SW-PBIS Training Acknowledgment System Day 3 Chris Borgmeier, PhD Portland State University cborgmei@pdx.edu www.swpbis.pbworks.com

Team Progress Reports What have you accomplished since the last training? Finalize PBS team members On-site meeting & meeting schedule SW Rules Expectations Grid Lesson Plans Presentation to staff Feedback & participation from staff

Now that you’ve been working on this…. What questions do you have? Team Representation Team Process Communication with Staff Understanding Buy-In & Commitment SW Rules Behavioral Expectations Lesson Plans

PBIS Assessment www.pbisassessment.org

Introduction to www.pbisassessment.org Preview www.pbisassessment.org Review Team Implementation Scores Review Staff Self Assessment Scores

Team Implementation Checklist Subscale

Student Self Assessment Subscale

Staff Self- Assessment Survey x Item

Team Work Time Open up your School Account on www.pbisassessment.org Requires School ID # Review your School Data Staff Self Assessment Data Team Implementation Checklist

Acknowledgement Systems: Catch ‘em being Good

PBS: Defining Features Teaching Expected Behavior Increase Structure and Predictability by explicitly teaching Behavioral Expectations and Routines. Reduce the mystery and chaos by making expectations explicit through formal teaching Develop a “United Front” across all staff through consistent language & expectations Increased Structure = Decreased Chaos = Fewer Problems

PBS: Defining Features Reinforcing Expected Behavior Teaching alone is not enough, we also need to regularly Reinforce students for following expectations Improving the School Climate By increasing the number of Positive Interactions between staff and students we are improving the school climate.

Acknowledgment Systems Purpose: To reinforce school rules, behavioral expectations & positive behavior Promote a more positive school environment School-wide 5:1 positive/negative interaction ratio Regular school-wide celebration of positive behavior Increase positive interactions b/w staff & students Prompt busy adults to remember to reinforce positive behavior

5 : 1 Positive Behavior Support is…. What parents, teachers, peers and others do to increase student success---the whole village! SUCCESS FAILURE 5 : 1

5:1 ratio, it’s not just for kids Business teams High Performance teams = 5.6 to 1 Medium Performance teams = 1.9:1 Low Performance teams = 1 to 2.7 Losada, 1999; Losada & Heaphy 2004 Married couples that last 5.1 to for speech acts and 4.7 to 1 for observed emotions Gottman, 1994

Gottman info. predicted whether 700 newlywed couples would stay together or divorce by scoring their positive and negative interactions in one 15-minute conversation between each husband and wife. Ten years later, the follow-up revealed that they had predicted divorce with 94% accuracy. Marriages that last: 5.1 to 1 for speech acts and 4.7 to 1 for observed emotions Marriages likely to end in divorce: 1 (+) to1.3 (-) ratio likely to end up in divorce

Team Discussion What concerns might come up at your school regarding ‘caught you being good’, acknowledgement systems, incentives, etc? What ideas or questions do you have about how to address these concerns with staff?

Acknowledgment Systems Big pay-off for limited expense Immediate reinforcement with tokens that are accessible to all students Link with school wide celebration of positive behavior Lottery system helps to keep incentives cheap Lot of kids have chance to win… but pay out is cheap Small tangible rewards Public recognition is often powerful Make the program catchy – link with school rules &/or school mascot Cougar paws, Pawsitives, Starbucks, Bravo tickets, etc.

To consider when developing an acknowledgment ticket Must be Easy for Staff to use Limit writing, and make easy to carry around - fit in pocket If not easy to use & carry, it won’t be used Frequent feedback for students All staff should have tickets ALL students should be able to access tickets & acknowledgment, even those students with most challenging behavior At least 50% of the students should get acknowledged every 2 months

Acknowledgment Tickets Link acknowledgment to a school rule Some schools like to include the specific behavior being acknowledged… but don’t want extra writing to reduce use of tickets

Team Task Develop an acknowledgment ticket that coincides with your SW Rules OR Evaluate any existing tokens used to identify potential for improvement

PBIS Assessment Fluency check Open new browser window Go to pbisassessment.org Open school account Find Team Implementation Checklist Subscale Graph

Acknowledgement System: Logistics

Example: Chavez Academy (K-8) Handing out Thank You tickets is not limited to the students in a classroom. The opportunity exists to positively acknowledge a student's behavior in all areas of the school. Teach Students during Introduction of system: I'll try my best to notice you. But you can't let me know; that's my job.“ Students may not solicit tickets for themselves or for others

Train staff how to hand out Acknowledgments “Sergio, thank you for picking up Jackie’s book for her you are being very Respectful. I want to recognize your good behavior with a Caught Being Good ticket, I really appreciate it when you follow the school rules.” Always pair the ticket with a verbal explanation that is genuine, clear & specifically identifies the behavior Link with school rule It is best to provide the ticket immediately after the student engages in the behavior

How will students turn in their tickets? In classroom? In box at lunch? In barrel in hallway? Then, what will happen to the tickets Earn School-wide reward? Fill the barrel & whole school earns a popcorn party Earn classroom reward? Classes can earn free time after so many tickets earned Drawing for individual students?

Example: Chavez Academy (K-8) A student who receives a Thank You ticket should hold on to the ticket until an appropriate time when he/she can stop by the library and drop it in the piñata. Staff can remind students to drop off tickets but ultimately the students are responsible for dropping off their own tickets. There are two different piñatas in which to drop the tickets: one for grades K-3 and another for 4-8.

