PBS Overview

Goal for Today  To introduce you to key principles and basic concepts for a continuum of support for students known as Positive Behavior Supports (PBS)

Did you know? “ We live in an era when research tells us that the teacher is probably the single most important factor affecting student achievement- at least the single most important factor that we can do much about. (Marzano, 2003)

Challenges  Poor attendance  Academically deficient  Disruptions by students in classrooms  Discipline

Positive Behavior Supports

Why?

 Public school teachers must deal with all of America’s children. (Marzano, 2003)  These students enter the classroom with a staggering array of serious issues in their lives.

What happens if we do not intervene?  Three years after leaving school, 70% of antisocial youth have been arrested (Walker, Colvin, & Ramsey, 1995).  82% of crimes are committed by people who have dropped out of school (APA Commission on Youth Violence, 1993).  The stability of aggression over a decade is very high; about the same as IQ (Walker et al., 1995).

What happens if we do not intervene?  If antisocial behavior is not changed by the end of grade 3, it should be treated as a chronic condition much like diabetes. That is, it cannot be cured but managed with the appropriate supports and continuing intervention (Walker, Colvin, & Ramsey, 1995).

Contributing Factors: Poverty & Language  Over a year (11-18 mo.) Children in poverty—hear 250,000 words per year Children in homes of professionals— hear 4 million words per year

Parent – Child  Affirmative statements Professional—30 per hour Working class—15 per hour Poverty—6 per hour (prohibition twice as often as affirmative feedback)

Meaningful Differences  “ To keep the confidence-building experiences of welfare children equal to those of working class children, the welfare children would need to be given 1,100 more instances of affirmative feedback per week…” (p.201).  “It would take 26 hours per week of substituted experience for the average welfare child’s experience with affirmatives to equal that of the average working-class child” (p. 202). -Hart & Risley -Hart & Risley

What Do Schools  Exclusion and punishment are the most common responses to conduct disorders in schools. Lane & Murakami, (1987); Rose, (1988); Nieto, (1999); Sprick, Borgmeier, & Nolet, (2002)  Exclusion and punishment are ineffective at producing long-term reduction in problem behavior. Costenbader & Markson (1998)

A Solution?

Positive Behavior Support (PBS) is a general term that refers to the application of an applied science that uses proactive and effective educational methods, behavioral interventions, environmental redesign and systems change methods to support individuals who exhibit disruptive and/or dangerous behaviors in school, work, social, community and family settings (Carr et al., 2002; Horner et al., 1990).

Based in Behavioral Science  Behavior is learned  Behavior is related to the immediate and social environmental factors  Systemic manipulation of the environmental factors influences behavior  Behavior can change  Appropriate and effective feedback leads to changes in behavior

The Foundation “ Students learn appropriate behavior in the same way they learn to read – through instruction, practice, feedback, and encouragement.”

A Research Based Foundation Research indicates that one way to effectively support children with problem behavior is to build skills through effective teaching. (Carr et al., 2002; Horner, Albin, Sprague & Todd, 2000)

Academic SystemsBehavioral Systems 1-5% 5-15% 80-90% Intensive, Individual Interventions Individual Students Assessment-based High Intensity Intensive, Individual Interventions Individual Students Assessment-based Intense, durable procedures Targeted Group Interventions Some students (at-risk) High efficiency Rapid response Targeted Group Interventions Some students (at-risk) High efficiency Rapid response Universal Interventions All students Preventive, proactive Universal Interventions All settings, all students Preventive, proactive The Triangle

Behavior Support ???

What?

Systems of Support Nonclassroom Setting Systems Classroom Setting Systems Individual Student Systems School-wide Systems

How?

Guiding Principles  Requires long-term commitment to systems change of effective practices  Implemented consistently by staff and administration  Positive behaviors are publicly acknowledged  Problem behaviors have clear consequences  Student behavior is monitored and staff receive regular feedback  Strategies are implemented at the school-wide, specific setting, classroom, and individual student levels  Strategies are designed to meet the needs of all students

“Behavior change is like a kaleidoscope: Once the tube is turned even a fraction of an inch, the entire pattern changes.” -John Maag