Vermont Positive Behavior Supports

Bringing out the BEST in all of us.

Presented by:

Rae Ann Knopf

VTPBS State Coordinator

VTDOE Assistant Division Director

The Vermont PBS State-wide Leadership Team

The Vermont State BEST Team

University of Vermont Center on Disability & Community Inclusion

PBS Implementation Coaches

Rae Ann Knopf, State-wide Coordinator

Richard Boltax, BEST Co-coordinator

Sherry Schoenberg, BEST Co-coordinator

Ken Kramberg, BEST consultant

Ruth Hamilton, BEST consultant

Carol Randall, DOE Education Consultant

Lisa Mazzitelli, DOE Education Consultant

Behavioral ExpectationsBehavioral Expectations

BBe present

EEngage

SSupport each other

TTeam solutions and ideas

So What is PBS?

Positive Behavior Supports (PBS) is a proactive,

school-wide,

systems approach

to improving social and academic competence for all students.

Big Idea

Educational leaders must strive to lead and support development of sustainable and positive school climates

The goal is to establish school communities that support adoption and sustained use of evidenced-based practices

(Zins & Ponte, 1990)

Challenge #1 – Rigid, Inflexible Systems

Challenge #2 – Someone Else’s Problem

Why PBS? Do the math . . .

Competing Pressures in Schools

+Conflicting Priorities+

Competing for limited resources

=Diminished capacity to focus on the needs of students & staff

Positive School Climates . . .

• Maximize academic engagement & achievement

• Minimize rates of rule violating behavior • Encourage respectful & responsible acts • Facilitate more efficient, effective &

relevant school functioning• Improve supports for students with

disabilities & greater risk of educational failure

Instructional Time Lost

1400 referrals =21,000 min@15 mins=

350 hrs=

44 teaching days 59 administrative days

131 instructional days for students

Ineffective Responses to Problem Behavior

Get Tough (practices)

Train-&-Hope (systems)

But….false sense of safety/security!

Fosters environments of controlTriggers & reinforces antisocial behavior Shifts accountability away from schoolDevalues child-adult relationshipWeakens relationship between academic & social behavior programming

Based on Erroneous assumption that student…

Is inherently “bad”

Will learn more appropriate behavior through increased use of “aversives”

Will be better tomorrow…….

“Train & Hope”

REACT toProblemBehavior

REACT toProblemBehavior

Select &ADD

Practice

Select &ADD

Practice

Hire EXPERTto TrainPractice

Hire EXPERTto TrainPractice

WAIT forNew

Problem

WAIT forNew

Problem

Expect, But HOPE for

Implementation

Expect, But HOPE for

Implementation

When a student

Doesn’t know how to read – what do we do?WE TEACH.

Doesn’t know how to add – what do we do?WE TEACH.

Doesn’t know how to swim – what do we do?WE TEACH.

Doesn’t know how to drive – what do we do?WE TEACH.

When a student doesn’t know how to behave – When a student doesn’t know how to behave – what do we do?what do we do? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Research on behavior has taught us that people….

…… can learn better ways of behaving by being taught directly & receiving positive feedback….

. . . . Especially when function is considered

- Sugai and Horner, 2003

What PBS does -

PBS identifies a set of science-based behavior support practices that are proactive, instructive and inclusive.

PBS integrates academic and behavioral success.

PBS brings school teams, parents and communities together to design and implement a broad range of systemic and

individualized strategies for teaching, encouraging, reinforcing, and generalizing social and behavioral competence.

PBS → EBS → PBIS

Core principle - make the smallest environmental change necessary in order to facilitate the greatest positive change in

behavior.

Transforming Practices

Reactive Proactive

(Focus on Prevention)

Punitive Instructive(Teach and recognize appropriate skills)

Exclusionary Inclusionary(Keep students in school and in class)

Implementing and Sustaining School-wide Positive Behavior Supports is

School teams coming together to –• Create a common purpose• Define 3-5 positively stated behavioral

expectations• Develop systems for teaching, encouraging, and

reinforcing expectations• Develop systems for discouraging negative

behaviors• Develop function based systems for supporting

students and responding to behavior patterns

DEFINE expectations for behavior

TEACH the expected behavior

REVIEW expectations regularly

MONITOR performance of expected behaviors

RECOGNIZE individuals when expected behaviors are demonstrated

CORRECT individuals when expected behaviors are not demonstrated

Teaching Behavioral Expectations: An Instructional Approach

Public Health & Disease PreventionKutash et al., 2006; Larson, 1994

Tertiary (FEW) Reduce complications,

intensity, severity of current cases

Secondary (SOME) Reduce current cases of

problem behavior

Primary (ALL) Reduce new cases of

problem behavior

Activity

Turn to the person next to you at your table and take turns teaching each other the triangle.

