Effective Procedures for Discipline within the PBS Model PRESENTED BY DAVE RODGERS, M.ED. AND KRISTEN SALAMONE, M.ED.

Learning Outcomes The learner will be able to: 1. Define discipline within the PBS model 2. Identify appropriate and inappropriate (illegal) disciplinary procedures 3. Identify the importance of pairing skills teaching with punitive consequences 4. Identify strategies for developing continuums of consequences

Definition

Discipline Discipline is the collection of implemented steps, policies, or actions developed to support teaching and learning environments so the likelihood of student academic and social success is promoted, in particular, ◦1. Increases in the likelihood of occurrences of socially appropriate behavior. ◦2. Decreases in the likelihood of occurrences of problem or rule violating behavior. ◦3. Decreases in the intensity, frequency, and duration of severe problem behavior. -Sugai (2009)

To achieve these outcomes, the emphases are on… 1. Teaching and reinforcing context-appropriate social behaviors or skills. 2. Removing antecedent factors that trigger occurrences of problem behavior. 3. Adding antecedent factors that trigger occurrences of context appropriate social skills. 4. Removing consequence factors that maintain (function) occurrences of problem behaviors. 5. Adding consequence factors that maintain occurrences of context appropriate social behaviors. -Sugai (2009)

Appropriate and Inappropriate Disciplinary Procedures

Office referrals, suspensions and expulsion form school are typically used to punish students, alert parents, and protect others. It has unintentional side effects: 1. May exacerbate academic deterioration 2. With no educational alternative, alienation, delinquency, crime, and substance abuse may ensue. 3. Social, emotional, and mental health support can decrease the need for these measures. -Sprague (2014)

Punishment may work…temporarily… 1. Removes the student from problem situation 2. Provides relief to school staff BUT The responsibility for behavioral change falls on the student and/or family.

Aversive Techniques defined by PA Chapter 14 (e) The following aversive techniques of handling behavior are considered inappropriate and may not be used by agencies in educational programs: (1) Corporal punishment. (2) Punishment for a manifestation of a student’s disability. (3) Locked rooms, locked boxes or other structures or spaces from which the student cannot readily exit. (4) Noxious substances. (5) Deprivation of basic human rights, such as withholding meals, water or fresh air. (6) Suspensions constituting a pattern under § (a) (relating to disciplinary placement). (7) Treatment of a demeaning nature. (8) Electric shock.

Restorative Discipline Restorative practices used in school: 1. Staff and students act in nonjudgmental ways toward one another 2. Adults and students work to understand the impact of their actions on others. 3. A fair process exists for learning from harm that has been done due to behaviors. 4. Responses to difficult behaviors have positive outcomes for everyone. -Sprague (2014)

Pairing Skills Teaching with Discipline Consider this…Until we have defined, taught, modeled, practiced, reinforced and re-taught, it is unethical for adults to punish……… ◦ Rob Horner

“If a child doesn’t know how to read, we teach.” “If a child doesn’t know how to swim, we teach.” “If a child doesn’t know how to multiply, we teach.” “If a child doesn’t know how to drive, we teach.” “If a child doesn’t know how to behave, we… ? Why can’t we finish the last sentence as automatically as we do the others? (Horner, 1998)

Punishment assumes a motivation issue. It is not effective for skill deficit based behaviors.

Skill Deficits and Other Contributing Factors Executive Functioning Cognitive Processing Communication Biological (hungry, tired, thirsty) Culture Socioeconomics Stress…

Skill deficits and/or significant antecedent factors must be dealt with before punitive measures by themselves can be effective.

Developing continuums of consequences

Considerations for Development 1. Behaviors do NOT occur in a vacuum; They have predictable antecedents and maintaining consequences. 2. Pain or humiliation strategies should never be utilized as punishment. 3. By definition, punishment is a contingent consequence that is associated with a decreased likelihood of the future occurrence of a behavior. 4. Punishment by itself is typically not sufficient. It works best when paired with a nurturing environment with high rates of positive adult attention, and academic and social success. 5. SWPBIS discipline systems should work for most students and be utilized to identify students who need individualized systems. -Sugai (2009)

Developing a Continuum 1. Displays of expected behavior 2. Prompts for desired behaviors 3. Minor, not interfering problem behavior 6. Classroom managed major 5. Repeated minor problem behavior 4. Minor, interfering problem behavior 7. Office managed major -Sugai (2009)

1. Displays of expected behavior 1. Look continuously for displays of expected behavior. 2. Label display of expected behavior (rule) 3. Provide context appropriate and relevant positive reinforcement.

2. Prompts for desired behavior 1. Provide effective signal, reminder, hint where and before problem behavior likely. (Pre- correction) 2. Label display of expected behavior (rule).

3. Minor, not interfering problem behavior 1. If possible, remove attention 2. Wait for display of expected behavior and provide positive reinforcement 3. When problem behavior ends, prompt expected behavior 4. Provide positive reinforcement for other-student displays of desired behavior 5. Provide minor aversive consequence immediately following the problem behavior

4. Minor, interfering problem behavior 1. Signal error or problem behavior observed 2. Remind/ask student for expected behavior 3. Ask student to display/practice expected behavior 4. Provide immediate and effective positive reinforcement after displays of desired of desired behavior and 2.

5. Repeated minor problem behavior 1. Identify context/setting/condition when problem behavior most likely to occur. 2. Conduct functional assessment 3. Develop antecedent and consequence actions based on predictable factors that trigger (antecedent) and maintain (consequence) problem and expected behavior and 2.

6. Classroom managed major 1. Develop pre-correction plan 2. Teach/practice desired behavior 3. Conduct FBA and 2.

7. Office managed major 1. Follow school and district disciplinary procedures and 2.

Sample Bridgehampton School District- Continuum of Consequences

School-wide Consequence Continuum

Group Activity In groups of 5, discuss disciplinary procedures utilized in your building/program. Do they address skill deficits? How is data collected on problem behaviors? What is your schools policies on suspension/expulsion? Based on the information reviewed today, what does your school do well with regarding discipline and/or what could they improve on? We will have a discussion after groups have time to discuss.

References NC PBIS Resource 1 (2011). Sprague, J. (2014). SWPBIS and restorative discipline in schools: Challenges and opportunities, University of Oregon Sugai, G. (2009). Responding to non-responsive behavior: Basic practices and systems, Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports.

Contact Information Dave Rodgers TaC Consultant BVIU ext Kristen Salamone TaC Consultant BVIU To obtain a copy of today’s materials, please visit: