systematic supervision (2)

Systematic Supervision of Common Areas

Systematic Supervision of Common Areas 1

Objectives

• Learn the need for common area supervision• Review the critical features of an effective common

area supervision program:– Positive rules and expectations. – High rates of positive interactions with students. – Positive reward system. – Effective methods for responding to appropriate and

inappropriate behaviors.– Team-based planning and implementation.


What is Systematic Supervision?

A method of student behavior support andmanagement involving three types of activity

by supervisors: • Active supervision.

• Responding to appropriate and inappropriate behavior.

• Team-based approach to implementing and maintaining the program.

(Colvin et al., 1997; Smith and Sugai, 1998; Smith and Sprague, 2003)


Active supervision strategies and methods

work well in the following environments: • Large areas.• High student population areas.• Lightly staffed (1 or 2 adults for every 80+ students) areas.• Unstructured activities (student-directed activities) areas

such as playgrounds, cafeterias, and hallways.


Design

The Features of Systematic Supervision

1. Movement.2. Scanning.3. Positive Contact.4. Positive Reinforcement.5. Instructional Responses.6. Immediate and Contingent Delivery of Aversive Consequences

(Punishers).7. Team Directed Data-based Decision Making and Intervention

Implementation.


Rules and Expectations

Common area supervision staff need to: 1. Help determine, develop, and know the rules and expectations.

2. Be able to effectively and efficiently teach them to students and staff.

3. Be able to effectively and efficiently establish them in the target area(s).

4. Consistently provide a high rate of reinforcement for students following them.

5. Engage in ongoing monitoring of both appropriate and inappropriate behavior.


Establishing Rules and Expectations

• Determine important rules and expectations.

• Teach them regularly.

• Present expectations on the first day of school.

• Reinforce instances of expected behavior throughout the school

year – this is critical.

• Post rules and expectations in the common areas.

• Be specific.


Rules and Expectations Common Areas

• Rules should be stated in positive and observable terms.

• Common areas rules should be taught directly to students.

• Rules should be taught and reviewed in the specific area at least 2-3 times per year.


Movement: why it is important

1) Greater visibility of supervisors.2) Direct observation by the supervisor across students, areas, and activities.3) Increased proximity to students.4) Increased opportunity for positive, proactive, supervisor/student contact.5) Increased opportunity for positive reinforcement.6) Increased likelihood of encountering covert inappropriate behaviors such as

bullying and harassment.


Efficient and Effective Movement Strategies

1. Constant. 2. Occur at a high rate. 3. Patterns appear randomized and unpredictable, yet are planned and

deliberate. 4. Strategies specifically target known problem areas, activities, and

individuals.


Scanning

Developing the ability to visually scan more distant parts of an area and recognize signs

or sounds that may indicate problem behavior is invaluable to effective common

area supervision.


Scanning methods and techniques

Train yourself to:

•Maintain constant visual movement.

•Identify and attend to behaviors that are typically associated with problem behaviors.

•Look at the students’ behavior(s), not just the student(s).

•Look at the Big Picture.

•Listen for behavior.


Scanning methods and techniques

• Train yourself to: – focus on as many different areas as you can.– recognize potential trouble spots and scan them often.– recognize situations that may precede problem behavior.

• Maximize both movement and scanning opportunities by minimizing time spent dealing with student behavior (the “2-Minute Rule”).



Note the importanceof having several staff members present to see around thecorners marked in red.

Behavioral Elements of Systematic Supervision

Two important behavioral features of an effective supervision program:

• Positive contact.

• Positive reinforcement.


Positive Contact


Friendly, helpful, open demeanor

Staff engaged in positive contact with students:

Actively project a friendly, helpful, open demeanor, especially when in close proximity to students who are appropriately engaged and

exhibiting expected behavior.


Proactive, non-contingent

Simple Positive Contacts are non-contingent rather than based on, a specific student behavior – as long as their behavior at the time is appropriate.

