School wide positive behavior support

For the past 28 old ages, LAKE Academy ( once known as LifeStream Academy ) has served kids and striplings with emotional upsets and behavioural challenges as referred by the School Board of Lake County ( LCSB ) . LAKE Academy is housed at two sites within Lake County and serves a sum of 110 Emotional/Behavioral Disabled and Emotionally Handicapped ( EBD/EH ) pupils, 45 Alternate Education ( AE ) pupils, and 80 Alternate Disciplinary Program ( ADP ) pupils. LAKE Academy was formed as a charter between LifeStream Behavioral Center, a Mental Health Hospital and Lake County School Board.

LAKE Academy is under contract to keep a teacher/student ratio of 1:11 in the Emotional/Behavioral Disabled and Emotionally Handicapped ( EBD/EH ) plan ; a teacher/student ratio of 1:15 will be maintained in the Alternate Education plan. The instructor to student ratio in the Alternative Disciplinary Program schoolroom will average one instructor to twenty pupils. Recently, the Lake County School Board charter contract with Lake Academy added the No Child Left Behind Act enfranchisement demand. All instructors are required to demo annually advancement towards capable country and/or Exceptional Education Certification. However, LifeStream Behavioral Center, the employer, pays on the norm of 10 dollars less per hr with no planning period or responsibility free tiffin. In add-on, this school requires frequent and sometimes drawn-out restraint of pupils which frequently risks hurt to staff.

Purpose of Study

Traditionally, schools have used reactive, punitory schemes in an effort to discourage pupils from unwanted behaviours. These effect based behavior systems have been proven uneffective. The Families and Advocates Partnership for Education provinces that “ harmonizing to over 500 research surveies, penalty is one of the least effectual responses to job behaviours. School-wide policies that punish pupils for negative behaviours but that do n’t honor positive behaviours really increased aggression, hooliganism, hooky, tardiness, and dropping out of school ” ( FAPE Research Brief, p. 1 ) .

We need to believe more about our pupils and learn them how to act and larn, within a system that is positive and collaborative. “ What is needed is a systemic, proactive attack that seeks to forestall disputing behaviours from developing while comprehensively turn toing the demands of all kids on the continuum of hazard for disputing behaviours ” ( Dunlap, Lewis, & A ; McCart, p. 1 ) .

Over the last 10 old ages, research workers have been looking at the effects of positive behaviour intercessions. These constructs were foremost used in particular instruction scenes. “ PBS was developed ab initio as an option to aversive intercessions that were used with pupils with terrible disablements who engaged in utmost signifiers of self-injury and aggression ” ( OSEP, ND, p. 1 ) . More late, this attack has been successful in regular instruction scenes every bit good. Researchers George Sugai and Rob Horner from Oregon, funded by the U. S. Office of Special Education Programs ( OSEP ) have formed a collaborative including universities and educational bureaus with the end to “ help provinces in large-scale execution of School-wide Positive Behavior Support to accomplish both decrease in job behaviour and enhanced larning environment ” ( OSEP Brochure, p. 1 ) .

One survey, by Bradshaw, Leaf and Debnam ( 2007 ) paperss a randomised control test conducted in Maryland in which execution of school-wide positive behaviour support ( SWPBS ) was demonstrated to happen with fidelity, and to be linked to improved organisational wellness, improved academic results, and decreases in office subject referrals. ( Horner & A ; Sugai, 2007, p. 8 )

A reappraisal of the incident information for both campuses last twelvemonth showed that the Leesburg campus had 299 incidents that were caused by 70 pupils.

Sixteen pupils had 5 or more incidents for a sum of 203 or 68 % .

55 % of all incidents were Acting Out ( 51 % AO & A ; 4 % AO, with hurt )

31 % of all incidents were assaults.

The Eustis campus saw 120 incidents that were caused by 47 pupils.

9 pupils had 5 or more incidents for a sum of 64 or 53 %

56 % of all incidents were Acting Out ( 44 % AO & A ; 12 % AO, with hurt )

21 % of all incidents were assaults.

