School-wide
Positive Behaviour
Support
[name]
[organization]
Website: http://bcpbs.wordpress.com
Goals of this Session
1.
2.
3.
4.
Describe the reason for approaching
student behaviour from a systems level
Explain the essential elements of
School-wide PBS
Show some school outcomes
Provide action planning time
What do we want students to
learn by the time they leave
school?
Academic skills…
 Social responsibility…

 No
chewing gum?
 No hats?
 No running in the hallways?
 No fighting?
 No PDAs?
The New Yorker
How do we react to problem
behaviour?




“Joseph, I’m taking your book away because you
obviously aren’t ready to learn. That’ll teach you a
lesson.”
“Hsin, you are going to learn some social responsibility
by staying in timeout until the class is willing to have you
back.”
“You want my attention?! I’ll show you attention…let’s
take a walk down to the office & have a little chat with
the Principal.”
“Karyn, you skipped 2 school days, so we’re going to
suspend you for 2 more.”
The “Get Tough” approach:
Assumption that “problem” student…
Is inherently “bad”
 Will learn more appropriate behaviour
through increased use of aversives
 Will be better tomorrow…
…after the suspension

“A punitive school discipline environment is a
major factor contributing to antisocial
behavior problems.”
Mayer, 1995
“Exposure to exclusionary discipline has been
shown not to improve school outcomes, but in
fact to be associated with higher rates of
school dropout.”
Skiba, Peterson, and Williams, 1997
“Early exposure to school suspension may
increase subsequent antisocial behavior.”
Hemphill et al., 2006
Science and our experiences have
taught us that students….


Are NOT born with “bad behaviours”
Do NOT learn when presented with
increasing levels of punishment
…Do
learn better ways of
behaving by being taught directly &
receiving positive feedback
Our solution:
One-Shot Professional Development:
(aka the “train & hope” approach)
1.
2.
3.
4.
React to identified problem
Hire expert to train staff
Expect & hope for implementation
Wait for new problem…
What would a positive, encouraging
school climate look like?

Students know what is expected of them and
choose to do so because they:
 Know
what to do
 Have the skills to do it
 See the natural benefits for acting responsibly

Adults and students have more time to:
 Focus
on relationships
 Focus on classroom instruction

There is an instructional approach to discipline
 Instances
of problem behaviour are opportunities to learn
and practice prosocial behaviour
Positive
Behaviour
Support
Social Responsibility &
Academic Achievement
OUTCOMES
Supporting
Decision
Making
Supporting
Staff Behaviour
PRACTICES
Supporting
Student Behaviour
Social Responsibility &
Academic Achievement
Positive
Not specific practice or
Behaviour
curriculum…it’s a
general approach OUTCOMES
Support
to preventing
problem behaviour
and encouraging
prosocial behaviour
Supporting
Staff Behaviour
Not limited to any
particular group of
students…it’s
for all students
PRACTICES
Supporting
Student Behaviour
Supporting
Decision
Making
Not new…based on
a long history of
effective educational
practices & strategies
CONTINUUM OF
SCHOOL-WIDE
INSTRUCTIONAL &
POSITIVE BEHAVIOUR
SUPPORT
Universal Interventions:
School-/ClassroomWide Systems for
All Students,
Staff, & Settings
Intensive Individual
Interventions:
Specialized
Individualized
Systems for Students
with High-Risk Behaviour
Targeted Interventions:
Specialized Group
Systems for Students
with At-Risk Behaviour
Code of
Conduct
Focus on
Bullying and
Harassment
Safe, Caring
and Orderly
Schools
Social
Responsibility
Academic
Achievement
Restitution
Self-Discipline
Character
Education
Competing initiatives that can
be addressed through PBS

Code of Conduct


Social Responsibility



A way to fit effective restitution practices into a system of
student support
Focus on Bullying and Harassment


A way to teach prosocial behaviour
A clear way to document school plan goals
Restitution Self-Discipline


PBS as a way to teach students what is expected
Lessons on responses to all dangerous behaviour
Academic Achievement

