POSITIVE BEHAVIOURFOR LEARNINGUpdate 2012

Published by the Ministry of Education, New Zealand. Copyright © Crown 2012.

ISBN 978-0-478-38612-7 (print) ISBN 978-0-473-38613-4 (online)

CONTENTS3 SECTION 1: About Positive Behaviour for Learning

8 SECTION 2: Highlights from the 2011–2012 financial year

11 SECTION 3: The programmes and initiatives being delivered

12 For schools

15 For teachers

17 For parents

19 SECTION 4: Getting it right for Ma-ori

21 SECTION 5: Evaluating our success

SECTION 1

ABOUT POSITIVE BEHAVIOUR FOR

LEARNING

3

WHAT PB4L WILL DELIVER

The Ministry of Education, education sector

and community organisations deliver PB4L

programmes and initiatives.

• By 2016, 628 schools will have access

to PB4L School-Wide – a whole-school

framework for promoting positive

behaviour. This will benefit around

346,000 students and even more than

that over time.

• By 2014, 8,260 early childhood

education and primary school teachers

will participate in the Incredible Years

– Teacher programme. This will benefit

around 253,000 children and even more

than that over time.

• By 2014, more than 10,000 parents/

caregivers will participate in the

Incredible Years – Parent programme.

This will benefit around 25,500 children.

• All schools can call on the Behaviour

Crisis Response Service when they

need help to stabilise a crisis.

• Each year around 220 children with the

most challenging and complex needs

will have the support of the Intensive

Wraparound Service within their local

schools, which may include a period of

support from a residential special school.

• Schools will have access to Check and

Connect, MY FRIENDS and Restorative

Practices to enhance their positive

behaviour work.

• Some schools will have access to

Kaupapa Ma-ori behaviour initiatives,

including Huakina Mai, which will be

piloted in 2013.

Funding for PB4L came from a

reprioritisation of $45 million of Ministry

of Education funding (2010–2014). The

Government provided a further $15 million

in the 2009 and 2012 Budgets to boost

delivery, and further funding through the

Youth Mental Health project in 2012.

THE PRINCIPLES BEHIND PB4L

Positive Behaviour for Learning is based

on a number of principles:

• Positive behaviour is a prerequisite

to improving the engagement and

achievement of our children and

young people.

• Positive behaviour can be learnt,

and difficult and disruptive behaviour

can be unlearnt.

4

• Individual children are not a ‘problem’

– we need to change the environment

around them to support positive

behaviour.

• Punishing and isolating children doesn’t

bring about long-term and sustainable

changes in behaviour.

• We need to concentrate on a small

number of evidence-based programmes

and frameworks that we know work.

• There are no quick fixes. Behaviour

change takes time.

Positive Behaviour for Learning (PB4L) provides a range of evidence-based programmes

and initiatives to support parents and wha-nau, teachers, schools, and early childhood centres

to improve behaviour of children and young people. Improving learner behaviour and their

home and school environments will lead to improved learner engagement and achievement.

1Gluckman, P. (May 2011). Improving the transition: reducing social and psychological morbidity during adolescence – a report from the Prime Minister’s chief science advisor, May 2011, page 61.

WHY IT MATTERS

Over 760,000 children and young people

attend schools every day and are taught by

over 50,000 teachers. Over 211,000 children

attend early childhood education services

and are taught by over 19,000 teachers.

THE BEHAVIOUR PICTURE

Teachers, principals, early childhood

education managers and parents told us that

disruptive behaviour among New Zealand

children and young people is getting worse.

This disruptive behaviour takes a serious

toll on the child, their peers, their early

childhood educators, their teachers, their

school, their parents and their families.

It also impacts student learning and

achievement.

• Most teachers will experience some form

of disruptive behaviour in their service or

school. Incidents may be temporary and

passing. Some may be an expression of

emotional developments that we expect

to see, such as teenage boundary-testing

or testing new behaviours.