Lake Academy keeps making the same thing and expects different consequences. The school must switch from a reactive and aversive attack to pull offing job behaviours to one that is preventative and positive.

Lake County Schools introduced Positive Behavior Support in several schools last twelvemonth. One school saw a about 50 % decrease in subject referrals. The Academy already has A? of the PBS work done with the Leveled Behavior Modification Program.

Literature Review

Definitions/ Background of PBS

School-wide positive behaviour support ( SWPBS ) can be defined as “ a systems attack for set uping the societal civilization and behavioural supports needed for a school to be an effectual acquisition environment for all pupils ” ( Sugai, 2008, presentation slide 9 ) . SWPBS is a more proactive option to reactive, punitory behaviour direction processs. Administrators, instructors, and staff work collaboratively to better the school clime by learning behavioural outlooks and societal accomplishments for all scenes within the larning community. Positive support is used to admit pupils who are exhibiting the expected behaviours. For pupils who are non reacting to the given outlooks, there is a continuum of intercessions designed to suit the demands of the person.

Cardinal Elementss of PBS

The chief elements of the PBS theoretical account include “ a prevention-focused continuum of support, proactive instructional attacks to learning and bettering societal behaviours, conceptually sound and through empirical observation validated patterns, systems change to back up effectual patterns, and experimental determination devising ” ( Sugai & A ; Horner, 2002, p. 2 ) .

Prevention.

There are three degrees of bar used in SWPBS. “ Primary bar focal points on diminishing the figure of new instances of a job behaviour or state of affairss by guaranting and keeping the usage of the most effectual patterns for all pupils ” ( p. 2 ) . This degree of bar is used with all pupils, school-wide in all scenes. Students are taught the behavioural outlooks and societal accomplishments for usage in all countries of the school. Positive support is used by instructors and staff to admit those pupils who are acting harmonizing to these outlooks.

The end of secondary bar is to cut down the figure of bing job behaviour instances or state of affairss by supplying extra instructional and behavioural supports for the comparatively smaller figure of pupils who are at hazard of important school failure and who need more specialised supports than those provided by primary bar attempts. ( Sugai & A ; Horner, 2002, p. 2 )

In these instances, intercessions are used to back up these persons in following the behavioural outlooks established in the school.

The concluding type of bar, “ third bar focal points on cut downing the figure of bing instances of complex, intractable, and long-standing job behaviours displayed by pupils who are at high hazard for important emotional, behavioural and societal failure ” ( Sugai & A ; Horner, 2002, p. 2 ) These pupils require more individualised and intensive intercessions, including the usage of functional behavioural analysis and other informations aggregation to find the best manner to back up them.

Proactive Approach.

The 2nd cardinal component of PBS is that the attack taken by the instructors and staff is proactive instead than reactive. At the beginning of the twelvemonth or at the start of a new activity, behaviour guidelines are taught explicitly and reinforced so that all pupils know what is expected of them.

This attack is characterized by a careful consideration of instructional patterns, constructions and procedures for ( a ) maximising academic results ; ( B ) selecting and learning school-wide and classroom-wide outlooks, regulations and modus operandis ; and ( degree Celsius ) practicing and promoting the usage of academic accomplishments and behavioural outlooks across multiple relevant scenes and contexts ( Sugai & A ; Horner, 2002, pp. 2-3 ) .

Students are taught societal accomplishments and given schemes for covering with other pupils, such as struggle declaration and how to react to being harassed or bullied. It is besides made clear to pupils when they should seek aid from an grownup in a given state of affairs.

Sound Practices.

Many of the constituents of PBS come from the pattern of Applied Behavior

Analysis ( ABA ) , which has been “ refined, tested, and replicated to organize an of import disciplinary attack for turn toing socially of import concerns in instruction, particularly bettering behavioural results for single pupils ” ( Sugai & A ; Horner, 2002, p. 3 ) .

