“Lessons learned” regarding Michigan’s state-wide implementation of schoolwide behavior and reading support

Margie McGlinchey

Kathryn Schallmo

Steve Goodman

OSEP Director’s Conference

July 16, 2007

www.cenmi.org/miblsi

A logic for linking Behavior and Literacy Supports

• Improving the social behavior of students results in:

– More minutes spent in academic instruction

– Better acquisition during engaged minutes

• High quality instruction engages students, and leads to reduction in problem behavior.

• Children who fall behind academically will be more likely to:

– A) Find academic work aversive

– B) Find escape-maintained problem behaviors reinforced

MiBLSi Support Structure

State Support

ISD/RESA/ DISTRICT

Team

School

School

School

National Initiatives Connection

Funding/ Professional Development

Reading/DisciplineInformation

Prerequisites for MiBLSi Implementation• Commitment by…

– 80% of building staff

– Administration at building and district levels

– Agreement to implement for at least two years

• Reading/Behavior one of top three building goals

• Building team and coach identified

MiBLSi is NOT for…

It takes work, commitment and courage!

Criteria on Team Implementation Checklist and Effect on Student Behavior

Importance of Protected Reading BlockImportance of Protected Reading BlockKindergarten ExampleKindergarten Example

Leadership TeamsBuilding Leadership Team• Represents School improvement

team or connected to school improvement team

• Example: Principal, Lower elementary teacher, Upper elementary teacher, Coach)

District Leadership Team• Example: District MiBLSi

coordinator, Student services director, curriculum director, mental health

State Leadership Team• Director- Special Education and Early

Intervention Services• Director- School Improvement• Parent/Advocate• Senior Executive Director- Educational

Assessment and Accountability• Deputy Director- Special Education and

Early Intervention Services• Director Michigan Reading First• President- State Board of Education• Board Member- State Board of

Education

Focus on outcomes, integrity of implementation and problem solving

Outcomes Measures• Behavior

– Major Discipline Referrals

– Suspensions/Expulsions

• Reading– DIBELS/CBM

– High Stakes Test (MEAP)

Process Measures• Behavior

– Team Implementation Checklist

– Self-Assessment Survey– Schoolwide Evaluation Tool

• Reading– Team Checklist– Planning and Evaluation Tool

for Effective Schoolwide Reading Programs

Coaching Support• Use of existing professionals who typically provide technical assistance at

the student level (e.g., school psych, social worker, teacher consultant, reading specialist)

• Important to change from expert “doing for” to facilitator “doing with”

• Coaches meet with teams at least once/month in addition to team training session

• Coaches meet additional 4 days per year

• Additional coaching support strategies

– Phone conferences with coaches prior to training session

– Principal and Coaches meet one hour prior to training session or meeting outside of team training

• Coaches have supporting webpage

Example of the Impact of Coaching on Student Outcomes:Average Major Discipline Referrals per Day per Month

Coach returns Coach returns from leavefrom leave

How do we do this in our school?• Use existing teams/committees as much as

possible

• Embed project activities into current initiatives (i.e., school improvement, safe schools, character education, etc.)

• Establish three levels of implementation, each with different functions

– School-wide

– Grade level

– Individual student

Major Discipline Referrals per 100 Students per Year (Schools implementing > 80% on Team Implementation Checklist)

Percent of Students (Schoolwide) at DIBELS Benchmark level by Cohort Schools

Example School A

Example School A

High Stakes Test Reading Results: Michigan Educational Assessment Program

Began Implementation

Fall 2001

Example School A

Core

Sup

port

Prog

ram

: Pr

ovid

ed to

all,

inte

nded

to re

ach

mos

t.

Continuum of SupportsContinuum of Supports

The required resources to address the

problem increases

The need to enhance

environmental structures increases

The frequency for collecting

and acting upon

information increases

As the magnitude of the problem increases….

“Work in Progress”• Technical Assistance Partners

– Increased PD individualization based on regional need

– Increased Technical Assistance and Support for the region

• Competence-based progress through phases of implementation

• Adding more schools, focus on district implementation with elementary, middle and high schools

I spend more time visiting and assisting teachers in the classrooms than I ever have because I spend much less time on discipline issues. Because we have more time, we have been able to re-structure our day to incorporate more time to teach reading.

Sherryl Martin, Principal

Riverton Elementary, Ludington