Think, Pair, Share
• On a scale of 0-5 please rank your knowledge of SWPBIS
• 0 represents no knowledge
• 5 represents a veteran team member or PBIS coach
• What do you think would make SWPBIS implementation (or any
innovation) in high schools more complex than implementation in
lower grades?
PBIS in High Schools
Christopher Pinkney, Portland State University
cpinkney@pdx.edu
Special Thanks to Brigid Flannery and Mimi Kato of the University of Oregon
What is School-wide Positive Behavior Support?
• School-wide PBIS is:
• a decision-making framework that guides selection, integration,
and implementation of the best evidence-based academic and
behavioral practices for improving important academic and
behavior outcomes for all students.
• Evidence-based features of SW-PBIS
• Prevention
• Define and teach positive social expectations
• Acknowledge positive behavior
• Arrange consistent consequences for problem behavior
• On-going collection and use of data for decision-making
• Continuum of intensive, individual interventions.
• Administrative leadership – Team-based implementation
(Systems that support effective practices)
PBIS Implementation Framework
• We organize our resources
• Multi-Tier Mapping, Gap Analysis
• So kids get help early
• Actions based on outcomes (data!), not procedures
• We do stuff that’s likely to work
• Evidence-Based interventions
• We provide supports to staff to do it right
• Fidelity: Benchmarks of Quality
• And make sure they’re successful
•
•
•
•
Coaching and Support
Progress monitoring and performance feedback
Problem-Solving process
Increasing levels of intensity
Three tiered model for student supports
get these tiers
of support
These students
+
in order to meet
benchmarks.
=
The goal of the tiers is student success, not labeling.
Implementation in High Schools
• High Schools have implemented SWPBIS
• A number of schools “struggle” during implementation
• Many high schools take a year or so in planning before implementing practices
• Adoption/Implementation of any initiative
• Understand and attend to the key features of the initiative
Core Features of
Implementation
SOCIAL
BEHAVIOR:
ATTENDANCE,
BULLYING,
DISRESPECT
ACADEMIC
SUCCESS:
ACADEMIC
ENABLERS,
LITERACY
Effective
School
School
Climate for
Engagement
and
Success
Success
PERSONALIZATION / SCHOOL
BELONGING
FRESHMEN
SUPPORT
Contextual Influences
Size
Culture
Developmental
Level
Size
“… in order to get a staff of this size to all work together
…as departmentalized and as spread out …we don’t see
each other enough and I don’t think we have enough
time to really get to know each other [and] what we all
want”
BEFORE YOU ADD ONE MORE THING….
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Organize what you have
Examine who uses
Evaluate impact
Make sure everyone knows
Get everyone involved
www.safetycenter.navy.mil
PBIS in Secondary Schools
• Examine Current Condition
•
•
•
•
Terms of Reference
Resource Mapping
Working Smarter to support staff
Working Smarter to support students
• What kind of school to you want your school to be?
• What are the outcomes you seek?
12
Culture
• “…even though we’re not really asking them to make a
huge change, it’s more like a shift…that’s probably the
biggest challenge…just getting teachers to buy in to
the fact that [PBIS] makes a difference for kids.”
• “… I think in the elementary, [the teacher] would never
think to send the student out of the room, because
they see themselves as the person who’s responsible
for re-teaching the expectations…I don’t think [high
school] people buy in to …their role in teaching
[expectations] .”
Activity: Getting Teachers on the Same Page
• Words have meaning
• What do they mean to you?
•
•
•
•
•
Discipline
Suspension
Office Referral
Bullying
Graduation Requirements
15
Developmental
Level
The Adolescent Brain
David Dobbs: National Geographic
• Brain is not fully developed until age 25
• Clumsy at first but as it develops it gets better at balancing impulse, desire,
goals, self-interest, rules, ethics, and even altruism, generating behavior that
is more complex more sensible.
