1. Moving up the Continuum: Building Systems to Support Tier II and III Interventions  
Tim Lewis, Ph.D.
University of Missouri
OSEP Center on Positive Behavioral
Interventions and Supports
pbis.org

2. Starting Point…. We can’t “make” students learn or behave
We can create environments to increase the likelihood students learn and behave
Environments that increase the likelihood are guided by a core curriculum and implemented with consistency and fidelity

3. Positive Behavior Support Social Competence & Academic Achievement
OUTCOMES
Supporting
Decision
Making
Supporting
Staff Behavior
SYSTEMS
DATA
PRACTICES
Supporting
Student Behavior

4. Designing School-Wide Systems for Student Success
Academic Systems
Behavioral Systems
Intensive, Individual Interventions
Individual Students
Assessment-based
High Intensity
Intensive, Individual Interventions
Individual Students
Assessment-based
Intense, durable procedures
1-5%
1-5%
Targeted Group Interventions
Some students (at-risk)
High efficiency
Rapid response
5-10%
5-10%
Targeted Group Interventions
Some students (at-risk)
High efficiency
Rapid response
Universal Interventions
All students
Preventive, proactive
80-90%
Universal Interventions
All settings, all students
Preventive, proactive
80-90%

5. Across the Continuum Teams - Administrator
Social behavior curriculum developed / adapted
Data-based decision making
Problem solving logic
Access to Technical Assistance
Working toward district/regional support
SW-PBS is a Marathon, not a sprint
Focus across is on what students should be learning versus what they should not be doing

6. Creating Environments
Environments that increase the likelihood are guided by a core curriculum and implemented with consistency and fidelity

7. Creating Environments to Increase the Likelihood: Universals
Annually:
Revisit your set of expectations and teaching activities
Assess and address “problem spots” across school environments
Assess effective instruction and management in each classroom
High Rates of Positive Feedback

8. Teach & Practice……..

9. Post expectations across school settings…

10. 4:1 Positive Ratio?

11. Creating Environments to Increase the Likelihood: Classrooms
Keep in mind:
Most problem behaviors occur in the classroom
Effective social and academic instruction is essential for ALL classrooms
Classrooms are “personal”

12. Inverse relationship between increased probability of compliance induced by effective teaching on the rate of disruptive behavior (Gunter, Shores, Jack, Denny, & DePaepe, 1994)

13. Importance of Effective Instruction (Sanders, 1999)
The single biggest factor affecting academic growth of any population of youngsters is the effectiveness of the classroom.
The answer to why children learn well or not isn't race, it isn't poverty, it isn't even per-pupil expenditure at the elementary level.
The classroom's effect on academic growth dwarfs and nearly renders trivial all these other factors that people have historically worried about.

14. So one of our own is now blaming everything on the teacher!!
If classroom teachers are struggling, it is a systems issue NOT an individual teacher issues

15. Creating Effective Classroom Environments
Insuring ALL faculty and staff engaging in effective instruction and classroom management
Align resources to challenges
Work within existing organization structure
Raze and rebuild
Must build an environment that simultaneously supports student and adult behavior

16. Top Eight Classroom expectations/rules defined and taught
Classroom routines defined and taught
“4:1” positive feedback
Active supervision
Students actively engaged
Multiple opportunities to respond
Minors are addressed quickly and quietly/privately
School wide procedures for majors are followed

17. Creating Environments
Focus on socially important behaviors
Inviting atmosphere / Friendly & Helpful
Connections / relationships between:
Staff-staff
Staff-students
Students- adults
Is your school a place where you would want your own child to attend?

18. Core Curriculum
Environments that increase the likelihood are guided by a core curriculum and implemented with consistency and fidelity

19. Core Curriculum
Based on local issues/problems – “What do you want them to do instead”
Clear goal/purpose
Matched to student need
Research-based
Accompanying training and support for all staff to implement
Mini-modules + “tip sheets”
Performance feedback

20. Meaningful PD Outcomes
Staff
Development
Change in
Teacher
Practice
Change in
Student
Outcomes
Change in
Teacher
Beliefs
A Model of the Process of Teacher Change
Guskey, 1986

21. Peer Coaching with Performance Feedback
2 schools – one high SES, one low SES
4 teacher “cool tools” on instructional talk, prompts, feedback, and wait time
Implemented school-wide; provided a tip sheet and mini in-service on each, weekly reminders from administrators
Each cool tool 4 weeks long - cumulative

23. Consistency and Fidelity
Environments that increase the likelihood are guided by a core curriculum and implemented with consistency and fidelity

24. Consistency & Fidelity
On-going, sustained, and purposeful training
On-going access to technical assistance
Periodic checks
Student outcomes
Student perceptions
Adult perceptions
Working toward a District-Wide PBS initiative that will sustain over time

25. Assess for Fidelity of Implementation

26. Consistency & Fidelity
Boosters based on data
Apply logic of SW-PBS to adult learners
Tell-show-practice
Data / Feedback
Data Decisions
Align Initiatives to SW-PBS work
Eliminate competing initiatives that do not produce measurable outcomes

27. Aligning Initiatives

28. Tier II & III Essential Features
Emphasis is on continuum and interrelated components of data, practices, systems

29. Are School Teams Ready? Universals in place (80% or better on SET)
Action plan to maintain Universals
Use data in team meetings
Create a decision rule to identify students in need
Assessment to identify what supports students need
Strategy to implement classroom-based supports
Equal emphasis on practices, data and system supports

30. Tier II & III Basics Teach/build pro-social replacement behaviors
Attend to possible function of the problem behavior
Build maintenance and generalization strategies to promote use
Connect points to universals

