Positive Peer Reporting & Tootling to
Promote Generalization &
Maintenance of Social-Behavioral Skills
Patti Pazdera - School Counselor
Nicki Poindexter - Classroom Teacher
Community Elementary School
Barbara Mitchell
MO SWPBS
MO SW-PBS
Attention Signal & Introductions
• I say, “Sweet Caroline”
• You say…
• Eyes on the speaker, voices quite, minds ready
for the next thing
MO SW-PBS
Session Objectives
• Describe 2 intervention strategies that can be
used to
– alter the social status of students with social,
emotional, and/or behavioral challenges
– enhance quality and quantity of positive social
interactions within your classroom
• Positive Peer Reporting (PPR)
• Tootling
MO SW-PBS
Activity & Discussion
• Think of a student you know with one or more
of the following characteristics
– Is not well-liked by other children
– Has few or no friends
– Is frequently reported on for problem behaviors
• With someone near you describe the student
you identified
MO SW-PBS
Risk & Protective Factors
• “In school students’ relationships with their
peers and teachers and the social climate in
the classroom have a powerful effect on their
development of mental, emotional, and
behavioral problems as well as their
development of age appropriate
competencies”
(NRC & IOM, 2009, p.108)
MO SW-PBS
PPR & Tootling
If students can learn to report problem
behaviors of their peers, they can also be taught
to monitor and report instances of prosocial or
appropriate behaviors from peers.
• What’s the potential value in teaching children
to recognize desired behavior?
MO SW-PBS
Three Levels of Implementation
A Continuum of Support for All
Academic Systems
Behavioral Systems
Tier Three
Tier Three
• Individual Students
• Assessment-based
• High Intensity
• Individual Students
• Assessment-based
• Intense, durable procedures
Tier Two
• Some students (at-risk)
• High efficiency
• Rapid response
Tier Two
• Some students (at-risk)
• High efficiency
• Rapid response
Tier One
Tier One
• All students
• Preventive, proactive
• All settings, all students
• Preventive, proactive
MO SW-PBS
Social Competence &
Academic Achievement
OUTCOMES
Supporting
Decision
Making
Supporting
Staff Behavior
PRACTICES
Supporting
Student Behavior
SW Positive
Behavior
Support
Positive Peer Reporting (PPR)
• Description:
– Simple procedure that promotes positive peer
interactions.
– Also improves peer perceptions of students who
tend to be socially rejected or neglected.
– Encourages all children to focus on and report
prosocial behaviors of their peers.
MO SW-PBS
Positive Peer Reporting (PPR)
• Instead of reporting inappropriate instances of
problem behavior children are told they will
have the opportunity to earn reinforcement
(e.g., tokens) for noticing and reporting a
peer’s positive behavior.
MO SW-PBS
Positive Peer Reporting (PPR)
• Procedures
– A target student is randomly selected as “Star of
the Week”
– During a specified time of day a group meeting is
held where children are given an opportunity to
report aloud any positive behaviors they observed
from the star student that day.
– Each child that reports a positive behavior earns a
reinforcer (e.g., school-wide token).
MO SW-PBS
Positive Peer Reporting (PPR)
• Implementation Considerations
– Teach students about the strategy prior to
implementing.
– Identify procedures for selecting target student
each week.
– Determine what “reinforcers” will be provided.
– Establish a time for the PPR meeting.
MO SW-PBS
Activity & Discussion
• Think about …
– Ideas you have for implementing Positive Peer
Reporting in your setting.
• Pair up with someone near you.
• Share your ideas.
Listen for the Attention Signal!
MO SW-PBS
Tootling
• During Positive Peer Reporting (PPR) students
focus their attention on the positive behaviors
of one selected student.
• In contrast, Tootling provides an opportunity
for the entire class to report on positive
behaviors of any student in the group.
MO SW-PBS
Tootling
• Description
– Tootling is like tattling in that students report the
behavior of another child.
– However, tootles can only report instances of
desired/appropriate behavior (e.g., school-wide
matrix expectations).
MO SW-PBS
Tootling
• Procedures
– Teacher introduces and defines tootling.
– Provides instruction for how to tootle & sets a tootling
goal.
– Students record “tootles” using an index card that is taped
to their desk.
– At the end of the day the cards are turned in to the
teacher.
– The next day the teacher reports out on the number of
tootles recorded.
MO SW-PBS
Activity & Discussion
• Think about …
– Ideas you have for implementing Tootling in your
setting.
• Pair up with someone near you.
• Share your ideas.
Listen for the Attention Signal!
MO SW-PBS
Three Levels of Implementation
A Continuum of Support for All
Academic Systems
Behavioral Systems
Tier Three
Tier Three
• Individual Students
• Assessment-based
• High Intensity
• Individual Students
• Assessment-based
• Intense, durable procedures
Tier Two
• Some students (at-risk)
• High efficiency
• Rapid response
Tier Two
• Some students (at-risk)
• High efficiency
• Rapid response
Tier One
Tier One
• All students
• Preventive, proactive
• All settings, all students
• Preventive, proactive
MO SW-PBS
Implementation Example
• Community R-VI Elementary
– Implementing SW-PBS for 6+ years
– Started Tier 2 in 2012-2013
– Piloted a Tier 2 Social Skills Intervention to assess
contextual fit
– Selected replacement skills from the Social Skills
Improvement System (SSIS) Manual
MO SW-PBS
Implementation Example
• Social Skills Group Logistics
– Selected time/location to meet
• 2 times per week, 30-35 minutes each
– School Counselor provided instruction
– Classroom Teacher prompted use of skills outside
the intervention group meetings
MO SW-PBS
Implementation Example
• Group Procedures
– One skill per week
• Used Daily Progress Report (DPR) for
monitoring student progress
– Skills to be taught were listed
– Student given feedback at the end of each day
– Data collected and graphed
MO SW-PBS
Implementation Example
• After the Social Skills Intervention
– Implemented Tootling as a way to promote
continued use of social skills
– All students in the class were taught to look for
demonstrations of skills that were taught during
the intervention group
– Students were instructed to record examples and
submit them
– Classwide goals set for number of tootles
MO SW-PBS
Session Objectives
• Describe 2 intervention strategies that can be
used to
– alter the social status of students with social,
emotional, and/or behavioral challenges
– enhance quality and quantity of positive social
interactions within your classroom
• Positive Peer Reporting (PPR)
• Tootling
MO SW-PBS
MO SW-PBS
More Information
• Reference
– Skinner, C. H., Neddenriep, C. E., Robinson, S. I., Ervin, R., &
Jones, K. (2002). Altering educational environments
through positive peer reporting: Prevention and
remediation of social problems associated with behavior
disorders. Psychology in the Schools, 39(2), 191-202.
• Contact Information
– poindexter@cr6.net
– Your regional Tier 2/3 Consultant
MO SW-PBS