Sustainable Practices for SW-PBIS Implementation at Birch Grove Elementary School

1. Sustainability Tina Czech, Birch Grove Elementary School Ann Osterhus, Facilitator

2. Introductions • Introduce yourself to the group with name, school and district name. • Share one concern, question or comment about implementation in year 3 • (Tina and Ann will note your comments to generate network topics for the end of the meeting)

3. Don’t let PBIS become a Passing Fad

4. Pair and Share • On a scale of 1-10 where is your building at in terms of sustainability? • What is your building currently doing to sustain PBIS? • What are the barriers or challenges to sustainability?

5. Sustaining SW-PBIS • Research • Increasing Buy-In • Awareness • Community and Parent Involvement • Administrator and Leadership

6. Research-Kent Mcintosh • SUBSIST – School-Wide Universal Behavior Sustainability Index: School Teams • A survey of 257 schools nation-wide • SUBSIST available as a checklist for school teams

7. Research findings • Administrator Support • During both implementation and sustaining • Actively support SWPBIS • Ensures regular time for and attends meetings • SWPBIS is a top priority • Fidelity of Implementation • During both implementation and sustaining • Adequate implementation provides positive feedback on student outcomes • Without effects may not be observable – practice abandonment

8. Research findings, continued • Effective and Efficient Teaming • During both implementation and sustaining • Regular meetings, at least monthly • Knowledge and skills of members • Meeting organization and efficiency • Data • During both implementation and sustaining • Data Driven Decision Making

9. Research findings, continued • Features More Important for Sustaining • Maintaining a HIGH level of fidelity of implementation • Envisioning SW-PBIS as part of systems already in use • Parent and Community Involvement • Integrating new initiatives into SW-PBIS • Maintaining 80% commitment from staff (preliminary results)

10. Practices • Continue to do TIC and use it as a planning tool • Create a yearly action plan and update at each meeting • Meet monthly, or more, as a team • Use precision statements in problem solving • Create useful, short-term data sources to measure implementation • Strive to always reach 80% or greater fidelity of implementation • Share data monthly with stakeholders • Maintain a SW-PBIS notebook and keep it up to date

11. How BG sustains PBIS • Train new staff • Present at open house • Inform parents • Ever-evolving

12. Increasing staff buy-in and awareness • Workshop review with all staff, new and returning • PBIS “refresher course” every winter • Share and action plan around data

13. Increasing staff buy-in • Keep staff personally invested!!! • Recognize staff as well as students • Keep whole staff involved in decisions • Examples of staff morale activities: • Tropical Lounge Escape • Secret Snowflake • “Who Cares” slips • Fill your bucket • A Million things went right today • Festive sweater Fridays • Halloween feast • Valentines • Easter treat

14. Community and parent involvement • Open House: Table set up at open house • Students who could name all 5 themes received a paw-print • Especially helpful for new parents • 2) Parent Handbook

15. Parent Handbook Sample • Dear Parents and Students: • Welcome to the Grove! Our school is committed to providing a strong educational program for our children. We are • devoted to creating a nurturing, safe and welcoming school climate for our families and students. We encourage family • involvement and want to work as partners with parents to provide the best educational experience for our children. • This handbook was created to help you learn about our policies, procedures and expectations as a member of the BG • community. As with most printed material, unforeseen circumstances may warrant some changes as we go through the • school year. However, we have made an attempt to give you clear and accurate information that will be valuable as we • go through the school year. • We want all students to be happy at school and to learn all that they possibly can. Student success is very important. To • make sure students are successful we have a program called BG CARES: Bobcat Pride. • BG CARES: Cooperation • Assertiveness • Responsibility • Empathy • Self-Control • Bobcat Pride addresses the entire school; classroom, hallway, bus, cafeteria and lunchroom. Our goal is to work as a • team to learn more, support each other and have fun in the process. Last school year we continued to see a reduction • in major referrals since we began using BG CARES in 2010. • Please contact us if you have questions, comments or concerns about what is found within these pages. Additional • information can be found on our district web page at www.disrict279.org. • We look forward to another fantastic school year! • Sincerely, • Jeff Zastrow • Principal

16. Parent Handbook Sample, cont. • 279 District Mission: • Our Mission is to inspire and prepare all students with the confidence, courage and competence to achieve their dreams, • contribute to community, and engage in a lifetime of learning, • Core Values and Strategic Objectives • We believe that – • Lifelong learning is essential for the individual and the community to thrive; • Everyone has equal intrinsic value; • Trust is essential to sustaining successful relationships and to achieving results; • Better decisions emerge when diverse perspectives are intentionally included in a collaborative process; • Everyone benefits when cultural differences are acknowledged and understood, and individuals are treated respectfully • and equitable; and • Everyone can learn more • Birch Grove School for the Arts Mission Statement • THROUGH THE ARTS, we will implement research-based instructional strategies, engage students in learning through • challenging and meaningful assessment, provide a safe and respectful environment to promote peace, and nurture • creativity and growth. • Birch Grove Pledge • At Birch Grove students and adults are Cooperative, Assertive, Responsible, Emphatic, and Show Self-Control. This leads • to a safe, positive learning environment that increases student achievement. • BG CARES! • At Birch Grove, we update our goals every Fall. We will continue to focus on helping each child grow academically and • socially through an emphasis on the arts. • Our goals focus on student and school-wide success in math and reading. • We give extra reading and math support to students based on their needs. • Birch Grove Elementary School for the Arts is a Positive Behavior Supports and Interventions (PBIS) school. We just call • it Bobcat Pride! With this framework, we continue to create a safe and positive environment for our parents, students • and staff through a model we call BG C.A.R.E.S. • We are looking at maintaining this positive school culture.

17. Ever-evolving • Continue to scrutinize, change, and perfect all aspects of your PBIS program • This year: new posters, new paw prints, student of the month assemblies, teacher paw prints

18. Administration and leadership • Continue to share ideas and data with leadership • Struggle between verbal support and actions • Encourage leadership to attend coach’s meetings

19. Sustaining in Minnesota • Continue doing a SET yearly • BoQ (upon invitation from MN) after 2 more 80% SETS (after training) • BoQ for 2 years, followed by a SET • Apply for MN Recognition upon receiving an invitation • Attend Coach Meetings • Cohort 9 and 10 (5/year) and/or Sustaining Sessions (2/year) • Watch for other invitations • Attend Yearly PBIS State Institute • Read email bulletins sent quarterly • Give Back – present at sustaining meetings, become involved in coach conference calls, ask for ways in which you can give back, become a trainer, attend Coach Cohort meetings and share your experiences

20. Sustaining Tools • Coach Calendar for sustaining coaches • Desk Mat • SUBSIST Team Self-Evaluation • Practice Profile Rubric • PBISapps.org MATT, BAT, BoQ, SET, TIC, SAS, School Safety Survey, others

21. Partner Share • 2 steps you (and your team) will take towards sustainability

22. Final Thoughts • Questions • Networking Topics • Sharing • Individual help and/or planning