Create safe, predictable environments where effective
instruction can take place and students can learn
What does PBS
look like?
CONTINUUM OF
SCHOOL-WIDE
INSTRUCTIONAL &
POSITIVE BEHAVIOUR
SUPPORT
~5%
~15%
Intensive Individual
Interventions:
Specialized
Individualized
Systems for Students
with High-Risk
Behaviour
Targeted Interventions:
Specialized Group
Systems for Students
with At-Risk Behaviour
Universal Interventions:
School-/ClassroomWide Systems for
All Students,
Staff, & Settings
~80% of Students
School-wide & Class-wide
Systems
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Define school-wide expectations
(i.e., social competencies)
Teach and practice expectations
Monitor and acknowledge prosocial
behaviour
Provide instructional consequences
for problem behaviour
Collect information and use it for
decision-making
Critical Features of Effective
School-wide Expectations

Small number
2

to 5
Broad
 Cover
all expected behaviours
Memorable
 Positively stated

Bernard Elementary
Chilliwack School District
Positive Behaviour Support Program
Define Expectations by Setting



Transform broad
school-wide
expectations into
specific, observable
actions
Clear examples of
what is and what is
not expected
Take care in defining
culturally responsive
expectations
Creating a School-wide
Expectations Matrix
1.
2.
3.
Write behaviour expectations across top
List settings/contexts down left side
Provide at least two positively stated,
observable student actions in each box
(use the “dead person rule”)

The best example of behaviour
 The positive alternative to the most common
error
Plan to Teach Expectations

Create a schedule and lesson plans for:
 Start
of the year
 Booster sessions


Teach the expectations in the actual settings
Teach the:
 Words
 Rationale
 Actions
Teach social and emotional skills
just like academic skills

Use positive & negative examples
 Goal
is for students to identify the line
between acceptable and not acceptable
Regular practice is needed to build skills
 Provide performance feedback
 Monitor progress in skills

 If
students have trouble, reteach and provide
practice
On-going Acknowledgement
of Appropriate Behaviour

Every faculty and staff member
acknowledges appropriate behaviour

5 to 1 ratio of positive to negative contacts
System that makes acknowledgement
easy and simple for students and staff
 Different strategies for acknowledging
appropriate behaviour (small frequent
incentives more effective)

Are “rewards” dangerous?
“Our research team has conducted a series of
reviews and analysis of the literature; our
conclusion is that there is no inherent negative
property of reward. Our analyses indicate that
the argument against the use of rewards is an
overgeneralization based on a narrow set of
circumstances.”
 Cameron, 2002
See also:
 Cameron & Pierce, 1994, 2002
 Cameron, Banko & Pierce, 2001
Pitfalls of acknowledgement
systems and how to avoid them
1.
They become expected

Should be random
 Should be deserved
2.
The interaction is left out

3.
The interaction is what works, not a ticket
They are provided in the same way to all

Should be used to link attempts to success
 Should be developmentally appropriate
Effective and ethical use of
acknowledgement systems
Highlight the natural consequences for
prosocial behaviour
 Most powerful reward:
 Close second: attention
 Provide as little reward as is needed to
encourage behaviour
 Move from tangible to natural as soon as
possible

Discourage Problem Behaviours
Do not ignore problem behaviour
 Provide clear guidelines for what is
handled in class vs. sent to the office
 Use mild, instructional consequences
 Remember the PURPOSES of negative
consequences

 Provide
more practice
 Prevent escalation of problem behaviours
 Prevent/minimize reward for problem
behaviours
Using PBS in Daily Teaching:
Discouraging Problem Behaviour
When you see problem behaviour, make
sure to look for positive behaviour to
acknowledge
 Try to identify what basic need that the
student is trying to meet
 REMEMBER: “Getting tougher” is an
ineffective approach

