team approach to school-wide behavior support -training modules-

Team Approach to

School-Wide Behavior Support

-Training Modules-

Anna D. Diaz Associate Superintendent

Orange County Public Schools

OCPS Means Success!

Module 5

Orange County Public SchoolsStrategic Plan

Drafted June 2007

VISION: TO BE THE TOP PRODUCER OF SUCCESSFUL STUDENTS IN THE NATION

MISSION: TO LEAD OUR STUDENTS TO SUCCESS WITH THE SUPPORT AND INVOLVEMENT OF FAMILIES AND THE COMMUNITY

•Intense Focus on Student Achievement

•High-performing and Dedicated Team

•Safe Learning and Working Environment

•Efficient Operations

•Sustained Community Engagement

Training Modules in Review

Module 1: Teamwork, Needs-Assessment, and Systems Change

Module 2: Using Data to Inform School-wide Planning at Tier 1

Module 3: School-wide Expectations and Problem Solving Steps

Module 4: Essentials of Progress Monitoring and Decision Rules

Module 5: Focus on Positive Reinforcement Systems

Module 6: Targeted Tier 2 Interventions for Non-Responders

Module 7: Strategies for Success and Planning for 2009-2010

OCPS - Applying Research to Practice!

Progress Monitoring & Decision Rules

Last Module: Module 4


Module 5: Focus on Positive

Reinforcement SystemsOrange County Public Schools

2008-09

Big Ideas

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

• The goal is to establish host environments that support adoption and sustained use of evidence-based practices.

(Zins & Ponte, 1990)

Positive School Climate

• Academic engagement and achievement are maximized.

• Rates of rule violating behavior are minimized.

• Acts of respectful and responsible behaviors are encouraged.

• School functions are more efficient, effective, and relevant.

• Supports for students with disabilities and those placed at risk of educational failure are improved.

Risk Factors: Home

Language Acquisition and the Effects of Poverty

• Children in homes of professionals hear 4 million words per year.

• Children in poverty hear 250,000 words per year.

(Hart & Risely 1995)


Risk Factors: Home


Affirmative Affirmative Statements and the Effects of Poverty

Professional--30 per hourProfessional--30 per hour

Working Class--15 per hourWorking Class--15 per hour

Poverty--6 per hour, along with twice as many Poverty--6 per hour, along with twice as many prohibitive statementsprohibitive statements

(Hart & Risely 1995)

Inconsistent discipline

Punitive management

Lack of monitoring

Common patterns found in homes of children at-risk for anti-social behavior:


Risk Factors: Home

Risk Factors: Community

Students are left out or rejected by peers early on due to social skills deficits.

Some are awarded social status as peers watch them push teachers' buttons, act as bullies, cause disruptions, etc.

Kids who are most at-risk/anti-social find each other and form "alliances."

(Biglam 1995)


Risk Factors: School

Punitive disciplinary approaches

Lack of clarity about rules, expectations, and consequences

Lack of support

Failure to consider and accommodate individual differences

Academic failure

(Mayer 1995)


Risk Factors: Disability

Cognitive, learning, physiological and/or emotional

disabilities often impact behavior through:

Social skill deficits.

Communication and perception challenges.

Difficulty generalizing skills and knowledge.

Reluctance or inability to comply with social norms.

Resistance to environmental expectations.


• Proactive

– Durable, Systemic Change

– Teach Expectations– Focus on Prevention– Continuum of

Academic and Social Support

– Behavior Support

• Reactive

– Zero Tolerance– Focus on

Consequences– Focus on Correction– Encourage Alternative

Placements

– Crisis Management


Proactive Vs. Reactive Approaches

What Are Typical Responses to Problem Behavior?

Student Specific

• Increase monitoring

• Re-review rules & sanctions

• Extend aversive consequences

• Focus on punishments

• Bottom line approaches such as zero tolerance.



What Are Typical Responses to Problem Behavior?

Systems Level

• Security guards, dress codes, metal detectors, video cameras

• Suspension/expulsion

• Exclusionary options

Typical Responses Are Inefficient

Foster environments of external control.

Reinforce antisocial behavior.

Shift accountability away from school.

Weaken the relationship between academics and behavior.

Devalue adult:child relationships.


Because They…

2001 Surgeon General’s Report:

• Break up antisocial networks

• Increase academic success

• Create positive school climates

• Adopt primary prevention agenda

Children’s mental health link: www.surgeongeneral.gov.