• Other behaviours will be more serious.

They may include fighting, vandalism or

substance abuse. The Gluckman Report1

released in 2011 estimates there will

be in excess of 40,000 children and

adolescents with significant levels

of conduct problems.

Left unchecked, disruptive, anti-social

and violent behaviour can have serious

social and economic implications.

THE YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH PICTURE

Adolescence is a time of rapid development

for young people as they move from

childhood dependence to adult

independence. Young people in New Zealand

are on the whole resilient, adaptable and

doing well. However, an increasing number

of young people are experiencing mental

and physical health problems.

• One in five young people will be affected

by anxiety or depression by the age of

18 years, and over 80% of them are

currently untreated.

• Ma-ori are more likely than non-Ma-ori

to be affected.

• Anxiety and depression can have life-

long consequences. They are the most

expensive illnesses faced by society,

surpassing heart disease, diabetes

and stroke.

• Our youth suicide rates are among

the highest in the world.

Without help, mild mental health problems

can become chronic with life-long costs,

both for the individual and for society.

Undiagnosed mental health problems at

a young age often have detrimental effects

leading to poor performance at school,

early school leaving and adverse impacts

on working life.

PB4L initiatives support learners to improve

their behaviour, resilience and mental well-

being so that they can reach their potential.

5

You cannot separate learning from behaviour. If children are misbehaving or disruptive in class, then they’re not learning and achieving.

66

CONTRIBUTION TO BETTER PUBLIC SERVICE GOALS

In 2012, the Government set 10 challenging results for the public

sector to achieve over the next five years. PB4L contributes to

a number of the targets.

SUPPORTING VULNERABLE CHILDREN

• Involving parents in the Incredible Years – Parent programme

can contribute to reducing the number of assaults on children.

• Through building parents’ understanding of child development

and their confidence as parents, they come to appreciate the

value of positive learning in home and early childhood education

environments.

BOOSTING SKILLS AND EMPLOYMENT

Through PB4L programmes and initiatives we eliminate barriers

to children and young people engaging and learning. Children who

are supported to behave positively will have improved wellbeing,

stay on at school and complete qualifications.

REDUCING CRIME

Research has shown that if we act early we can increase children’s

social and emotional skills and curb aggressive behaviours and

other problems before they develop into permanent patterns. Left

unchecked these difficulties put those children at greater risk in

adulthood of unemployment, mental health problems, substance

abuse, early pregnancy/early fatherhood, criminal offending, multiple

arrests and imprisonment, higher rates of domestic violence and

shortened life expectancy.

The combined commitment and energies of a wide range of people are essential to making a positive difference for children experiencing behaviour and mental health difficulties and to sustaining a shift in behaviour and wellbeing over time. This applies not only to community and local interventions but at the national policy and strategic level.

7

The following representatives of the

education sector are stewards of Positive

Behaviour for Learning:

• New Zealand Educational Institute

• New Zealand Principals’ Federation

• Post Primary Teachers’ Association

• Early Childhood Council

• Alternative Education

• Secondary Principals’ Association

of New Zealand

• School Trustees Association

• New Zealand Association of

Intermediate and Middle Schools

• Ministry of Education

The Ministry of Education, on behalf of the

Government, is leading the delivery of PB4L.

Fourteen districts, also led by the Ministry

of Education, have stewardship groups that

oversee the delivery of PB4L locally and

make local recommendations about the

focus and spread of programmes. The

Ministry continues to build local resource

to deliver and sustain PB4L programmes

and initiatives by training local RTLBs

(resource teachers: learning and behaviour),

staff from the Ministry, non-governmental

organisations, iwi and early childhood

associations.

INTERAGENCY COOPERATION

PB4L initiatives can only be fully realised

when government agencies work together.

The Ministry of Education works closely

with the Ministry of Social Development

(Child, Youth and Family Service), Ministry

of Justice, Ministry of Health, and the

New Zealand Police to design and develop

the PB4L initiatives, including Incredible

Years – Parent, Intensive Wraparound

Service, Check and Connect and

Restorative Practices.

THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE PROGRAMMES AND SERVICES

SECTION 2

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE 2011–2012 FINANCIAL YEAR

8

9

WELLBEING@SCHOOL

Wellbeing@School hosts student and staff surveys and self-review

tools to help schools discover where they do well in promoting a safe

and caring climate and where they could be doing better. Schools can

download surveys and the website will analyse their data and provide

them with a confidential report of the findings.

The report looks at aspects such as school-wide climate and

practices, community partnerships, teaching and learning, and

student culture. Schools can then use this report to come up with

a plan to build on those things they do well and address those

things that could be improved.

www.wellbeingatschool.org.nz

PB4LONLINE

PB4LOnline provides educators with practical ideas and tips for

responding to challenging behaviour and for creating environments

that encourage positive behaviours and learning in children and

young people. It supports early childhood education centres and

schools to make changes to the classroom and whole-school

environment as well as work with individual learners.

www.pb4l.tki.org.nz

RESTORATIVE PRACTICES

A practice model and manual for implementing Restorative Practices

in schools will be piloted in secondary schools in 2013. This is based

on the experiences of 160 secondary schools already implementing

Restorative Practices and international and national research into

best practice in the restorative space.

Restorative Practices place relationships at the heart of the

educational experience. The practices and tools of the programme

support schools to prevent, reduce and respond to student

misconduct and provide positive learning environments. Restorative

work has its roots in Ma-ori and other indigenous approaches

to wrongdoing and Restorative Practices adapt the philosophy

and tools for use in school communities.

The Ministry has looked at the evidence relating to Restorative

Practices in schools, including evidence that Restorative Practices is

more effective when developed within a whole-school framework.

We have identified the factors that are critical to successfully putting

Restorative Practices in place. Using this information, the manual

for schools will include:

• seven recommended practices and tools to help schools

put these in place

• a recommended model for and approach to Restorative Practices

based on best evidence.

CHECK AND CONNECT

The Check and Connect programme will be piloted in 7 secondary

schools in 2013. The Prime Minister’s Youth Mental Health project

identified this programme as being effective in improving wellbeing

and keeping young people engaged in learning. Check and Connect

is a structured, long-term mentoring programme for young people

who are at risk of disengaging from learning. It also supports their

family and wha-nau. Mentors work with young people to develop

their skills in problem solving, self-regulation and self-motivation.

This helps young people to see school as a place that is right for

them and learning as something they can do and want to do.

BUILDING POSITIVE YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH

Ten PB4L School-Wide secondary schools will trial the MY FRIENDS

YOUTH programme through the Health curriculum for year 9

students. MY FRIENDS YOUTH guides students through a series of

class-based activities designed to teach them how to deal with

worrying situations. They complete home activities between sessions.

The Prime Minister’s Youth Mental Health project identified this

programme as being effective in improving wellbeing and reducing

anxiety and depression. It supports youth to develop emotional skills

and coping strategies, and improves their capacity to learn.

NEW TOOLS LAUNCHED

In March 2012, the Ministry of Education launched two new web tools to support schools.

ENHANCEMENTS TO PB4L

10

ADDITIONAL BUDGET INJECTION

In tight financial times, the Government has given PB4L

a strong vote of confidence with a funding to boost delivery.

The Government announced a further $15 million for PB4L

programmes and initiatives for the 2012/2013 financial year.

This funding boost:

• gives an additional 2,000 parents and 1,020 teachers access

to the Incredible Years programmes in the 2012/2013

financial year

• enables the Ministry to deliver PB4L School-Wide to a further

50 primary and intermediate schools

• supports the Kaupapa Ma-ori programmes

• supports the Restorative Practices project.

Through the Youth Mental Health initiative, the Government

is also supporting:

• the Check and Connect programme

• access for all secondary schools to the MY FRIENDS

YOUTH programme

• access for all secondary schools to the

PB4L School-Wide framework.

