Transcript Issues in Sustainability: Integrating Competing Initiatives Rob Horner University of Oregon OSEP TA Center on Positive Behavior Support www.pbis.org www.swis.org.

Issues in Sustainability:
Integrating Competing Initiatives
Rob Horner
University of Oregon
OSEP TA Center on Positive Behavior Support
www.pbis.org
www.swis.org
Goals
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Define four major areas affecting
sustainability of school-wide PBIS.

Focus on process for dealing with “competing
initiatives”

Use “bully-proofing” and “early literacy” as
examples.
District Impact on Sustainability:
Four common areas
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Competing initiatives
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Data use for continuous regeneration
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Require regular review of fidelity and outcome
Cycle of review needs to fit cycle of impact.
Efficiency

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Integrate/braid
Fund/support
If it works now, make it easier to do next year
Stability/Leadership
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Job descriptions, etc.
Managing competing initiatives
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The challenge
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Multiple expectations from multiple sources
Everything sounds good
Without clear direction and focus it is easier to
add something than to adapt something
The cost of adoption is usually high, but fundable
through “off the table” resources… However the
cost to sustain must be embedded in regular
budget.
Managing competing initiatives
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Two major categories:
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Multiple initiatives focused on the same
goal/outcome
Multiple initiatives focused on different
goals/outcomes
Managing competing initiatives
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When competing initiatives have a common
goal

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Dissect “programs” into “practices”
Look at what practices you already do to achieve
the target goal:
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Never stop doing what already works
Always look for the smallest change that will produce
the largest effect
Never add something new without defining what you
will STOP doing to create the needed resources
Managing competing initiatives
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When competing initiatives have common
goals.

Invest in the systems to support effective
practices
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Team development
Trainer/ coach support
Data systems
Allocation of time for team/staff to succeed.
Combine training/orientation requirements
Managing competing initiatives

When competing initiatives have common
goals.

Braid (combine) common initiatives into a
unified implementation effort for staff.
Example:
Adding Bully-Proofing to SWPBIS

Context:

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You have just invested two years in building
SWPBIS in your district/schools, and the school
board or legislature mandates (and provides
funding) for you to adopt “Bully-proofing” as a
new initiative in your school/district.
What do you do?
Compare: Goals, Practices, Systems
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Bully Proofing
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School-wide PBIS
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Goal: Reduce bullying
Practices:
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Goal: Improve social and
academic success
Practices:
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Define and teach schoolwide expectations
Teach bully alternative
social skills
Establish consequences for
bullying
Teach victim and bystander
to remove rewards for
bullying
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Define and teach schoolwide Expectations
Reward appropriate
behavior
Consistent consequences
Use of data
Continuum of interventions
Compare: Goals, Practices, Systems

Bully Proofing

School-wide PBIS

Goal: Reduce bullying
Practices:

Goal: Improve social and
academic success
Practices:

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


Define and teach schoolwide expectations
Teach bully alternative
social skills
Establish consequences for
bullying
Teach victim and bystander
to remove rewards for
bullying






Define and teach schoolwide Expectations
Reward appropriate
behavior
Consistent consequences
Use of data
Continuum of interventions
Compare: Goals, Practices, Systems


Bully Proofing
Systems


Staff training
?
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School-wide PBIS
Systems
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Administrator role
Team structure and
training
Data system
Coaching
Trainer role
Bully proofing within SW-PBIS
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Example
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Note:
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Braiding of initiatives (vision, purpose, roles)
Focus on “practices” rather than “program”
Common in-service format
Use of existing “systems” for both
Use of common data system for both initiatives
Emphasis on efficiency
Your Turn:
Compare: Goals, Practices, Systems
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School-wide PBIS

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Define a competing
Define a competing
initiative you already
initiative and your
had in place when you
assessment of how it
considered adoption of
might best be integrated
SW-PBIS, and how to
with your current
adapt SW-PBIS to fit
SW-PBIS efforts
with the existing initiative
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Character Education
Character Counts
DARE
Substance Abuse
Prevention
Drop out prevention
Violence free zone
Diversity celebration
Managing competing initiatives
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When initiatives have different goals.
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Consider “systems” needed to support both
initiatives
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Coaching supports
Consider ways to combine training
Define what you will stop doing to add the new
initiative.
Example:
Adding Early Literacy to SW-PBIS

Oregon, Michigan
Kent
Jorge
Summary


Administrative decisions at district/school level
affect sustainability of SWPBIS.
Four major areas of impact

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Managing competing initiatives
Data use for continuous regeneration
Efficiency efforts
Stability/Leadership
To manage competing initiatives

Operate differently with initiatives focused on similar vs.
different goals