Competing Behavior Pathway

14. APEX Features -Tier 3 • Systems • Systematic Screening for Intensive Supports • Teacher training and support through Targeted Team • Staff time and resources to provide individualized supports to youth • Practices • Intensive FBA and Behavior Support Plans • Escalating Behavior Cycle/Conflict Cycle • RENEW Individualized Services • Referral to Community Resources • Wraparound

15. RENEW: The “Tier 3” Component of the APEX II Project • For the most “at risk” students (60 per high school): • Model components: • Personal Futures Planning • Individualized academic programming (creative solutions and “Real World Learning” opportunities). • Naturally supported employment • Interagency collaboration and braided funding • School to Career transition articulation, including post-secondary education • Mentoring

16. Data Driven Decision Making • Problem Behavior Incident Reports Office Discipline Referrals (SWIS) -- documentstypes, location, time and motivation of referral behaviors • In and Out of School Suspensions • Surveys on Bullying, Harassment, and School Safety, • Tardys and Absenteeism, • Staff Surveys, • Climate Surveys • OTHER

17. Outcome Data • We use outcome data to measure how we did “after the fact” • SWIS DATA • DROPOUT RATES- Graduation Rates • COLLEGE ENTRANCE RATES • GRADES- REPORT CARDS • CREDITS EARNED • TEST SCORES

18. Case Example: Somersworth Implementation • Staff wanted to improve behavior in school • Staff recognized that inconsistency played a role in the behavior issues • Staff wanted to improve academic success. • Staff wanted to improve attendance • Staff wanted to address the drop-out rate

19. Essential Components of Schoolwide PBIS • Staff & Administration Buy-In • Clearly Defined Expectations for Behavior • Put in student handbook, & school web page • Post throughout the school • Clearly defined office referral behaviors, including consequences when feasible • Put in student handbook • Required all to review on the first day of school

20. Essential Components of Schoolwide PBIS • Belief that behaviors can and have to be taught, even in high school • Data Based Decision Making • Teacher or student designed lessons called Roll-outs • Taught to Teachers • Teachers teach to ALL students • Growth Goal identified • Positive Affirmation of Success(short term)

21. The Data- Fall of 2007

22. Universal Tier: SHS & CTC • 2004-2005 • 429 office discipline referrals for major problem behavior • .75 per student on average • 2005-2006 • 6% received 6 or more referrals • 2007-2008 • students who received 6 or more referrals increased to 11% • increase expected as behavior issues were always documented rather than relayed by ‘word of mouth’ • Top problem behaviors were • Disrespect/defiance, • Disruption, • Inappropriate language, and • Skipping class

23. Did it make a difference?

24. School-wide: Major Office Discipline Referral per day per 100 students last 3 years

25. Somersworth HS Dropout Rates

26. Tier 2 at Somersworth HS: Evolution of Targeted Team • Identified a team that already focused on at- risk students (Student Intervention Team) • Consensus to re-structure the team (membership and procedures)- Winter 2006 • Training: received formal training and weekly technical support • Began using SWIS data to ID students • Began using Functional Behavioral Assessment

27. Tier 2 Interventions • Check In Check Out • Mentoring • Credit recovery • Social skills • Homework lab • Home setting involvement • Counseling • Pass system • RENEW • Student Leadership Referral.

28. Rate per month of Office Discipline Referrals time line is two months before and after intervention

30. Tier 3: RENEW Rehabilitation, Empowerment, Natural supports, Education and Work (RENEW), an intensive individualized school-to-career service for the most at risk students • APEX II grant provides facilitator and training for mentors • SHS & CTC has 15 trained mentors • Goal is to develop individualized, student-directed school-to-career plan for high risk students

31. Tier 3 In the High School:RENEW: Conceptual Framework Child Welfare Education INTERAGENCY COLLABORATION SCHOOL-TO CAREER YOUTH, FAMILY, RENEW SELF-DETERMINATION Disability

32. RENEW PRINCIPLES • Self-Determination • Unconditional Care • Strengths-Based Supports • Flexible Resources • Natural Supports-Community Inclusion

33. RENEW IS…. • A flexible, person-centered planning and support service • Driven by the student’s expressed needs, interests, and goals • A “manualized” practice (Malloy, Drake, & Couture, 2009) RENEW IS NOT…. • A program • A classroom or school

34. RENEW Goals • High School Completion • Employment • Post-secondary Education • Community Integration

35. RENEW Strategies • Person Centered Planning • Individualized Team Development and Wraparound services • Braided Funding (Individualized Resource Development) • Flexible Education Programming • Individualized School-to-Career planning • Naturally supported employment • Mentoring • Sustainable Community Connections

36. Office Discipline Referral Data: RENEW Intervention Cohort 1 Cohort 2

37. Skipping Data: Cohort 1 Cohort 2

38. Credit Data: Cohort 1 Cohort 2

39. Somersworth HS: Academic Impact

40. Implementation: SET* Scores- APEX II High Schools

41. APEX II OUTCOMES (2008)Indicator # 1: State Dropout Rates New Hampshire annual event dropout rates:

42. Indicator # 2: Reduced Office Discipline Referrals Annual changes (by percent) in office discipline referrals (ODRs) among APEX II high schools.

43. GPRA Indicator # 3: Yearly improvements in 10th grade reading and math scores • Year 2004-05 preparation and development. (no projection for this year) • Year 2005-06 projected increase in scores at proficient & advanced………..05% Actual increase…. 17% • Year 2006-07 projected increase in scores at proficient & advanced………..05% Type of test was changed in 2006-07 year…. Will compile for final report

44. GPRA Indicator # 4: Re-engage students who have dropped out or are at risk • Baseline estimated for school year 2003-2004 …20% • Year 2 (2006-07) projected increase of 20% from baseline …………... Actual 2006-07…11%

45. Lessons Learned • 7 out of the 10 schools attempted to implement schoolwide PBIS- it is a comprehensive systems change model that requires the full support of leadership and faculty • The change/transformation happens over years and is incremental • PBIS creates “durable change” • The typical, public high school CAN provide for all students’ needs

46. McKenzie Harrington, Project Staff, NH Department of Education, APEX II mharrington@ed.state.nh.us Institute on Disability, UCED University of New Hampshire JoAnne.Malloy@unh.edu Maria.Agorastou@unh.edu drake.j.d@gmail.com http://iod.unh.edu Contact Information