Team-Initiated Problem Solving (TIPS)

Team-Initiated Problem Solving (TIPS) Rob Horner, Steve Newton, & Anne Todd University of Oregon Bob Algozzine & Kate Algozzine University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Goals • Define need to focus on Team use of Data • Define core “meeting foundations” • Roles • Electronic Minutes • Define problem-solving protocol • Defining problems with precision • Standards for using data for decision-making • A matrix for defining Solutions. • Building and using Action Planning Newton, J. S., Todd, A. W., Algozzine, K., Horner, R. H., & Algozzine, B. (2009). The Team Initiated Problem Solving (TIPS) Training Manual. Educational and Community Supports, University of Oregon, unpublished training manual.

People aren’t tired from solving problems – they are tired from solving the same problem over and over. Newton, J. S., Todd, A. W., Algozzine, K., Horner, R. H., & Algozzine, B. (2009). The Team Initiated Problem Solving (TIPS) Training Manual. Educational and Community Supports, University of Oregon, unpublished training manual.

Improving Decision-Making via Problem Solving Action Planning & Evaluation Problem Solving Problem Solution Information/ Data Newton, J. S., Todd, A. W., Algozzine, K., Horner, R. H., & Algozzine, B. (2009). The Team Initiated Problem Solving (TIPS) Training Manual. Educational and Community Supports, University of Oregon, unpublished training manual.

TIPS Model • TIPS Training • One full day team training • Two coached meetings • Team Meeting • Use of electronic meeting minute system • Formal roles (facilitator, recorder, data analyst) • Specific expectations (before meeting, during meeting, after meeting) • Access and use of data • Projected meeting minutes • Research tool to measure effectiveness of TIPS Training • DORA (decision, observation, recording and analysis) • Measures “Meeting Foundations” & “Thoroughness of Problem Solving” Newton, J. S., Todd, A. W., Algozzine, K., Horner, R. H., & Algozzine, B. (2009). The Team Initiated Problem Solving (TIPS) Training Manual. Educational and Community Supports, University of Oregon, unpublished manual. 9

Identify Problems Team Initiated Problem Solving (TIPS) Model Develop Hypothesis Evaluate and Revise Action Plan Collect and Use Data Discuss and Select Solutions Develop and Implement Action Plan Problem SolvingMeeting Foundations Newton, J. S., Todd, A. W., Algozzine, K., Horner, R. H., & Algozzine, B. (2009). The Team Initiated Problem Solving (TIPS) Training Manual. Educational and Community Supports, University of Oregon, unpublished training manual.

Evidence of Effectiveness • Evaluation Study (2007-08) • Newton et al., • Single-case Study (2008-09) • Todd et al., • Group Design Study (2009-10)

Baseline Coaching TIPS TIPS Study: Todd et al., 2009 Meeting Foundations Score School A School B % DORA Foundations Score School C School D

TIPS Study: Todd, et al, 2009. Baseline Coaching TIPS Thoroughness of decision-making School A % DORA Thoroughness Score School C School D

Newton et al., 2010: Effects of TIPS Training on Team Meeting Foundations DORA Foundations Score Pre TIPS Training Post-TIPS Training

Newton et al., 2010: Effects of TIPS Training on Team Decision-making DORA Thoroughness of Decision Making Score (Simple) Pre TIPS Training Post-TIPS Training

Problem-Solving Meeting Foundations Structure of meetings lays foundation for efficiency & effectiveness

Meeting Foundations Elements • Purpose of the team • Define team agreements about meeting processes • Define roles & responsibilities • Use electronic meeting minutes Newton, J. S., Todd, A. W., Algozzine, K., Horner, R. H., & Algozzine, B. (2009). The Team Initiated Problem Solving (TIPS) Training Manual. Educational and Community Supports, University of Oregon, unpublished training manual.

Define roles for effective meetings • Core roles • Facilitator • Minute taker • Data analyst • Active team member • Administrator • Backup for each role Typically NOT the administrator Can one person serve multiple roles? Are there other roles needed? Newton, J. S., Todd, A. W., Algozzine, K., Horner, R. H., & Algozzine, B. (2009). The Team Initiated Problem Solving (TIPS) Training Manual. Educational and Community Supports, University of Oregon, unpublished training manual.

Newton, J. S., Todd, A. W., Algozzine, K., Horner, R. H., & Algozzine, B. (2009). The Team Initiated Problem Solving (TIPS) Training Manual. Educational and Community Supports, University of Oregon, unpublished training manual.

