NJ
PBSIS
Helping Schools Build Systems of Support
Using a Redirection Protocol
NJ PBSIS is a collaboration between the New Jersey Department
of Education, Office of Special Education Programs and The
Boggs Center, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. NJ
PBSIS is funded through the I.D.E.A. 2004, Part B Funds.
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
NJ
PBSIS
Helping Schools Build Systems of Support
• The purpose of the NJ PBSIS initiative is to build
capacity among school personnel to create proactive
and positive school systems that
a) increase available instructional time;
b) encourage and support pro-social student behavior;
c) use a continuum of function-based problem solving to
address behavior and conduct issues; and
d) create environments conducive to including students with
disabilities and behavior support needs.
2
NJ
PBSIS
Helping Schools Build Systems of Support
• PBSIS is a collaboration between the New Jersey Department
of Education, Office of Special Education Programs and the
Boggs Center at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical
School.
State Training Team:
•
•
•
Sharon Lohrmann, Ph.D •
Bill Davis, M.Ed
•
Scott McMahon, MSW
•
NJ DOE – OSEP Coordinator:
• Perkie Cannon, M.Ed
3
Kate Handville, Ed.S
Paula Raigoza, M.Ed
Blair Rosenthal, Ph.D
Topics for Today’s Session
• Year 2 planning and implementation priorities
• Data–based decision making using OCR data
• Office Conduct Referral Systems
4
How Much time do We Lose?
Taken from the Maryland PBIS Initiative
Student Instructional Time:
• Number of referrals you have
• Multiplied by the average number of minutes a student
is out of class for the referral
• = Instructional Time Missed
Administrator Time
• Number of referrals you have
• Multiplied by the average number of minutes it takes
an administrator to process a referral
• = Administrator Time Lost
Quickie Calculation
Taken from the Maryland PBIS Initiative
Instruction Time Example
• If your school has 2912 office conduct
referrals and on average students are out of
class for 40 minutes you are loosing 116,480
minutes of instructional time 1,941 hours,
323 days
Administrator Time Example
• 2912 x 15 minutes of AT = 43,725 minutes 728
hours, 121 days
Momentary Solution
• Sending kids to the office solves the problem ‘in
the moment’ but it’s not a long term solution
• There will be thousands of other
moments…….we need to use practices and
interventions that play out over the long term
The Fundamental Principle
•
To have the broadest positive impact, Interventions
need to focus on:
– Improving the quality of interpersonal relationships
among students and staff
– Improving the clarity and consistency of what we
expect of students
– Using our greatest gift – teaching to help students
engage in pro-social behavior
NJ
PBSIS
Helping Schools Build Systems of Support
Redirection Protocol
9
Prevention is the Best Approach
• Build environments based on respect and
relationships
• Expectations and routines minimize minor infractions
• Anticipate and plan for common problems students
have
• Attend to emerging issues and signs that signal a
possible problem
• Use a consistent redirection protocol school-wide
10
Scan for signals that the
student is having difficulty
• Attend to facial, body language, tone of voice,
compliance signals that indicate a potential problem is
emerging
• Common behaviors indicate a student is having a
problem include:
–
–
–
–
–
Head down
Mumbling
Over excited
Not following directions
Depressed or agitated affect
Discussion: How to Handle When
A Student is Having a Problem
• People need different things when they are
having a bad day.
• Let’s consider the range of ‘needs’ here today
• Use the checklist on the next slide to answer
this question:
– When I am upset it helps me when people…
– How do we apply this principle to responding when
students are having a difficult time?
Discussion: How to Handle When
A Student is Having a Problem
• Given that there is a
range of possible
responses we can use
when we sense
someone is upset:
– Which of these work
best for you?
– Which of these make
you even more
agitated?
