MVHS

1. MVHS K. Kevin Aten Chief Human Resources Officer katen@greeleyschools.org • Climate and Culture: • Pathways to Student Achievement

2. The MVHS Story • New School • PBIS was a slow start “5 years to implement-No way” • Implementation is a process • Ties into RtII and School Climate and Culture • Let’s go back in time.....

3. MVHS —Years 1-2 • New school • Everything was new • Lots of excitement, not much focus • Student body was small • Master schedule was designed for adults • Achievement was low

4. MVHS—Years 2-12 • New principal arrives, focus on achievement • Hiring new teachers • Lots of staff issues had developed • Students behaviors were a problem and staff convinced, “...all these bad students” • Master schedule was for students • Achievement was low

5. MVHS—Now • 1,100 students 30% free and reduced, 15% ELA, 12% Exceptional Services (57% impact) • High student acheivement and growth—Colorado performance-rated high school • Staff who work together • RAMP-certified couseling program • Constistent systems, and PBIS was 94%/4%/1%

6. So What? • The climate and culture of a building will not change until you do • We must model positive behavior • Achievement will increase when we inspire students, not force them to comply (and get them involved) • Build a place where we all want to be!

7. MVHS—Years 2-12

8. MVHS...”PB...What?” • PBIS-Efforts are “slow” 2003-2004 • “PBIS is really no discipline, right!” • Staff hate PBIS...and each other “We own this school.” “Let’s get tough.” (Eliminated the handbook) • What does discipline mean...let me tell you...Mr. Aten.....

9. MVHS...”PB...What?” • What does discipline mean...let me tell you...Mr. Aten.....

10. MVHS—Years 2-12 • Middle English origin of the word discipline is Latin via Old French as it comes from the word disciplina, which means “knowledge or instruction.”

11. Eight Principles ofPositive Behavior Systems • Establish administrative leadership • Develop team-based implementation • Define behavioral expectations • Teach behavioral expectations

12. Eight Principles ofPositive Behavior Systems • Acknowledge and reward appropriate behavior • Monitor and correct behavioral errors • Use information and data for decision-making • Build parent collaboration

13. Philosophy of PBIS

14. Behavior Support-vs-Management

15. Behavior in Ecological Terms • Behavior: In a given time and place • Person: Influences interactions with the environment • Environment: Physical space, people present, social atmosphere, events and activities, rules and norms • Football game versus library (screaming is encouraged at one of these place)

16. Replacement Behaviors • Behavior fulfills….get into or out of ?! • Context Matters for behaviors • Replacement behaviors are: • Set of socially acceptable behaviors… • to achieve the same outcome! • • Teaches good examples of the “right thing”

17. 2 Worries and Ineffective Responsesto Problem Behavior • #1--Get Tough (practices) • Label, suspend, remove, redo (wolfpack) • #2--Train-&-Hope (systems) • Do nothing and hope for the best

18. Worry #1“Teaching” by Getting Tough • Runyon: “I hate this &$@#% school, & you’re a dumb &$@#%.” • Teacher: “That is disrespectful language. I’m sending you to the office so you’ll learn never to say those words again….starting now!” • Principal: “Ugh...who is teaching behavior around here--me apparently?”

19. Immediate & seductive solution….”Get Tough!” • Clamp down & increase monitoring • The whole world is a nail.... • Re-re-re-review rules • Extend continuum & consistency of consequences • Establish “bottom line” • ...Predictable individual response is payback !!

20. Reactive responses are predictable…. • When we experience aversive situation, we select interventions that produce immediate relief • Remove student (for up to 10 days in Colorado) • Remove ourselves(sick days, no staff trust) • Modify physical environment (shorten passing) • Assign responsibility for change to student and/or others (an iron-clad duty schedule is developed)

21. When behavior doesn’t improve, we “Get Tougher!” • Zero tolerance policies (Colorado legislature) • Increased surveillance (iron-clad duty schedule) • Increased suspension and expulsion • In-service training by expert • Alternative programming • …..Get tougher systems response based on the wrong problem!

22. Worry #2“Train & hope” approach • React to identified problem • Select and add practice, more complex • Hire expert to train practice • Expect and hope for implementation • Wait for new problem…. • Hope it doesn’t happen in “front of me” • 7. Hope someone else will “do behavior” • NOTE: 6 and 7 are dangerous and illegal

23. Worry #2“Train & hope” approach • Hope it doesn’t happen in “front of me” • 7. Hope someone else will “do behavior” • Why are 6 and 7 dangerous and illegal??

25. Erroneous assumption that student… • Is inherently “bad” • Will learn more appropriate behavior through increased use of “aversives” • Will be better tomorrow……. • Someone will take his/her place...yes, it happens....gang behavior...

