Positive Behavior Support in the Classroom

Tim Lewis, Ph.D.University of Missouri

OSEP Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports

pbis.org

Basic Steps

1. Focus on what you want students to do “instead” (replacement behaviors)

2. Look for patterns of behavior that suggest “functional relationships”

3. Teach replacement behavior and provide multiple opportunities to practice

4. Deliver high rates of positive feedback/same similar outcome as problem behavior when students display replacement behavior

A Classroom Example…

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, 25-40.

Study Basics• Subject:

– Seven years old– Identified with EBD and ADHD

• Setting– General education 2nd grade classroom with 19 other

students– One licensed teacher and one student teacher

• Concern– Student exhibits high rates of off-task– Student shouts out answers and questions and comments

at high rates and often inappropriate

“Function of Behavior”• Descriptive (interviews and teacher

reported ABC/ Scatterplot data)– Function identified as Attention– Significant antecedents: multiple step

direction and group settings– Very High rates of both problem behaviors

reported/ inconsistency in accuracy of data collection

“Environment Assessment”

Significant variables: • clarity of expectations & directions• consistency of expectations• accessibility of class schedules• lack of enforced procedures (especially

regarding to hand raising and verbalizations or entire class)

PBIS TECHNICAL BRIEF ON CLASSROOM PBIS STRATEGIES

Simonsen, Freeman, Goodman, Mitchell, Swain-Bradway, Flannery, Sugai, George, & Putnam (2015)

Classroom Foundations

• Effectively Design The Environment– Physical set up– Climate

• Develop & Teach Classroom Routines• Define, Teach & Post 3-5 Expectations

Setting up the Environment Establishing expectations (Kameenui & Simmons, 1990):

– What do I want my classroom to look like?– How do I want children to treat me as a person?– How do I want children to treat one another?– What kind of information or values do I want to communicate to

students about being an adult, an educator, a woman or a man in today's society?

– How do I want children to remember me when the last day of school ends and I am no longer part of their daily lives?

How can I change my instruction to help pupils develop the skills I am trying to teach?

Bottom line = ask yourself if students have pre-requisite and requisite skills to succeed based on each of your answers – if not, teach and practice

Use Proactive and Positive CWPBIS Practices Consistently

• Opportunities to Respond• Prompts & Active Supervision• Acknowledge behavior mastery with specific

positive feedback

OTR Whole Group Verbal Response

• Choral responding• Strategy for reviewing or memorizing

information• Students repeat information in unison when

teacher prompts

OTR Whole Group Written Response

• Written responses should be short (not more than one item)

• A verbal signal to indicate completion should be given (e.g. put your pencils down and look up when you are finished)

• Materials to use could include: Paper, whiteboards, iPads

OTR Small Groups / Partners

• Used to give everyone a chance to:– Express thoughts.– Answer a question.– Verbally participate when there could be a variety

of answers.• Answers can be shared with other groups or

whole group.• Answers can be written on smartboard by the

teacher and presented to group.

Addressing Minor Problem Behavior

• Use brief, contingent, specific error correction– An informative statement, typically provided by the

teacher, that is given when an undesired behavior occurs, states the observed behavior, and tells the student exactly what they should do in the future

• Delivered in a brief, concise, calm, and respectful manner, typically in private.

• Pair with specific contingent praise after the student engages in appropriate behavior

• Disengage at end of error correction and redirection—avoid “power struggles”

“Learning Errors”

How are you going to prevent it from happening again?

1. Minors addressed quickly and quietly/privately

2. School wide procedures for majors are followed

3. Upon “return,” debrief and plan to prevent1. What does student need?

2. What can we do to help?

Learning Errors

Simple Error Correction (skill in repertoire?)

a) Signal an error has occurred (refer to rules, "We respect others in this room and that means not using put downs")

b) Ask for an alternative appropriate response ("How can you show respect and still get your point across?")

c) Provide an opportunity to practice the skill and provide verbal feedback ("That's much better, thank you for showing respect towards others")

“Appropriate” Responses to Learning Errors

• If student removed from learning environment, create opportunities to teach/practice replacement behaviors

• Natural consequences (is it “punishment” from the student’s perspective)