Using Meeting Minutes • Documentation of • Logistics of meeting (date, time, location, roles) • Agenda items for today’s meeting ( and next meeting) • Discussion items, decisions made, tasks and timelines assigned • Problem statements, solutions/decisions/tasks, people assigned to implement with timelines assigned, and an evaluation plan to determine the effect on student behavior • Reviewing Meeting minutes • An effective strategy for getting a snapshot of what happened at the previous meeting and what needs to be reviewed during the upcoming meeting • What was the issue/problem?, What were we going to do?, Who was going to do it and by When?, and How are we measuring progress toward the goal? • Visual tracking of focus topics during and after meetings • Prevents side conversations • Prevents repetition • Encourages completion of tasks Newton, J. S., Todd, A. W., Algozzine, K., Horner, R. H., & Algozzine, B. (2009). The Team Initiated Problem Solving (TIPS) Training Manual. Educational and Community Supports, University of Oregon, unpublished training manual.

Organizing for an effective problem solving conversation A key to collective problem solving is to provide a visual context that allows everyone to follow and contribute Problem Use Data Out of Time Solution Newton, J. S., Todd, A. W., Algozzine, K., Horner, R. H., & Algozzine, B. (2009). The Team Initiated Problem Solving (TIPS) Training Manual. Educational and Community Supports, University of Oregon, unpublished training manual.

PBIS Team Meeting Minutes and Problem-Solving Action Plan Form Today’s Meeting: Date, time, location: Facilitator: Minute Taker: Data Analyst: Next Meeting: Date, time, location: Facilitator: Minute Taker: Data Analyst: • Where in the Form would you place: • Planning for next PTA meeting? • Too many students in the “intensive support” for literacy • Schedule for hallway monitoring for next month • There have been five fights on playground in last month. • Next meeting report on lunch-room status. Team Members (bold are present today) Administrative/General Information and Issues Problem-Solving Action Plan Evaluation of Team Meeting (Mark your ratings with an “X”)

Meeting Simulation F

Important Structural Components • Regular meetings & regular attendance • The “right” people • The right roles • Facilitator • Minute Taker • Data Analyst • Active Team Members • Accomplishments – Products of successful meeting • Meeting Minutes (record of decisions & tasks concerning administrative/general issues) • Problem-Solving Action Plan (record of decisions & tasks concerning problems identified by team) • (We’ll discuss these in more detail later in this workshop) Newton, J. S., Todd, A. W., Algozzine, K., Horner, R. H., & Algozzine, B. (2009). The Team Initiated Problem Solving (TIPS) Training Manual. Educational and Community Supports, University of Oregon, unpublished training manual.

Problems & Problem Solving • PBIS Teams focus on social and academic problems • Problem – Difference between expected/desired student behavior & current student behavior • Problem identification - Finding a difference & making decision about whether it is significant enough to require team action now • Problem solving – Figuring out how to eliminate or reduce difference Newton, J. S., Todd, A. W., Algozzine, K., Horner, R. H., & Algozzine, B. (2009). The Team Initiated Problem Solving (TIPS) Training Manual. Educational and Community Supports, University of Oregon, unpublished training manual.

Identifying problems/issues • What data to monitor • ODR per day per month • OSS, ISS, Attendance, Teacher report • Team Checklist/ SET (are we doing what we planned to do?) • If a problem is identified, then ask • What are the data we need to make a good decision? • What questions to consider to define a goal • Do we have a problem? • Are we implementing the procedures we selected? • What is “typical” for our performance measure (reading, behavior)? • What is “possible?” • What is “needed” for student success? • What makes sense as a goal for our community/school/context?

Using Data to Build a Solution:Start with a “precise” problem statement • The statement of a problem is important for team-based problem solving. • Everyone must be working on the same problem with the same assumptions. • Problems often are framed in a “Primary” form, that creates concern, but that is not useful for problem-solving. • Frame primary problems based on initial review of data • Use more detailed review of data to build “Solvable Problem Statements.”

Precise Problem Statements(What are the data we need for a decision?) • Precise problem statements include information about the Big Five questions: • What is problem, and how often is it happening • Where is it happening • Who is engaged in the behavior • When the problem is most likely • Why the problem is sustaining

Designing Effective Behavior Support What When Where Why Who Newton, J. S., Todd, A. W., Algozzine, K., Horner, R. H., & Algozzine, B. (2009). The Team Initiated Problem Solving (TIPS) Training Manual. Educational and Community Supports, University of Oregon, unpublished training manual.