31. Tier II & III Interventions
Consider
Not fixed group of students
Student’s needs vary across continuum over time and within academic/social area
Least intrusive but matched to student need
Response may be environmental changes without direct student intervention

32. Structural Analysis Setting Factors Assessment Tool
Level 1: Classroom Set-up and Structure
Level 2: Context Specific Activities
Level 3: Instructional Delivery and Tasks
Level 4: Student Behavior
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,

35. When Implementing Tier II & III Supports
Common misperception is that these strategies will “fix” the student and the classroom teacher does not need to be an active participant since “specialists” or outside staff are often involved in the intervention – Important to stress that these interventions will require high level of involvement among ALL staff within the school building 35

36. Critical Points for Success
Part of a continuum – must link to school-wide PBS system
Efficient and effective way to identify students
Intervention matched to presenting problem but not highly individualized
Staff implementing interventions have skills and support
ALL staff aware of interventions and their part in promoting generalization

37. Function-based Intervention
Analysis and/or Full Assessment
Phase 4:
Evaluate Outcomes &
Make Decisions
Academic Support(s)
Check In/ Check Out
Mentoring
Social Skill Club
Avoid Tasks?
Obtain Attention?
Obtain Attention?
Skill Deficit?
Phase 3:
Function-based Intervention
Targeted Environmental Interventions
Step 2: Teacher & Team synthesize data to 1) Define Problem 2) Develop Hypothesis 3) Identify Replacement 4) Select Intervention
Step 1: Teacher and Team Partner collect data.
Nonresponder as compared to typical peer? Full access to Tier 1 supports? Is Identification process accurate and durable?
Phase 2:
Identification Process
Teacher/Parent Nomination
Data Decision Rules
Universal Screening Instrument
Tier 1 implemented with fidelity?
If Yes, then
Phase 1:
Provide Adequate Instruction
Classroom System
Nonclassroom System
Schoolwide System

38. Process for Accessing Support
Gentry Middle School

41. Process for Disseminating Practice
SAT Process
Teacher Training and Support
Targeted Interventions
Individual Student Plans
SAT Team
Administrator
Counselor
Behavior Specialist
STAT Team
Core Team/Classrooms
Implement AIS
Monitor Progress
Refer to SAT
Core Team Representative
SAT Partner
Core Team Teachers
*Meets Weekly
RRKS Team
School-Wide Systems
Matrix
Lesson Plans
School-Wide Data
Acknowledgement
Communication
Core Team Representative
District PBS Support
Building Administrator and Counselors
*Meets Monthly

42. Provide Skills-Based Training
Training Model
SAT members with behavior specialist
Behavior basics and management
SAT process
Function-linked strategies
SAT members with STAT team representative
SAT and STAT with core team teachers

43. Provide Tools Tools for Teachers SAT flowchart Pyramid to Success
RRKS TOC
AIS guide (Alternative Intervention Strategies)

44. Pyramid to Success for All
Office Issues
Bus referrals, Truancy, Chronic offender, Threatening student or adult, Fighting, Refusal to go to or Disruptive in Buddy Room, Sexual harassment, Weapons, Drug/cigarettes/ tobacco/alcohol, Assault – physical or verbal
Teacher Method for handling student behaviors
Referral Form – send student to office with completed form
Process with student before re-entry
Office Method for handling student behaviors
Proactive: RRKS Review, Parent Contact
Corrective: Loss of Privilege, Saturday detention, Opportunity Center, Suspension, etc.
Team Issues
Repeated minor & major disruptions in multiple classrooms, Throwing things, Hallway/Lockers problems, Attendance, Repeated disrespect to peers or adults, Cheating, Inappropriate to substitute, Insubordination, Chronic Disruptions
Method for handling student behaviors
Proactive: Parent contact (mandatory), RRKS review, Team conference, Team conference with student, Team conference with Parents, Team conference with Administrator/Counselor, Triage in the AM with the student, Triage at lunch with the student, Team Focus, etc.
Corrective: Removal of privilege on team, Recovery Study Hall, Buddy Room, etc.
Classroom Teacher Issues
Out of seat, Talking to classmates, Talking out, Off-task, Violation of class rules, Inappropriate language, Lack of materials, Gum, Disrespect, Cheating, Tardies, Minor destruction of property
Method for handling student behaviors
Proactive: Positive call to parents, Use praise, Use Rewards, Daily/Weekly Goal sheets, Proximity to instructor, Provide choices, One-to-One assistance, Pre-correct for transitions/trouble situations, Regular breaks for exercise, Give a job, RRKS Review, Reward lunch with teacher, etc.
Corrective: One and only one REDIRECT, RRKS Review, Safe-seat, Buddy Room, Think Sheet, Parent Phone call, Lunch Detention, Recovery Study Hall, Removal of privilege in classroom, etc.

45. On Building a Continuum of Supports
Some Final Thoughts
On Building a Continuum of Supports

46. Remember, Building a Complete Continuum is a Marathon not a Sprint

47. All of us will have set-backs on the journey

48. Allow yourself plenty of time to get there

49. Remember to bring the kids along

50. No matter how tempting….. Stay Positive!

51. Teach & Practice, Teach & Practice, Teach & Practice……

52. Big Ideas
Understand interaction between behavior and the teaching environment
Behavior is functionally related to the teaching environment
Build Positive Behavior Support Plans that teach pro-social “replacement” behaviors
Create environments to support the use of pro-social behaviors (practice, practice, practice)
Around individual student need / self-management
Classroom
School-wide 52

53. Moving up the Continuum: Building Systems to Support Tier II and III Interventions  
Tim Lewis, Ph.D.
University of Missouri
OSEP Center on Positive Behavioral
Interventions and Supports
pbis.org