26. But….false sense of safety and security! • Fosters environments of control • Triggers and reinforces antisocial behavior • Shifts accountability away from school • Devalues child-adult relationship • Weakens relationship between academic and social behavior programming • Hurts student achievement—Students learn compliance and are not inspired to work hard • Is this an engaging place to be???

27. Science of behavior has taught us that students…. • Are NOT born with “bad behaviors” • Do NOT learn when presented contingent aversive consequences (triggers) • ……..Do learn better ways of behaving by being taught directly & receiving positive feedback….consider the functional behavior

28. Challenge… • We must work collaboratively to enhance schools’ capacity to respond proactively, effectively, efficiently, & relevantly to range of problem behaviors observed in schools--Every person who enters the school is part of the problem and part of the solution.

29. “Zero Tolerance” and “Train and Hope” Do Not Increase Student Achievement • Research reports it doesn’t work • Train and Hope “passes the buck” • 37 pages of rules-who cares? • Too many committees, too little action • Exclusionary and does not help adults • Reinforces bad behavior, cycle of “pay back” • What’s our goal for achievement? (high schools don’t see behavior=achievement) • What is Fair?

30. When a student says...“Hey, you’re not being fair.” (before you answer, assume the student is not whining)What does she mean?

31. Teach What We Expect

32. School-wide Behavior Systems in Place School-wide Behavior Systems NOT in place Literacy Interventions in Place Improved Literacy NO Literacy Improvement Literacy Interventions NOT in Place NO Literacy Improvement NO Literacy Improvement (Kellem et al.)

33. MVHS—Years 2-12 • POWER is a napkin idea from Patty Cisneros, Campus Security • SAT Team--Nancy Meredith, Beth Dickson, and PE department make the difference • Staff issues • Achievement was low

34. MVHS—2003-2005 • PBIS vote failed, “It was sad, but good.” • Training and “one conversation at a time” • No Excuses Leadership, ”I quit a million times.” • Thanks to Nancy and Beth and our SAT team members, “Come on people....”

35. MVHS—2005-2006 • Teaching matrix v1.0 is introduced to students (some staff hate it) • POWER tickets begin (“stupid”) • New teachers have a district PBIS module, but no MVHS training

36. MVHS—2006-2007 • POWER in the hallways with banners and posters • A few teachers begin teaching behavior each class period • Students and parents on the PBIS Team

37. MVHS—2007-2008 • New teachers taught PBIS in the MVHS way • Office-versus-classroom-managed behaviors is introduced (quietly) • Attendance and Classroom Data • 5:1 began in some classrooms

38. MVHS—2008-2009 • PBIS PLC time • Sustaining PBIS is introduced • Staff awards introduced • Quarterly PBIS data chats with staff • Finally some staff depart... “I promised” • Freshman Parent Night begins

39. Freshman Parent Night • Welcome to MVHS!!! • We are glad to help • Not a 4-year race

40. MVHS—2009-2010 • MVHS is recognized as a top 10 PBIS high schools • PBIS team reorganized and meet monthly at lunch • Better prizes for students • Achievement improves • Matrix 2.0 introduced

41. MVHS—2010-2011 • Web site is the main communication tool • Office-vs-Classroom managed required • Friday awards for students from POWER ticket drawing • CHAMPS introduced and 73% of staff take summer voluntary training • POWER for Parents

42. MVHS—2011-2012 • MVHS is a 25% “choice-in” high school • Top achievement high school in Loveland • Friday awards for students from POWER ticket drawing and teachers • CHAMPS syllabus required • Facebook and Twitter are PBIS tools

43. MVHS—2012-2013 • Student of the Week continues • Students run the student award program • Student Input for rewards for student parking spot, first in the lunch line and free activity passes to all school events • Staff of the Week continues

44. School-wide Behavior Systems in Place School-wide Behavior Systems NOT in place Literacy Interventions in Place Improved Literacy NO Literacy Improvement Literacy Interventions NOT in Place NO Literacy Improvement NO Literacy Improvement (Kellem et al.)

45. Break • Heard the MVHS Story • Now see the specific examples (after break) • I was told, “you just can’t do it in a high school”...so many times.

46. Culture Questions • How do staff interact with students and each other? • Do you have bells and why? • How many pages of rules-Do students know them? • Are parents true partners in your high school?

47. Culture Questions • Do you have an RtII committee and plan? • What is the role of data in behavior and achievement? • Is your master schedule built for students or adults? • Does the principal offer “no excuses” leadership? REALLY?

48. MVHS PBIS MVHS PBIS • Mountain View High School MVHS PBIS MVHS PBIS

49. MVHS PBIS • What is one rule, process or system in which your staff has 100 percent agreement?

50. Mountain View High School • Loveland, CO