Primary Statements Too many referrals September has more suspensions than last year Gang behavior is increasing The cafeteria is out of control Student disrespect is out of control Precision Statements There are more ODRs for aggression on the playground than last year. These are most likely to occur during first recess, with a large number of students, and the aggression is related to getting access to the new playground equipment. Primary versus Precision Statements

Primary Statements Too many referrals September has more suspensions than last year Gang behavior is increasing The cafeteria is out of control Student disrespect is out of control Precision Statements There are more ODRs for aggressionon the playground than last year. These are most likely to occur during first recess, with a large number of students, and the aggression is related to getting access to the new playground equipment. Primary versus Precision Statements

Precise or Primary Statement? • Children are using inappropriate language with a high frequency in the presence of both adults and other children. This is creating a sense of disrespect and incivility in the school. • ODRs during December are higher than in any other month. Primary Primary

Precise or Primary Statement? Precise • James D. is hitting others in the cafeteria during lunch, and his hitting is maintained by peer attention. • Boys are engaging in sexual harassment. • Three 5th grade boys are name calling and touching girls inappropriately during recess in an apparent attempt to obtain attention. Primary Precise

Precise or Primary Statement? Minor disrespect and disruption are increasing over time, and are most likely during the last 15 minutes of our block periods when students are engaged in independent seat work. This pattern is most common in 7th and 8th grades, involves many students, and appears to be maintained by escape from work (but may also be maintained by peer attention… we are not sure). Precise

Examples: Primary to Precise • Gang-like behavior is increasing • Texting during school is becoming more negative • Bullying (verbal and physical aggression) on the playground is increasing during “first recess,” is being done mostly by four 4th grade boys, and seems to be maintained by social praise from the bystander peer group. • A large number of students in each grade level (6, 7, 8) are using texting to spread rumors, and harass peers. Texting occurs both during the school day, and after school, and appears to be maintained by attention from others.

Examples: Primary to Precise • Carly is having reading difficulties • 50% of 2nd graders are not meeting math benchmarks • Carly is reading 20 cwpm (goal is 60), skips or guesses at words she doesn’t know, mostly during language arts • 2nd graders, who entered school after Oct 31, do not know whole numbers 75-100 and are not accurately adding two digit numbers because of lack of skills

Your Turn • Identify a “Primary” problem • Transform it into a “Precise” problem statement

Organizing Data for Decision-making • Compare data across time • Moving from counts to count/month

Making Data into Information • Look first at your patterns (tell the story) • Level, Trend • Peaks • Match data to current perceptions • Compare your data • With national median • With last year • With what your faculty/students/ families want What is? What is typical? What is possible? What is needed?

Total Office Discipline Referrals as of January 10 Total Office Discipline Referrals Newton, J. S., Todd, A. W., Algozzine, K., Horner, R. H., & Algozzine, B. (2009). The Team Initiated Problem Solving (TIPS) Training Manual. Educational and Community Supports, University of Oregon, unpublished training manual.

SWIS summary 2009-10 (Majors Only)4,019 schools; 2,063,408 students; 1,622,229 ODRs Newton, J. S., Todd, A. W., Algozzine, K., Horner, R. H., & Algozzine, B. (2009). The Team Initiated Problem Solving (TIPS) Training Manual. Educational and Community Supports, University of Oregon, unpublished training manual.

Elementary School with 150 Students Questions to Ask of the Data What is? What is typical? What is possible? What is needed? Compare with National Median 150 / 100 = 1.50 1.50 X .22 = .33 Newton, J. S., Todd, A. W., Algozzine, K., Horner, R. H., & Algozzine, B. (2009). The Team Initiated Problem Solving (TIPS) Training Manual. Educational and Community Supports, University of Oregon, unpublished training manual.

Example of primary problem statement from previous report • Our average Major ODRs per school day per month are higher than national median for a school of our enrollment size. We have peaks in frequency of problems in Nov, Feb & April, with an increasing trend from August to May. Newton, J. S., Todd, A. W., Algozzine, K., Horner, R. H., & Algozzine, B. (2009). The Team Initiated Problem Solving (TIPS) Training Manual. Educational and Community Supports, University of Oregon, unpublished training manual.

Elementary School 465 students (465/ 100 = 4.6 X .22= 1.01) Newton, J. S., Todd, A. W., Algozzine, K., Horner, R. H., & Algozzine, B. (2009). The Team Initiated Problem Solving (TIPS) Training Manual. Educational and Community Supports, University of Oregon, unpublished training manual.

Elementary School 1500 Students (1500/100 =105 X .22= 3.3) Newton, J. S., Todd, A. W., Algozzine, K., Horner, R. H., & Algozzine, B. (2009). The Team Initiated Problem Solving (TIPS) Training Manual. Educational and Community Supports, University of Oregon, unpublished training manual.

Middle School 765 students (765/100 = 7.6 X .50= 3.8)

Describe the narrative for this school

Team-Initiated Problem Solving (TIPS)