What Should We Do Instead?


Developmental Realities

External control precedes internal control.

Children need years of external control before internal control takes over.

In many elementary students, you may not see true “internal” effects.


Intrinsic or Extrinsic Motivation?

Belonging Reinforcers from

others

Collaborative

groups

Classroom

meeting

School/class

spirit activities

Conflict resolution

Peer buddies

Fun Humor

Intermittent unexpected

reinforcers

Field trips/special days

Art/Music/P.E.

Access to desired

activities

Empowerment Social recognition

Privileges

Shared controls

Jobs and

responsibilities

Negotiation

opportunities

FreedomChoices

Free time

opportunities for all

Contingent access

earned

Movement

opportunities

Time away options

Areas of Motivation


What does the research indicate?

• Intrinsic motivation is affected by:– The interest value of the task– The student’s relationship with the

teacher

• Student’s will come to “depend” on extrinsic motivation if it is:– Too predictable– Withdrawn without fading


What else does the research indicate?

• Extrinsic rewards are valuable during acquisition– Praise and acknowledge

• “trying”• “risk taking”

• Extrinsic rewards are valuable during fluency building– Practice is sometimes boring!


Are Rewards Dangerous ?

Why should children be rewarded for doing what they’re supposed to do?

Praise doesn’t feel natural. It feels manipulative.

Tangible rewards are like bribing.

Students will come to depend on tangible rewards.

Rewards should be for special achievements.

Do students in Middle and High School still need rewards?


Common Concerns:

Behavior Theory & Motivation

• We do something to get some outcome (positive reinforcement)

or

• We do something to avoid some outcome (negative reinforcement)


Reaching the Summit of Mt. Everest!

• Behavior is learned (we observe and imitate models).

• Once learned, behavior is maintained if reinforced – or extinguished if the individual is punished or fails to earn expected reward.

• Behaviors are shaped by interaction with models for behavior and influenced by attractiveness of models.

Sources: Gottfredson, D. C. (1982, 1990); Bandura (1971, 1977); Akers, Krohn, Lanza-Kaduce, & Radosevich

(1979); Hindenlang (1973); Hirshchi (1969)


What we know from Social Learning Theory ….

Our behavioral goal for students

• Our goal for students is to have them be able to self-manage their own behavior

• If the desired behavior is not currently functional for them, how will we accomplish that?

• “what, I’m supposed to give them “bronco-bucks for the rest of their lives???”


INTRINSIC Self Praise, self “satisfaction”

PRAISE from ADULTS *Parent *Teachers *Staff *Peers

SOCIAL STATUS/RECOGNITION from Peers or Adults

PRIVILEGES Choice making, sense of “power”

CONTINGENT ACCESS Premack Principle, Preferred activities-Free time

CLOSURE Completing a task or list (compulsive features)

TANGIBLES Money, stickers, toys, comics…

PRIMARY Edibles, Physiological Response (Pacing, rocking)

RANGE of REINFORCEMENT

Diana Browning Wright, Diagnostic Center, California

Brain Reward Centers

• Early adolescents show fewer reward signals in the brain to stimuli, meaning that the intensity of rewards must be higher for early adolescents to feel rewarded.


Moving from ‘Bronco-bucks’ to more natural reinforcers

• Specificity: what did they do right?

• Pairing the artificial with the intermediate, but more natural: “Thank you for _________! I’m proud of you and…” Adult attention.

• One step further – every time! “…and you should be proud of yourself! You showed a lot of character!”


Behavioral Support Assumptions

• Most school behaviors are learned.

• Most school problem behaviors are learning errors– Get the student what they want or need– Get the student out of what they don’t want to do– Has a communicative intent

• Effective instruction is one of your best methods for managing both academic and social behavior

Implementing a School-wide Reward System

The system should be school wide (for all children).

Recognition should (in most cases) be public in order to serve as a model for others.

Use recognition and rewards that students want.

Reward teachers as well!

Increase reinforcement before difficult times.

Re-teach behaviors if things don’t go well.

Deliver rewards unpredictably

(“You never know when you might get a surprise!”)


Paired With Supportive Systems

• Positive expectations and routines are taught and encouraged.

• Active supervision by all staff.– Scan, move, interact

• Pre-corrections and reminders.

