I met with Mr. Waldren of the Wenatchee School District on Monday.  He will be preparing a report on what is happening with PBIS (Positive Behavior Interventions & Supports) in the district.  I will post the report to this blog.  Hopefully the post will be available within the next couple weeks.  In the meantime, keep encouraging your schools' efforts at learning more about the PBIS framework and making positive changes in their school culture and environment.

I know it has been awhile since my last post on this blog.  Please know that several in the Time for Change group are very involved with the Wenatchee School District by educating leaders and encouraging PBIS as an alternative to Make Your Day.  Updates are in the works but not ready to post at this time.  Please feel free to comment on what you have heard or observed in terms of changes or lack of changes this year.  The more eyes and ears we have in our efforts - the better and stronger the changes will be.

Note: Comments must be approved before posting.  If you want to send me a private message about your school or the district that you don't want posted, please label the comment "private."

Sample Thank You Letters

EDUCATOR
Dear {name},

I would like to thank you for your support of Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) for the Wenatchee School District.  I was pleased that you attended the Washington PBIS Conference on November 4^th and 5^th.

Sincerely,

PRINCIPAL
Dear Principal {name},

I would like to thank you for your support of Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) for the Wenatchee School District.  I was pleased that {educator name} from {school name} School attended the Washington PBIS Conference on November 4^th and 5^th.

Sincerely,

SUPERINTENDENT and/or SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS
Dear Superintendent Flones,

I would like to thank you for your support of Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) for the Wenatchee School District.  I was pleased at the number of educators from Wenatchee attending the Washington PBIS Conference on November 4^th and 5^th. Your support for Lewis and Clark Elementary as they transition to PBIS from Make Your Day has been excellent.

Thank you again for taking this bold step towards transforming Wenatchee School District into a PBIS district.  I believe this will have a far reaching positive impact on all of our students, both current and future.  PBIS has been proven to promote pro-social behavior and reduce bullying plus increase academic engagement and parent/teacher satisfaction.

Sincerely,

BIG thanks to Wenatchee Educators

On November 4^th and 5^th, NorthWest PBIS hosted the 3^rd Annual Washington PBIS Conference in Bellevue.  This conference offered a chance to learn about Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) from national and local experts in the field.  Attendees had the opportunity to:    

ü  Gain an understanding of data based decision-making in schools.

ü  Identify practical applications of positive behavior support in a variety of settings.

ü  Learn how teams apply PBIS strategies within schools.

ü  Connect to a network of facilitators who will support your school or district during PBIS implementation.

ü  Leave with plans and the materials necessary for effective and efficient implementation.

ü  Network with over 600 scholars, specialists, and educators from around the Northwest including Alaska, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, and Hawaii.

Wenatchee School District and Lewis & Clark Elementary sent these educators:

«  John Waldren - Wenatchee School District Administrator

«  Kevin Parr - Lincoln Elementary: 4^th Grade Teacher

«  Susie Choman - Pioneer Middle School: 8^th Grade Science Teacher

«  Kelli Ottley - Columbia Elementary: School Counselor

«  Gioconda Jackson - Lewis & Clark Elementary: School Counselor

«  Caiti Velazquez - Lewis & Clark Elementary: Librarian

«  Olivia Jarvis - Lewis & Clark Elementary: 5^th Grade Teacher

«  Lisa Steitz - Lewis & Clark Elementary: 3^rd Grade Teacher

«  Maria González - Lewis & Clark Elementary: 1^st Grade Teacher

Also, attending:

·         Lauren Mathison - Lewis & Clark Elementary parent & member of the PBIS team

·         Michelle Jobe - Wenatchee School District parent & member of the District PBIS committee

·         Jennifer Talbot - Wenatchee School District parent & PBIS advocate

Does one of these educators work at your child's school? 

Please take a moment to thank this individual for attending and for their interest in Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS).  Also, thank the school's principal for supporting the exploration of PBIS.

Homework? 

If you would, please write a letter to Wenatchee School District Superintendent, Brian Flones, thanking him for sending this group to the conference and for his support of PBIS for our schools and our community.

Brian Flones; Wenatchee School District; 235 Sunset Avenue; Wenatchee, WA  98801

  

PBIS and Washington State PTA

In addition to being a priority for National PTA lobby efforts, Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports is now on the Washington State PTA legislative platform.

Post from the Washington State PTA legislative assembly blog: 
 http://wsptalegassembly.blogspot.com/2012/09/positive-behavior-interventions-and.html

Thursday, October 4, 2012

Positive Behavior Interventions and Support

UPDATE: This issue was amended and placed on Washington State PTA's short-term platform Oct. 20, 2012. It will be an association priority for the 2013 and 2014 state legislative sessions. Amended language is in red.

