Positive Behavior Support:
Behavior Change is a Family Affair
Kiki Mc Gough
Positive Behavior Support Coordinator
Colorado Department of Education
Acknowledgements
• PBS Leadership Team- Colorado
Department of Education
• PEAK Parent Center
• George Sugai and Ann Todd- The
OSEP Center on Positive Behavioral
Interventions and Supports at the
University of Oregon
Families Partnering with PBS
• Identify ways families and communities
can become involved with PBS at school
• Identify positive behavior support
strategies to use at home
• Develop predictable routines at home to
support positive behavior
• Practice acknowledgement of positive
behaviors
Highlights of our upcoming Level Two
PBS Parent Training
• Saturday from 9:00 – 1:00 with
breakfast/lunch provided
• Child care available on site
• “Make and Take” with Home Matrix and
Positive Action Sticks
• Students will be involved in similar activity
• Goodie Bag with pencils, Parenting Tips
magnet, extra “sticks” for new behaviors
and a gift card to local grocery
• AVAILABLE BY DISTRICT REQUEST FOR
PARTICIPATING PBS SCHOOLS
Colorado State PBS Leadership Team
• The mission of the State leadership team
is to lead, promote and facilitate the
successful implementation of school-wide
PBS for the benefit of all learners in
educational settings throughout Colorado.
• The team is a collaborative between two
units at CDE: Exceptional Student Services and
Prevention Initiatives as well as
representation from a school district and a
University.
Colorado Expansion
of School-wide Positive Behavior Support
300
Increased # of Colorado School Sites
270
# of schools
250
200
150
2002-03
2003-04
2004-05
2005-06
137
100
60
50
16
0
Current Colorado School Districts
implementing PBS
•Academy 20
•Adams 1—Mapleton
•Adams 12 Five Star
•Adams 14— Commerce City
•Adams 50—Westminster
•Akron
•Buffalo RE-4J
•Burlington RE-6J
•Cherry Creek 5
•Cheyenne Mountain 12
•Denver Public Schools
•Douglas County RE-1
•Fleming
•Fremont RE-3—Cotopaxi
•Hanover 28
•Harrison 2
•Ignacio 11Jt
•Jefferson County R-1
•Holyoke RE-1J
•Lake County
•Lonestar
•Mesa Valley 51
•Moffat County
•Otis R-3
•Pueblo 60
•Strasburg 31J
•Stratton R-4
•Thompson R2J
•Weld RE-6—Greeley
•Wray RD-2
•Yuma 1
Designing School-Wide Systems for Student Success
Academic Systems
Behavioral Systems
Intensive, Individual Interventions
•Individual Students
•Assessment-based
•High Intensity
1-5%
Targeted Group Interventions
•Some students (at-risk)
•High efficiency
•Rapid response
Universal Interventions
•All students
•Preventive, proactive
5-10%
80-90%
1-5%
Intensive, Individual Interventions
•Individual Students
•Assessment-based
•Intense, durable procedures
5-10%
Targeted Group Interventions
•Some students (at-risk)
•High efficiency
•Rapid response
80-90%
Universal Interventions
•All settings, all students
•Preventive, proactive
Eight Practices of School-wide Positive
Behavior Support
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Administrative Leadership
Team Implementation
Define Concrete Expectations
Teach Behavior Expectations
Acknowledge and Reward Positive
Behavior
6. Monitor and Correct Behavior
7. Use Data for Decision Making
8. Family and Community Collaboration
Partnering with Families for School-wide PBS
• Commitment to include family and
community members on PBS team
• Families included in all state
sponsored trainings
• Support awareness training (Level
One) at the district/building level
• Intensive training for PBS District
Coaches on family and community
involvement
• Highlight successes in newsletter
and “Extra…Extra”
PBS School Team Trainings
• Overview of family and community
engagement in PBS for ALL teams
• Team-based Action Planning
• Family and community engagement focus
and application in new team follow-up at
universal, targeted and individual support
levels
• Intensive support for the 39 PBS Coaches
• Collaboration with PEAK Parent Center,
CO Foundation for Families and Children
and Coordinated School Health Initiative
• Exemplar sessions at PBS Symposium
and all local education and mental health
conferences
What Will You See in a PBS School?
• Small # positively stated & behaviorally
exemplified expectations are taught &
encouraged.