SUMMARY OF STATISTICS (FROM 2010 TO 2012)

(see each programme for a detailed breakdown)

• A total of 287 schools have now adopted the

PB4L School-Wide framework.

• There are 3,720 teachers who have completed or are currently

participating in the Incredible Years – Teacher programme.

• There are 5,824 parents who have completed or are currently

participating in the Incredible Years – Parent programme.

• Since it started in 2010 (when it was called the Intensive

Behaviour Service), 234 learners have received support

through the Intensive Wraparound Service – Behaviour.

HUAKINA MAI

Huakina Mai will be developed and piloted in 2013. Huakina Mai

combines whole-school and restorative practices approaches with

a Kaupapa Ma-ori world view. It is founded on five cultural principles:

1. Pumanawatanga – the morale, tone and pulse of a school

2. Whanaungatanga – building relationships

3. Manaakitanga – the ethos of caring

4. Rangatiratanga – teacher effectiveness

5. Kotahitanga – the concept of bonding

TE MANA TIKITIKI

Te Mana Tikitiki will be piloted in 2013. Te Mana Tikitiki focuses on

the personal mana of the child, encompassing maturity and an

awareness of honour through the concepts of identity, belonging and

achievement. It uses te reo, music, stick movements, art and waiata

to provide a culture-rich medium to communicate and nurture mana

in the student.

SECTION 3

THE PROGRAMMES AND INITIATIVES

BEING DELIVERED

11

FOR SCHOOLS

12

THE PB4L SCHOOL-WIDE FRAMEWORK

THE FRAMEWORK

Positive Behaviour for Learning – School-

Wide (PB4L School-Wide) helps schools

to develop a social culture that supports

learning and positive behaviour. It is an

evidence-based framework that schools

adopt that looks at behaviour and learning

from a whole-of-school as well as an

individual child perspective.

PB4L School-Wide takes the approach that

opportunities for learning and achievement

increase if:

• the school environment is positive

and supportive

• expectations are consistently clear

• children are consistently taught

desired behaviours

• children are consistently acknowledged

for desired behaviours and responded

to in a fair and equitable way.

PB4L School-Wide takes schools through

a tiered process. At each tier schools put

in place systems and practices that match

the needs of their learners.

• Tier I is the foundation on which the

other two tiers are built. It looks at the

support systems and processes across

the whole school and the classroom –

things that impact 80% of learners

in the school.

• Tier II looks at what is needed for the

15% of learners who require more

intensive support.

• Tier III looks at what support is needed

for the 5% of learners who experience

chronic or intense severe and

challenging behaviour.

The PB4L School-Wide framework energises

and inspires:

• consistent and inspirational leadership

and decisions that are based on data

rather than assumptions

• creative and visual expressions

of school values

• creative and inspirational teaching

of those values

• consistent responses to unwanted

behaviour

• fun celebrations, creative rewards

and accolades for desired behaviours

• ways of supporting adults and children

in the most effective and efficient ways

Reducing individual behaviour problems in the school setting can only be achieved if the school is operating well-managed and effective whole-school behaviour management systems and practices.

• inclusive school practices where all

learners are valued and supported

to reach their potential.

Overseas research shows that when

PB4L School-Wide is implemented in an

effective way over 3 to 5 years:

• behaviour incidents in the school decline

• the behaviour of learners improves

• teachers spend more time teaching

• learners are more engaged and

are achieving.

The Ministry provides $10,000 per school

per year for training and coaching support

for the first three years of implementation.

“I don’t think there is a student in the school who doesn’t know

about PB4L, how positive behaviour impacts on everyone’s

learning and what our school expectations are for student

behaviour. There is a shared responsibility, a more consistent,

collaborative approach to managing behaviour and there is a lot

of emphasis on building respectful relationships. Students speak

up against bullying and they encourage others to do so.

