Tim Lewis, Ph.D. & Danielle Starkey University of Missouri PBS in the Classroom: Essential Evidence-based Classroom Strategies & Connect Points Across the Continuum      Tim Lewis, Ph.D. & Danielle Starkey University of Missouri

The Challenge Students spend majority of their school day in the classroom Majority of “discipline problems” originate in the classroom and often result in removal from instruction Remaining engaged in instruction essential to student academic and social success “Culture” of education often reinforces ineffective practices and creates barriers to implementing effective practices

Basic Steps Focus on what you want students to do “instead” (replacement behaviors) Look for patterns of behavior that suggest “functional relationships” Teach replacement behavior and provide multiple opportunities to practice Deliver high rates of positive feedback/same similar outcome as problem behavior when students display replacement behavior

Setting up the Environment Establishing expectations (Kameenui & Simmons, 1990): What do I want my classroom to look like? How do I want children to treat me as a person? How do I want children to treat one another? What kind of information or values do I want to communicate to students about being an adult, an educator, a woman or a man in today's society? How do I want children to remember me when the last day of school ends and I am no longer part of their daily lives? How can I change my instruction to help pupils develop the skills I am trying to teach? Bottom line = ask yourself if students have pre-requisite and requisite skills to succeed based on each of your answers – if not, teach and practice

Essential Classroom expectations & rules defined and taught (all use school-wide, create classroom examples) Procedures & routines defined and taught Continuum of strategies to acknowledge appropriate behavior in place and used with high frequency (4:1) Continuum of strategies to respond to inappropriate behavior in place and used per established school-wide procedure Students are actively supervised (pre-corrects and positive feedback) Students are given multiple opportunities to respond (OTR) to promote high rates of academic engagement Activity sequence promotes optimal instruction time and student engaged time Instruction is differentiated based on student need

A Classroom Example… Stichter, J. P., Lewis, T. J., Johnson, N., & Trussell, R. (2004). Toward a structural assessment: Analyzing the merits of an assessment tool for a student with E/BD. Assessment for Effective Intervention, 30, 25-40.

Study Basics Subject: Setting Concern Seven years old Identified with EBD and ADHD Setting General education 2nd grade classroom with 19 other students One licensed teacher and one student teacher Concern Student exhibits high rates of off-task Student shouts out answers and questions and comments at high rates and often inappropriate

“Function of Behavior” Descriptive (interviews and teacher reported ABC/ Scatterplot data) Function identified as Attention Significant antecedents: multiple step direction and group settings Very High rates of both problem behaviors reported/ inconsistency in accuracy of data collection

“Environment Assessment” Significant variables: clarity of expectations & directions consistency of expectations accessibility of class schedules lack of enforced procedures (especially regarding to hand raising and verbalizations or entire class)

Challenge: How to Insure All Staff Are Using Effective Practices

Systems Teach Brief in-service, single topic focus Practice (performance feedback) Peer coaching Principal “walk throughs” 13

Effective Professional Development OUTCOMES (% of Participants who: Demonstrate Knowledge, Demonstrate New Skills in a Training Setting, and Use New Skills in the Classroom) Training Components Demonstrate Knowledge Demonstrate New Skill in Training Use New Skills in Classroom Theory & Discussion 10% 5% 0% Plus Demonstration in Training 30% 20% Plus Practice and Feedback 60% Plus Coaching in the Classroom 95% Joyce and Showers, 2002

Effective Classroom Practices: Mini Modules MO SW-PBS pbismissouri.org Center for PBS College of Education University of Missouri

Typical School Day 17% Direct Instruction 33% Seatwork 20% Transitions 30% Discipline & Other Non-Instructional Activities Note to Presenter: See page 324 in the MO SW-PBS 2012-13 Team Workbook for further explanation of academic learning time. When the amount of time spent in various classroom activities was researched only 17% was spent in instruction and 33% in seatwork. Transitions take 20% of the school day. The typical elementary classroom loses 7-10 minutes each transition from one subject to another; with a typical day including at least 10 transitions, 70 minutes are lost each day; almost one day per week lost to transitions alone. Unfortunately discipline and other non-instructional activities such as taking attendance, announcements, etc, accounted for 30% of the school day. Think about your typical day and the time you spend in various activities. How does it compare to these statistics? Why is this information relevant to us? (discipline takes away from time to teach academic curriculum) Conclusion: We want to implement effective classroom practices to prevent and decrease interruptions caused by discipline problems and increase the amount of time we have to teach. Cotton, 1995; Walberg, 1988 MO SW-PBS 324

Discussion: Importance of expectations & behaviors? Pair Up 2-Minute Frenzy – Discuss: How has clarifying schoolwide/non-classroom setting behaviors/rules impacted student behavior in our school? Why do you think it is important to clarify classroom behaviors/rules? Take 2 minutes and talk to someone near you. Discuss the impact of schoolwide and non-classroom behaviors/rules in your building. Talk about how this relates to classroom behaviors/rules.