• Frontal Lobes are not fully connected (access is slower)
• Is that a good idea?, What is the consequence of this action?
• Nerve cells are sluggish- thin layer of myelin (white matter)
• Think insulation for electrical wiring
17
Adaptive- Adolescent Story
• Teen brain is less as a rough draft than as an exquisitely sensitive,
highly adaptable creature wired almost perfectly for the job of
moving from the safety of home into the complicated world outside.
• Sensation seeking: the “neural buzz”- not necessarily impulsive
• Love of novelty
• Upside is that it increases circle of friends
• Risk Taking
• Teens take more risks not because they don't understand the dangers but
because they weigh risk versus reward differently: In situations where risk
can get them something they want, they value the reward more heavily than
adults do.
18
Contextual Influences
Foundational Systems
Size
Data
Culture
Leadership
Developmental
Level
Communication
Team
• Broad Membership
• Similar Membership but…
• Targeted Recruitment
• Supported by stipends, FTE, planning period, etc.
• Consistent Administrative participation on team but
…
• Identify team member as liaison with administrative team
• Student Teams/Groups: Have a Clear Purpose
• POWER Crew
• Student Led Language Initiative
• Leadership Class
• Adhoc Groups
“At the secondary level, because there’s more of us
[administrators], not all of us are on the same page as
far as knowledge base of PBIS. I think…that’s a huge
hurdle.”
“... if they could go to another administrator and get a
response that’s different, you know… it would break
down the system.”
Administration
• Linkage to the Leadership Team
• Who makes what decisions; Communication
• Transparent to staff
• Keep all administrators on board – what is their role
•
•
•
•
•
Make public statement of support
Obtain faculty/staff consensus
Establish and support schoolwide leadership team
Guide decision making/problem solving
Reinforcement of leadership team and faculty
Meetings
• Regular Meetings
• Scheduling more difficult
• Small leadership group with “adhoc” groups or members
• Team meeting norms and procedures
• Additional Planning time
• Mid year and summer planning days
• Staff paid for their time
Common Behavior Concerns
• Texting and emailing during instruction
• Talking during instruction
• Eating, drinking and gum chewing
• Late arrival, early departure
• Starting an activity before listening to the instructions or “set up”
• Inappropriate attire
What is your team’s role and responsibility?
• How will you connect your SIP goals or other district school
initiatives with PBIS?
• What does your data tell you?
25
Contextual Influences
Foundational Systems
Size
Data
Culture
Leadership
Developmental
Level
Communication
Much of the happiness and sadness we
experience flows from our ability to
communicate.
Jim Knight, Unmistakable Impact, p. 208
http://youtu.be/_JmA2ClUvUY
communication
• Need to have the same information
• Don’t assume about students or staff
• Gallery Walk
• News letters, trainings etc
• Yeah buts…
• All need to listen – need similar language
• Have a common goal
• “It's as simple as this. When people don't unload their
opinions and feel like they've been listened to, they
won't really get on board.” ― Patrick Lencioni, The
Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable
Culture/Philosophy/Attitude
Yeah but…..
• Expensive, time consuming/ effortful
• Unnecessary
• “they should know how to behave by now”
• Inappropriate
• “Rewards are fine for elementary school but are ineffective and
inappropriate in middle or high school.”
• The use of rewards will damage “intrinsic motivation” and actually
result in reduction of desired behaviors.
• “I don’t believe in bribing students to learn”
• Resistance to role as supervisor or teaching behavior
• “I’m here to teach content, not behavior”
• “elementary
and middle schools we can make
suggestions and they’re more likely to run with it and
be successful...you have to be patient until they [high
schools] get there, without forcing them to do it
earlier than they’re ready ...”
Quick Slips
Behavior Grid
Warning/Reteach
Teacher handled, no
documentation required, teacher
discretion for consequences and
personal documentation
Minor Offense
Major Offense
Teacher handled, referral form
completed, teacher assigns own or
building consequence (building
consequence examples: lunch or
after school detention, time in
office, community service, etc.)
Referral form completed.
Administrator assigns consequence
(with teacher input). Administrator
communicates to teacher about
situation.
Expected Behaviors
LANGUAGE
Offensive remarks or gestures in a
casual manner inappropriate
sexual connotations; putdowns to a
particular subgroup
Repeated pattern of any
inappropriate language
Swearing used to harass,
intimidate, show defiance, create
an unsafe climate
Language that is socially
appropriate

I am frustrated.

I don’t like that.

I hate it when that happens.

That’s different.
DISRUPTION
Noise making; talk-outs/side-talk;
attention-getting behaviors (silly
answers, class clowning, etc.);
bugging others
Repeated pattern of any disruptive
behaviors; misuse of cell
phone/electronic devices in class
[Phones and electronic devices to
be confiscated and taken to office]
Behavior that stops the learning in Cooperative behaviors
class; defiant repetition of behavior 
Turn taking
following correction

Contributing appropriately to
class discussions and
activities

Cell phones off & away
during instructional time
Communication Strategies
Connecting with Staff
• Handbooks
• Surveys; Gallery Walk
• Staff Meetings (Department meetings, later start)
• Embedded Staff Development sessions
• Newsletters
• Personal 1:1 contact
Communication Strategies
Connecting with Administrative Team
• Administrator on Leadership Team
• Administrative Team liaison
• Communication Plan
• Specific Requests for Principal participation
• Announcements
• Time at Staff Meetings
• Attendance at Leadership Meetings
• Funds
• Space in Student Handbook
Communication Plan
Communication Strategies
Connecting with Students
• Student Teams/Groups: Have a Clear Purpose
•
•
•
•
POWER Crew
Student Led Language Initiative
Leadership Class
Existing groups for smaller projects
• Student Surveys
• Student Handbook
• Student–led Lesson Plans / Assemblies
• Outline Yearly Calendar: Work with ASB
Communication: PRIDE Stories
For any Communication
• What?
• Be specific: have a targeted message (will change over time)
• Link message to broader events/themes
• How?
•
•
•
•
Make it Predictable, Consistent and Frequent
Tailor to your Audience
Utilize multiple formats
Always encourage two way communication
Contextual Influences
Foundational Systems
Size
Data
Culture
Leadership
Developmental
Level
Communication
DO WE HAVE AN EFFICIENT DATA SYSTEM?
• Are we collecting the right information?
• What, when, where, who (why?)
• Is data collection & entry efficient?
• Less than 15 sec to fill out, less than 30 sec to enter
• Do we get data in the right format?
• Graphic format
• Do we get the data at the right time?
• Before and during meetings
• Data no more than 24 hours old
• Are data used for decision-making by all?
• Data presented to all faculty at least monthly
• Data available for whole school, small group and individual student
evaluation
• Data collected on FIDELITY (what we do) as well as IMPACT (student
behavior)
Common HS Behavior Concerns
• Texting and emailing during instruction
• Talking during instruction
• Eating, drinking and gum chewing
• Late arrival, early departure
• Starting an activity before listening to the instructions or “set up”
• Inappropriate attire
• Homework completion
• By group: Freshmen
• By area: Athletic Events; Common areas
Types of Outcome Data
• State test results
Achievement
• GPA
Engagement
• Attendance
• Graduation/Dropout
Behavior
• Office Referrals
• Suspension/Expulsion
Sounds Easy, Right? Right…..
