Creating a Positive School Climate: A PEBS approach

“Begin with the End in Mind” -Stephen Covey

Fairview Heights School

People will forget what you said… People will forget what you did….

But people will never forget how you made them feel… Albert, 1996

 “… it doesn’t matter what curriculum we make, what instructional strategies we try or what assessment tools we select if students and teachers don’t care about each other.” Shelly Harwayne Going Public (pg. 104)

Just Imagine…

A school where

behavioural expectations

are taught, practiced, acknowledged, and reinforced!

Just Imagine…

A school where teachers notice

on-task behaviour

as much as, if not more than, off-task behaviour

Just Imagine…

A school where positive interactions between adults and students is

planned arranged

for.

and

Just Imagine…

A school where teachers feel there is a

system of support

available when dealing with the most challenging students.

Just Imagine…

A school where it is clear which behaviours are

office managed

and which behaviours are

classroom managed.

Just Imagine…

A school where behaviour support plans are built around

“why”

a student engages in a certain behaviour – not just

“what”

the behaviour is.

Just Imagine…

A school where behaviour support plans are student centered and strength-based, but the interventions focus on what the adults can do differently.

Just Imagine…

A school where the responsibility for creating a

positive school culture

rests clearly with the adults.

Just Imagine…

A school where all adults are pro-active in

anticipating

&

preventing

problems before they happen.

Just Imagine…

A school where all students are truly welcome, despite their challenges, and the focus is on

support

, not on removal & isolation.

Just Imagine…

A school where teachers, support staff, and administrators can focus more on

student achievement

&

success

!

PEBS Foundations Behavioural Theory ABA PEBS

PEBS is …   

Not a specific

practice or curriculum…it’s a general approach to preventing problem behavior.

Not limited

to any particular group of students…it’s for all students

Not new

…it’s based on long history of empirically sound behavioural practices & effective instructional design & strategies

“Positive Effective Behaviour Support” PEBS is a broad range of systemic & individualized strategies for achieving important social & learning outcomes while preventing problem behaviour with all students.

The Bottom Line  Positive Effective Behaviour Support (PEBS) enables and empowers schools to have the opportunity to educate all students , including those with challenging behaviours.

The Importance of Schools  Regular, predictable, and positive learning teaching environments.

&  Positive adult & peer models.

 Regular positive reinforcement  Academic & social success behaviour development &

Our Challenges  Utilizing interventions and practices that have more relevance and purpose than suspensions and detentions.

 Over-reliance on punitive and/or reactive management practices for students with chronic and/or severe problem behaviour.

 School-wide discipline plan that is either non existent OR haphazard and arbitrary .

 Creating enable adoption & sustained use of effective practices host environments or systems that

Systems Perspective  Organizations don’t behave… – Individuals do.

 An organization is a group of individuals focused on a common goal.

 Systems are needed to support the collective use of best practices.

Effective Organizations  Common Vision: – Mission, purpose, goals.

 Common Language: – Communications, terminology, information.

 Common Experiences: – Routines, actions, activities, operations.

Questions to Ponder…      Problem behaviours exists –

How do you (we) respond?

Effective practices exist.

–

How do we promote the adoption & accurate implementation ?

School-based implementation is possible –

How do we sustain?

Sustained use is possible –

How do we expand?

Expansion is possible.

–

How do we sustain?

Successful individual student behaviour support is linked to host environments or school climates that are effective, efficient, relevant, & durable (Zins & Ponti, 1990)

Big Idea #1  School environments that are positive, preventive, predictable, and effective… – Are safer , healthier , and more caring – Have enhanced learning and teaching opportunities and outcomes – Can provide a continuum of behaviour for all students – Are achievable and sustainable

Big Idea #2 If it is predictable …it is preventable!

