Establishing a Social and Behavioral Context for Academic Learning

Mindee O’Cummings

Session Agenda

During this session, we will:

• Review strategies to promote positive behavior and discourage negative behavior

• Explore ways encourage implementation of these strategies through the subgrantee monitoring process

Session Objectives

• Gain an understanding of school/facility, classroom, and individual strategies

• Consider ways of promoting these, and other strategies, though subgrantee monitoring

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Relationship Between Context and Academics

Improved Improved Student Student

AchievementAchievement

Foster communication and collaboration

• A systemwide approach can reduce negative and increase positive behaviors and social interactions.

• Collaboration and coordination is required among facility and school leadership, teachers, and other staff.

• Focus is on reinforcing positive behavior rather than using punitive tactics for disciplinary infractions.

Institutionwide/Schoolwide Strategies

Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS, or PBS) is a research-based framework that has been used in juvenile justice facilities for implementing schoolwide systems of behavioral support to help prevent and reduce problem behavior.

For more information, see http://www.neglected-delinquent.org/nd/resources/spotlight/spotlight200601b.asp

Nurture relationships with colleagues, families, and students

• Colleagues: Drawing on relationships with colleagues and behavior experts can be an effective way for teachers to gain insights and advice about managing classroom behavior.

• Families: Promoting involvement in learning is essential and has been identified as the single most important determinant of success for at-risk children and youth.

• Students: Personal relationships can provide motivation to the student as well as insight for the teacher.

Institutionwide/Schoolwide Strategies

Learning environment encompasses the physical arrangement of the classroom (seating, lighting, layout, posters) and classroom management techniques, rules, routines and regulations

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Institutionwide/Schoolwide Strategies

Learning environment• Involve the class in developing

classroom behavior expectations. • Promote an environment in which

students feel safe, cared for, and respected.

• Model the classroom behaviors and routines.

• Provide ample opportunities for student practice. • Provide students with immediate feedback for inappropriate

behavior, and give praise for appropriate behavior

Teach and reinforce skills to promote appropriate behavior

• Actively teach students socially and behaviorally appropriate skills to replace problem behaviors.

• Help students learn how, when, and where to use these new skills.

• Infuse explicit instruction of positive behavior into the regular school day to reduce disruptive and aggressive behavior (e.g., conflict resolution skills, strategies to manage emotions and impulses, and effective interpersonal communication skills).

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Classroom Strategies

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Classroom Strategies

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Individualized Strategies

NDTAC has published a paper on the conditions for learning that identifies the powerful social and emotional factors affect learning. See http://www.neglected-delinquent.org/nd/resources/spotlight/cflbrief200803.asp

NDTAC has also published an issue brief describing Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) and highlighting a few juvenile justice agencies that are currently implementing it. See http://www.neglected-delinquent.org/nd/resources/spotlight/spotlight200601b.asp

The following programs, supported by the U.S. Department of Education, have Web sites that offer evidence-based strategies for behavior:Doing What Works, http://dww.ed.gov

Technical Assistance Center on PBIS, www.PBIS.org 11

Resources