• LOTS of data
• Many separate data systems
• Behavior
• Grades/Credit Accumulation
• Attendance
• Collected for reporting by district, NOT for use by schools/teams
• Can’t manipulate
• Don’t know what is where
• Not consistently up to date/accurate
• Staff don’t believe the data
Early Warning Indicators
On-Track
On-Track Indicators
At-Risk for
Off Track
Off-Track
Highly OffTrack
Extremely
Off-Track
Course
Performance in
Core Subjects
GPA
Credits
FCAT
Level 3 or
above or
concordant
scores within
the same school
year
Level 2 on
FCAT
Meeting all
graduation
requirements
Cs or better in
all areas
2.5 or more
Meeting credit
graduation
requirement for
grad plan year
Lacking 1
graduation
requirement
2.0 to 2.49
Behind
1 Credits
Lacking 2
graduation
requirements
Failing 1-3
classes
Less than 2.0
Lacking 2 or
more graduation
requirements
Currently failing
3 or more
classes
Meeting no
graduation
requirements
2-3 Years
Behind
Less than or
equal to 1.5
Behind 3 credits Not passed both
sections of 10th
grade FCAT or
retakes
No concordant
scores
Behind 4 or
Not passed 10th
more credits
grade FCAT or
retakes
No concordant
scores
Less than or
equal to 1.0
Not meeting
cohort
graduation plan
Not passed 10th
grade FCAT or
retakes
No concordant
scores
Attendance
Office
Discipline
Referrals
4% or less
absences per
quarter or
semester
3 or less Level
I and/or minor
referrals
5% or more
absences per
quarter or
semester
4 or less Level
I and/or minor
referrals
Level II ODRs
per semester
5 or more
Level I and/or
Level II ODRs
per semester
10% absences
per quarter or
semester
15% or more
absences per
quarter or
semester
20% or more
absences per
quarter or
semester
5 or more
Level II ODRs
for fighting/
profanity/
disruption per
semester
Established
pattern of
severe
behavior
Level II & III
ODRs
Additional
Factors
Disengagement
No extra curricular
involvement
Substance Abuse
High Mobility
Mental health
issues
Free/Reduced
lunch
Foster/group home
Transient/Homeles
s
Parent
unemployment
Student
employment
Changes in
behavior/
appearance
More recent
traumatic event
Missed guidance
appointments
No show for
yearbook picture
Early Warning
Indicators
Overall GPA
2.5 or more
Course Failure (HW
completion & Test
Scores)
C or better in all courses
Attendance (school
day/individual class)
4% or fewer absences per
quarter (95% or better)
On-Track
Additional
Considerations
No extra-curricular involvement
Substance Abuse
2.0 to 2.49
At-Risk for
D in one or more courses 5% or more absences per
quarter (90-94.9%)
On-Track Indicators
Off Track
Return from Suspension
High Mobility
Mental health issues
Less than 2.0
F in 1-2 courses
10% absences per quarter
OR 3 in a single class (8589.9%)
Off-Track
Free/Reduced lunch
Foster/group home
Transient/Homeless
Parent unemployment Student
employment
Less than or equal to 1.5
F in 3-4 courses
Highly OffTrack
Less than or equal to 1.0
Extremely
Off-Track
F in 5 or more courses
15% or more absences per
quarter OR more than 3 in a
single class (80 – 84.9%)
20% or more absences per
quarter (Below 80%)
Changes in behavior/ appearance
More recent traumatic event
Data Goals
• Set a transparent school goal
• Make it public
• Post progress
• Attendance on Office Door
• Language ODRs in main hall with construction paper
graphs
High School Implementation of SWPBIS
HS Contextual
Influences
Key
Foundational
Systems
Core Features of
Implementation
Key HS Focus
Areas
SOCIAL
BEHAVIOR
ACADEMIC
SUCCESS
COMMUNICATION
SYSTEMS
School
Engagement
and Success
DATA SYSTEMS
LEADERSHIP SYSTEMS
PERSONALIZATION / SCHOOL
BELONGING
FRESHMEN
SUPPORT
Foundation Systems work Together
Leadership
Communication
Data
Integrated System : Tardies
• Why?
• Tardies were a consistent schoolwide problem
• Identified through Quick Slips data
• What?