“There is more active playground supervision and there are many

ways in which we reinforce positive behaviour. Playground fights

are a thing of the past and stand-downs are a quarter of what

they were last year this time.”

Wainuiomata Intermediate School

“Personification in Te Ao Ma-ori is a normal practice. We

acknowledge our mountains, our rivers and our waka. Our

stories even speak about mountains that walked and talked.

So translating the acronym of our values (Pono, Unique, Tika

and Aroha) into a living being (PUTA) was a natural thing to do.

We no longer talk about rules. Instead of, ‘Don’t do this, don’t

do that,’ we ask, ‘What would PUTA say if he was standing next

to you? What would he be saying with regard to your values

and your actions?’ It’s about the boys starting to take ownership

of their actions.”

Te Aute College

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THE STATISTICS

THE STORIES

Schools participating in PB4L School-Wide by type

Anecdotal feedback from PB4L School-Wide

schools shows that the approach is already

improving school climates and learner

behaviour. Those secondary schools that

started PB4L School-Wide in 2010 have

seen a 26% decline between 2010 and

2011 in the number of critical behaviour

incidences that resulted in suspensions,

stand-downs or exclusions. For all

New Zealand schools (including those

participating in PB4L School-Wide) there

was a 19% decrease in the number of

student suspensions.

PB4L School-Wide is a long-term approach

and the first year of implementation

focuses on defining expectations of school

behaviour. We expect to see a stronger

downwards trend in suspensions, stand-

downs and exclusions towards the end

of their third year of implementation.

14

Sonya (name has been changed to protect privacy), 10, had a history of absconding

from class and emotional outbursts involving kicking, hitting, destroying property,

impulsivity and hyperactivity.

She had been in and out of foster homes after Child, Youth and Family removed her from

her mother in early childhood. Sonya has not seen her mother or her father since. Records

showed Sonya struggled academically, but had a vivid imagination and an obvious love

of the performing arts.

We brought together Sonya’s family therapist, her teacher and her foster family to talk

about what she needed and to develop a personalised plan.Sonya’s plan featured a series

of home and school strategies aimed at building Sonya’s resiliency skills, managing her

anti-social behaviour and introducing enjoyable activities to her life such as role playing.

The plan aimed to help Sonya develop pro-social behaviour and help her foster family

and her teacher reduce conflict at home and in class. A specialist teacher was employed

to develop and implement a remedial literacy and numeracy programme for Sonya.

Today Sonya is more engaged in the classroom and is behaving well at home and at school.

She is learning to regulate her emotions and build up her social skills. She no longer hits

other children at school and is enjoying group experiences in class. Her science and sports

grades are improving and her classroom teacher reports Sonya has had no incidents.

THE SERVICE

The Intensive Wraparound Service is for

children and young people with complex

and challenging behaviour, and social or

education needs. The intensive support is

provided from a learner’s local school and

community and may include a period of

support from a residential special school

where needed. The service supports children

and young people to:

• learn new skills and ways of behaving

• stay at or return to their local school

• behave in a positive and social way

• enjoy a successful home and school life.

Children and young people are referred to

the Intensive Wraparound Service by the

Ministry of Education’s regional special

education staff following discussion with

the child’s school and parents or caregivers.

An Intensive Wraparound Service facilitator

(usually a psychologist) will assess the child

and develop an individualised plan that sets

out all the things that everyone will do to

help the child or young person succeed.

The facilitators work with all the people who

support a child – including their parents,

family and wha-nau, their teachers and other

people such as special education specialists.

Other people from agencies such as Child,

Youth and Family and residential special

schools might also be involved.

Initiatives set out in the facilitator’s plan

cover a period of up to three years and are

funded by the Ministry of Education through

the Intensive Wraparound Service for up

to two years.

INTENSIVE WRAPAROUND SERVICE

THE STORIES

THE STATISTICS

Since the Intensive Wraparound Service

started in 2010 (when it was called the

Intensive Behaviour Service), 234 learners

have received support.