Try to cover the key concepts in two minutes or less.

Six Components of SW Discipline (SW-BSP)

1. Statement of purpose (Common approach to discipline)

2. Clearly defined expected behavior

3. Procedures for teaching expected behavior

4. Continuum of procedures for encouraging expected behavior

5. Continuum of procedures for discouraging problem behaviors

6. Procedures for record-keeping & decision making

TeamAgreements

Data-based Action Plan

Implementation

Evaluation

Plan Act

Study Do

PDSA CycleDean A. Fixsen and Karen A. Blasé, 2006

BehavioralCapacity

Priority &Status

Data-basedDecisionMaking

Communications

Administrator

TeamAdministratorSpecialized Support

Student

Community

Non-Teaching

Teaching

Family

Representation

Secure SW Agreements & Supports

AgreementsAt least 80% of staffPrioritizing use of data-base for informed decision making (e.g., EBS Staff Survey, ODR’s)3-4 year commitmentProactive instructional approach

SupportsAdministrative leadershipPrioritized resources

Materials, personnel

On-going coachingTime

TeamAgreements

Data-based Action Plan

Implementation

Evaluation

Plan Act

Study Do

PDSA CycleDean A. Fixsen and Karen A. Blasé, 2006

4 Elements of Data-based Decision Making

Use data to answer questions and verify outcomes• Describe in measurable terms• Specify realistic & achievable criterion for success• Identify priorities for action

High quality data from clear definitions, processes, & implementation (e.g., sw behavior support)

Efficient data storage & manipulation system (e.g., SWIS)

Process for using data to make decisions & take action

Initiative, Committee

Purpose Outcome Target Group

Staff Involved

School Action Plan

Attendance Committee

Increase attendance

Increase % of students attending daily

All students Eric, Ellen, Marlee

Goal #2

Character Education

Improve character

Improve character All students Marlee, J.S., Ellen

Goal #3

Safety Committee

Improve safety Predictable response to threat/crisis

Dangerous students

Has not met

Goal #3

School Spirit Committee

Enhance school spirit

Improve morale All students Has not met

Discipline Committee

Improve behavior

Decrease office referrals

Bullies, antisocial students, repeat offenders

Ellen, Eric, Marlee, Otis

Goal #3

DARE Committee

Prevent drug use

High/at-risk drug users

Don

EBS Work Group

Implement 3-tier model

Decrease office referrals, increase attendance, enhance academic engagement, improve grades

All students Eric, Ellen, Marlee, Otis, Emma

Goal #2

Goal #3

Example Committee Review Form

Kinds of Data

Office discipline reports Out of classroom referralsBehavioral incidentsAttendanceSuspension/DetentionSpecial education referralsObservationsSelf-assessments – PBS Surveys, Youth Risk

Behavior Surveys

TeamAgreements

Data-based Action Plan

Implementation

Evaluation

Plan Act

Study Do

PDSA CycleDean A. Fixsen and Karen A. Blasé, 2006

Nonclass

room

Setting S

ystems

ClassroomSetting Systems

Individual Student

Systems

School-wideSystems

Research to Practice

Mt Abe Midldle School Out of Classroom Referrals

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

Year 06-07 Year 07-08

Ou

t of C

lass

roo

m R

efer

rals

Before PBS Schoolwide PBS Partially Implemented

64% Reduction

Aug 06 - mid March 07 Aug 07 - mid March 08

47

28

25

81

136

0

20

40

60

80

100

Per

cen

t of S

tud

ent

Po

pu

latio

n b

y N

um

ber

Ref

erra

ls

1 2

Mt Abe Middle S c hool Dis tribution of Out of C las s R eferrals by

S tudentAug 06 - Marc h 07 vs . Aug 07 - Marc h 08

6+

2-5

0-1

School Rules

NO Food

NO Weapons

NO Backpacks

NO Drugs/Smoking

NO Bullying

Redesign Learning & Teaching Environment

Few positive SW expectations defined, taught, & encouraged

Teaching Matrix

SETTING

All Settings Hallways Playgrounds CafeteriaLibrary/

Computer Lab

Assembly Bus

Respect Ourselves

Be on task.Give your best effort.

