Positive Behavior Interventions and SupportsAcknowledgement Systems

Northwest AEA

Jerome Schaefer

November, 2009

Major portions of the following material were developed by: George Sugai and Rob Horner

OSEP Funded Technical Assistance Center

www.pbis.org

In conjunction with

The Iowa Department of Education

Establishing a School-wide Discipline System

Define School-wide Behavioral Expectations

Teach School-wide Behavioral Expectation Monitor and Acknowledge Appropriate

Behavior Use a Continuum of Consequences for

Inappropriate Behavior

Goals Understand the Rationale for Developing a

School-Wide Acknowledgement System Develop School-Wide System for

Acknowledging Students Engaged in Appropriate Behaviors.

Identify Strategies to Encourage use of Positive Rewards in Classroom and Non-Classroom Settings.

School-wide Acknowledgement Systems: Rationale

Focuses staff and student attention on desired behaviors (expectations)

Increases the likelihood that desired behaviors will be repeated

School-wide Acknowledgement Systems: Rationale

Fosters a positive school climate

Reduces the need for time consuming disciplinary measures, increasing student time involved in instruction and on-task

Remember. . .

The key to SW-PBS is that our behavior as adults must change to change student behavior.

Social and Academic Behaviors/Skills are Learned and Taught in the Same Manner

Teach new behaviors are taught by explanation, modeling, practice, and feedback

New behaviors become durable with practice and feedback

Behaviors become useful when effective & relevant for the student

Correct behaviors are taught and strengthened to replace error behaviors

From Tricks to Systems

First, increase availability, adoption, & sustained use of validated practicesThen, use what we know about behavior of the individual to affect behavior & organization of communities

Biglan, 1995

School-wide Acknowledgement Systems: Guidelines Keep it simple The system should be for all students Make sure that rewards reflect the

interests of the students (Ask them!) Students should be eligible to earn

rewards throughout the day contingent upon appropriate behavior

School-wide Acknowledgement Systems: Guidelines

Plan for increased reinforcement after teaching expectations

Increase reinforcement before difficult times Deliver reinforcement unpredictably (you never

know when you will get a surprise!) – but consistently

Refrain from using the loss of rewards as a strategy for motivating desired behaviors…earned = kept

School-wide Acknowledgement Systems: Guidelines

Provide staff with opportunities to recognize students in common areas who are not in their classes

Encourage staff to reinforce students and students to earn the rewards

Share data with staff Teach behavioral principles of reinforcement

to all staff

Principles of Reinforcement: Why Use Positive Reinforcement?

Effective and evidence-based Teaches new skills Punishment alone is ineffective Leads to long term/lasting change Motivates and engages youth, staff, and

families More positive environment

Behavioral Principle -Reinforcement Consequence events influence likelihood

of future behavior occurrences

Reinforcement: Positive

Behaviors that are followed byPleasing/reinforcing events are more likely

to occur in future Most people find common consequence

outcomes, objects, & events to be pleasing/reinforcingE.g., money, social contact, smiles,

applause, recreation, escape or avoidance of tedious task, food, praise, academic/vocational success

Most individuals find both external & internal events to be pleasing/reinforcing E.g., positive self-statements, relief from

discomfort, hunger satisfaction, tension release, etc.

Some people require more (or less) externally-provided pleasing/reinforcing events to maintain their efforts

Reinforcement: PositiveReinforcement: Positive

Reinforcers. . .

. . . are acquired,

take many forms, and

are individually effective

Reinforcers

Most social & tangible objects & events are initially neutral but become reinforcing/rewarding by being associated with other already reinforcing/rewarding objects & events

Reinforcers can be any object or event

“What is reinforcing/rewarding/pleasing” is affected by learning history, culture, community, etc.

Reinforcement Wisdom! ‘Knowing’ or saying ‘know’ does NOT mean ‘will

do’ Students ‘do more’ when ‘doing works’…

appropriate & inappropriate Natural consequences are varied, unpredictable,

undependable,…not always preventive Err on side of being positive

Activity

Individually, look over the handout for Acknowledgement Systems: Activity One at the back of your packet.