Eighty-nine students completed their

wraparound programme during 2011.

• Nine per cent of these learners were

female. A key focus is to increase the

number of girls who have access to

the service.

• Forty-four per cent of these learners

were Ma-ori (a nine per cent increase

on last year).

• Four per cent of these learners were

Pasifika (a three per cent increase

on last year).

Prior to entering the service, learners were,

on average, attending school 40% of the

time. After receiving support through the

service, attendance increased to 87% for

Ma-ori learners and 90% for non-Ma-ori.

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FOR TEACHERS

THE STATISTICSTHE PROGRAMME

The Incredible Years – Teacher programme

provides teachers with approaches to help

turn disruptive behaviour around and create

a more positive learning environment for

children. The programme is for teachers

of children aged 3 to 8 years.

Teachers from a school or early childhood

education centre meet with colleagues from

other schools or centres once a month over

six months. There is also a follow-up, one-

day session three months later.

The Incredible Years – Teacher

programme covers:

• building positive relationships

with children

• proactively preventing behaviour

problems

• using attention, encouragement

and praise to turn behaviour around

• motivating children by giving

them incentives

• helping children learn social skills,

empathy and problem-solving

• using appropriate consequences

for undesirable behaviour.

Incredible Years − Teacher: teachers participating (financial years)

Breakdown of Incredible Years − Teacher schools by decile for 2011/12

Incredible Years – Teacher participants

The Ministry is continually increasing

participation by teachers from low decile

schools and early childhood education

centres in lower income communities.

To support the importance of early

intervention in behaviour, the Ministry

had a target of 30% of teachers

participating in the Incredible Years –

Teacher programme coming from the early

childhood education sector. The sector

has embraced this programme and we

have exceeded this target with 43% of

attendees being from the early childhood

education sector.

Response to the programme – early childhood and primary teachers

“Your whole group is being ratty and they’re all a bit distracted and then you pick on

someone who’s doing the right thing and give them a sticker or just say something to

them and the others will all sit up – ‘They’re getting attention for doing the right thing

and I want to get attention too.’ They want to please you.”

“Because of the research it gives the teachers a lot of confidence that these are the

strategies, these are the ones that have been shown to be really effective with these

kids and so I know that I’m on the right track.”

“Before we went on the course we thought we had ways of dealing with behaviour.

But we got experience from other teachers who were there. We came back quite excited

– let’s try this with these children. It’s been eight months since we finished it and we’re

still talking about it. Every staff meeting we’re still going over situations.”

“I think going there and actually having a ‘focus child’ gave you, for lack of a better word,

a sense of hope.”

Before the programme

“I had one boy who was physically

hurting other children. It was like he

didn’t recognise that it was wrong

because he’d hurt someone and then

look at you for recognition.”

“One child, his big thing was about

people watching him. He’d flare up

about that. I didn’t know where to start

with him because it was the first time

I’d ever had a child like that.”

“It’s very frustrating when you have a

child that just won’t sit and be part of

the class. It’s very hard to get a lesson

finished without interruptions.”

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THE STORIES

If a teacher feels confident and supported in the way they’re managing the classroom, it affects the entire class. We raise the social competence of all children, not just at-risk children. We also get ongoing results because those teachers go on to use the techniques in their classes for years to come.

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FOR PARENTS

Incredible Years – Parent is a 14 –18-session programme for parents

of children aged 3 to 8 that helps parents turn behaviour around

and create an enjoyable and harmonious family life. Parents come

together each week and develop approaches to use at home with

problem behaviours, such as aggressiveness, ongoing tantrums, and

acting out behaviour, such as swearing, whining, yelling, hitting and

kicking, answering back and refusing to follow rules. Parents learn

from and support each other. The programme looks at:

• making time to play and spend time with children and letting

children lead the play

• encouraging the behaviours parents would like to see,

through setting clear rules and boundaries and using praise

and encouragement

• selectively using consequences, such as ignoring,

loss of privilege and time out.