• Clarified policy/definition with staff & students
• All School Assembly – Tardy Obstacle Course
• Teachers encouraged to recognize on time behavior
• Implemented Tardy Sweeps
• Monitored data
• Shared data weekly with staff via email
•Results
• decreased tardies by 37% in 6 weeks; maintained
decrease over time
Tardy focus: Utilized multiple systems
•Communication: Clarifying policies with staff,
emphasizing value of accuracy
• Communication: Student Assembly; Lesson Plan
•Acknowledgements: Teachers were encouraged
to recognize on-time behavior
•New Practice: Tardy Sweeps
•Monitored Data: tardies and shared weekly
with staff
reward Systems
• Think about language – Acknowledgement systems
• Think about how present – one consequence system with 2 sides …
discipline and acknowledgement
• Think about philosophy – “kids should know” but brain research says
not true
• Not to mention implementing with thousands of students and lots of
staff…
Big Ideas
• As you begin implementation of a system or practice
(or get stuck), ask yourself:
• Did you consider impact of size, culture, developmental level of students?
• Did we think about communication, data and leadership systems to make us
successful for this system/practice?
• Do the smallest things that have the biggest impact
• If it’s working don’t change it
• If it’s NOT working…. be honest & be humble – listen
Addressing Challenges
• Start small and establish concrete, valuable goals
• Make explicit connections to existing efforts
• Check the frequency and clarity of current appropriate
messages
• Use existing communication structures, facilitate frequent
conversations
• Establish strong team and support the team
• Help faculty understand need and facilitate active
participation
• Share data in visual formats, Monitor progress
• On-going professional development
• Academic Instruction—student engagement
Lessons Learned… Take away message
1. Consider the HS Context in everything you do
2. Check your Foundation often
1. Secure Leadership
2. Build Ongoing Lines of Communication
3. Align Data Systems
3. Get Focused - Zoom in and Out as you enter into
practices
Monograph on SWPBS Implementation in High Schools: Current Practice and Future Directions
(www.pbis.org)www. pbis.org
• http://www.pbismaryland.org/schoolexamples.htm
• http://www.pbisillinois.org/schools/high-schools
• http://miblsi.cenmi.org/MiBLSiModel/Implementation/HighSchool.aspx
• http://flpbs.fmhi.usf.edu/modelschools.cfm
• http://ttac.odu.edu/pbisva/success_stories.htm
Swain-Bradway, J., Pinkney, C., Flannery, K. B. (in press). Implementing schoolwide positive
behavior interventions and supports in high schools: Contextual factors and stages of
implementation. Teaching Exceptional Children.
Morrissey, K. L., Bohanon, H., & Fenning, P. (2010) Teaching and acknowledging expected
behaviors in an urban high school. Teaching Exceptional Children.
Bohanon, H., Fenning, P., Carney, . . .. (2006). Schoolwide application of positive behavior support
in an urban high school: A case study. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions,
Kennedy, M., Mimmack, J, & Flannery K.B. (2012). Innovation in data-driven decision making
within SWPBIS Systems: Welcome to the gallery walk. Beyond Behavior
Flannery, K. B. Guest, E., & Horner , R. (2010). The principal’s role in establishing school-wide
positive behavior support in high school. Principal Leadership
Flannery, K. B., Frank, J. L., Doren, B., Kato, M.M., Fenning, P. (2013). Implementing Schoolwide
Positive Behavior Support in High School Settings: Analysis of Eight High Schools. The High
School Journal
Flannery, K. B., Fenning, P. , Kato, M.M., & McIntosh, K. (in press). Effects of SW-PBIS and Fidelity
of Implementation on Problem Behavior in High Schools. School Psychology Quarterly
Contact Info and Q & A
Chris Pinkney
Portland State University
cpinkney@pdx.edu
K. Brigid Flannery
University of Oregon
Mimi McGrath Kato
University of Oregon
brigidf@uoregon.edu
mmkato@uoregon.edu