Identify personal reinforcers for the activities listed.

Share with members of your group.

How many are intrinsic?

How many are extrinsic?

Developing Positive Environments Formal & frequent use of positive

rewards/reinforcers for appropriate student behavior contributes to development of environments that are described as positive, caring, safe, facilitating, etc.

You were seenExhibiting Dexter PRIDE

This entitles you to a “Leave 5 minutes early for breakfast pass”.____________________________

Given by ____________________________

Incentives

You have exhibited exemplary Dexter PRIDE

This entitles you to a “Free Car Wash”. See Mr. Gomez to set up an appointment____________________________Given by ____________________________

Dexter High School: Dexter, NM

IncentivesIncentives

This student was noticed being: (mark all that apply)

considerate accountable

respectful enthusiastic safe

White Mt. Intermediate: Ruidoso, NM

P.A.W.S. Rewards Program

was caught following the P.A.W.S. guidelines.

P = Please listen

A = Always be prepared

W = Work/act responsibly

S =Show respect

Caught by:

2 tickets: candy treat first in line for lunch

10 tickets:15 min. computer timelunch with an adultvideo for the weekendearn back Wolverine letter

50 tickets (whole class):popcorn partyextra 30 minute recess

30 minute video

Acknowledgement: School Example

Tickets given out by all staff to students found meeting school-wide expectations

When a student is observed following the school-wide expectation, circle it on the buck and acknowledge the student for the appropriate behavior observed

Write the students name on the buck Sign and date the buck in order to prevent theft Only BLUE BUCKS are given by substitute teachers

and are worth two points Bucks should not be taken away from students once

they are earned

School Example: Prizes for Prizes for Weekly DrawingsWeekly Drawings 1st in line for lunch (gets to leave class 2

minutes early) Free pop Snack from vending machine Open Campus for you and a friend for lunch

(with parent signatures) Free entry to a home sporting event Preferred parking for a week

More Examples:More Examples:Prizes for Weekly DrawingsPrizes for Weekly Drawings

Cougar Traits t-shirt Cougar Traits Lanyard Free homework assignment (not on a major

project or test) Free piece of pizza from Casey’s (donated ½) Free video rental (donated by local store) Free gas from Casey’s (we purchased in 2.00

coupons) Percentage off a haircut or product at local

salons (donated) 

Sample Secondary Rewards

Business Donations for Monthly Raffle

10 minutes early to lunch

Duffle Bags with School Logo

Hamburger Cook Out with Karaoke

Once a Year - One Day Workshop designated to improve student character & Life Skills

Still More School Examples “A, B, C” dances each grading period School bucks to use in a school store on a

regular basis (weekly) “Caught Being Good” certificates Weekly lottery drawings Positive parent telephone contacts Positive office referrals Coupons (homework, tardy, athletic event

ticket)

Cougar Traits in the Community

Student Name __________________________________

Displayed the Cougar Trait of: RespectResponsibilityCaringCitizenship(Circle the trait you observed)

Signature _____________________________________________If you would like to write on the back the details of what you observed feel free! Thank you for supporting our youth.

Brag Box I would like to share that Mr./ Mrs. Miss _________ ,

_ _______________________________________

________________________________________

________________________________________

________________________________________

________________________________________

________________________________________

To build staff moral we began recognizing the positive things we were seeing among the adults in our building.

Acknowledgement Systems for Adults

Acknowledgement System: Team Action Planning

Consider… What will you expect of your school staff regarding

acknowledgement of students? How will you involved students in developing your

acknowledgement system? Training of staff Training of substitutes and volunteers. Create a permanent product that describes your system - add

this to your PBIS Products Book

Brainstorm ideas for your acknowledgement system: Use Acknowledgement System Activity 2 as a

reference

Reinforcement RebellionWhy do educators rebel at use of

positive acknowledgements (misrules)? Use of extrinsic rewards will inhibit development of intrinsic

motivation. Students don’t need rewards & acknowledgements to do what’s right. A strong, aversive natural consequence will get the message across. Give them time, & maturity will kick in. If they can’t do it on their own, they shouldn’t be in this course. Any students who need me to tell them what’s right and wrong aren’t

going to make it my class. I teach biology. I don’t and shouldn’t have to teach respect and

responsibility. It’s obvious to me, just look at her family. When I was his age, I had to do it all on my own….no breaks &

privileges in my class.

