Critical Element: Implementation Plan “All organizations (and systems) are designed, intentionally or unwittingly, to achieve precisely the results they get.” —R. Spencer Darling Critical Element: Implementation Plan This is the section where you decide the next steps in the process. Your decisions will be guided by how far along you are in the process. Some campuses may need to start small, and others will want to fine tune only a few areas (e.g., creating incentives for staff). If you are just starting, your team needs to think carefully about the best way to introduce SWPBIS to the rest of the staff. Remember, it can take 3 – 5 years for implementation to be complete, and change is not easy. This training is not intended to tell you what will work for your campus, but here are a few ideas if you are overwhelmed and want to start on a small scale. Focus on one behavior at a time. For instance, at one high school, the data showed that respect was a priority. Many office referrals involved a lack of respect between students and between students and staff. That school targeted respect for year one. Focus on one grade level, not the entire school. Focus on one or two settings, not every setting. The critical element Implementation Plan takes all of the pieces of the training and allows us to create a framework for deciding when and how we address some or all of the pieces with the staff and students.

Benchmarks of Quality Implementation Plan The Benchmarks of Quality addresses Implementation Plan as a critical element.

Benchmarks of Quality (Revised)— Scoring Guide Review the Benchmarks of Quality rubric with your team. To determine where your team is currently, circle the best description for each benchmark.

Goals and Activities Develop a plan for teaching implementation to staff and students Create a timeline for teaching different critical elements Create for staff an initial presentation that allows for feedback Implementation of PBIS requires that teams place a high value on creating a plan that addresses the integration of PBIS in a systematic fashion into the campus culture. PBIS is about changing the culture, and change will not occur in a short time period. The implementation should take into account how each activity will be coordinated with initiatives in the school as well as communicated to all stakeholders. Systems and procedures that address the potential for problems need to be created within the implementation plan. School-wide implementation of PBIS can be a challenging task. However, the foundational principles of PBIS apply to its implementation and require a systematic approach to all aspects. The notion that all critical elements will be implemented at one time is unrealistic. Instead, the implementation plan should guide the team and assist in directing resources as needed. Full implementation can take 3–5 years depending on the campus.

PBIS Implementation Poor planning results in poor implementation. We have all had great ideas whose results have failed to live up to our expectations. Planning needs should occur up front and should address the long-range goals of the team. Simply adding more doors to the house may not make the house more accessible.

Communication Commitment Continued Involvement Potential Problems Communication Commitment Continued Involvement Implementation of PBIS requires, at a minimum, a change to current practices. At the most extreme, PBIS implementation requires a vast paradigm shift across disciplines. To avoid potential problems with this change, staff need ongoing communication and the ability to provide feedback on proposed changes. Lack of faculty commitment is another factor that will slow, if not halt, improvement. Faculty need to be fully committed to the process. Ongoing staff training is needed to reenergize their involvement in implementation. Teams should focus on establishing a plan to handle potential problems, obtaining resources for technical assistance, and developing an effective problem-solving process.

Orienting Newcomers New Teachers New Students As part of a coaching model, a campus should plan for the initiation of new staff and students into the system. Feedback from newly introduced people any system can be helpful in evaluating the process.

Orienting Others Parents Substitutes The effectiveness of a system can also be observed through the ease of implementation by substitute staff by observing during instruction and surveying substitutes post assignment. The accessibility of the process can be viewed through the prospective of parents and community members. Do these stakeholders share the vision and vocabulary of your SWPBIS?

Don’t Get Stuck When things don’t go as planned, return to the continuous improvement process through your implementation plan. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrSUe_m19FY

School-Wide Expectations Implementation Plan Implementation Plan School-Wide Expectations What is PBIS? Discipline System Schedule Lesson Plans Reinforcement System All components of the implementation plan should be explained to students and staff. This can be accomplished over several staff meetings, and the opportunity for staff feedback should be provided. The implementation plan should include methods for teaching: “What is PBIS?” presentation to staff and students School-wide expectations Lesson plan schedule Classroom training Explaining the reinforcement system

Next Steps Complete Action Plan for Implementation Plan. What will you have to go back and revisit? Review your team calendar to discuss timelines for roll-out.

Culturally Responsive

Culturally Responsive Rubric

Action Planner It’s time to complete the action planner for the critical element Implementation Plan. Fill in your Benchmarks of Quality scores from items 35 – 41 that you completed earlier. Your team now needs to determine a priority level for each one. Remember, as a team you will not be able to focus on everything in which you may have scored low or that you need to adjust to be more effective on your campus. Your team will have to determine what is most important so that those things can be addressed first. There may be some items you will not be able to focus on until next year, and that is okay. Once you’ve determined what your priorities are, fill in the bottom of the action plan. This is where you will state what items need to be completed, by whom, and when they will be completed. You will evaluate your action plan at the end of each year, complete a new Benchmarks of Quality, and record it online in PBIS Assessments so that you will have yearly access to your data. You will then complete a new action plan at the end of the year to continue making improvements or addressing items based on your current assessment so that your team will have a current action plan going into the new school year.