Executive Functioning: Interventions for Time

Management and Organization

At the end of the session, participants will be able to:

◦ Understand executive functioning and how it relates to our students

◦ Implement several strategies and interventions to help students with organization and time management

Objectives

An umbrella term for the neurological skills that encompass mental control and self-regulation

The mental processes required to manage oneself

Multiple processes, not singular in nature

What is Executive Functioning?

The Coaching Staff of a Mental Ability Football Team

(McClosky)

Initiating work Inhibiting behavior Staying organized Planning Controlling emotions Sustaining Memory Self Monitoring Cognitive Shifting

Students with EF deficits may have difficulty…

Autism/Asperger‘s Syndrome ADHD and ADD Conduct Disorder Oppositional Defiant Disorder Depression and/or Anxiety Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

Some Conditions Involving EF Deficits:

“I am a content area teacher. I should be teaching my content and not basic organizational skills”◦ Self-discipline is more important in increasing

academic performance than IQ (Duckworth, A.L. & Seligman, M.E.P. 2005)

◦ Students with high levels of self-discipline achieve better grades, earn a higher GPA, and score higher on achievement tests (Duckworth, A.L. & Seligman, M.E.P. 2005)

Common Misperceptions about EF Interventions

“These students are in high school, they should already know how to do this stuff”

◦ 47% of college students feel their high school did not teach them the organizational skills to be successful in college. (Greenfield Online, 2006)

◦ 87% of college students say better time management and organizational skills would help them get better grades. (Greenfield Online, 2006)

◦ Times of transition, specifically transitioning to high school and again when transitioning to college serve to highlight executive functioning difficulties” (McCloskey, 2009)

Common Misperceptions about EF Interventions

“This student is disorganized and not finishing his work because he simply isn’t motivated”

◦ There are always going to be students for whom motivation is a concern. However, there are also many students who are motivated and do want to change their behavior who don‘t know what to do to change it. For these students, reward programs will not work (McCloskey, 2009).

◦ 88% of college students want to improve their ability to manage time (Greenfield Online, 2006)

Common Misperceptions about EF Interventions

The goal of EF interventions in education is to make the child conscious of their executive functions and how to monitor them. (McCloskey, 2009)

Students must understand how to create systems of organization and time management. But more importantly, they need to learn how to “check-in” with themselves to make sure they are using these systems.

EF Strategies and Interventions

Based on the Rush NeuroBehavioral Center Executive Functioning Curriculum for High School Students◦ A quantitative evaluation of the EF curriculum’s

possible impact on standardized assessment revealed that students who demonstrated greater adherence to the EF Curriculum throughout the school year performed significantly better on the ISAT reading tests, even after controlling for demographic variables and prior years’ scores.

EF Strategies and Interventions

One of the biggest impediments to organization is not taking time to maintain the organizational systems.

Allow a short amount of time each week for students to organize all materials:◦ End of prd. on Fridays◦ Downtime after finishing a test/activity early

Managing Materials

Managing Materials: Self-Assessment

How Well Do I Manage My Materials?Self-Assessment

None of the Time0 pts.

Some of the Time 1 pt.

Most of the Time 2 pts.

All of the Time 3 pts.

I bring the right materials home to complete my homework.I bring the necessary materials to class.

I have an organized bag and locker and can find what I need quickly.I use a system to organize all of my schoolwork.

I designate a place for homework, class notes, and returned work.I have a system for filing papers that have been graded.I remember to turn in my completed work.

I clean out my back pack on a weekly basis.

Allows students to evaluate their ability to organize their learning materials

8 items

Can be administered to entire class at once

Classifies students’ organization skills into different categories based on number of pts.

Managing Materials:Self-Assessment

Strategy: administer once per quarter

Intervention: administer more frequently (once or twice a month) for those classified as “Emerging” or “Not Yet Established” ◦ Allow time for peer modeling

End of prd. on Fridays◦ Teach systems for material management (see

next slide)◦ Students can track growth based on number of

points they score

Managing Materials:Self-Assessment

1. Student Planner Notebook for each class Folder for each class

2. Student Planner Binder for each class containing:

- Notebook and folder

3. Student Planner Plastic accordion folder

- labeled subjects w/in folder Notebook for each class

3 Systems for Managing Materials

Time ManagementActivity Color

SchoolHomework

Video GamesInternetPhone

TVSleep

Personal HygieneSports/FitnessMeals/snacks

Community ActivitiesFamily

Social/FriendsOther:Other:Other:Other:

Materials:◦ Pie Chart◦ Colored pencils or markers

Administer to class as a whole

Time Management

1. Create a “Daily Priorities List” with the class What do they want to accomplish each day?

2. Students complete pie chart by estimating how much time they spend doing each activity on a typical day

Each segment represents one hour

3. In pairs, have students compare/contrast their graphs Do schedules match their priorities?

4. How much time do you expect students to spend on your class each night?

Time Management

Strategy: ◦ administer once per quarter

Intervention: ◦ administer more frequently (once or twice a

month) for those who struggle in your class◦ Work with students individually or in small groups

to discuss how their schedules can better match their priorities

◦ Allow time for peer modeling

Time Management

Step Action Work Date

123456789

101112131415

Name: ___________________________ Date: _______________

Project: _______________________________

Task Analysis

Teaching students to break down long-term assignments into manageable “chunks”

Suggested time per “chunk” = 30-60 minutes

Materials:◦ Project/Assignment description and due date(s)◦ Task Analysis Template

Task Analysis

Work in pairs to complete the task analysis template based upon the Social Issues Research Project

Task Analysis Example

Strategy: ◦ Administer for each long-term assignment◦ Have students transfer template to planner

Intervention: ◦ Provide 1:1 assistance to students who have

difficulty organizing a timeline◦ Allow time at end of class for students to self-

monitor their task analysis sheet every few days

Task Analysis

Are there particular students you can think of who would benefit from the Materials/Time Management self-assessments?

Can you think of an assignment for which your students can use the Task Analysis Template?

Questions? Comments?

Discussion:

  Bryan, T. & Burstein, K. (2004). Improving homework completion and

academic performance: Lessons from special education. Theory into Practice. 43, 213-219.

  Bryan, T. & Burstein, K. & Bryan, J. (2001). Students with learning disabilities:

Homework problems and promising practices. Educational Psychologist. 36, 167-180.

  Dickinson, D.J., & O’Connell, D.Q. (1990). Effect of quality and quantity of

study on student grades. Journal of Educational Research, 83, 227-231.

Gardner, H. (2006). Multiples intelligences, new horizons. NY: Basic Books.  Gardner, H. (1993). Multiples intelligences: The theory in practice. NY:

Basic Books.

References

Houtveen, A.A.M. & van de Grift, W.J.C.M. (2007). Effects of metacognitive strategy instruction and instruction time on reading comprehension. School Effectiveness and School Improvement. 18, 173-190.

Rose, D. & Meyer, A., with Strangman, N. & Rappolt, G. (2002). Teaching every student in the digital age: Universal design for learning. Alexandria, Virginia: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

  Trammel, D.L., Schloss, P.J., & Alper, S. (1994). Using self-recording,

evaluation and graphing to increase completion of homework assignments. Journal of Learning Disabilities. 37, 75-81.

  Ylvisaker, M. & Feeney, T. (2002). Executive functions, self- regulation,

and learned optimism in pediatric rehabilitation: A review and implications for intervention. Pediatric Rehabilitation. 5, 51-70.

References Cont’d