• Positive adult-to-student interactions exceed
negative
• Data- & team-based action planning &
implementation are operating.
• Administrators are active participants in all
aspects of implementation
• >80% of students can tell you what is expected of
them & give behavioral example because they
have been taught, actively supervised, practiced,
& acknowledged.
What does PBS look like?
• Families and communities are actively involved
• Time for instruction is more effective & efficient
• Function based behavior support is foundation
for addressing problem behavior.
• Full continuum of behavior support is available to
all students
Wildflower Elementary
Stratmoor Hills Elementary
School PBS Rules
SELF-RESPONSIBILITY
TEAMWORK
ATTITUDE
RESPECT
SAFETY
Hallway
Cafeteria
Restrooms
Playgroun
d
responsibility
- Walk
- Hands to
self
- Feet on
floor
- Walk
- Wash
hands
- Food stays
in cafeteria
- Wash hands
- Flush after
using toilet
- Walk
- Get back to
class after
recess
Teamwork
- Walk on
right side
- Help others
- Help others
Attitude
- Follow
staff
directions
- Follow
staff
directions
Respect
- Walk on
right side
- Use quiet
voices
Safety
- Walk
slowly
- Stay on
Behavior
Expectations
Self-
Media
Center
Assemblies
Special
Events
Compute
r Room
- Walk
- Clean
up
after
self
- Sit quietly
- Hands to
self
- Sit
quietly
- Hands to
self
- Help
others
- Take turns
- Help
others
- Share
- Help others
- Help
others
- Follow
staff
directions
- Follow
staff
directions
- Follow
staff
- Follow
staff
directions
- Follow
staff
directions
- Use quiet
voice
- Clean up
after self
- Use quiet
voice
- Throw
garbage
away
- Share
- Ask nicely
- Use
quiet
voice
- Listen
- Sit still
- Be polite
- Use quiet
voice
- Enjoy your
food but
not your
- Walk
- Walk
- Use
equipment
- Walk
- Use red
sticks as
- Sit flat on
pockets
- Walk
- Stay
seated
directions
March has been designated as Self-responsibility month at Kemp. Let’s work
together to focus on how to best teach our students to be responsible for themselves
and their actions.
TIPS FOR TEACHERS and PARENTS:
Give students choices
☆When they feel powerless they lose respect and dignity
☆This loss of powerless may escalate a minor disruption into a
major loss of instruction time
Put the students in charge
☆By giving students the responsibility to adapt, monitor and
measure activities and behavior you will increase student
achievement and lower resistance to learning
Model and encourage self-responsibility
☆Avoid complaining, blaming and excusing
Explain to the students why certain limits or rules exist
You may not be responsible for the circumstances in which you find yourself,
but you are always responsible for your behavior in those circumstances!
• Cool Tips will go home to parents and families
in Thursday folders once a month.
• Office Referral Data is used to determine what
area to focus on each month.
• The BEST/PBS team comes up with a catch
phrase and prints it to be displayed throughout
the building and in each classroom.
• Cool Tips are available in English and Spanish.
SOAR Slips
•
•
•
•
Staff to Students
Students to Students
Students to Staff
Parents to Students
Safety, Opportunity, Achievement,
Respect
______________________________________________
Student’s full name and grade
(Place this slip with your name on it, in the SOAR box in the media center.)
Adult: Please circle the behavior demonstrated and write your name on the back .
SOAR Assembly—after Winter break
5:1 Positive Acknowledgements
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Student, teacher, parent Positive Tickets
Weekly, monthly drawings
Classroom acknowledgements
Announcements over PA
Phone calls/post cards home to parents
Write up in newsletter
Community donated prizes
Extra recess
First to lunch
Westgate Elementary
• Respect
• Responsibility
• Safety
RESPECT
• What does respect look like in the
lunchroom?
• How do we teach students to demonstrate
respect in the cafeteria?
• How we positively recognize students who
are demonstrating respect in the
classroom?
• How will we support students who are
having challenges with respectful
behavior at recess?
RESPONSIBILITY
• What does responsibility look like when
students are walking in the halls?
• How will we teach responsibility for
homework and student materials?
• What are the consequences and
interventions for students who are not
using responsible behavior?
• How are we engaging families in this
process?
SAFETY
• What does safety look like in an
assembly?
• How do we teach and reinforce
safety in a variety of school settings?