Guidelines for Writing Classroom Behaviors or Rules Consistent with school-wide expectations O = Observable; behaviors that we can see. M = Measureable–we could actually count the occurrence of the behavior. P = Positively stated–things to do to be successful. U = Understandable–student-friendly language. A = Always applicable. Classroom expectations and behaviors or rules must be consistent with schoolwide expectations and rules. School rules are in effect in the classroom. What we identify as classroom rules are additional, extra or specific to the classroom setting – anything not already covered by the schoolwide rules that you want in effect in your classroom. To enhance the effectiveness of classroom behaviors/rules, 5 guidelines need to be considered. Classroom rules need to be written in observable measurable terms. Observable means, “I can see it” Classroom behaviors/rules also need to be written in Measurable terms. Measurable means, “I can count it” Third, just as we do with schoolwide and non-classroom behavior/rules… classroom rules should be positively stated. Positively stated rules encourage the desired behavior. This means telling students what we want them TO do. Fourth, classroom rules need to be understandable. Rules are stated so students clearly understand what is meant. Vocabulary should be consistent with student’s grade and/or ability level (ie “use school appropriate language” might be ok at the middle school level, but perhaps is not understandable for a kindergarten classroom) The last guideline for writing classroom rules is…Always applicable. Rules should be based on problems which typically occur and they should not vary or change within the same setting. MO SW-PBS 93

Activity: Classroom Rule Writing Activity Option 1 List problem behaviors in your classroom List replacement behavior (what we want kids to do instead) List schoolwide expectations Categorize rules within schoolwide expectations This activity is for schools who have NOT identified classroom expectations/rules as a column on their matrix. If your school has not addressed classroom rules in any way, you should do this activity… You will need two handouts: 1) Rules Writing Worksheet Example 2) Rules Writing Activity Classroom Rules Worksheet If your school has identified CLASSROOM expectations/rules that apply to all classrooms in the building, then you will skip Activity Option 1 and complete Activity Option 2 instead. For Activity Option 1… First, look at handout Rules Writing Worksheet Example. This can be used as an example while you complete your own rules on handout entitled Rules Writing Activity Classroom Rules Worksheet Next, using handout Rules Writing Activity Classroom Rules Worksheet, list your schoolwide expectations (safe, respectful, ready) Then list problem behaviors in your classroom. The behaviors that take time away from learning. After you have listed problem behaviors, identify the replacement behaviors or what you want students to do instead of the problem behavior. Remember the guidelines we shared earlier, Observable Measureable Positively stated Understandable Always applicable – Something the teacher will consistently enforce Finally, categorize your replacement behaviors/positively stated rules into your schoolwide expectations. It is important to make that connection. Give participants 15 - 20 minutes to work on this activity. Discuss when finished.

Elementary School Example – Encouraging Expected Behavior (Coaching in the Classroom & Observation)

The Beginning – Background Info. School used a universal screening instrument in October of 2012. Results indicated that 32.3% of students were in the at-risk or high-risk range. Team decided to focus first efforts on implementation of Tier 1 with higher levels of fidelity.

Baseline Data Collection Classroom-Level Observations of Effective Classroom Practices Expectations & Rules Procedures & Routines Encouraging Expected Behavior Discouraging Inappropriate Behavior Active Supervision Opportunities to Respond Based on data, team identified 1 practice to improve upon. Initial ratio of positive specific feedback to correctives: 1.85:1

Professional Development Process & Data October 2013 – Initial Observations, Ratio at 1.85:1 January 2013 – Staff Professional Development on Positive Specific Feedback February 2013 – Follow-up Classroom Observations, Ratio at 2.44:1 March 2013 – Additional Staff Professional Development with Increased Practice and Supports May 2007 – Final Classroom Observations of the School Year, Ratio at 6.55:1

End of Year Outcomes ODRs decreased by 39.41% from 2011-2012 to 2012-2013. Minor referrals decreased by 34.8% from 2011-2012 to 2012-2013. Classroom minor referrals decreased by 33.5% from 2011-2012 to 2012-2013.

Connecting Universal and Advanced Tiers of Support

Tier II/III Support Process Step 1 – Insure Universals, including Classroom, in place Step 2 – Student Identification Process Decision Rules Referral Screen Step 3 Classroom Problem Solving Team Classroom supports (function-based) Progress monitor Step 4 - Tier II/III supports Non-responders to classroom supports Match function of student behavior to intervention Step 5 - Evaluate Process

Classroom Quiz   1. When the teacher , most students stop and listen. Yes Sometimes No 2. When class starts, the teacher has everything ready. 3. Before we start a new activity, the teacher reminds us what we are supposed to do. 4. When we are asked to work by ourselves, all students work quietly and do what they are supposed to do. 5. I often finish my work and do not know what I should be doing while others are still working. 6. Our classroom rules are:

3. Classroom Problem Solving Grade level / combinations Once a week focus of meeting = social behavior concerns when decision rule met Standard problem solving steps

Classroom Problem Solving Student meets data decision rule Classroom teacher completes preliminary forms (documents student progress to date) Problem solving lead walks team through problem solving process Tier II/III Team partner attends if team is unable to identify patterns leading to intervention or when significant concerns noted Plan put in place Student progress monitored and reported at weekly meetings

Classroom Problem Solving Process leader Classroom teachers, Specialist teachers Tier II/III Team partner School Psychologist, Counselor, Administrator Process Data-based decision making Guiding questions Function-based intervention Teach replacement Environmental alterations / supports Monitor progress

Classroom Problem Solving Process Develop intervention based on function of behavior Environment changes Student skills to teach/practice/reinforce Monitor progress Same data that brought them to your attention Problem and Appropriate behavior Teacher observations