Teaching students today for a successful tomorrow

Veronica S. Gulley, Ph.D. Louisiana State University

PBS Consultant

IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Act)

1997 Amendments became Law (P.L. 105-17)

-2 new concepts important regarding education for children

• Positive Behavior Support

• Functional Behavior Assessment

An applied science that uses

(1) educational methods to expand and individual’s behavioral repertoire, and

(2) systems change methods to redesign an individual’s living environment to achieve

a) enhanced quality of life, and

b) minimized problem behaviors

Positive Behavior

Skills that increase the likelihood of success and personal satisfaction in academic, work, social, recreational, community and family settings

Support

All educational methods that can be used to teach, strengthen and expand positive behavior and all those systems change methods that can be used for increase opportunities for the display of positive behaviorNot a ‘packaged program’ but a PROCESS based on guiding principles which allow schools to proactively address the needs of their students and faculty

Central underlying theme of PBS:

•In providing support, we should focus our efforts on fixing problem CONTEXTS, not problem BEHAVIOR

•The best time to intervene on problems is when they aren’t occurring

In our schools today…• Exclusion and punishment are the most common

responses to conduct disorders in schools. -Lane & Murakami,(1987) Rose,(1988)Nieto, (1999)

• Exclusion and punishment are ineffective at producing long-term reduction in problem behavior

-Costenbader & Markson (1998)

Schools are expected to play a greater role in teaching students appropriate social skills that will allow them to be a successful member of their community

Most effective schools combine systems of school-wide behavior support, individual student support, and effective classroom management and routines.

Continuum of School-wide Behavior Supports:A Response to Intervention Model

Create a school environment that supports, implements and monitors research-validated practices

PBS helps schools begin to define these procedures

We typically teach students what not to do.

Students are told what not to do and then it is expected that they will do what they are supposed to do.

Students do not automatically know how to accomplish ordinary classroom routines.

We issue consequences that we use inconsistently

School-wide Positive Behavior Support

• School-wide Positive Behavior Support is a set of strategies and systems to increase the capacity of schools to (a) reduce school disruption, and (b) educate all students including those with problem behaviors– Clearly defined outcomes– Research-validated practices– Supportive administrative systems– Use of information for problem solving

Office Discipline Referrals decrease on average 40-60%

As behavior improves academic gains are experienced…more time directed towards instruction

Effects are long term (up to 5-7years) when implementation is maintained

School-wide Behavior Support Means: You do not ignore problem behavior

• Continue to discourage and monitor problem behaviors

• Office Discipline Referral Forms (SWIS.org)

• Clear guidelines for what is handled in class versus sent to the office

• Prevent problem behaviors from being rewarded.

Teaching is what changes behavior!

D. C. Reeves Expectation Gridand Teaching Scripts

• Look at pages 5-18 in your Positive

Behavior Support Manual

D. C. Reeves Elementary

POSITIVE BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT

SCHOOLWIDE PROCEDURES

 Office Managed vs. Teacher Managed Behaviors

OFFICE

 The following behaviors should result in immediate referral to the office for administrative assistance:

• Abusive Language: profanity, threatening• Physical or Verbal Aggression: fighting, back talk to an adult, harassing, teasing, or

taunting.• Defiance: Active refusal to follow specific directions from an adult for a specific

behavior• Possession of Alcohol, Tobacco, or other Drugs.• Possession of combustibles (lighters, firecrackers)• Vandalism• Theft• Violation of Internet contract (visiting prohibited websites)• Student has 3 minor referrals

 

 

 

D. C. Reeves Elementary

POSITIVE BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT

SCHOOLWIDE PROCEDURES

 Office Managed vs. Teacher Managed Behaviors

Teacher Managed

 All other behaviors need to be handled by the classroom teacher.

Examples of teacher-managed behaviors include:

 • Eating, drinking, chewing gum in class• Mean or unkind language• Minor class disruptions• Off task behavior• Lack of supplies• Not completing assignments/homework• Not returning notes/papers sent home

Student Acknowledgement SystemPage 19 and 20 AND 28 and 29 in manual

• Bee Tickets• Banking and Documentation • Class room store/coupons• Monthly Incentives• End of Fall Semester Incentive• End of Spring Semester Incentive

Pages 23-24 in manual

Children spend approximately 13,000 hours in school between

the ages of 6 and 18 and the majority of those hours are spent

with a teacher inside a classroom. The quality of teacher-student

relationships significantly affects whether students' needs are met. When students' needs are being

met in the classroom, they tend to behave more appropriately and

learn more effectively"

(Jones & Jones, 1990: Boystown press).