The programme is delivered by Ministry of Education, Special

Education staff and by 51 non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

Eleven of the NGOs are Wha-nau Ora providers. Many are also

providing a range of social services to families funded through

the Ministry of Health or the Ministry of Social Development

or other agencies.

The Pasifika community has embraced Incredible Years – Parent.

The Ministry of Education has exceeded its goal of eight per cent

participation by Pasifika parents. This Ministry is still working towards

its goal of 40% participation by parents of Ma-ori children by 2015.

This year the Ministry will focus on increasing Ma-ori participation

in the programme through partnerships with iwi-based non-

governmental organisations that are delivering the programme.

The Ministry will continue to build the pool of Ma-ori facilitators

who reach accreditation.

THE PROGRAMME THE STATISTICS

Registered June 10/11

Registered July 11/12

Target June 12/13

NZ European/Pa-keha- 54% 46% 44%

Ma-ori 37% 35% 38%

Pasifika 4% 12% 12%

Other 5% 7% 6%

Incredible Years – Parent participants (financial years)

Child ethnicity targets for Incredible Years − Parent

Good behaviour can be taught and difficult behaviour can be unlearnt.

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THE STORIES

“Our house was descending into chaos. I know all the basic

parenting rules but kept finding myself in a vicious circle of yelling

and nagging at my children. The attention they were getting was

mostly the negative kind. The Incredible Years programme was a

light at the end of the tunnel and gave me hope that peace and

happiness could be restored at home. This course has set about a

change in my parenting that we are all reaping the benefits from.

Fourteen weeks sounds like a long time to commit but each session

has guided and supported me. The biggest advocates for this course

would be my children.”

“Five years of dealing with an angry, scared, confused little

boy and not being able to help him … Fourteen weeks of this

programme – no labels, no drugs, no wasted time or money.

Fourteen weeks of ‘just’ play, consistency, gentleness, ignoring,

common sense, patience, communication, persistence, love,

respect, understanding and determination. In those 14 short

weeks this programme has helped me, helped my child with small

steps to success every day. In 14 weeks there have been positive

changes not just in our boy but in ourselves as well … The results

will and do speak for themselves. Our kids deserve it!”

“The Incredible Years taught me, from whoa to go, everything

I could have hoped to learn. My house was chaotic with much

yelling, frustration and guilt. Each week we worked through

different aspects of positive parenting – a completely foreign

concept. This course gave me the knowledge of how to have a

wonderful relationship with my children and hopefully one day,

my grandchildren. It taught the perspective I was lacking – praise

praise, praise! (Easier said than done, by the way!) You would not

recognise my house now. Not perfect, far from it, but children

who are happier in their own skin, learning to share and express

themselves appropriately. I had learnt to positively reinforce

and model behaviours I wanted to see more of. It worked! …

You can be as qualified and as smart as you like, if you do not

change your perspective by educating yourself about positively

parenting your most precious blessings, your children, what

have you got?”

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SECTION 4

GETTING IT RIGHT FOR MA

-ORI

Ma-ori enjoying education success as

Ma-ori means having an education system

that provides all Ma-ori learners with the

opportunity to get what they require to

realise their own unique potential and

succeed in their lives as Ma-ori.

A 20092 report to Government states

that 15–20% of Ma-ori tamariki and taiohi

will display conduct problems of sufficient

severity to merit intervention. These

figures are reflected in the percentage

of Ma-ori learners who access special

education services.

For Ma-ori learners to excel and successfully

realise their cultural distinctiveness and

potential they must be an important focus

of PB4L.

• The programmes and frameworks being

supported through the plan give priority

to parents and teachers of Ma-ori children

and schools that have a higher number

of Ma-ori learners.

