PBS Day 4

1. 25 Industrial Park Road, Middletown, CT 06457-1520 · (860) 632-1485 Connecticut State Department of Education · Division of Educational Programs and Services PBS Day 4 Kim Mearman mearman@ctserc.org Regina M. Oliver oliver@ctserc.org

2. Today’s Objectives • Responding to Behaviors • Developing a Reward System to Encourage Expected Behaviors • Developing Procedures to Discourage Inappropriate Behaviors • Monitoring Implementation and Progress of School-Wide/District-Wide PBS

3. Let’s Warm Up… • You are driving along a highway with a 55 mile speed limit. This stretch is known for its heavy traffic and police speed traps. You have passengers you love dearly in your car. You are running five minutes behind schedule to a surprise party.

4. Let’s Warm Up… • What speed do you drive? Why? • Round robin • Put responses on Post-its • Group like responses together

5. Essential Question… • Do people have the same reasons for doing the same behavior? • Do people have reasons for doing a different behavior?

6. Let’s Reflect… • What motivates behavior? • What do we gain? or • What do we avoid?

7. Definitions to Remember

8. Definitions Reinforcer • Any event that maintains or increases the future probability of the occurrence of the behavior.

9. Positive Reinforcement: presentation of an event (something gained) For example Aliza completes her work in order to get extra computer time Negative Reinforcement: escape or avoidance of an event based on the removal of something undesirable. For example Malcolm finishes his math after he has to stay in the room for recess, to avoid loosing the whole recess Definitions

10. Reinforcement Continuum Intrinsic • Praise • Social status and recognition • Privileges • Contingent access • Tangibles Primary—edibles, physiological responses Heather George, University of South Florida

11. What is the Difference? Dialogue in your team this question: • What is the difference between a reward and a reinforcement?

12. What is the Difference? • Reinforcement is the effect a consequence has on a behavior. • Reward is a thing given as an acknowledgement for a behavior and may or may not serve as a reinforcer. Magg, 2001

13. Definitions Punisher • An event that decreases the likelihood of the reoccurrence of the behavior

14. Remember When… • Think of a time when you were a child that you did something even though you would be punished if you got caught. • Did the threat of the punishment change your behavior? • When you were punished for something, how did you feel/perceive that punishment?

15. What Does “Punishment” Really Do? • Resentment- “This is unfair.” • Revenge- “I’ll get them.” • Rebellion- “I’ll prove I don’t have to do it their way.” • Retreat • Sneakiness- “I won’t get caught next time.” • Reduced self-esteem- “I am a bad person.” Nelson, 1999

16. “The key consideration in definitions is that positive reinforcement and punishments are not things but effects.” “Reinforcement and punishment are naturally occurring phenomena -all behaviors are followed by certain consequences.” Think About This… Magg, 2001

17. Some Frequent Confusions… • Discipline • Comes from the Latin root word disciplina, meaning teaching or learning • Consequence • The event that occurs immediately after a behavior • Naturally occurring vs. manipulated

18. What is the Difference? Dialogue in your team this question: • What is the difference between managing and changing behaviors?

19. Managing Behaviors “Controls” the behavior for the moment Concentrates on the effect the behavior has on the environment Focuses on consequences Changing Behaviors Shaping behavior for long term effects Determining the effect the environment has on the behavior Focuses on teaching behaviors Changing vs. Managing Behaviors

20. Developing a School-wide Reward System to Encourage Expected Behaviors

21. Catch ‘em Being Good • The majority of teacher feedback and attention is directed toward undesirable behavior. • Catch ‘Em Being Good • Bigger payoff in focusing on positive behaviors. • Reinforcement increases likelihood of positive behaviors occurring in the future.

22. Something to Think About… • Do we provide reinforcers with what an individual wants? • Do we make direct connections with the reinforcement to the school-wide expectations?

23. Guidelines for Reinforcement • Reward based on school-wide expectations • Reward frequently in the beginning • Keep ratios of reinforcement high (4:1) • Refrain from threatening the loss of rewards as a strategy for motivating desired behaviors

24. Guidelines for Reinforcement • Involve students on your team to help determine meaningful rewards • Develop rewards across the continuum • Provide time for staff to have conversations about the reward system annually and plan for staff boosters as needed

25. Tips for Teachers Why traditional rewards (e.g., stickers) don’t work for some students • The reward is not preferred by the student and insufficient choices have been offered • Offer 3 choices and allow the student to pick • The natural consequence is more reinforcing (e.g., teacher attention, even if negative) • Reinforcement vs. reward

26. Consider Token Economy • Students earn a symbolic representation or token (immediate reinforcement) exchangeable for some reinforcer of value to the student (backup reinforcer). Ex. Students earn “Riverside Bucks” to purchase items at the school store.

