Classwide PBIS: Improving Classwide
Behavior Support in EBD Classrooms
Robert F Putnam, Ph.D., BCBA-D
Nichole M Weakley, Ph.D., BCBA-D
Christina M Hardy, MA, BCBA
D. Joe Olmi, Ph.D.
DESIGNING A COMPREHENSIVE CLASSROOM
WITH TARGETED BEHAVIORAL SUPPORTS
Referral/Demographics
• Demographics:
• Large Southeastern School District (35 schools)
• 13 target behavioral classrooms at primary and secondary level(s)
• Varying demographics across the district
• High military population (staff and students)
• Referral Concern:
• Develop a program designed to provide short-term behavioral
support services for students identified as at-risk
• All students served in classrooms qualified for special education
services
• Behavioral Classrooms
• 1 Lead EC teacher & 1 TA
• 2-12 students per classroom
• Problem Behaviors:
• Off-task, noncompliance, calling out, getting out of seat, inappropriate
verbal behavior, aggression
Assessment
• Initial assessment
• Interview with district-level personnel
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Build rapport
Identify “big picture” needs at various levels: district, building, classroom, student
Identify crucial personnel and develop team structure
Review history of intervention, identify what has worked (buy-in, outcomes)
Identify resources available
Develop district level strategy
• Interview with building-level personnel
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Build rapport
Identify needs of building, classrooms, staff and students
Identify crucial personnel
Review history of intervention, what has worked within the building, and
preferences of the principal and staff
• Identify resources available
• Classroom observations
• Teacher/Student behavior
• Student record review
Intervention
• Classroom Intervention Program (Social Skills Classroom)
• Based on PBIS framework with inclusion of Check-in/Check-Out
(CICO)
• D. Joe Olmi, Ph.D. at the University of Southern Mississippi
• Tailored to needs of district, specific state guidelines
• Program Components
• Clearly defined expectations
• Procedure for teaching expectations
• Continuum of consequences for acknowledging appropriate
behavior(s)
• Continuum of consequences for inappropriate behavior
• Data collection scheme
• CICO
Consultation Structure
• Pilot classroom (Spring)
• Initial assessment, program development
• Staff Training
• Weekly consultation
District Implementation
• Initial overview training (September)
• Provided to all administrators, staff, and psychologists working in or
with the behavioral classrooms
• Ongoing consultation support(s)
• Weekly meetings with classroom staff for program development
• Ongoing data collection
• Professional Learning Community (PLC)
• Monthly trainings for classroom staff and school psychologists)
Consultation Structure
• Training Binders (provided to all classroom teachers)
• Copy of Program Manual
• Worksheets designed to facilitate development of the following
program components:
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Behavioral Expectations
Process for Teaching Expectations
CICO System
Acknowledgement System
Consequence System
Programming for Behavioral Success
Social Skills Classroom – Program
components
Program Overview
• Tier I & II programmed into setting
• Positive Behavioral Supports (PBS)
• Check-In/Check-Out (CICO)
• Grades K-8
• 13 classrooms
• Behavior support System
• 4-level hierarchy
• Key Features
• Teaching and Reinforcing appropriate behavior
Program Structure
• Process for Entering SSC
• District-level structure: combining best-practice with established systems
• Establishing a team: defining key players in the process and their role
• Referral structure: establishing a process for referrals and how the student is
identified for assessment
• Assessment: defining clear guidelines for student assessment and placement
decisions
• Classroom Structure
• Bx’al strategies
• Environmental structure
• Behavioral Components
• Defining expectations
• Developing structure: lesson plans, pre-correction, establishing CICO system, use of
DBRC, corrective teaching, cool-down
• Time-in, Effective Instruction Delivery
• Level System
• Levels and Transition
• Data Collection
Establishing framework for the Social Skills Classroom
PROCESS FOR ENTERING SSC
Process for Entering SSC
• Which students may be appropriate for this setting?