• Positive reinforcement contingent on desired behavior.


Positive Behavior is Acknowledged

• What this looks like…

– Ratio of at least 4 positives to 1 correction/negative (4:1 Ratio)

– Positive adult attention is an extremely powerful instructional strategy

– Immediate and contingent on specific behavior– Continuous to intermittent – Celebrate successes as a method of reinforcing

staff behavior

Here’s a Thought….

If a behavior is important enough to require a rule/expectation and correction in cases of error…

Isn’t it important enough to acknowledge the positive expression of the behavior?


We Are…SafeRespectfulResponsible

Wolf Pack MatrixWe will be… Classrooms Hall Bathroom Playground

…be responsible. -Ask questions.-Conserve resources and

time.-Take charge of your

learning and environment.

-Follow directions.-Be prepared with

materials ready.

-Keep your hands, feet, and objects to yourself.

-Stay with class or group.-Keep hallways clean.

-Throw away your trash in trash can.

-Flush.-Treat equipment and

supplies with care.

-Use equipment appropriately.

-Return borrowed equipment to rightful owner.

…be respectful. -Use encouraging words.-Raise your hand.-Be an active listener.-Use appropriate voice and

volume.-Dress appropriately.

-Use a “whisper voice.”

-Walk.

-Take care of your business quietly and quickly.

-Wait your turn.

-Wait your turn.-Follow staff directions.-Line up when it is time.

…be safe. -Maintain personal space.-Sit appropriately.-Walk.-Keep hands, feet, and

objects to self.-Allow self and others to

make mistakes.

-Always on the “right” side.

-Maintain personal space.

-Stop at corners. -Use handrails going

up and down the stairs

-Wash your hands.-Walk.-Use bathroom equipment

appropriately.

-Keep hands, feet, and objects to yourself.

Paws Awards

Spirit of the Wolf

Issued

By: _____________ D

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Beh

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ESPO

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Responsibility Safety Respect

Positive Acknowledgements

Paws Awards can be used like tokens.

Students accumulate and then exchange them at a later time for privileges/items.

– admittance to special events– discounted school supplies– computer time– teacher helper time– privilege to choose special seat (or “rent” the

teacher’s chair)– permission to choose the story/song, line leader...

Additional Reward Ideas

Pencils, stickers, rulers and other school supplies, books, backpacks, line leader, 1st in line for lunch, extra five minutes of recess, bag of chips, pop, movie passes, Blockbuster card, Skate City, lunch at a restaurant, $25.00 gift certificate to Walmart, Target, Tinsel Town, bowling, student ribbon (or other identifying item to indicate good behavior), lunch with the principal or a special guest.

Developing a Reinforcement and Reward Plan

Decide on key operational factors:

When and how will tokens be distributed?

Where will the tokens be turned in?

What “back-up” incentives will be used?

How and where will you obtain back-up rewards?

When and where will drawings for backup incentives occur?

Who will conduct the drawings

When will you review if the system is working?


Over time, reinforcement moves from:

– Tangible to social

– External to internal

– Frequent to infrequent

– Predictable to unpredictable


Encouraging Expected Behaviors Via Positive Reinforcement

Implications for Schools• Build a culture and climate that promotes membership and

community.

• Experiences that socially bond the student to a group engaged in overall appropriate behavior patterns are essential to the establishment and maintenance of prosocial behavior patterns in that student.

• This bonding gives the student something to lose when engaging in unacceptable behavior (his/her friends won’t like them, etc.)

• Social bonding (being part of the community and it’s standards of conduct) tends to restrain problem behavior by increasing the cost of engaging in it.

Gottfredson, D. C. (1990). Changing school structures to benefit high-risk youths


Guiding Principles of PBS:

All students are valuable and deserve respect.

All students can be taught to demonstrate appropriate behavior.

Punishment does not work to change behavior over the long run.

School climate is a shared responsibility among administrators, teachers, staff, students and families.

Guiding Principles

Guiding Principles:

• School personnel must be willing to examine their own behavior as students are taught to change theirs.

• Cultural differences exist and need to be understood.

• Positive relationships between students and adults are key to student success.

Thanks!

team approach to school-wide behavior support -training modules-

Documents

positive school climates

school functions

schoolwide expectations

schoolwide planning

homerisk factors

antisocial behavior

social status

community students