Goals for Session Define the role of data-based decision-making with the School-wide PBS approach. Propose features of Office Discipline Referral data that are most useful for decision-making in schools Provide guidelines for using data for team planning Provide guidelines for using data for on-going problem solving Apply guidelines to examples

Improving Decision-Making Problem Solution From To Problem Solving Solution Information

What information do we need to make a good decision? Issue/ConcernInformation that may be useful Decision Disruption and littering in cafeteria

What information do we need to make a good decision? Issue/ConcernInformation that may be useful Decision Disruption and littering in cafeteria Differences in problems across lunch periods Number of students involved Specific types of problem behavior

What information do we need to make a good decision? Issue/ConcernInformation that may be useful Decision Disrespect toward adults

What information do we need to make a good decision? Issue/ConcernInformation that may be useful Decision Disrespect toward adults Type of problem behavior Number of students Number of teachers/adults Settings/Time

What information do we need to make a good decision? Issue/ConcernInformation that may be useful Decision Failure to turn in homework assignments Aggression during recess

Key features of data systems that work. The data are accurate and valid The data are very easy to collect (1% of staff time) Data are presented in picture (graph) format Data are current (no more than 48 hours old) Data are used for decision-making The data must be available when decisions need to be made (weekly?) Difference between data needs at a school building versus data needs for a district The people who collect the data must see the information used for decision-making.

Why Collect Discipline Information? Decision making What decisions do you make? What data do you need to make these decisions? Professional Accountability Decisions made with data (information) are more likely to be (a) implemented, and (b) effective

What data to collect for decision- making? USE WHAT YOU HAVE Office Discipline Referrals/Detentions Measure of overall environment. Referrals are affected by (a) student behavior, (b) staff behavior, (c) administrative context An under-estimate of what is really happening Office Referrals per Day per Month Attendance Suspensions/Expulsions Vandalism

Office Discipline Referral Processes/Form Coherent system in place to collect office discipline referral data Faculty and staff agree on categories Faculty and staff agree on process Office Discipline Referral Form includes needed information Name, date, time Staff Problem Behavior, maintaining function Location Referral Form p.10 Definitions Compatibility Checklist

What data are needed for effective decision making (The Big Five) How Much: Office discipline referrals (ODR) ODR per school day ODR per school day per 100 students What: ODR by type of problem behavior Where: ODR by location When: ODR by time of day Who: ODR by student Why: ODR by perceived motivation

When Should Data be Collected? Continuously Data collection should be an embedded part of the school cycle not something extra Data should be summarized prior to meetings of decision-makers (e.g. weekly) Data will be inaccurate and irrelevant unless the people who collect and summarize it see the data used for decision-making.

Organizing Data for active decision-making Counts are good, but not always useful To compare across months use average office discipline referrals per day per month

January 10

Using Data for On-Going Problem Solving Start with the decisions not the data Use data in decision layers (Gilbert, 1978) Is there a problem? (overall rate of ODR) Localize the problem (location, problem behavior, students, time of day) Get specific Use data to guide asking of the right questions Dont drown in the data Its OK to be doing well Be efficient

Is there a problem? Office Referrals per Day per Month Attendance Faculty Reports

Interpreting Office Referral Data: Is there a problem? Absolute level (depending on size of school) Middle, High Schools (> 1 per day per 100) Elementary Schools (> 1 per day per 250) Trends Peaks before breaks? Gradual increasing trend across year? Compare levels to last year Improvement?

Elementary School with 250 students

Middle School with 500 students

Middle school with 500 students

Middle School with 500 students

Is there a problem? Middle school with 500 students (Dec)

Is there a problem? Middle School with 500 students

Is there a problem? Middle School with 500 students (Dec 04-05)

Is there a problem? Middle School with 500 students (Feb 3, 04-05)

What systems are problematic? Referrals by problem behavior? What problem behaviors are most common? Referrals by location? Are there specific problem locations? Referrals by student? Are there many students receiving referrals or only a small number of students with many referrals? Referrals by time of day? Are there specific times when problems occur?

Middle School

Elementary School

Referrals per Student

Designing Solutions If many students are making the same mistake it typically is the system that needs to change not the students. Teach, monitor and reward before relying on punishment. An example (hallways)

Summary Transform data into information that is used for decision-making Present data within a process of problem solving. Use the trouble-shooting tree logic Big Five first (how much, who, what, where, when) Ensure the accuracy and timeliness of data.

Team Reports ID next team meeting (Date and Time) 1. Team Leaders will notify Manuel 2. Team leader will arrange meeting and create agenda 3. Team Leader will attend next Baltimore City Team Leader Orientation meeting (Date TBA) ID topic of next team meeting