• How do we know if there are safety
concerns or issues for individual
students or students at a particular
grade level?
Parent Engagement in
School-wide PBS Schools
Systems Approach: Community Perspective
Student
School
Community
Family
What do Families Bring to the Table?

Knowledge of their child that no one else has

A serious interest in their child’s education

Interest and expertise as their child’s first teachers

Accountability as citizens for successful schools

Strengths and interests to contribute to the educational process
Sarason, 1995
NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND
• Stronger accountability for results
• Increased flexibility and local control
• Expanded options for parents
• An emphasis on teaching methods that
have been proven to work
NCLB
• Require schools to develop ways to get
parents more involved in their child’s
education and in improving schools.
• Requires that states and local school
districts provide information to help
parents make informed educational
choices for their child.
• http://www.ed.gov/nclb/
IDEA 2004
“The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement
Act of 2004 will help children learn better by promoting
accountability for results, enhancing parent involvement,
using proven practices and materials, providing more
flexibility, and reducing paperwork burdens for teachers,
states and local
school districts.”
President George W. Bush
Six Types of Parent Involvement
1 Parenting
2 Communicating
3
Volunteering
4 Learning at Home
5 School Decision Making and Advocacy
6 Collaborating with the Community
Real change can only come
as a result of the commitments
of both the minds and hearts
of the total school community teachers, parents, students,
administrators and school boards.
Sergiovanni, 1994
TYPE 1:PARENTING
Create “PBS at Home” classes for parents
Create behavior support classes for
parents and community members
Provide training in parents’ native
language
TYPE 2: COMMUNICATING
• Design effective forms of school-to-home
and home-to-school communications
about school programs and children’s
progress.
• Share results of PBS assessments and
surveys with parents
• Create and maintain a PBS bulletin board
• Create “PBS In Action” video
• Publish a PBS Newsletter
• Add a PBS page to school website
• Include PBS motto on school letterhead
TYPE 3: VOLUNTEERING
• Recruit and organize parent help and
support.
• Create a volunteer book that describes the
PBS program and behavior expectation for
parents
• Have parent available to read to students
as PBS Incentive or reward
• Have parents help children design PBS
posters
• Survey parents for “donations” to
reinforce staff
TYPE 4: LEARNING AT HOME
• Provide information and ideas to families to
families about how to help students at home with
homework and other curriculum-related activities,
decisions and planning.
• Have web topic and activities available each
week/month
• Purchase resources that parents can check-out
that support the PBS initiative
• Have children explain and give examples of how
PBS works with their family as “homework”
• Have PBS video available for checkout with
follow-up activities
TYPE 5: DECISION MAKING
• Include parents in school decisions, developing
parent leaders and representatives.
• Recruit multiple family members for PBS team
who are not employees or educators)
• Alternate meeting times: morning, afternoon and
evening
• Pair new parents with veteran parents
• Offer “short term’ participation on PBS team, with
option to renew
• Plan for care of children during meeting
• Involve parents in selection of incentives and
celebrations
TYPE 6: COLLABORATING WITH
COMMUNITY
• Identify and integrate resources and services from the
community to strengthen school programs, family
practices, and student learning and development
• Acknowledge employers’ donation of parent time in
newsletter, on web site
• Collaborate with local businesses and recreation centers to
promote positive behavior expectations
• Recognize community partners and parents at PBS
celebrations
• Create implementation video that shows PBS in action to
show at local library, town hall
Transition Activity: A Family Dinner
• Think about the rules and
expectations for a typical family at
home.
• How do these change when you have
company or visitors?
• What about when you go out to
dinner at a restaurant?
• How about during a picnic?
Meet My Children
• Use an index card for each of your
children.
• Identify 2 - 3 strengths for each child.
• List the strengths on the card.
• Share your cards as you meet the
people at your table.
• Post these cards on your fridge!
• Why do my children want my attention
every time the phone rings??
• It’s time to go. You are going to be late this
morning. Where are the shoes? What
permission slip?!
• What are the stressful times of your day
at home? How can I handle everyday
challenges in a more proactive and
consistent way?
I wish my child wouldn’t do that!!!
• Think of one or two behaviors that you
would like to work on at home.
• Record the behavior(s) on the left side of
the sheet “Behaviors That Make Life
Challenging”.
Please stop! Why are you behaving like
that?
