Systems Change & PBIS Implementation in High Schools: Current Experiences & Research Status

1. Systems Change & PBIS Implementation in High Schools: Current Experiences & Research Status George Sugai OSEP Center on PBIS May 18, 2004 Sugai@uoregon.edu www.PBIS.org

2. Today’s Task… To review critical features of school-wide positive behavior support (PBS) at high school level • Does need exist? • What have we learned? Accomplishments? Challenges? • How have teams responded to challenges? • What next?

3. Acknowledgements • HS PBIS Teams • Lucille Eber & team • Hank Edmonson & team • Brigid Flannery & team • Cheryle & team • Guests • ISBE, OSEP

4. PBIS “Big Idea” Goal is to establish host environments that support adoption & sustain use of evidence-based practices (Zins & Ponti, 1990)

5. Guiding Principle #1 “Pupil achievement & behavior can be influenced (for better or worse) by the overall characteristics of the school environment” Rutter & Maughan, 2002

6. Guiding Principle #2 To affect incidence & prevalence of antisocial behavior, we must increase availability, adoption, & sustained use of validated practice Biglan, 1995

7. Guiding Principle #3 Use what we know about behavior of individuals to affect behavior & organization of communities, & create a common vision, language, & experience for all members of the community Biglan, 1995; Horner, 2002

8. Guiding Principle #4 “Reducing ethnic overrepresentation is a matter of creating successful school environments for all students & accurately distinguishing disabilities from so-called cultural differences, political influences, & socio economic factors. We must realize that the causes of low academic performance & challenging behavior do not reside solely within the child or family.” Meyer, G. & Patton, J., 2001, p. 12

9. Immediate high school challenges • Limited evidence base • Long traditional disciplinary approach to instruction • Relatively limited reform • Reactive discipline • Uneven access & capacity within & across

10. Need?....context matters • Some examples • Some challenges • Student v. school-wide

11. “Barrow” Barrow is well-behaved, liked, & enjoys learning, especially music, social aspects, & art, but isn’t producing in academic content areas. Homework & assignments are completed by not submitted. Teachers call him “likeable, social, but irresponsible.” He is failing his freshman block, & his parents are worried that early failure might discourage him about school.

12. “Solanum” Solanum does not socialize with her peers, rarely interacts with adults, & spends most of her time in library. She has little appetite, & sleeps during most classes. She leaves campus during lunch, & rarely returns. She might be abusing substances.

13. “Vai” Vai’s passion is Skaa….& little else. He attends class & passes all his test, but does little work, openly defies directives to participate or answer questions, & chastises other students as being “puppets of the system.”

14. “Rhus!” Rhus is “high functioning autistic.” If three girls (not 2 or 4) enter room before him, he screams & bites his hand. Rhus knows how many tiles are in hallway, how many fire hydrants are on each city street, & what square roots are of all numbers between 17 & 152. Peers avoid contact with Rhus because he’s “too weird.”

15. “Rachel” Rachel dresses in black every day, rarely interacts with teachers or other students, & writes & distributes poems & stories about witchcraft, alien nations, gundams, & other science fiction topics. When approached or confronted by teachers, she pulls hood of her black sweatshirt or coat over her head & walks away. Mystified by Rachel’s behavior, teachers usually shake their heads & let her walk away. Recently, Rachel carefully wrapped a dead squirrel in black cloth & placed it on her desk. Other students became frightened when she began talking to it.

16. Do we care about these kids?....of course we do! • We know the urgency • We know the consequences of not acting • We know we should care • We even have assessment & intervention technologies ….but context matters.

17. Context matters!! High school with 1900 students reported over 5000 office discipline referrals in one academic year. Over 50% of students (mostly 9th graders) have received at least one office discipline referral. Barrow is in this school!

18. 5000 referrals = 75,000 min @ 15 min = 1,250 hrs = 156 days @ 8 hrs

19. “Class from Hell” Ms. Taken says 3rd period is her “class from hell.” It takes 10 minutes to get classes started. Half the students usually leave the classroom before the period is over. Ms. Taken calls the dean of students to her class at least once per week. Solanum is in this classroom!

20. “Detention” During 4th period, in-school detention room has so many students that the overflow is sent to the counselor’s office. Most students have been assigned for being in the hallways after the late bell. Conteaster is in this school!

21. “Main Street” Classroom & outside doors are locked at 3:20. Lockers are tagged by “Goths,” “Heads,” & “Main Street G.” Staff members haven’t had a staff meeting in 3 months. Rachel is in this school!

22. “FTD” On 1st day of school, a teacher found “floral” arrangement on his desk. “Welcome to the neighborhood” was written on the card You are in this school!

23. So…how should we respond? • Understand unique features of high schools • Understand adolescent development • Adopt preventive approach • Consider systemic enhancements

24. High School Concerns • Graduation/attendance rates • Curriculum, credits • Safe schools & problem behavior • Drugs, dropouts, harassment, attendance, safety, insubordination, aggression, threats, etc. • Whose responsibility? • Students, parents, police, office, teachers, specialists,…

25. What makes secondary settings unique? • Size • Organization • Operations • Approach to learning & teaching • Reactive behavior management

26. 2 Worrisome & Ineffective Responses to Problem Behavior • Get Tough (practices) • Train-&-Hope (systems)

27. Worry #1: Getting Tough approach Runyon: “I hate this f____ing school, & you’re a dumbf_____.” Teacher: “That is disrespectful language. I’m sending you to the office so you’ll learn never to say those words again. When you’re ready to take responsibility for your actions & behave like an adult, you can be in my classroom!”