• Non-responsive to Tier II strategies (e.g., Check-In/Check-Out)
• Non-responsive to FBA/F-BSP in general education setting
• Reviewed and approved by Teacher Support Team
Process for Entering SSC
(Brief)
Referral
SSC Placement
Team
Meeting**
Student is
placed
• Referral is made to teacher support team
• Referral includes all relevant behavioral data
• Data is reviewed with all team participants
• Placement is determined and guardian approval is
received
• IEP is revised accordingly
• Student meets with behavioral consultant for
review of program
• Individualized supports are developed based on
comprehensive assessment
**Placement cannot occur
without this meeting
Referral to SSC Placement Team:
Team Participants
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Guardian(s)
Principal and/or Assistant Principal
Referring Teacher
SSC Teacher
SSC Specialist
School-based Clinician
Case Manager
Behavioral Consultant
Referral to SSC Placement Team:
Information from Referring Teacher
• All records and data collected on students behavior should be
provided to the team
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Description of behavior
Times of day behavior occurs
Individual the behavior occurs with
Settings the behavior is more likely to occur in
Techniques used to manage students behavior
Referral to SSC Placement Team:
Transition Meeting
• Includes all team participants
• All data is reviewed
• Program is explained to guardian(s)
• Pending consent for program placement:
• Intake forms completed
• Initial SSC Placement Checklist completed (by school administrator)
Referral to SSC Placement Team:
Student Placement
• Program is reviewed with student
• Comprehensive assessment is completed and individualized
supports are implemented accordingly
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Social Skills
Behavioral Observations
Adaptive Behavior Assessments (if needed)
Additional behavior rating scales as needed
Utilizing tiers I and II within the classroom
CLASSROOM STRUCTURE
Classroom Structure
• Antecedent Strategies (Tier I Behavior Support Strategies)
• Daily Individual Check-In/Social Skills Lesson
• Token Economy System (% of Points Earned on Daily Behavior
Report Card)
• Break Cards
• Corner Time (i.e., Cool Down)
• Daily Individual Check-Out
Brief Review (Strategies identified in manual)
BEHAVIOR SUPPORT STRATEGIES
Behavioral support Strategies
• Understand/Identify contextual events for challenging
behavior (e.g., transitions, unstructured settings, denied
access, etc.)
• Antecedent Strategies
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Visual Schedule(s)
Clear Behavioral Expectations
Review/Teach Expectations
Review/Teach Consequences
Provide Choices
Preview Novel Activities
Teach Alternative/Adaptive Responses in vivo
Effective Instruction Delivery (EID)
Developing Expectations
• Define 3-5 larger, positively-stated, “social skills” to be taught
(Be Safe, Be Respectful, Be Responsible)
• Identify what each expectation looks like within classroom
routine
• Tell the student exactly what to do
• Avoid “don’ts”, “should not”, “can’t”
• You will develop your specific expectations based on your
classroom routine
Expectations
Procedures for Teaching
Expectations
Sample Matrix
Morning Review(s) &
Pre-corrections
• Classroom expectations should be reviewed at the
beginning of each day
• More intense booster sessions should be conducted
throughout the year as needed (e.g., after holiday
breaks)
• Utilize pre-corrections
• Inform students of expected behavior(s) prior to
transitioning to new activity
• Example: “Okay students, we are going to the
library. Walk quietly in the hall and when we get to
the library, sit quietly in your seat with the book you
are returning on your desk.”