• Changes within and across environments to promote appropriate behavior

Problem Behaviors Becoming Chronic

• Function-Based Strategies• Classroom Problem Solving Process

Classroom Problem Solving

• Process leader– Classroom teachers, Specialist teachers

• Tier II/III Team partner– School Psychologist, Counselor, Administrator

• Process– Data-based decision making

• Guiding questions

– Function-based intervention• Teach replacement• Environmental alterations / supports

– Monitor progress

Classroom Problem Solving Process

• Develop intervention based on function of behavior

• Environment changes– Student skills to teach/practice/reinforce

• Monitor progress– Same data that brought them to your attention– Problem and Appropriate behavior– Teacher observations

Effective Classroom Practices: Mini Modules

MO SW-PBS

pbismissouri.org

Center for PBSCollege of EducationUniversity of Missouri

Essential1. Classroom expectations & rules defined and taught (all use

school-wide, create classroom examples)2. Procedures & routines defined and taught3. Continuum of strategies to acknowledge appropriate

behavior in place and used with high frequency (4:1)4. Continuum of strategies to respond to inappropriate behavior

in place and used per established school-wide procedure5. Students are actively supervised (pre-corrects and positive

feedback)6. Students are given multiple opportunities to respond (OTR)

to promote high rates of academic engagement7. Activity sequence promotes optimal instruction time and

student engaged time8. Instruction is differentiated based on student need

Typical School Day

17% Direct Instruction33% Seatwork20% Transitions30% Discipline & Other

Non-InstructionalActivities

MO SW-PBS

Cotton, 1995; Walberg, 1988

324

Discussion: Importance of expectations & behaviors?

• Pair Up• 2-Minute Frenzy – Discuss:

– How has clarifying schoolwide/non-classroom setting behaviors/rules impacted student behavior in our school?

– Why do you think it is important to clarify classroom behaviors/rules?

Guidelines for Writing Classroom Behaviors or Rules

Consistent with school-wide expectations O = Observable; behaviors that we can see.

M = Measureable–we could actually count the occurrence of the behavior.

P = Positively stated–things to do to be successful.

U = Understandable–student-friendly language.

A = Always applicable.MO SW-PBS 93

• List problem behaviors in your classroom• List replacement behavior (what we want kids

to do instead) • List schoolwide expectations• Categorize rules within schoolwide

expectations

Activity: Classroom Rule Writing Activity Option 1

Accommodations

ies-cars.org

Need for Appropriate Accommodations

• Approximately 85% of secondary students with EBD have at least one class in the general education setting.

• Help students:– access grade level materials– access instruction– improve classroom performance.

• Prevent students from falling farther behind academically and potentially dropping out.

Academic Services, Supports, and Modifications for Students with EBD

(Wagner et al., 2006)Supports Percentage of Students

Elementary Middle High

More time to take tests 72.8 72.6 75.6

Tests read to students 45.6 40.0 26.5

Modified tests 43.7 46.3 24.2

More time to complete assignments 66.5 67.3 54.2

Modified assignments 47.9 41.4 20.8

Modified grading standards 37.3 27.3 14.5

Slower-paced instruction 51.0 46.5 19.0

Peer tutoring 17.0 10.5 8.2

Adult tutoring 15.3 8.4 7.6

Learning strategies/study skills 33.0 36.5 27.5

Accommodations vs. Modifications

• Changes to how academic content is presented or assessed

– Accommodations do not change what the student is expected to master

– Modifications change what the student is expected to master

Purpose of Guide

• Facilitate selection of one or more accommodations that are matched to the student’s specific academic or behavioral needs

– Increase the match between a particular student’s difficulty and an appropriate accommodation.

– Match testing accommodations to instructional accommodations

Accommodations Guide Model

CASE STUDY

Participant Description

• Externalizing behaviors

• Low academic abilities– 3rd Grade academic functioning

• General education co-taught History class

• Teacher selected interventions (based on feasibility)– Accommodations– Positive Teacher/Student Interactions

Model ImplementationStep #1:

• Collect three samples of student work demonstrating frequent errors or low grades.