Acknowledgement Assemblies Part of regular school routine Acknowledgment assemblies should happen every two to four weeks Be Creative! System & reinforcers must be developmentally appropriate across elementary, MS & HS

Example: Chavez Academy (K-8) Each Friday, 10 names will be drawn, five from each piñata, by the principal. These 10 students will be called down to the principal's office. Each student will share with the administrator why they received the ticket. They will also get to pick an "opportunity" from the opportunity box. The opportunity box will have several selections for the students to choose from, either a coupon for a special privilege or a small item. Students will also sign a triangle to glue to the large triangle poster on the wall outside the principal’s office as a visual reminder of students who have been recognized for being safe, responsible, and/or respectful.

Example: Chavez Academy (K-8) When students put tickets in the piñatas in the library, the tickets will remain in the piñata for the month. At the end of the month, all tickets will be counted and dumped into the larger, clear container. It will be centrally located and visible to all. Periodically, there will be drawings from the big container for larger items such as a school t-shirt, etc.

Reinforcer Ideas Middle & High School Elementary Homework pass Discounts at school store Tickets to school dance Time w/ peers Pizza party Social & listen to music Lunch w/ staff Staff serve spaghetti dinner In-school movie Early release from class Class parties or cultural events Movie tickets Elementary Usually any trinkets paired with public recognition Toys School supplies Bubble parties

Team Tasks LOGISTICS How & where will tickets be turned in? What is the schedule for Acknowledgment assembly? How will the acknowledgment celebration/ assembly work? What reinforcers will be handed out to selected students at the acknowledgment celebration/assemblies?

Focus of Acknowledgment System It is important that an Acknowledgment system is accessible to ALL students all the time Beginning of year Heavy emphasis on reinforcing all school rules & expectations Returning from breaks, or entering months in which there were higher referrals in previous years May want to re-teach expectations & remind staff to boost up use of acknowledgments

Increasing Staff Buy-In Link incentive program w/ staff incentives Also recognize staff for using program w/ incentives Have staff acknowledgement system Also acknowledge staff when students is drawn Staff Incentive ideas Starbucks dollars Free hour ticket to cash in for principal to cover class Front parking spot for week/month

Frequently Asked Questions Should we track Positive Referrals? Track it broadly, not individually Are teachers going through enough referral pads? Are grade levels invested in the system? How many should be given out? Better to err on the side of more than less Need to be genuine & verbally paired w/ reason, not handed out indiscriminately

Frequently Asked Questions Shouldn’t students be expected to do these things without being rewarded? Sure, BUT students are bringing a varied set of experiences and skills to school, unfortunately some students may not get enough acknowledgment at home How many of you feel you get acknowledged often enough for the work you do? This system should not replace regular verbal praise and pats on the back for students …all this system provides in addition for most students is a small piece of paper This system is as much to help remind the adults to catch kids doing the right thing in school… we get busy and too often get caught up focusing on predominantly negative behavior (5 to 1 ratio)

Targeted Use of Acknowledgements & Incentives As year progresses, and specific areas of concern come up in the school Can begin to target specific behaviors or areas in which to more heavily focus use of acknowledgment system i.e. hallway behavior, appropriate language, etc. Schools can also have other systems for recognizing students Classroom reward system in addition to school-wide system Incentives for most responsible class in cafeteria Class clean bathroom award Perfect attendance Honor Roll

Tasks Develop or refine your Acknowledgment System Develop a process for the Acknowledgment System How to give out & collect acknowledgment slips Develop & distribute acknowledgement slip Develop an Acknowledgment assembly schedule & plan assemblies Develop a list of Reinforcers Collect reinforcers Train staff in details of how system will work

Extending SW-PBIS to Substitute Teachers

Help Substitute Teachers Align w/ SW-PBIS Create a sub-folder & hold a sub orientation Encourage substitutes to review behavioral expectations during first 10 minutes with class Align expectations with SW-Rules

Help Substitute Teachers Align w/ SW-PBIS Acknowledgment System Make sure substitute teachers have access to acknowledgment tickets Encourage them to hand out 3-5 acknowledgment tickets in first 15 minutes while teaching behavioral expectations Better Yet!! – Make the tickets a different color (Gold) for subs & make them worth double!

Substitute Folder What to include? Overview of SW Rules & SW-PBIS Lesson Plan for Behavioral Expectations Acknowledgment Tickets Other? Schedule Lesson Plans (Academic) Seating Chart? Behavior Plans Etc.

Team Work Time Continue to work on your acknowledgment system Consider creating a Substitute Teacher PBIS System Sub Folders? – Orientation? Acknowledgments

Tasks Develop or refine your Acknowledgment System Develop a process for the Acknowledgment System How to give out & collect acknowledgment slips Develop & distribute acknowledgement slip Develop an Acknowledgment assembly schedule & plan assemblies Develop a list of Reinforcers Collect reinforcers Train staff in details of how system will work

Prioritize, Divide & Conquer Developing Lesson Plans Developing a teaching schedule for School Rules New Student Orientation (those coming mid-year) Develop Acknowledgment System PBIS Handbook Ongoing plan for presentation to staff & feedback Substitute Teacher folders Classroom Expectations

Follow-up Tasks Finalized SW PBS team & meeting schedule Developing Expectations Grid Developing Lesson Plans Developing a teaching schedule for School Rules Develop Acknowledgment System Ongoing plan for presentation to staff & feedback