27. Meeting Token System Challenges • If tangible tokens are used: • Ensure an adequate supply • Take steps to prohibit counterfeiting • Develop a system for “spending” tokens • Establish an efficient system of record keeping

28. Meeting Token System Challenges • Provide staff with ample supplies of tokens • Designate a percentage of the tokens to be used to reward students who are not on a teacher’s roll

29. What Have Other SchoolsFound to be Effective? • School bucks to use in a school store on a regular basis (weekly) • “Caught Being Good” certificates • School Mascot cut-outs with students’ names printed on them--used in lottery drawings once a week or twice a month

30. Time to Work… • Develop or revise a school-wide system for a continuum of reinforcement that is meaningful to students and aligned with the expectations • How will students know how the reinforcement aligns with the expectations? • How will students, who are challenged to meet the expectations, be targeted to receive reinforcement?

31. Time to Work… • Develop or revise a school-wide system for consistency in staff’s use of reinforcement • Increase use of reinforcement with staff to a ration of 4:1 • Increase the opportunity of staff providing reinforcement school-wide vs. just individual classrooms

32. Let’s Share Ideas… Each school-level team share • One innovative idea for reinforcing students • One challenge the team will need to wrestle with

33. A Hypothetical Scenario…

34. What If…? A colleague has come to you asking for Tylenol for a severe headache. You are caught giving this person “drugs”, which you carry regularly with you for your own frequent headaches.

35. What If…? As an employee of the Board of Education, you are very aware of the district’s policy on drug free and safe schools. As a result of this act, both you and your colleague are fired. You are not allowed to appeal this decision because the policy is clear about suspension and termination as they align with violations of district policy.

36. What If…? • How does this make you feel? • Is this fair and just? Why or why not? • What does this tell us about the influence of policies on decision-making about responding to behaviors?

37. What if This Were a Child? • Virginia - September 1997 • 9 year old handed out Certs Concentrated Mints • One day suspension for possession and distribution of “look-alike” drugs and was interviewed by police

38. Would This Happen Our District? • Pennsylvania – November, 1998 • A 1st grader suspended from school for having a 5 inch plastic axe when he dressed up as a fireman for a school Halloween event.

39. Texas – November, 1999 A 13-year-old asked to write a “scary” Halloween story. When he wrote a story about “shooting up” a school… Received a passing grade Referred to the school principal’s office. School called the police The child spent 6 days in jail before the court confirmed that no crime had been committed Would This Happen Our District?

40. Does Zero Tolerance Work? • “Schools that rely heavily on zero tolerance policies continue to be less safe than schools that implement fewer components of zero tolerance.” (Skiba & Peterson, 2000) • National data show that serious infractions, which are the target of zero tolerance policies, are rare. These policies are more frequently applied to minor infractions and may actually result in increasing infractions rather than decreasing them. (Skiba, 2000)

41. Does Zero Tolerance Work? • Zero tolerance has resulted in an increase in suspensions nationally. It has also resulted in an increase in lawsuits from parents. (Skiba, 2000) • An appellate court in Pennsylvania recently held that a school’s policy of “zero tolerance” exceeded the authority of the school board.

42. Talk About This… • Would a zero tolerance in Columbine prevented those students from shooting? • For which student does zero tolerance work?

43. Are We Discriminating? • The research in suspensions with minority students has been consistent for over 25 years. • Black students are 2 to 3 times more likely to be suspended than white students. (Skiba, 2000) • Connecticut data shows 10% of the students in general education are suspended, while 19% of the students in special education are suspended. (CSDE 99-00 suspension data)

44. So Now Talk About This… • What does our suspension data tell us about minority students and students in special education?

45. Developing Procedures to Discourage Inappropriate Behavior

46. Three Components

47. Prevention Strategies Set up the environment to deter occurrence of inappropriate behavior. • Organizing physical space and transitions times • Planning instruction to meet levels, needs, and interests • Fostering positive adult/child interaction

48. A Quick Review on Teaching • Strategies • Problem-solving • Coping • Replacement behaviors or compensation strategies • Skills • Specific social skills

49. Response Strategies • Provide cues or prompts as a reminder. • Provide specific and clear feedback following particular behaviors. • Address problem behavior to discourage reoccurrence by (re-) teaching appropriate skills.

50. Traditional Approach to Managing Challenging Behaviors Challenging behavior Perception of noncompliance Maintain/increase challenging behaviors Look to “Control “or “Punish” Design/apply manipulative interventions to have power over student Student’s needs remain unaddressed (Knoster and Lapos, 1993)