Avoid inadvertently rewarding inappropriate behavior.


High rate of delivery

Maintain at least a 4 to 1 ratio of positive compared to all other types of contacts (e.g., corrective, aversive, or other negative

contacts).


Positive Contact – A Positive School Climate

Positive contacts:

- Establish attention for appropriate behaviors.- Should be available and attainable by ALL students.- Can provide opportunities to pre-correct students.

concerning appropriate vs. inappropriate behavior.


Positive Reinforcement


Components of Positive Reinforcement

ImmediateFor best effect, deliver the reinforcement as close to the occurrence of the target behavior as you can.



Contingent on BehaviorConsequences must be directly linked to the specific target

behavior. The student must associate the consequence with the target behavior for effective reinforcement to take place.



Consistent• Reinforcement should be as consistent with behavior and across

staff as possible. • Be careful not to reinforce a behavior one time and punish or

inadvertently punish it the next time.High Rate

• High rates of positive reinforcement have been shown to be very effective in increasing the target behaviors.


Instructional Strategy for Teaching or Correcting Behavior

• Define: Specifically tell the students what you expect.• Model: Demonstrate to students exactly how the behavior

looks. • Practice: Have students correctly practice the new skills.• Reward: Students for successful practice.• Re-teach: To refresh the desired skills and to prevent the

wrong ones.• Test: Observe the correct use of the new skills among

students in a variety of settings.


Correcting Student Behavior

When correcting student problem behavior:1. Be calm, business-like, and respectful in your approach.2. Have the facts straight and a plan on how you intend to deal

with the behavior before you address the student.3. Review what you saw with the student(s). 4. Define the problem behavior and establish a clear focus on the

appropriate behavior.5. Don't argue and don't be drawn into an argument.


Correcting Student Behavior

6. Correct or provide consequences for problem behavior privately when possible and never embarrass the student in front of others if you can avoid it.

7. Give the student choices on how to correct the problem behavior. 8. Tell the student what the school prescribed consequence for the particular behavior is – use the least aversive consequences indicated for the behavior.9. Apply the consequence immediately or as soon as practical.


The 2–Minute Rule

• If a supervisor can’t successfully correct a problem behavior within two minutes, that problem should be referred to an alternate setting/staff member for processing.

• If a student is compliant when confronted with a correction or consequence, the process should take no more than a couple of minutes to complete.


The 2–Minute Rule

If a student presents defiant, disrespectful, or non-compliant behavior in response to a correction or consequence, then the

chances of that particular supervisor being able to successfully get the student back on track in a reasonable time without using

threats or intimidation (never recommended) are probably slim to none.


Problem Occurs

Supervisor defines problem and gives the student a direction, a correction and/or a warning about a consequence

Student is compliant

Student is non-compliant

Supervisor acknowledges cooperation (thanks, praise,

reward)

Supervisor redirects and gives student choices for compliance and

time and space to comply

Supervisor refers student or problem to prearranged alternate support setting

Student is again non-compliant or escalates

Playground Reward System

1. Actively attend to behavior you want.

2. Pick your battles.

3. Be Consistent!

4. Use rewards that students want.

5. Increase reinforcement before difficult times.

6. Initiate re-teaching of expected behaviors if inappropriate behavior is increasing.


Team Based Implementation

The final feature of an effective systematic supervision program is the team-based element. Team-based interventions are considered

more stable over time and team-driven activities are more sustainable and consistent over time.


Team Functions

1. The team serves as the basis for behavioral data collection and analysis.

2. The team decides on, develops, and implements intervention plans and activities based on specific behavioral data.

3. The team disseminates information about behavior and interventions to the rest of the school community.


Five critical features of an effective supervisor team

1. Administrative buy-in and support.2. Regular weekly meetings.3. Intervention and behavior data collection and analysis.4. Inter-staff participation and communication.5. Part of a school-wide behavior support program.


systematic supervision (2)

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