Be prepared.

Walk. Have a plan.

Eat all your food.

Select healthy foods.

Study, read, compute.

Sit in one spot.Watch for your

stop.

Respect Others

Be kind.Hands/feet to

self.Help/share with others.

Use normal voice volume.Walk to right.

Play safe.Include others.

Share equipment.

Practice good table manners

Whisper.Return books.

Listen/watch.Use appropriate

applause.

Use a quiet voice.

Stay in your seat.

Respect Property

Recycle.Clean up after self.

Pick up litter.Maintain physical space.

Use equipment properly.

Put litter in garbage can.

Replace trays & utensils.Clean up

eating area.

Push in chairs.

Treat books carefully.

Pick up.Treat chairs

appropriately.

Wipe your feet.Sit

appropriately.

Exp

ecta

tions

TeamAgreements

Data-based Action Plan

Implementation

Evaluation

Plan Act

Study Do

PDSA CycleDean A. Fixsen and Karen A. Blasé, 2006

After PBS Implementation – the middle school above reduced office discipline referrals by 64%

A 64% reduction of 1324 referrals recaptures –

26 – 8 hour days of teaching time

35 – 8 hour days of administrative time

70 – 8 hour days of student instruction

Is PBS creating success for students in your school?

Elem With School-wide PBS

-5

0

5

10

15

20

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

Schools

Ch

ang

e fr

om

97-

98 t

o 0

1-02

Elem Without School-wide PBS

-6

-4

-2

0

2

4

6

1 2 3 4 5 6

Schools

Cha

nge

from

97-

98 to

01-

02

4J School District

Eugene, Oregon

Change in the percentage of students meeting the state standard in reading at grade 3 from 97-98 to 01-02 for schools using PBIS all four years and those that did not.

Elementary February 2008 Cohort SETS

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

A. ExpectationsDefined

B. BehavioralExpectations Taught

C. On-going Systemfor Rew arding

BehavioralExpectations

D. System forResponding to

BehavioralViolations

E. Monitoring &Decision-making

F. Management G. District-levelSupport

Summary Scores

Expectations

Perc

enta

ge

Baseline % Post Implementation

Are the Components you Worked on Actually In Place?

0

300

600

900

1200

1500

Tota

l O

ffic

e D

iscip

line R

efe

rrals

95-96 96-97 97-98 98-99School Years

Kennedy Middle SchoolAre they staying in place over time?

What should I expect to see/hear in a PBS school?

SW-PBS (primary)>80% of students can tell you what is expected of them & give behavioral example because they have been taught, actively supervised, practiced, & acknowledged.Positive adult-to-student interactions exceed negativeFunction based behavior support is foundation for addressing problem behavior.Data- & team-based action planning & implementation are operating.Administrators are active participants.Full continuum of behavior support is available to all students

Secondary & Tertiary

Team-based coordination & problem solvingLocal specialized behavioral capacityFunction-based behavior support planningPerson-centered, contextually & culturally relevantDistrict/regional behavioral capacityInstructionally orientedLinked to SW-PBS practices & systemsSchool-based comprehensive supports

What’s the Status in Vermont?

State-wide Leadership Team – 34 members

Training of External Implementation Coaches – 6 state-wide coaches, 3 district coaches

Established priority for Act 230 spending 2007/2008 and 2008/2009 spending

Training and Implementation in Schools• Over 900 educators & mental health personnel –

introductory training• 34 schools engaged in implementing SW-PBS

Vermont Data

4 5

8

34

2825

0

4 4

11

19

34

0 1

4

9

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

ImplementingTargeted

ImplementingSchoolwide

Preparing

'Feb 07

'Sep 07

'Oct 07

'Nov 07

'Feb 08

'June 08 (proj)

How to find out more -

Nationally - www.pbis.orgwww.apbs.orgwww.pbssurveys.org

In Vermont – rae.knopf@state.vt.usRichard.boltax@state.vt.ussherscho@sover.net

Activity

What further questions do you need answered to better understand any aspect of PBS?

• Post them on the flipchart and note common themes.