PBS focuses on two specific methods used in ABA: functional behavioural appraisal and behaviour intercession programs. Functional behavioural appraisals are used to roll up informations about the variables associated with job behaviours, such as “ scene, ancestor, and effects. ” This information is used to make behavior intercession programs, which “ focal point on the strengths and of import societal contexts of the pupil and household and do job behaviour ineffective, inefficient, and irrelevant so that more desirable or adaptable behaviours can be encouraged ” ( Sugai & A ; Horner, 2002, p. 3 ) .

Systems Perspective.

A big portion of the PBS attack is the fact that it is used school-wide. Having the systems set up throughout the school scenes is important to the successful execution of these patterns. This involves ongoing preparation and coaching of instructors and staff to guarantee that there is consistence throughout the school. “ Systems supports must be in topographic point to back up the accurate, efficient, and sustained usage of evidence-based patterns and informations direction systems ” ( Sugai & A ; Horner, 2002, p. 4 ) .

Stairss for Implementation.

The execution of PBS in a school involves several stairss. First, the leading squad is established. “ With input from all staff, squads determine which features they will aim foremost, how advancement will be monitored, and what the behavioural outlooks will be, when and how to learn the behavior outlooks, and the type of informations that will be used to inform determinations ” ( Dunlap, Lewis, & A ; McCart, p. 2 ) .

Next, the squad defines the behavioural outlooks for the pupils. For school-aged kids, there are normally about five guidelines used throughout the school. These are posted throughout the assorted educational scenes, utilizing linguistic communication pupils can easy understand and associate to or utilizing images or icons. ( Dunlap, Lewis, & A ; McCart, p. 2 )

Once the school-wide behaviour outlooks have been determined, they must be taught to the pupils. “ Expectations can be taught with a scope of schemes that include mold, pattern, function playing, and feedback in context, and a assortment of stuffs can be used to assist the instruction procedure ( e.g. books, games, marionettes, societal narratives ) ” ( Dunlap, Lewis, & A ; McCart, p. 2 ) . Children are taught societal accomplishments every bit good as schemes for struggle declaration. There is besides treatment about appropriate behaviours for different scenes within the acquisition community, such as the schoolroom, the hallways, the tiffin room, and the resort area. It is of import that the instruction of these outlooks is clear and consistent and that the pupils are cognizant of the effects for non following with the guidelines.

After pupils have been taught the behavior outlooks, the following measure is to utilize changeless positive support to admit those pupils who exhibit the coveted behaviours. Giving the kids this feedback lets them cognize when they are on the right path and besides shows other pupils that they will be noticed if they make the right picks. “ Acknowledgement of coveted behaviours is such a critical characteristic of PBS that frequently the leading squad needs to set up particular monitoring schemes to assist motivate staff to ‘catch the kids being good ‘ with a high adequate frequence ” ( Dunlap, Lewis, & A ; McCart, p. 3 ) .

Data is used to assist the PBS squad to work out jobs and do determinations sing the actions taken to implement the plan successfully throughout the school. The squad meets to make up one’s mind what types of information they will roll up to supervise the effectivity of the systems at different degrees: school-wide, within each schoolroom, and with single pupils.

One normally used step to measure the school-wide plan is to look at the figure of office subject referrals ( ODRs ) . Many schools besides use behavior incident signifiers which “ papers happenings of targeted disputing behaviours, and note the type of job behaviour, the scene in which it occurred, the type of activity and any other possible triggers to the behaviour, the people involved in the activity and the effects ( if any ) that were provided following the behavioural incident ” ( Dunlap, Lewis, & A ; McCart, p. 3 ) . This information is collected and analyzed on a regular basis by members of the squad in their determination devising.

Students who do non react to the behavioural outlooks set Forth are provided with extra intercessions, as decided by the PBS squad. “ Data from behavior incident signifiers can assist squads find which kids and schoolrooms need support and what supports are appropriate ” ( Dunlap, Lewis & A ; McCart, p. 3 ) .

Effectiveness of PBS.

A survey of PBS in urban high schools analyzing PBS and its effectivity at the secondary degree was conducted over the class of 4 old ages.

