bringing pbs home collaborating with families developed and compiled by mack and vitto, 2007
TRANSCRIPT
Bringing PBS HomeCollaborating with Families
Developed and compiled by Mack and Vitto, 2007
AcknowlegementsMuskegon Area ISD Behavioral Support Team
Muskegon Participating PBS Families
MiBLSi training materials &
Publications by:Dr. Tim Lewis, Dr. Rob Horner, Dr. George Sugai
&Sandra L. Christenson and Susan M. Sheridan
Thanks to our colleagues for letting us share their experiences and recommendations
Goals for today’s session:
Introduce a “Systems” model for developing effective parent understanding of and involvement with Positive Behavior Supports in schools
Considerations for dealing with difficult Home/School Partnerships
When family members are involved in their children’s education, children and youth do better, stay in school longer, and achieve more
Many schools only engage a small percentage of the families of their students
There is a good deal of misunderstanding between teachers and families about each others’ roles and responsibilities
What We Know
Sch
oolsFam
ilies
Many families are involved in their children’s educations in ways that school personnel don’t know about, support, or foster
History/cultural differences , race, and SES affect the quality of the relationships between school personnel and families
Productive relationships result when school personnel get involved with families and their communities
What We Know
Sch
oolsFam
ilies
Stereotypes about ...
TEACHERSParents
Teacher as deityTeacher as babysitter
Teacher as whiny bureaucratTeacher as apathetic bureaucrat
Teacher as surrogate parentTeacher as therapist
Teacher as partner
Parent as couch potatoParent as troublemakerParent as enablerParent as ostrichParent as dropoutParent as advocateParent as partner
Attend school for meetings/conferences, special assemblies or events Volunteer in classrooms, help with field trips Participate in fund raising events Join school councils or other decision-making groups Supervise homework and help students with school assignments, projects at home Make sure students are “ready for school” and learning by making sure they are well fed, clothed, and get enough sleep
Involvement” has traditionally Involvement” has traditionally
meant parents. . .meant parents. . .
It leaves out too many families• family history• unwelcoming environments• language & cultural differences• time & transportation
It’s a narrow definition•school focused•child focused
It only goes one-way
Why “Involvement” Hasn’t Worked
Very Well
Starting Point Schools and their communities should define
what “involvement” means across a continuum of behavioral supports
Schools should build a system that is accessible and open to family involvement Schools cannot mandate family involvement Schools must build a system of support that is
not-contingent on family involvement Families should also work toward understanding
limitations of education system
A Working Definition of “Family Involvement”
Awareness InvolvementSupport
A Working Definition of Family Involvement Across the
Continuum
Awareness – Universals, Small Group, Individual
Involvement – Universals, Small Group, Individual
Support - Universals, Small Group, Individual
Primary Prevention:School-/Classroom-Wide Systems for
All Students,Staff, & Settings
Secondary Prevention:Specialized Group
Systems for Students with At-Risk Behavior
Tertiary Prevention:Specialized
IndividualizedSystems for Students
with High-Risk Behavior
~80% of Students
~15%
~5%
CONTINUUM OFSCHOOL-WIDE
INSTRUCTIONAL & POSITIVE BEHAVIOR
SUPPORT
Universals: Connect Points To Families Primary Focus = Awareness
Information, Information, Information (2-way) Educators and parents sharing information across
multiple venues Involvement
Parent team member Specific activities to partner with families at school
Support Information regarding range of services & supports Referral Points Strategies for home use
Steps toward Awareness of School-wide PBS initiative
Introductory Letter or Newsletter Open House/Conference Video or Slide Presentation PBS for Parents Booklet Involving Parents in Kick-off Hero Nights Wrap Around Programs
Awareness Components
Include in handout or presentation: What is Positive Behavior Supports Why is it needed? How is it different from traditional
approaches What does “positive” mean? What are the schools expectations? How are they trained? How and why are kids rewarded? How can parents support PBS?
INCLUDING FAMILIES IN PBS
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Developed by Susan Mack, M.A. and Steven Vitto, M.A.
MAISD Behavioral Consultants
A POSITIVE BEHAVIORAL SUPPORTS PROJECT
Positive Approaches for Challenging Behavior
Booklet
Include: Behavioral Expectations Matrix Tickets/Coupons Certificates Introduction to PBS process at your
school At the end of booklet put in your area’s
resources and contact information
Seven Steps for establishing PBS at home
1. Get all family members on board2. Hold a family meeting to introduce the idea and
discuss how the family can support PBS at home3. Pick three areas where the most growth is
needed and decide on expectations that are consistent with schools
4. Decide how to teach these expectations at home5. Decide how to reinforce expected behaviors6. Decide how to correct behavioral errors-what’s
your discipline plan7. Hold family meetings as needed to make the
expectations work for you and your family
Small Group/Targeted: Connect Points To Families Awareness
Continuum of supports explained Referral points defined
Primary Focus = Involvement Parent consent/ information meeting Parent part of planning Follow-up meetings and outcome sharing
Support Partnership to explore school / home strategies Quick easy “generalization strategies” for home use
Individual/Intensive: Connect Points To Families
Awareness Information (e.g., IDEA, ADA, Mental Health,
District Services) Accessible referral point (special education /
non-special education) Teacher education RE impact on family “Science” of behavior for both educators and
family Involvement
Family advocacy groups on school/district team Parents of children with disabilities on
school/district team Primary Focus = Support
Partner planning – strengths-based focus using functional behavioral assessment
Facilitating interagency programs Targeted training/supports for families
Collaborating with Difficult Home/School
Partnerships
“To build trusting relationships, we need to communicate with the intent to learn from others, not control them.