Are Rewards Dangerous? “…our research team has conducted a series of reviews and

analysis of (the reward) literature; our conclusion is that there is no inherent negative property of reward. Our analyses indicate that the argument against the use of rewards is an overgeneralization based on a narrow set of circumstances.” Judy Cameron, 2002

“…programs that show increased intrinsic motivation are those programs that incorporate the elements of good, comprehensive behavioral intervention…”

Akin-Little, Little, Eckert, & Lovett, 2004

“The undermining effect of extrinsic reward on intrinsic motivation remains unproven” Steven Reiss, 2005

This study assessed how rewards impacted intrinsic motivation when students were rewarded for achievement while learning an activity, for performing at a specific level on a test, or for both. Undergraduate university students engaged in a problem-solving activity. The design was a 2 × 2 factorial with 2 levels of reward in a learning phase (reward for achievement, no reward) and 2 levels of reward in a test phase (reward for achievement, no reward). Intrinsic motivation was measured as time spent on the experimental task and ratings of task interest during a free-choice period. A major finding was that achievement-based rewards during learning or testing increased participants' intrinsic motivation. A path analysis indicated that 2 processes (perceived competence and interest-internal attribution) mediated the positive effects of achievement-based rewards in learning and testing on intrinsic motivation. Findings are discussed in terms of the cognitive evaluation, attribution, and social-cognitive theories. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2009 APA, all rights reserved)

“What the Worlds Greatest Managers Do Differently”

-- Buckingham & Coffman 2002, Gallup Interviews with 1 million workers, 80,000 managers, in 40 companies.

Create working environments where employees:

Know what is expected Have the materials and equipment to do the job

correctly Receive recognition each week for good work Have a supervisor who cares, and pays attention Receive encouragement to contribute and

improve

“What the Worlds Greatest Managers Do Differently”

Can identify a person at work who is a “best friend” Feel the mission of the organization makes them

feel like their jobs are important See the people around them committed to doing a

good job Feel like they are learning new things (getting

better) Have the opportunity to do their job well

Create learning environments where students and staff

Know what is expected Have the materials and equipment to do the

job correctly Receive recognition each week for good work Have a teacher who cares, and pays attention Receive encouragement to contribute and

improve

Create learning environments where students

Can identify a person at school who is a “best friend”

Feel the mission of the school makes them feel like their jobs are important

See the people around them committed to doing a good job

Feel like they are learning new things (getting better)

Have the opportunity to do their job well

Acknowledgement Systems: Team Activity:

Working in pairs, take turns asking and answering the questions on the Acknowledgement Systems: Activity Three handout (i.e., one team member reads a question and another answers it- then switch roles!)

Keep a quick pace. After reading and answering a question, members can respond with a short statement if desired. Remember to keep responses brief and keep moving!

When you have finished, take 5 minutes as a group and discuss your responses to the information presented.

School-wide Acknowledgement Systems: Challenges

Remaining focused on the positive Providing meaningful rewards Maintaining consistency with all staff Tracking your reward system Keeping it interesting and exciting for staff and

students Remembering that what reinforces one student will

not necessarily work for others - not all kids will “buy in”

School-wide Acknowledgement Systems: Solutions Keep ratios of reinforcement to correction high (5:1

minimum) Gather input from students Train staff on use of rewards and prompt and review often Develop data-based system for monitoring and

documenting appropriate behaviors Use reward “menus” so students can gain preferred

options Develop targeted interventions for those displaying

chronic behavior problems

Summary Acknowledging Appropriate Behavior is part of PBIS

Practices Acknowledging appropriate behavior is simply following

the basic behavioral principle of reinforcement Developing a School-Wide Acknowledgement System

supports the practice Involve staff and students in developing our

Acknowledgement System Staff will need some training and guidelines Not all staff will participate immediately Define Strategies to support and acknowledge desired

adult behavior