Responding to Frequent Behaviors
(Pre-Corrections)
Go to problem setting
Gain student(s) attention
Define expected behavior and give
opportunity to practice
Acknowledge student(s) participation
Provide positive feedback
Responding to Infrequent Behavior
Signal that an error has occurred
State rule/expected behavior
Engage in positive practice (i.e., ask student
to demonstrate appropriate behavior)
Provide positive feedback
Positive Reinforcement
• Verbal praise to individuals and groups
Immediate
Contingent
Specific
Sincere
• Nonverbal gestures of praise
• E.g., pat on back
• Individual and group incentives
• Use natural reinforcers when possible
• May use token system to increase positive
interactions
Time-In
• Your response to appropriate behavior
• Verbal statements
• A smile or thumbs up
• A simple pat on the back
• Incorporate within your school’s PBIS model
• This is easily overlooked, but is essential to the
big picture
Goal:
Goal:
1 Praise
4 Positives:1
Statement Per
Negative
Minute
How to Deliver Praise
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Immediately after desirable behavior
occurs
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As frequently as possible
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Descriptive in nature
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Close proximity
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Use the student’s name
Effective Instruction delivery (EID)
• The way instructions are given to a student
can affect the likelihood that they comply
• Steps to EID
• Close proximity (within arms reach)
• Demanded eye contact
• Praise for eye contact
• Delivered as a directive
• Descriptive
• Allow response time (5-10 seconds)
• Compliance followed by praise
Allowing Breaks
• We all get frustrated at a task and need a break
• Kids are no different
• Break cards will allow the child to take a break
from a task for up to 2 minutes
• Set up contingencies with a timer
• Work for a short amount of time earns a short
break
**Social Skills Classroom manual includes
guidelines for utilization of break cards across
different levels
Reducing down time
• Some kids do not respond well to
extended periods of down time
• Keep structured options available
• Have a “Plan B”
• Example: If you finish your worksheet
early, read a book quietly at your desk
Teacher movement
• Student compliance is promoted by teacher
movement within the classroom
• Increased opportunities for seeing problem
behaviors and praising appropriate
behavior in close proximity
Corrective Teaching Interaction
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1. Describe the inappropriate behavior
2. Give a consequence
3. Describe/demonstrate appropriate behavior
4. Give a rationale for using the alternative behavior
5. Ask for acknowledgement
6. Practice the alternative skill
7. Use lots of praise throughout the process!
Corrective Consequences
• ALWAYS begin by acknowledging appropriate
behaviors of other students
• Teach the “fair pair” appropriate replacement
behavior
• Determine possible function
• Develop a hierarchy of responses
• Match the severity of the consequence with the
severity of the behavior
• BE CONSISTENT!!!!
• Provide effective corrective statements
Daily Individual Check-In/Social
Skills Lesson (5-10 minutes)
• Morning meetings will be conducted each day (review
classroom rules, expectations, schedule)
• Daily individual goals should be reviewed with students
• Teacher led discussion:
• What are your goals? (Teach unknown goals, praise/acknowledge
appropriate behaviors, provide corrective feedback as needed)
• May be longer in length at beginning of year and regular
lengthier booster session should be scheduled throughout
school year
Daily Behavior Report Card (DBRC)
• Each student will have DBRC
• Staff are responsible for completing DBRC at the end of each
academic activity/period
• Students on level 2 or above will be responsible for
maintaining point card
• Students may also earn bonus points when “caught being
good”
• Data source and intervention
Students Daily Goal
(e.g., 75% of points)
Students Rating (i.e.,
how’d they do?)
Student
Expectations
Academic Period
Bonus Goal: “Caught
Being Good”
Scoring the DBRC
• Students are scored on the DBRC based on their performance
during the academic period
• 10/100%: Student met goal without any assistance/prompts
• 5/50%: Student met goal with prompts from teacher/support
staff
• 0/0%: Student did not meet goal
• Can utilize entire rating scale
Daily Individual Check-Out
• At the end of the daily, the students points should be totaled
to determine of they met their goal
• Incorporate Glows & Grows session students rotate for
individualized feedback
• Deliver reward if goal met
Establishing CICO Process
Break Cards
• Goal: Provide temporary break from frustrating activity
(functionally appropriate way to take a break)
• Student utilizes break card for 1 minute break from activity
• After 1 minute, student is prompted to continue working
• The number of breaks allowed for each child will depend on
level placement.
• Level 1 students will be allowed 5 per activity period
• Level 2 students will be allowed 3 per activity period
• Level 3 students will be allowed 1 pre-lunch and 1 post-lunch.
