Classroom Management

SPEC 534

Session #4

Objectives

• Implement a systematic approach to identifying, assessing, and addressing behavioral concerns to promote student growth – Comparing models and

strategies which address responding to challenging behaviors

Comparing and Contrasting

• Definition of Behavior

• Specific proactive strategies– What are they called– How are the defined– How are they used

• Specific reactive strategies– Same as above

What is Positive Behavior Support?

Positive behavior support (PBS) is a proactive, comprehensive, systemic and individualized continuum of support designed to provide opportunities to all students, including students with disabilities, for achieving social and learning success, while preventing problem behaviors.

Schools are moving toward school-wide discipline systems that address the entire school, the classroom, areas outside the classroom (such as hallways, restrooms, cafeteria), and the individual student with challenging behavior, and that result in a continuum of positive behavior support for all students.

School-wide

Individual

Student

Classroom

Non-Classroom

Continuum Of Continuum Of Behavior SupportBehavior Support

All Students in School

Students with Chronic/

Intense Problem

Behavior (1-7%)

Students At-Risk

for Problem

Behavior

(5-15%)

Students

without

Serious

Problem

Behaviors

(80-90%)

Tertiary Prevention

Secondary Prevention

Primary Prevention

Specialized Individual

Interventions

(Individual Student System)

Specialized Group

Interventions

(At-Risk System)

Universal Interventions

(School-Wide System

and Classroom System)

(Horner, 1998)

“…In the wake of Columbine and other shootings there can be no doubt that schools and school boards have the right, indeed the responsibility, to take strong action to preserve the safety of students, staff, and parents on school grounds…

“Unfortunately there appears to be little evidence, direct or indirect, supporting the effectiveness of suspension or expulsion for improving student behavior or contributing to overall safety.”

-Zero Tolerance, Zero Evidence, 2000

Why PBS?

Growing national concern regarding violence and aggressive behavior in schools

Increasing number of suspensions and expulsions

Research shows that suspension and expulsion are ineffective in changing student behavior

Lack of universal procedures in schools to address problem behaviors

Why Implement School-wide PBS?

PBS utilizes school-wide discipline procedures, in conjunction with specific student interventions

PBS develops a school-community environment focused on safety and effective social behaviors in order to enhance the teaching and learning process

PBS encourages the involvement of families and community members as partners with the school community

Traditional Discipline Strategies

Focus on eliminating/decreasing problem behavior

Reactive in nature

Focus on topography, or form, of behavior

Separation between instruction and behavioral issues

Oriented toward short-term changes

Punishing students without a school-wide positive support system results in increased aggression, vandalism, truancy, drop-outs.

(Mayer & Sulzer-Azaroff, 1991)

Proactive or Reactive?

Proactive

Reactive

Preventative

•Stop something from occurring

•Act as a result

•Driven by circumstances

•Fore planning & thinking

•Driven by values

Problems with Punishment (The Indiana Resource Project, 1991)

Social disruption

Lack of teaching

Lack of generalization

Lack of self-management

Recurrence

Creation of increased anxiety

Generation of Aggression

Suppression of Behavior

Traditional Behavior Management

Views individual as the problem and attempts to “fix” them

Extinguishes behavior

Sanctions aversives

Takes days or weeks to “fix” a single behavior

Positive Behavior Support

Views systems, settings, and skill deficiencies as the “problem” and attempts to “Fix” systems, settings, and skills

Creates new context, experiences, relationships and skills

Sanctions positive approaches

Takes years to create responsive system, personalized settings, and appropriate/ empowering skills

Traditional Behavior

Management

Implemented by behavioral specialists often in atypical settings

Often resorted to when systems are inflexible

Positive Behavior Supports

Implemented by a dynamic and collaborative team using person-centered planning in typical settings

Flourishes when systems are flexible

Changing vs. Managing Behaviors

Managing Behaviors

• Reactive• “Controlling” a

behavior for the moment

• Has consequences

• Has clearly defined expectations

• Direct and concise language

Changing Behaviors

• Proactive• Has long term

effects, not just for the moment

• Consider the function of behavior

• Teaching behaviors– Discipline

“Disciplina” = Teaching

• Reinforcing behaviorsMezzocchi, Michael. (2001) Managing Behavior. . Pathway Staff Development

Major Features of School-wide PBS:

Universal approach to discipline

Clear expectations of positive behaviors

Procedures for teaching behaviors

Continuum of procedures for encouraging and reinforcing expected behavior

Teaching….