• The telephone
• Getting out the door in the morning
• “NO” in the grocery store or at the
mall
• Driving down the highway
• Time to clean that room
• One more story….please!
• Can I stay out an extra hour?
The ABC’s of Behavior:
What would you do?
• 14 items in the grocery store
• A bad day at work and now….
• A new dog in the neighborhood
Behavior change is a family affair
• Do mom and dad respond the same
way?
• Grandma’s house
• Back and forth (and up and down!)
• Babysitter for the night out
• What are the school rules? How can
we provide a “match”?
Westgate Elementary
• Respect
• Responsibility
• Safety
RESPECT
• What does respect look like at the dinner
table?
• How do we positively recognize our
children who are demonstrating respect at
home?
• How will we help our children who are
having challenges with respectful
behavior at home?
RESPONSIBILITY
• What does responsibility look like when our
children are doing their chores?
• How will we teach responsibility for homework
and school materials?
• What are the consequences for our children who
are not using responsible behavior?
• How are working as a family in this process?
SAFETY
• What does safety look like in the
community?
• How do we teach and reinforce safety in a
variety of community settings?
• How do we know if there are safety
concerns or issues for our children and
their friends?
Competing Pathway Model
• Process to look at the
ABC’s of behavior
• Answers the question:
WHY the child is doing
this?
Competing Pathway Model
• What situations “set up” behavior: tired,
change in routine, visitation, babysitter?
• What situations: “set off” this behavior:
asking him to turn off the TV or computer,
time for bed, no friends over this weekend,
can’t have snacks and pop NOW?
• How does our behavior reinforce this
“series of unfortunate events”?
• What is the “payoff” for this behavior?
The ABC’s of Life’s Struggles at Home
• SETTING EVENT: Situations or
characteristics that “set up” the problem?
• ANTECEDENT: what happens before the
behavior to “set it off”?
• BEHAVIOR: what is the specific problem
behavior?
• CONSEQUENCE: our response/”the
payoff”?
A New Way to See Behavior
• Behavior has a “Communicative
Intent”
• Serves a useful purpose (function)
for the person of concern
The WHY’s of Behavior
Problem
Behavior
Pos Reinf
Escape/
Avoid
Something
Obtain/Get
Something
Stimulation/
Sensory
Tangible/
Activity
Social
Adult
Neg Reinf
Peer
Instead I wish my child……
Wants help with homework Whines Gets help/ Attention
Asks for Help
O’Neil et al. (1997)
Identify Replacement Behavior
Getting shoes on
Whines
Gets help/ Attention
Asks for Help
O’Neil et al. (1997)
Select Intervention Strategies
Wants help with homework
Whines
Gets help
Asks for
Help
Do homework in
Small chunks of
Time
Teach child
Ways to get help
From parent
-green/red cup
Set aside calm time -10 minute check
When you can help in with timer
A
B
Reinforce
Efforts to
Complete work
Reinforce
Use of cup or
timer
C
O’Neil et al. (1997)
Select Intervention Strategies
Get shoes on
Whines
Gets help
Asks for
Help
Provide positive
Encouraging
prompt
Teach child
Ways to get help
From parent
Set aside calm time Teach in simple
When you can help steps
A
B
Reinforce
Efforts to
Complete work
Reinforce
Calmly waiting
C
O’Neil et al. (1997)
Improving Decision-Making
From
To
Problem
Problem
Reaction
Problem
Solving
Solution
One Behavior at a Time
• Start with one behavior.
• Think about the Big 5:
WHAT is the specific behavior? WHO is involved?
WHEN does the behavior occur? WHERE does
the behavior take place? WHY did the behavior
occur?
• How are you responding that may
reinforce this behavior?
• What is the new behavior you want your
child to learn?
Map out the plan
•
•
•
•
The behavior I wish to change……
The behavior I wish to achieve….
The first steps to this behavior are…
I know it is working by……..
Remember….reinforce steps in the
right direction!