Overall, school-wide PBS has been associated with decreases in ODRs at this school. Although the deficiency of experimental control in the survey prohibits the ability to presume causality, during the months and old ages where school-wide PBS intercessions were implemented, ODRs declinedaˆ¦ Besides, comparing baseline informations to the first twelvemonth of execution revealed that a significantly smaller figure of pupils received multiple ODRs during the execution twelvemonth in comparing with the baseline twelvemonth. ( Morrissay, 2010, pp. 30-31 )

Many other surveies have shown similar consequences, including decreases in behavior incidents, office subject referrals ( ODRs ) and suspension rates. “ Recent research indicates that school-wide positive behaviour is associated with reduced exclusionary, reactive and punitory subject patterns, increased pupil satisfaction, and improved perceptual experiences of school safety ” ( Putnam, Horner, & A ; Algazzine, 2006, p. 1 ) . Teachers report holding more clip for direction in the schoolroom because there are less behavioural distractions. There are more positive interactions between pupils and staff, which create a better environment for everyone.

Legislation.

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act ( IDEA ) was originally passed as our state ‘s particular instruction jurisprudence in 1975. Its intent is to guarantee that pupils with disablements have an equal opportunity to hold “ a free appropriate public instruction, merely like other kids ” ( hypertext transfer protocol: //www.nichcy.org/idea.htm para 2 ) . The act has been revised and amended many times, and was most late reauthorized by Congress in 2004, with consequences published in 2006. The new act, IDEIA ( Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act ) , states that “ school decision makers continue to hold legislative support for their usage of functional behavioural appraisal and positive behavioural intercessions and schemes for back uping kids with disablements who exhibit job behaviours ” ( IDEIA, 2004, p. 2 ) . The IDEIA provides more flexibleness in support, leting schools to utilize a per centum of their financess toward implementing PBS. It is besides proposed that these intercessions be used school-wide, to make an inclusive acquisition community for all pupils.

Congress is presently fixing to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary

Education Act, known as “ No Child Left Behind. ” It appears that “ policymakers have begun to admit that there are many non-academic factors that affect pupils ‘ school success ” ( Mandlawitz, 2007, p. 1 ) . In her recent publication, Myrna Mandlawitz describes two measures that have been introduced, the Reducing Barriers to Learning Act of 2007 and the Positive Behavior for Effective Schools Act. Both of these involve the usage of school-wide positive behaviour support.

On May 21, 2009, theA Positive Behavior for Safe and Effective Schools ActA ( HR 2597 ) was introduced by Representative Phil Hare ( D-IL ) .A If signed into jurisprudence, HR 2597 will better school clime and promote pupils ‘ academic success by promoting the usage of schoolwide positive behavioural supports ( PBIS ) . Research has documented that PBIS leads to better instructional clip, reduced disciplinary jobs and increased trial tonss. Harmonizing toA Rep. Hare, HR 2597 “ provides schools with the flexibleness and proficient aid needed to implement, spread out, and prolong the usage of the Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports system. ” The end of this measure is to see more execution of positive behaviour supports “ in order to consistently make a school clime that is extremely contributing to larning, cut down subject referrals, and better academic result. They besides propose more flexibleness in the usage of Title I financess for School-wide Positive Behavior Supports to do it more accessible to all schools.

SWPBS and Academics.

“ Several surveies have found relationships between academic public presentation and job behaviour across class degrees ” ( Putnam, Horner & A ; Algazzine, 2006, p. 1 ) . “ Other research has demonstrated that pupils with terrible job behaviour experienced big academic shortages as compared to typical equals. In most countries these shortages remained stable over clip ” ( p. 2 ) .

In many instances, behavior jobs arise because a pupil is seeking to avoid an academic undertaking. If a kid is weak in a certain country or is fighting with a undertaking, he or she may move out as an flight. For illustration, if a “ pupil ‘s literacy accomplishments do non maintain gait with those of equals, academic undertakings become more aversive, and job behaviours that lead to get away from these undertakings become more likely ” ( Putnam, Horner & A ; Algazzine, 2006, p. 1 ) . It is of import as instructors that we learn what is reenforcing our pupils for their behaviours and expression at what the map of the behaviour is.