CONTINUUM OF
SCHOOL-WIDE
INSTRUCTIONAL &
POSITIVE BEHAVIOUR
SUPPORT
~5%
~15%
Intensive Individual
Interventions:
Specialized
Individualized
Systems for Students
with High-Risk
Behaviour
Targeted Interventions:
Specialized Group
Systems for Students
with At-Risk Behaviour
Universal Interventions:
School-/ClassroomWide Systems for
All Students,
Staff, & Settings
~80% of Students
Targeted Interventions

Efficient systems for students who need
additional support beyond universal
programs
 Continuously
available
 Rapid access (within 72 hrs.)
 Consistent with school-wide system
 All school staff have access/knowledge

Should work for most (but not all) students
CONTINUUM OF
SCHOOL-WIDE
INSTRUCTIONAL &
POSITIVE BEHAVIOUR
SUPPORT
~5%
~15%
Intensive Individual
Interventions:
Specialized
Individualized
Systems for Students
with High-Risk
Behaviour
Targeted Interventions:
Specialized Group
Systems for Students
with At-Risk Behaviour
Universal Interventions:
School-/ClassroomWide Systems for
All Students,
Staff, & Settings
~80% of Students
Intensive Individual Interventions
Individualized, function-based behaviour
support
 Identify what basic need students are
trying to meet with problem behaviour

 Teach
adaptive, prosocial skills to meet those
needs
 Change environments to make problem
behaviour less likely
 Stop inadvertently making problem behaviour
worse
Does PBS make a
difference in
Canada?
Kelm, J. L., McIntosh, K.,& Cooley, S. (under review). Effects of
implementing school-wide positive behaviour support on social and
academic outcomes.
Good, C., McIntosh, K., & Gietz, C. (2011). Integrating bullying prevention
into School-wide Positive Behaviour Support. Teaching Exceptional
Children, 44(1), 48-56.
McIntosh, K., Bennett, J. L., & Price, K. (2011). Evaluation of social and
academic effects of school-wide positive behaviour support in a Canadian
school district. Exceptionality Education International, 21, 46-60.
Central Middle School, Red Deer, AB
70
Pre-SWPBS
SWPBS
60
Total Out of School Suspensions
50
40
30
20
10
0
2005-2006
2006-2007
2007-2008
2008-2009
BC Elementary School Example:
Office Discipline Referrals
What does a reduction of 266 discipline
referrals mean?
Kay Bingham Elementary

Savings in School
Staff time

(ODR = 15 min)
3,990 minutes
 67 hours
 8 8-hour days

Savings in Student
Instructional time
(ODR = 30 min)
7,980 minutes
 133 hours
 17 6-hour school
days

Get the cost-benefit calculator at: www.pbismaryland.org!
BC Elementary School Example:
Out of School Suspensions
Student Satisfaction Survey:
Grade 4
At school, are you bullied, teased or picked on?
100
90
% many times or all of the time
80
70
60
2008
50
2009
40
30
20
10
0
School
District
FSA Results 2008-09: Grade 4
Reading Comprehension
100
90
% meeting or exceeding
80
70
60
2008
50
2009
40
30
20
10
0
School
District
How do we
implement PBS?
Needs of PBS

Staff Support



Resources



3-4 year commitment
Proactive instructional approach
Administrative leadership
Time (FTE)
Monitoring

Data systems


Office discipline referral systems
Implementation surveys (e.g., pbisassessment.org)
Where can I learn
more about PBS?
Resources

Websites:
 bcpbs.wordpress.com
 promisingpractices.research.educ.ubc.ca
 pbis.org

Making Connections Conference
 Richmond,
BC
Nov. 1 – 2, 2012
Exploring the fit of
PBS with your
school
Possible Outcomes of Today’s
Session
1.
2.
3.
Identify that a school-wide approach is
not what your school needs right now
A school-wide approach is needed, and a
majority of staff is committed to
implementation
A school-wide approach is needed, but
we need to work on building the
commitment of staff
Discuss with your neighbours
What questions do we still have?
 Is PBS something we should pursue?

Contact Information

Name
email
address
Website: http://bcpbs.wordpress.com