Corrective Teaching Interaction
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1. Describe the inappropriate behavior
2. Give a consequence
3. Describe/demonstrate appropriate behavior
4. Give a rationale for using the alternative behavior
5. Ask for acknowledgement
6. Practice the alternative skill
7. Use lots of praise throughout the process!
Cool Down
• …is defined as a short period of no access to positive
reinforcement
• Types of Cool Down (CD)
• Nonseclusionary
• Exclusionary
• Seclusionary
• Walking Cool Down Time (WCDT)
How Cool Down is Implemented
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Student is prompted to go to Cool Down area per
inappropriate behavior
Teacher calmly informs student of inappropriate behavior
and that he/she is in cool down
Student remains in Cool Down until he/she is able to exhibit
calm and safe behavior for 30 seconds to 1 minute (cool
down should not last more than 2 minutes)
Upon exhibiting appropriate behavior, the teacher should
prompt the student that it is time to return to the group
A corrective teaching interaction should be utilized prior to
the students return to the group to teach a more adaptive
means to behave
Consequence System
LEVEL SYSTEM
Utilizing the DBRC and
Understanding SCC Levels
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SSC Level 1
SSC Level 2
SSC Level 3
SSC Level 4
SSC Level 1
• All students enter at Level 1
• Most restrictive
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Student will not leave any activity are or work area unsupervised
All end of day activities occur at their desk
Student will not have input into goals
Point card must be signed daily by parent/guardian
• Goal: 65% of points
SSC Transition to Level 2
• 65% of daily points must be earned EVERYDAY for 10
consecutive days
• No instance of aggression in 10 consecutive days
• When student transitions to another level, a level change form
should be completed
SSC Level 2
• End of day activities may be completed with other level 2/3
students
• Student will have input into his daily goals
• The student will be required to have point card signed by
guardian each night (earns bonus points)
• The student will begin transitioning back to general education
setting
• Goal: 75% of points
SSC Transition to Level 3
• 75% of Daily Points have been earned EVERYDAY for 10
consecutive days.
• No acts of aggression in the last 10 consecutive days.
• When the student transitions from Level 2 to Level 3, a
Change of Level form should be completed by SSC staff.
SSC Level 3
• More freedom to move in and out the classroom. (i.e. access
to the restroom, errand running, etc.)
• Access to activities with SSC staff or other building level
personnel
• The student will have primary input into his daily goals, with
the assistance of the SSC staff and classroom teacher
• The student will be required to have the point card signed by a
guardian on a daily basis
• The student will continue to be transitioned to more activities
in the general education classroom
• Goal: 85% daily points
SSC Transition to Level 4
• 85% of Daily Points have been earned EVERYDAY for 15
consecutive days.
• No instances of aggression for 15 consecutive days.
• When the student transitions from Level 3 to Level 4, a
Change of Level form should be completed by SSC staff.
SSC Level 4
• Level 4, the final step in the SSC process, involves full
integration into a general or special education classroom
• When a student has reached this final level and is integrating
into the general education classroom, his/her position or slot
in the SSC should be held open for two weeks to allow for
potential regression in behavior that may require additional
training in the more structured SSC setting.
DATA COLLECTION AND OUTCOME
MEASURES
Outcome Measures
• Student Performance
• Disruptive Behavior (20 min obs; partial-interval samples)
• Academic Engagement (20 min obs; momentary time sampling)
• Daily Behavior Point Card Data
• Fidelity
• Benchmarks of Alternative Placements
• Observations
Benchmarks of Alternative
Placements
• Academics
• Is the curriculum in line with common core?
• Are IEP goals being addressed?
• Behavioral Level System
• Level system clearly defined
• Incentives tied to levels system?
• Break Cards
• Are break cards in place?
• Antecedent Strategies
• EID/TI
• Expectations
• Clearly defined?
• Crisis Plan
• Procedures for managing dangerous behaviors in place?
• Additional Services
• Social skills program in place?
School A
School A
School A
Integrity Assessment Tool
Integrity Assessment Tool
**Integrity observations
utilized to give teachers
performance feedback**
School A
School B
School B
Daily Behavior Report Card
School B
School B
Final Thoughts…
When building effective classroom supports, consider
not only effective practices, but supportive systems
and data that inform outcomes.
Consider developing a system of supports that is
ongoing and allow teacher’s the ability to develop
effective classroom support practices and receive
feedback
Final Thoughts…
Develop a competency based training system that is
linked to a measure of integrity that organizes and
focuses training on effective supports
Develop data systems that informs around important
outcomes of value to the teacher as well as effective
practices.