28. Increasingly “aversive” reactive continuum of discipline • Warning • ODR & warning • ODR & in-school suspension • ODR & out-school suspension • Expulsion hearing

29. Get Tough Philosophy • Increase monitoring for future problem behavior • Clamp down on rule violators • Re-re-re-review rules & sanctions • Extend continuum of aversive consequences • Improve consistency of use of punishments • Establish “bottom line”

30. System’s response…Get tougher • Zero tolerance policies • Security guards & metal detectors, & surveillance cameras • Student uniforms • Expulsion • Exclusionary options (e.g., alternative programs)

31. Reactive responses are predictable When we experience aversive situation, we select interventions that produce immediate relief by • Removing student • Removing ourselves • Modifying physical environment • Assign responsibility for change to student &/or others

32. But….false sense of safety & security! • Fosters environments of control • Triggers & reinforces antisocial behavior • Shifts accountability away from school • Devalues child-adult relationship • Weakens relationship between academic & social behavior programming

33. 2001 Surgeon General’s Report • Risk factors associated with increasing # of antisocial behaviors in youth • Antisocial peer networks • Reinforced deviancy

34. Recommendations (rearrange contingencies…..prevention) • Establish “intolerant attitude toward deviance” • Break up antisocial networks…change social context • Improve parent effectiveness • Increase “commitment to school” • Increase academic success • Create positive school climates • Teach & encourage individual skills & competence

35. Character Education • Easy to change moral knowledge..... ...difficult to change moral conduct • To change moral conduct... • Adults must model moral behavior • Students must experience academic success • Students must be taught social skills for success

36. An Approach: School-wide PBS • Success at elem/middle school levels • Preventive, systemic approach • Evidence based practices • Organizational logic

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

38. Worry #2 “Train & hope” approach • React to identified problem • Select & add practice • Hire expert to train practice • Expect & hope for implementation • Wait for new problem….

39. Enhanced approach • Organize team • Review data • Analyze, describe, & prioritize problem within context • Specific measurable outcome • Select evidence based practice • Provide supports for accurate sustained adoption & implementation • Monitor practice implementation & progress toward outcome

40. What do PBS schools look like generally? • >80% of students can tell you what is expected of them & give behavioral example • Academic engagement is high • Positive adult-to-student interactions exceed negative • Evidence based practices are being used • Function based behavior support is foundation for addressing problem behavior. • Data- & team-based action planning & implementation are operating. • Administrators are active participants. • Full continuum of behavior support is available to all students

41. Tertiary Prevention: Specialized Individualized Systems for Students with High-Risk Behavior CONTINUUM OF SCHOOL-WIDE INSTRUCTIONAL & POSITIVE BEHAVIOR SUPPORT ~5% Secondary Prevention: Specialized Group Systems for Students with At-Risk Behavior ~15% Primary Prevention: School-/Classroom- Wide Systems for All Students, Staff, & Settings ~80% of Students

42. Key word: PREVENTION • Primary • Reduce # new cases • Secondary • Reduce # current cases • Tertiary • Reduce complications, intensity, severity of current cases

43. Implementation Features • Establish EBS leadership team • Secure SW agreements & supports • Establish data-based action plan • Arrange for high fidelity implementation • Conduct formative data-based monitoring

44. 1. Establish EBS Leadership Team • Behavioral capacity • School, student, family & district representation • Active administrator participation • Efficient communications & staff development • Leadership & decision making status • Data-based decision making & problem solving

45. Working Smarter

46. Agreements Prioritized data-based need & action 3-4 year commitment Preventive instructional approach to social behavior Supports Administrative leadership Prioritized resources Materials, personnel, etc. On-going coaching/facilitation Time 2. Secure SW Agreements & Supports

47. 3. Establish Data-based Action Plan • Use of available & meaningful data • EBS Self-assessment Survey • Behavioral incident data, attendance • Middle school data • Faculty/student focus groups • Consideration of multiple systems • Adoption, adaptation, & sustained use of evidence-based practices

48. School-wide Positive Behavior Support Systems Classroom Setting Systems Nonclassroom Setting Systems Individual Student Systems School-wide Systems

49. School-wide & Classroom-wide Systems 1. Common purpose & approach to discipline 2. Clear set of positive expectations & behaviors 3. Procedures for teaching expected behavior 4. Continuum of procedures for encouraging expected behavior 5. Continuum of procedures for discouraging inappropriate behavior 6. Procedures for on-going monitoring & evaluation

50. Classroom Management Systems • Behavior & classroom management • Classroom-wide positive expectations taught & encouraged • Teaching classroom routines & cues taught & encouraged • Ratio of 6-8 positive to 1 negative adult-student interaction • Active supervision • Redirections for minor, infrequent behavior errors • Frequent precorrections for chronic errors