Trust is the glue that makes effective collaboration and teamwork possible.
Without trust, people become competitive or defensive, and communication is distorted and unreliable.”
All families have strengths. Parents can learn new techniques. Parents have important perspectives
about their children. Most parents really care about their
children. Cultural differences are both valid and
valuable. Many family forms exist and are
legitimate.
Focus on Positives
Principals and staff positively impact students' lives by sharing positive moments with them. Students/families need to see principals/staff as caring individuals whose primary concern is student learning
Contact parents with positive news. Particularly if you need to call that parent later with some negative news. People believe you are fair when you share in positive events as well as negative events.
Known and Unknown Adult learners want choices Adult learners want control What we know grows larger, and when we
know more we get to a point when we realize how much more there is to learn… Asking people to change is scary; we are
asking them to shift what they value and believe…
Our self concept as a learner is effected by our history
The Difficult Home School Partnership
Handle with Care
Grade retention Disruptive behavior Poor study habits Possible special class placement Referral Testing Medical attention Unexpected parental concerns or even
complaints
Frame of Reference
"Seek first to understand… then to be understood."
Stephen Covey
-more willingness to commit to goals
Where trust is present, there is:
-less stress
-no feeling of manipulation
-easier to anticipate behavior
Professional Skills for Good Communication between Teachers
and Parents
Good listening techniques Tact Kindness Consideration Empathy Enthusiasm Understanding of parent-child relationships
Be Pro-Active
Communicate and build relationships
Avoid judgment and imposing your value system
“If you haven’t walked in their shoes, then you can only imagine…”
Suggestions for Difficult Home/School Partnerships: Communicate concerns early Before the conference
Keep a log of the child's unusual or disruptive behavior.
Keep track of the child's grades and missing assignments.
Keep a record of all communications with parents.
Keep notes and records concerning the child's behavior in other classrooms.
Establish Norms
How ideas will be expressed How decisions will be made How people will be treated What will signal an end of the
meeting
Positive Techniques for Difficult Meetings
Warm up with warmth Treat with respect Weigh your words Allow for anger Plan for options Seek support Put it in writing
After the Meeting
Follow-up Confirm that all parties involved in
the conference actually followed through on their commitments
Demonstrate your sincerity and concern for the child
Offer further help
Don’t:
Argue Yell Use sarcasm Behave unprofessionally with a
parent Remember we are role models. It is
up to us to show the most difficult parents a better way to communicate
Types of Difficult Parents The Parents Who Rescue, Defend,
and Accuse: The Conspiracy Theory The Advisor: Responding to Advise
from Mom & Dad The THREATENING Parent The Limited Parent The Abusive Parent The Parent in Denial
If teachers are intimidated by angry parents:
Don’t be on the defensive Maintain strong eye contact with
angry or aggressive parents. This look should NOT be an
intimidating one. Simply maintain eye contact, and do not look away.
Open houses and conferences is not the best time to talk about severe or complex problems
Placement Always try to provide an environment
where the student will be happy, safe, valued, and have a desire to take risks and learn. An if the parent insists the child be placed in an environment school staff believe is inappropriate, school staff should do everything possible to make it a place of learning and acceptance for the child.
Final Thoughts It is only through establishing trust and
convincing the parents that you do have the interest of their child at heart that a door or window may open and acceptance will take the place of denial.
Be patient and supportive. Ultimately, it is your continued support and caring even in the face of disagreement that will help bring the parent closer to accepting “what is.”
Final Thoughts
“Every parent and family, no matter they have been viewed by the school as dysfunctional, trouble makers, “crazy,” out of touch, in denial, defenders, rescuers, etc. deserves to be treated with dignity and respect.
If we truly want to make a positive difference in every child’s life we have to make a positive difference their parents lives as well.”
I have come to a frightening conclusion;I am the decisive element in the home.
It is my personal approach that creates the climate.
It is my daily mood that makes the weather.As a parent, I possess tremendous power to
make a child’s life miserable or joyous.I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration. I can humiliate or humor, hurt or
heal.In all situations it is my response that decides
whether a crisis will be escalated or de-escalated, and a child humanized or
dehumanized.-Haim Ginott