Positive Effective Behavioural Supports  Relationships matter ( they set the stage, tone, context, to maximize time on task )  Every lesson is shaped by the social context of the learning environment  Academic strategies are limited when trust and rapport are weak 

Students

decide whether learning occurs

Supporting Staff Behavior Social Competence & Academic Achievement OUTCOMES Supporting Decision Making PRACTICES Supporting Student Behavior

Schimmer

School-wide Positive Behavior Support Systems Classroom Setting Systems School-wide Systems

School-wide Systems 1. Common purpose & approach to discipline 2. Clear set of positive expectations & behaviours 3. Procedures for teaching expected behaviour 4. Continuum of procedures for encouraging behaviour expected 5. Continuum of procedures for discouraging inappropriate behaviour 6. Procedures for on-going monitoring & evaluation

Designing School-Wide Systems for Student Success Behavioral Systems Academic Systems

Intensive, Individual Interventions •Individual Students •Assessment-based •High Intensity Targeted Group Interventions •Some students (at-risk) •High efficiency •Rapid response 5-10% 1-5% 1-5% 5-10% Intensive, Individual Interventions •Individual Students •Assessment-based •Intense, durable procedures Targeted Group Interventions •Some students (at-risk) •High efficiency •Rapid response Universal Interventions •All students •Preventive, proactive 80-90% 80-90% Universal Interventions •All settings, all students •Preventive, proactive

Continuum of

SCHOOL-WIDE INSTRUCTIONAL & POSITIVE BEHAVIOUR SUPPORT

Primary Prevention

: School-/Classroom Wide Systems for All Students, Staff, & Settings

~5% ~15% Tertiary Prevention:

Specialized Individualized Systems for Students with High-Risk Behaviour

Secondary Prevention:

Specialized Group Systems for Students with At-Risk Behaviour

~80% of Students

What does PEBS look like?

SCHOOL

    

Team-led

– – school climate effort.

Data- & Team-based

action planning & implementation.

Administrator(s)

are active participants.

All students

are directly taught & acknowledged for displays of desired school-wide expectations.

>80% of students

can tell you what is expected of them & give a behavioural example.

Positive

negative adult-to-student

interactions

exceed

Full continuum

of behaviour support is available to all students

Classroom Setting Systems        Classroom-wide positive expectations encouraged taught & Teaching classroom routines & cues taught & encouraged Ratio of 6-8 positive to 1 negative interaction adult-student Active supervision Redirections for minor , infrequent behavior errors Frequent pre-corrections for chronic errors Effective academic instruction & curriculum

What does PEBS look like?

CLASSROOM

     Maximum time allocated for instruction Maximum opportunities to respond correctly High rates of positive reinforcement & supervision Individualized support Positive adult-to-student interactions negative.

exceed

Individual Student Systems   Function-based behavior support planning Team- & data-based decision making  Comprehensive person-centered planning & wrap around processes  Targeted social skills & self-management instruction  Individualized instructional & curricular accommodations

What does PEBS look like?

STUDENT

     Function-based behaviour support is foundation for addressing problem behaviour.

Emphasis on directly teaching effective, efficient, & relevant social skills.

Person -centered , strength -based approach taken.

Team & data -based behaviour support.

Linked to school-wide support.

Non-classroom Setting Systems  Positive expectations & routines taught and encouraged  Active supervision by all staff – Scan, move, interact  Pre-corrections & reminders  Positive reinforcement

Positive school climates are enhanced when the following exist:       A healthy, safe and well ordered learning environment A positive school attitude and high morale A clear mission statement that promotes student achievement Clear and effective communications of school expectations Demonstrated effective quality classroom instruction Teamwork and shared responsibilities

Cont’d      Balanced interaction between students and teachers Opportunities for community involvement Encouragement of risk taking, decision making and leadership growth The acknowledgement of mistakes as a part of learning Clearly communicated expectations and consequences for student behaviour, which are consistently enforced and fairly applied

Why make the effort?

    Higher student achievement Increase in staff and student morale Safe and caring school environment Improvement in community relations and parental interest and support