“If a child does not know how to read, we

teach.

If a child does not know how to swim, we

teach.

If a child does not know how to multiply, we

teach.

If a child does not know how to drive, we

teach.

If a child does not know how to behave,

we teach?…punish?”Tom Herner (NASDE President) Counterpoint, 1998

Fundamental to positive behavior support is the belief that behavior can and ought to be taught in much the same way that teachers teach academics.

Teaching for acquisition (students know what to do) is necessary but insufficient.

Strategies for teaching fluency (Students know what, why, when and where) are necessary.

Teaching

Model

Guided Practice

Independent Practice

Day 2

Establishing School-wide Expectations

Based on analysis of the data, the PBS team generates a list of expected behaviors.

In establishing this list, the team focuses on what actions they want students to display in place of the current behaviors that are perceived to be problematic.

Day 2

Next the team groups the desirable actions to formulate a concise set of widely stated universals…these become the universal or schoolwide rules.

Day 2

School-wide Expectations for

Riverside Elementary

Be Responsible

Be Respectful

Be Cooperative

Be Safe

Be a Learner

Once the school-wide expectations are identified, the team generates two levels of alternative behaviors.

I. The set of actions displayed across school settings that exemplify each rule.

E.g. :sharing, turn taking, listening, following directions and working together are exemplars of “Be Cooperative” that apply across school settings

II. The sets of setting specific exemplars for each school-wide expectation

Examples:

Bathroom

- Only 3 at a time

- Use quiet voices

- Wash hands thoroughly with soap

- Use only one paper towel

- Throw towel in the trash

Hallways:

- Enter the building quietly

- Walk in a straight line

- Walk silently

- Keep hands, feet and objects to self

- Go directly to your destination with a

pass

Define Clear and Consistent

Expectations• Step One: Define

Expectations–Set 3-5 overarching rules

for all settings–Develop a plan for

behavioral expectations–Set high, yet reasonable

expectations –State positively and

succinctly

Day 2

Define and Teach Define and Teach BehaviorBehavior

• Step Two: Teach Expectations– Make rules public– Articulate and model to

students what is expected– Practice, Practice, Practice

Knoster,Tim. (2000) Positive Approaches to School-Wide Discipline.

Day 2

Teaching

Model

Guided Practice

Independent Practice

Day 2

Instruction of the behavioral expectations should be integrated into the curriculum and taught directly and incidentally.

Reinforce and Reinforce and Support Support

New BehaviorsNew Behaviors

• Step Three: Reinforce Expectations – Catch students being

good– Correct for non-

compliance

Knoster,Tim. (2000) Positive Approaches to School-Wide Discipline.

Day 2

What Do These Words Mean?

• Independently mark a percentage next to each word.

• Compare what you wrote with your table group.

• Develop a range of responses.

Feedback from Assessments

• Great reflection questions-”Does he do this to manipulate…” “What if I did this…”

• Dates-times-durations of observations

• Scripts of observations

• Baselines and hypothesis

Feedback from Assessments

• Watch vague and judgment language language

• Be very specific and detailed (Think-justification and evidence)

• Make connections with factors and hypothesis

• Clearly define the behavior of concern

Homework

Yell, M. L. (1997) Teacher liability for student injury and misconduct. Beyond Behavior, 8, 4-9.

MacDonald, M. R.& Kunkel, S-H. (2002) The Path To Positive Classroom Management. Z. Dubah Press. pp 131-133.

Wolfgang, C. H. (2001) Solving Disciplined Classroom Management Problems: Methods & Models For Today’s Teachers. 5th Ed., New York: Wiley & Sons, chpt.9.