• ___ Back off
• ___ Give me space
• ___ Ignore that something
is wrong
• ___ Ask me what’s wrong
• ___ Offer help
• ___ Offer comfort
• ___ Empathize
• ___ Cheer me on
• ___ Give me a suggestion
Graduated Responses
to Conduct Infractions
Seriousness of Infractions
Redirectable Behaviors
Minor behaviors that respond to in-routine
redirections
Interfering Behaviors
Repeating behaviors that take attention away
from the running of the routine or instruction
Type of
Response
Redirections
‘Managed on the Spot’
Redirection
Remediation
Disruptive & Dangerous Behaviors
Remediation
Behaviors that prevent routines or instruction Referral to Office
from continuing or place the student or others
14
at risk
Redirectable Behaviors
• Behaviors handled by the adult in the area
• Personal tolerance for redirectable behaviors should
be guided by an operational definition of the code of
conduct and your school-wide expectations to reduce
variations across staff
• Emphasis is on re-engaging the student in the routine
using effective redirection strategies to reduce an
escalation
15
Interfering Behaviors
• Behavior persists and requires repeated
redirections – early stages of taking attention
away from instruction
• Strategies will include what to do in the
moment (e.g., redirection, environmental
modification) to reframe the situation and what
to do as follow up (e.g., call home, targeted
intervention strategies) to produce long term
16
behavior change
Disruptive – Dangerous Behaviors
• The behavior takes attention away from
instruction or places people at risk
• Strategies will include what to do in the
moment (e.g., referral to the office) to reframe
the situation and what to do as follow up (e.g.,
function-based problem solving, referral to I &
RS) to produce long term behavior change
17
Behavior Cycles Start Small
• Behavior is part of a cycle that becomes
reinforced over time
• When a behavior incident occurs in the
moment, we need to interrupt the cycle to reengage in the routine
• Following the incident we need to follow up
with function-based intervention for durable
long term change
18
Problem
Behavior
Cycle
Antecedent
(Task
Demand)
Student and
Adult get
reinforced
(“Whew! I’m
outta here”
“Whew! I can
teach now)
The
Behavior
Disappears
Student
Behavior
(Disruption)
Adult
Responds
(Verbal
Redirection
Sent to the
Office)
19
Strategies to
Interrupt and ReFrame the Cycle
MODIFY
THE
Antecedent
trigger
Student and
Adult
experience
POSITIVE
OUTCOMES
REINFORCE
COOPERATION
TEACH a
Replacement
Behavior
Use
REDIRECTION that REENGAGES
the student
20
Implementing a
Redirection Protocol
• The best way to redirect a situation is to
respond in ways that best preserves the dignity
of the person you are interacting with:
– Stay calm
– Use a firm, but neutral tone of voice
– Use actions and words that are objective and
respectful
– Avoid confrontation approaches (e.g., debating,
sarcasm, etc.)
Sound Familiar?
Student
While doing class work
Johnny becomes off-task and
starts to talk to his peers.
Johnny responds by saying,
“This work stinks, I don’t want
to do it.”
Johnny says, “I don’t care
about this class, I am not
doing this work.”
Johnny then stands up, slams
his work on his desk, says
“Fine!” and storms out of the
room.
Teacher
His teacher asks him to stop
talking and tells him to get
back to work.
His teacher says “Why do you
always fight with me in class?”
His teacher says, “You need to
do this work or you are going
to the office!”
Implementing a Redirection
Protocol
• It is easy to feel ‘validated’ in displaying an
escalated response when someone is arguing
or talking offensively to you
• We naturally de-escalate when being spoken to
with respect and sensitivity
Developing a Redirection Protocol
• Research supports having a consistent – non
confrontational protocol for responding to
occurrences of behavior AND training for staff
on how to implement the protocol
– Reductions in externalizing behaviors
– Increases in on task behaviors
(e.g., Benner et al. (2012) Exceptional Children)
24
Redirection Protocol
• You observe that the student is not themselves OR an
initial conduct infraction has occurred:
1. If possible, provide an area-wide reminder of the expectation
rather than singling out a student
2. Speak to the student privately
– Classroom based: Assign an independent, pairs, or small group activity
so the majority of the class is engaged. Walk around, ensure everyone
is engaged, provide praise and assistance. Then approach the student
and speak privately to at their desk, your desk or other location in the
classroom – the goal is to avoid drawing other students’ attention to the
conversation
– Other locations (e.g., hallway or cafeteria): approach the student ask to
speak with them; step off to the side away from other students.
25
Redirection Protocol
3a: Student is agitated or upset:
– Tone
•
•
Use a quiet, neutral and attentive tone
Approach the situation as a teachable moment
– Language
•
•
•
Use objective, neutral and supportive language
Paraphrase and mirror the student’s statements
Label emotions and behavior (not the student)
– Caring Disposition
•
•
Display empathy and concern
Provide social coaching to help the student make a good choice
–
–
–
–
Offer options for how they can handle the situation
Give a opportunity to take a break
Offer opportunity to talk with someone
Employ strategies redirections (see list)
26
Video Activity
Same Situation-Two Approaches
• Watch the video clip of Michael – first
approach
– What signaled to you that Michael wasn’t
himself today?
– What are your suggestions for how the
teacher could improve her response to
Michael?
Video Activity
Same Situation-Two Approaches
• Watch video clip of Michael – different
approach
– What did she do this time that you thought
was effective?