Competing Pathway Process
5. Instead I wish he:
4. Something that “sets up”
this behavior:
(physical, health, sleep,
routines)
2. Something that “sets off”
this behavior:
(happens right before)
1. I wish my child didn’t:
7. A first step might be:
6. And then he would get:
3. I think he’s doing it because
He wants/needs:
Setting Events
Look and Listen for …
• Broader issues that may be influencing behavior:
• Daily activity schedule
• Predictability of routines
• Variety of activities or materials
• Social relationships
• Preferences of the student
• Medical and physical issues (nutrition, illness,
medications, sleep patterns)
• Challenging family situations
• Mental health diagnosis
Antecedents or Triggers
Look and Listen For…
• Under what circumstances is the behavior
most/least likely
•
•
•
•
•
Changes in the environment
Time of day/activities
Clarity of expectations of activity/task
Reinforcement of expected behavior
Nature of interactions (tone, proximity,
contact)
• Amount & type of attention (peer, group, adult)
• Child’s ability matched to the activity
Maintaining Consequences
Look and Listen For…
• WHAT DO THEY GET or AVOID?
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Social reaction/attention
Change in activity/routine
Increases assistance from adults or peers
Access to materials, activities, food/drink
Sensory stimulation or reduction
Change in the physical environment
Allowed space or movement
Delays activity/event
Avoids negative attention,
Is there a routine that is defined?
• Is there a clear beginning?
• Is there a clear sequence to complete
the routine?
• Does the child understand the
transition to the next routine or
activity?
Routine Analysis
Schedule
(Times)
Activity
Likelihood of Problem
Behavior
7:00 am
Getting ready for school
1
2
3
4
5
6
7:45 am
Get in car
1
2
3
4
5
6
8:30 am
Enter school
1
2
3
4
5
6
3:00 pm
Get in car
1
2
3
4
5
6
3:45 pm
Free time and snack
1
2
3
4
5
6
4:30 pm
Homework and chores
1
2
3
4
5
6
5:30 pm
TV time
1
2
3
4
5
6
6:30 pm
Dinner time
1
2
3
4
5
6
Bath and bedtime
1
2
3
4
5
6
7:15 pm
Anne Todd, 2006
Specific Problem Behavior
Remember…
• Positive Behavior Support is the
redesign of environments, not the
redesign of individuals
• Positive Behavior Support asks us to
change our behavior to help our
child change theirs.
PBS Tips for Positive Behavior
• 1. Remember 5:1 with positives.
• 2. Set the stage for success..reward
the
effort.
• 3. Give clear, specific directions.
• 4. Stay calm. Use a calm voice.
• 5. Set reasonable limits.
PBS Tips for Positive Behavior
• 6. Be consistent. YES means YES and
NO means NO.
• 7. Set the example. Actions speak
louder than words.
• 8. Proactively anticipate the situation.
• 9. Have patience. A little goes a long way!!
• 10. Have fun and enjoy the ride!
PBS Home Matrix
Getting to
school
Cleanup time
H
Make Your
bed
Clothes in
hamper
Have your
back pack,
lunch,
notes, keys
Do your
chores
Clean up
after
yourself
Play quietly
Put your
things in
your
backpack
when
finished
Set the
table
Put dishes
away
Brush your
teeth
Dirty
clothes
away
O
Get up on
time
Get cleaned
up and
dressed on
time
Be ready to
leave on
time
Clean up
after
yourself
Ask before
you borrow
Ask to
change
stations
Complete
your
homework on
time
Do your
best!
Use kind
words and
“I
statements”
Recognize
mistakes
and
apologize
Get to bed
on time!
M
Try a
morning
SMILE!
Thank your
parents for
helping.
“Thanks for
the ride”
“Have a
nice day”
Ask
politely
for help
Respect
others
things
Offer to
share
Ask for help
respectfully
“Thanks for
the help”
Please and
thank you
Use your
napkin
End the
day with
nice words
and
thoughts
Getting
up in the
morning
HELP
OUT
OWN YOUR
BEHAVIOR
MANNERS
COUNT
E
V
E
R
Time to
relax
Y
Homework
time
D
Mealtime
A
Getting
ready for
bed
Y
“STICK WITH THE PLAN”
• Look at your Home Matrix and your
list of behaviors you want to address
• Identify 5 – 10 POSITIVELY stated
behaviors
• Write each one on a stick in a bright
color and decorate
• These will be your daily reminders
for positive behavior change
Colorado School-wide
Positive Behavior Support
• Kiki McGough, PBS Coordinator
• 303-866-6768
• mcgough_k@cde.state.co.us
• Shirley Swope
• 719-531-9400
• sswope@peakparent.org
ositive
ehavior
upport