Research workers have late begun to analyze the relationship between SWPBS and academic accomplishment. With less clip and energy traveling to pull offing job behaviours, instructors have more clip available for direction in the schoolroom. “ Research has systematically shown that the sum of clip that direction is provided is extremely correlated with pupil accomplishment ” ( Putnam, Horner, & A ; Algazzine, 2006, p. 2 ) .

Some surveies have besides shown increased clip on undertaking and academic battle in schools and schoolrooms utilizing PBS. “ Student academic battle has been found to be correlated with improved academic achievementaˆ¦In a survey of six schoolrooms that implemented behavior support programs, on-task behaviour increased by 24 % over baseline degrees ” ( Putnam, Horner, & A ; Algazzine, 2006, p. 2 ) .

Research is besides get downing to demo that execution of SWPBS is associated with improved trial tonss. “ There is increasing grounds that school-wide positive behaviour support intercessions improve standardized trial consequences ” ( p. 3 ) .

Methodology

The Academy already has a leading squad in topographic point and a Behavior Modification plan. This undertaking will concentrate in the positive facet. The leading squad defined the cosmopolitan behavioural outlooks as Respect, Responsibility, and Safety. The undermentioned chart shows what each of these behaviours ‘ expression like:

Respect

Duty

Safety

Use appropriate and positive linguistic communication

Follow staff waies

Keep custodies, pess, and objects to yourself

Listen when others are talking

Care for your properties and clean up after yourself

Walk at a safe gait

Raise your manus and speak when it is your bend

Give your best attempt

Enter and issue in orderly lines

Respect others, staff, and belongings

Be prepared

The leading squad so developed a usher to how the plan will work. The bell will peal indiscriminately throughout the twenty-four hours. Techs will give PBS points for pupils that are exhibiting the Expected Universal Behaviors when the bell rings ( Respect, Responsibility, and Safety ) . An excess column has been added to Daily Point Log for this trailing. Points can be turned in at the terminal of the hebdomad for school shop points. The minute the bell ringsaˆ¦ the really 2nd the bell ringsaˆ¦ is when the PBS point is earned. It does non count what behavior the pupil displayed two seconds ago, two proceedingss ago, or two hours ago. It does non count if the kid has non “ made his twenty-four hours. ” All that affairs is if he was exposing cosmopolitan behavior outlooks at the minute the bell rang. If he was, he earns the PBS point.

The squad so established the regulations for the school shop. School shop will be on Friday from 1:30pm-2:30pm. Students must be escorted and supervised by their schoolroom staff. Appropriate behaviour must be demonstrated at the school shop. Students will be asked to go forth if their behaviour is unacceptable. Rules of school shop will be posted at the shop site and a transcript will be given to each schoolroom for staff to reexamine with pupils. Students must be gaining 80 points, must be dress codification compliant, and have no major moving out behaviours to go to shop. School shop will be announced on the talker and a agenda will be implemented of schoolroom times. Merely appointive staff will be allowed to run and hold entree to school shop and shall keep shop stock list. It is the duty of the schoolroom staff to track pupil ‘s points in order for them to purchase points from shop. Any staff/student that is suspected of larceny, pull stringsing points, non tracking pupil ‘s points, non leting pupils to use shop will be reported instantly to an Administrator and have a effect for their actions. There will be a suggestion box for any petitions for stock list, alterations that may be needed, or comments/concerns at the shop that will be reviewed by the PBS squad. PBS squad will supervise point/inventory relation and do necessary accommodations.

The incident informations each month will be compared to the information from last twelvemonth and disaggregated by types of incident. This comparing informations will be used to measure the effectivity of the plan and to find the mark country for the 2nd grade. It is projected that the figure of incidents per month will diminish by 50 % like that of other schools in the county.