• Identify accommodations provided in IEP

•

•

Student IEP Accommodations• Testing:

– Alternative setting– Extended time for completion– Read test to student (if requested)

• Assignments and Instruction:– Lower difficulty level-shorten assignments– Provided structured time to organize materials– Frequent reminders of rules– Check often for understanding/review– Extended time for oral responses– Extended time for written responses– Maintain assignment notebook– Bathroom break first 5 mins. of class, unless emergency– Use lined paper for written assignments– Assist or provide notes and study guides– Extended to create assignments (1 ½ weeks or as agreed upon w/ teacher)

Step #2:

• Identify general indicators of concern

– Writing, specifically difficulty organizing writing• “Couldn’t complete short answer”

– Attention to detail• “Chose wrong answers on multiple choice and selected obviously

wrong answers”

– Planning and time management• “Ran out of time to complete the test even when given multiple

class periods”

Step # 3

• Identify accommodations matched to student’s needs

– Writing: Difficulty Organizing Writing• Graphic Organizers

– Attention to Detail• Assign a Peer Partner• Use Graphic Organizers• Chunk Large Assignments into Smaller Tasks

– Planning and Time Management• Chunk Large Assignments into Smaller Tasks• Graphic Organizers

Step # 4: Coordinate accommodations

Model Accommodations

Writing: Difficulty Organizing Writing– Graphic Organizers

Attention to Detail– Assign a Peer Partner– Use Graphic Organizers– Chunk Large Assignments into

Smaller Tasks

Planning and Time Management– Chunk Large Assignments into

Smaller Tasks– Graphic Organizers

IEP Accommodations• Testing-

– Alternative Setting– Extended time for completion– Read test to student (if requested)

• Assignments and Instruction-– Lower Difficulty Level-Shorten Assignments– Provided Structured Time to Organize Materials– Frequent Reminders of Rules– Check often for understanding/review– Extended time for Oral Responses– Extended time for Written Responses– Maintain Assignment Notebook– Bathroom Break first 5 mins. Of class, unless

emergency– Use lined paper for written assignments– Assist or Provide Notes and Study Guides– Extended to create assignments (1 ½ weeks or

as agreed upon w/ Teacher)

Step #5:

• Meet with the student for input and preferences

– Student agreed with teachers concerns.

– Student agreed to all suggested accommodations.

– Student requested:• A different seat with less distractions during independent

work.• Materials if he forgot to bring them.

Step #6:• List accommodations to be implemented and evaluated.• Prioritize• Determine instruction or testing• Define and describe conditions:

1) Use graphic organizers (I/T) All in class work, Teacher-created or pre-made organizers.

1) Change seat to reduce distractions (I/T) Student and teacher will meet to discuss alternative seat, can be changed if student does demonstrate classroom expectations.

1) Materials be given to student if forgotten (e.g. pencil) (I/T) Student must request material at the start of the class and give teacher collateral for the return of material at the end of the class period.

2) Assign a peer partner (I) All in-class work with a teacher chosen partner.

3) Chunk large assignments into smaller tasks (I) All in class assignments spanning multiple class periods with a teacher-created checklist of completed tasks.

Step #7:• Teach the accommodations

– Assign a peer partner• What are the appropriate behaviors of working with a peer?• What noise level can you work with a peer?• What does helping vs. doing look like?

– Use graphic organizers• How do I use graphic organizers (5 paragraph outline, flow chart, venn diagram, checklist,

etc.)?

– Chunk large assignments into smaller tasks• How do I use a checklist?• How do I manage my time?

– Change seat to reduce distractions• How do I transition?• When is it appropriate to move?

– Materials given to student if forgotten (e.g. pencil)• How do I know what materials I need?• What is appropriate collateral?

Step #8:

• Examine at least three samples of student work/tests to determine if there is a change in the performance trend

– Class Grade Increased from a 24% to a 77%

– Highest class grade he had received since beginning high school!

Active Engagement

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 110

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100Reversal

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of T

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Data Observation Periods

Baseline Graphic OrganizersChange SeatMaterials GivenPeer PartnerChunking Assignments

Graphic OrganizersChange Seat outside classroomMaterials GivenPeer PartnerChunking Assignments