• Nationwide, 35% of the children whose

parents attend the Incredible Years –

Parent programme are Ma-ori and this

is higher in districts with higher Ma-ori

populations. The goal is to increase this

percentage to 40% by the end of 2015.

• A number of iwi-based organisations

have been contracted to deliver

Incredible Years – Parent programmes

to Ma-ori parents and some are run

from local marae.

2 Advisory Group on Conduct Problems. (2009). Conduct problems best practice report 2009. Ministry of Social Development.

• Cultural enhancements are embedded

into the Incredible Years programmes

through their collaborative and parent-

teacher-centric approach. This approach

values and responds to the heritage

and tikanga of those attending. The

Ministry will continue to enhance

these programmes to ensure they

work for Ma-ori.

• The impact of the Incredible Years

programmes is being closely monitored

and evaluated.

In addition to culturally enhancing existing

programmes, Positive Behaviour for Learning

will contribute to the New Zealand evidence

base through evaluating and supporting

Kaupapa Ma-ori behaviour initiatives.

The following two Kaupapa Ma-ori initiatives

are being piloted:

1. Huakina Mai – combines whole-school

and restorative practices approaches

with a Kaupapa Ma-ori world view.

2. Te Mana Tikitiki – uses te reo, music,

stick movements, art and waiata to

provide a culture-rich medium to

communicate and nurture mana

in the learner.

The Ministry has developed a cultural

enhancement framework to be responsive

to a range of Ma-ori-specific issues.

The framework acknowledges and

is responsive to the three principles

inherent in the Treaty of Waitangi, and

has been developed to guide the cultural

enhancement of Western programmes

that are intended for use with Ma-ori. A

Ma-ori Advisory Group provides advice and

guidance to ensure that Positive Behaviour

for Learning programmes and initiatives are

culturally responsive to Ma-ori in the way

they are designed, developed, delivered

and evaluated.

GETTING IT RIGHT FOR MA- ORI

The parenting principles of nurturing, caring and building positive relationships with children work well across all cultural groups. We all want the same things for our kids – for them to be happy, have friends and succeed.

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SECTION 5

EVALUATING OUR SUCCESS

The Ministry has developed a research and

evaluation plan to evaluate the impact of

Positive Behaviour for Learning. PB4L will

be measured against identified system-level

indicators and intermediate and long-term

outcomes.

The Ministry has set up data collection

systems to:

• enable efficient and effective

service delivery

• inform the development of practice

frameworks

• contribute to the continuous

improvement of service delivery

• monitor and report on progress

to a range of audiences

• contribute to the intermediate and

longer term outcome evaluations.

This research will contribute to the

international evidence base. It will identify

whether the implementation of these

initiatives and programmes is as successful

in New Zealand as it has been in other

countries.

EVALUATING OUR SUCCESS

The Ministry will invest in research and

evaluation to ensure that programmes are

effective. The Ministry has completed:

• the evaluation of the Ministry of Social

Development-led research on the

Incredible Years – Parent programme –

the 18-session programme was being

delivered and evaluated over three sites

in New Zealand; a component of this

research evaluated the effectiveness

of this evidenced-based programme

for Ma-ori tamariki and wha-nau

• the initial evaluation of three Ma-ori

Kaupapa Ma-ori behaviour programmes

• a preliminary investigation of the

effectiveness of Restorative Practices

in New Zealand.

In the 2012/2013 financial year the Ministry

of Education will commence the evaluation

of the Incredible Years –Teacher programme,

the PB4L School-Wide framework and the

Intensive Wraparound Service.

THE DIFFERENCE PB4L WILL MAKE

• Children and young people will be more

engaged and will achieve at school.

• Teachers and leaders will spend more

time teaching and be less stressed.

• Educators will keep more children

and young people at school, will feel

confident and will feel supported in

addressing behaviour problems.

• Parents and wha-nau will have

relationships with their children that

are more positive, and home life will be

more positive and harmonious.

• School leaders and boards will celebrate

the learning and achievement of all

of their learners.

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