– What other suggestions or strategies would
you offer?
Redirection Protocol
3b: Student engaged in a Code of Conduct infraction (e.g., dress
code, electronics, tardy, etc.):
– Tone
•
•
Use a quiet, neutral and attentive tone
Approach the situation as a teachable moment
– Language
•
•
•
Use respectful and supportive language
Choose words that operationalize what you want the student to (label the
behavior not the student)
Paraphrase and mirror the student’s statements
– Caring Disposition
•
•
•
Display interest in the student being successful
Employ strategic redirections (see list)
Provide social coaching to help the student make a good choice
– Offer options for how they can handle the situation
29
Redirection Protocol
When using strategic redirection strategies it is helpful to
Provide the ‘redirection’ and then give the student a couple of
minutes, check on the rest of the class and come back to the
student.
•
•
•
•
•
•
State the expectation in terms of what
you want the student to do (not stop
doing)
Offer assistance
Offer two options for how the student
can handle the situation
Engage the student to generate options
Give the student pressure free personal
space for a couple of minutes
Provide the student with options to
choose from
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Offer a way for the student to save face
Change the topic
Lower your voice
Repeat a strategic prompt phrase (Time
to start work)
Offer the student a break to step away
Label the student’s emotion
Put a positive spin on your directive
Provide acknowledgement / empathy
statements
Use humor to defuse and redirect
30
Pair with a peer
Video Activity
Same Situation-Two Approaches
• Watch the video clip of Sara – first approach
– What are your suggestions for how the teacher
could improve her response to Sara?
Video Activity
Same Situation-Two Approaches
• Watch video clip of Sara – different
approach:
– What did she do this time that you thought
was effective?
– What additional suggestions would you offer?
Redirection Protocol
4a: The student responds to redirections and cooperates
with request:
– Thank the student for their cooperation
– Acknowledge the positive behavior or choices
– Provide frequent social praise through the rest of
the routine
33
Redirection Protocol
4b: The student does not respond to redirections and requests:
–
–
Try again: re-employ initial protocol steps (praising rest of class,
speaking privately)
Determine the level of disruptiveness to the class
• Behavior is present but not disruptive: In this scenario the
student has not complied with the request but is not disruptive to
instruction (e.g., still wearing their hat, did not put their phone away).
Reframe your attention back to the rest of the class. Provide the
class with social praise, resume instruction, engage the class in an
activity. Ignore the behavior (not the student) try to engage them in
the instructional routine. At the end of class, speak with the student
privately to address the matter and determine next steps.
• Behavior is present and disruptive: apply the Code of Conduct
definition for an office managed infraction, if the behavior meets the
34
criteria, then follow the procedures for an Office Conduct Referral
Redirection Protocol
•
If the student needs to be sent to the office, consider the
importance of how the last interaction is framed
–
–
–
–
•
•
•
Use language that will result in a smoother transition back into the
classroom
Avoid language that leaves conflict ‘hanging in the air’
Always ask the student to leave privately
“We seem to be having a hard time resolving this issue. I would like to
talk with you more about this outside of class. Right now, though it is
best at this point for you to go to Mr. Johnson’s office. Please gather up
your things and I will write your pass. I will see you tomorrow.”
What is the tone in this example?
How does the student remember this interaction?
Why does this approach open the door for a smooth transition
35
back into the class?
Redirection Protocol
5. Follow – up: determine what actions need to occur following
the incident:
–
–
First time behavior: Consider a student-teacher conference to
provide reminders of expected behavior and determine if the student
needs any supports to meet the expectation in the future. Monitor for
any changes in behavior that would signal a greater degree of
intervention is needed.
Ongoing behavior - strategies may include:
• Communicate with parents/guardians
• Complete the Function-Based Information Tool and select strategic
interventions to try
• Consider I & RS referral if other intervention attempts have been
made
• For students with IEPs or 504 plans contact the case manager 36
for
problem solving support
Redirection Protocol
Avoid These
• Some strategies tend to escalate a situation.
Include a discussion about strategies that
DON’T work as well so staff know to avoid
using these, for example:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Yelling
Scolding a student in front of the class
Sarcasm
Ultimatums
Having the last word
Engaging in a debate or argument with the student
Using previous incidents as ‘fire power’
Personal Practice Change
• When redirecting a student our response should not
be more disruptive than the behavior we want to
defuse
• Always talk to students respectfully – even when they
are not talking to your respectfully
– Leave out sarcasm and jabs
– Avoid using ultimatums
– Avoid trying to have the last word
• Visit www.njpbs.org for tools and resources
38