SUPPORTED ISSUE:The Washington State PTA shall initiate and/or support legislation or policies that:

• Promote and support implementation of school-wide Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports (PBIS) or similar evidence-based programs, and discourage use of zero tolerance policies, open-ended expulsions and suspension policies that take students out of a productive learning environment.
• Require review of discipline policies in the state's "required action" audits and inclusion of school-wide PBIS or similar evidence-based programs in improvement plans for the state's persistently lowest performing schools.
• Require alternative education assignments for students suspended or expelled.
• Increase investment for technical assistance, training, and implementation of the PBIS model or similar evidence-based models of addressing behavioral problems in schools.
• Assist in the development and implementation of integrated data systems to inform strategies and trigger supports and research-based interventions, including social and emotional learning methods, for students and families.

 WSPTA board:  Do Pass

• Issue submitted by: Jennifer Talbot, Lewis & Clark Elementary PTA 11.5.15; Michelle Jobe, Lewis & Clark Elementary PTA 11.5.15; DeeDee Loberg, Greenacres Elementary PTSA 15.2.25; Anna Riggan, Lewis & Clark Elementary PTA 11.5.15; Dori Tate Ballou Jr. High PTA 5.7.85, Brooke Valentine, Kent Area PTA Council 9.7

Submitter statement for adoption:

Out-of-school suspension, zero-tolerance and expulsion remove students from the classroom and lead to an increased chance of dropping out of school. However, disruptive behavior in school is a significant concern for parents, teachers, and administrators. How do schools maintain discipline and safety for all students?

Positive Behavior Interventions & Support (PBIS) is a school-wide behavior model, culminating from 30 years of research. Why is PBIS so important for our children? Research shows that behavior and academics are linked. Schools using PBIS with fidelity have environments that are safer, less reactive and exclusionary; more engaging, preventative, and productive; improve supports for students whose behavior require more specialized assistance; maximize academic achievement for all students.

The universal elements of PBIS include: establishing clear positive expectations; teaching expected behaviors; providing positive feedback; intervening when appropriate; using data for on-going monitoring and evaluation.

The eleven National Technical Assistance Centers for PBIS work in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Education. Over 17,000 schools nationwide use PBIS; over 400 in Washington state. The U.S. Department of Education Strategic Plan for 2011-2014 exclusively acknowledges PBIS. The National PTA acknowledges PBIS in its Federal Policy recommendations. Many states have initiatives for assisting schools and district in PBIS implementation. It is time for the state of Washington to demonstrate more dedicated support of PBIS as an efficient and effective behavior management strategy for ALL children and a means to close the achievement gap, reduce suspensions and expulsions, and eliminate zero-tolerance or non-evidence based discipline policies.

Con arguments

There were no issues identified by the WSPTA Board. The legislative committee expressed support for ending zero tolerance policies and curbing expulsions and suspensions, but wanted to ensure discipline policies were district driven.

It should be noted PBIS is an approach, not a packaged curriculum, scripted intervention, or manualized strategy. Schools use their own data to establish expectations, goals and strategies to create and sustain positive learning climates. (FAQ: http://www.pbis.org/pbis_faq.aspx )

Context and timeliness

Expulsions and suspensions have not been effective disciplinary measures and have contributed to the achievement gaps. Their overuse has especially hurt kids of color and special education students. Zero-tolerance policies have led to an increased reliance on suspensions and expulsions. At the same time, school climate is essential both for individual student success and whole-school turnaround. In the call to reform school discipline, advocates have embraced proactive approaches that establish school-wide behavior expectations, help teach them when necessary, and use data to understand where breakdowns are happening and identify intervention strategies.

ZERO TOLERANCE ISN’T WORKING

For at-risk students, the most consistently documented outcome of suspension and expulsion appears to be further suspension and expulsion. Punishing children by taking away instructional time can end up pushing them out of school. And in the case of open-ended expulsions, children have no guarantee they will receive an education from another institution.

According to a synopsis of research from the National Association of School Psychologists:

• Harsh punishment and zero tolerance policies have not been effective at either improving behavioral climate in schools, or preventing students with problem behaviors from entering the juvenile justice system.
• Three years after being excluded from school, almost 70 percent of these youth have been arrested.
  SOURCE: http://www.nasponline.org/educators/SchoolClimatePBIS.pdf;  http://www.nasponline.org/resources/factsheets/pbs_fs.aspx

The American Psychological Association recommends rethinking zero tolerance policies and looking at alternative disciplinary practices:

• “Despite a 20-year history of implementation, there are surprisingly few data that could directly test the assumptions of a zero tolerance approach to school discipline, and the data that are available tend to contradict those assumptions. Moreover, zero tolerance policies may negatively affect the relationship of education with juvenile justice and appear to conflict to some degree with current best knowledge concerning adolescent development.” (Excerpted from, “Are Zero Tolerance Policies Effective in the Schools? An evidentiary review and recommendations.” American Psychologist, December 2008. http://www.apa.org/pubs/info/reports/zero-tolerance.pdf)

SOMETHING BETTER

Schools need effective, proactive strategies. Positive Behavior Intervention & Supports is a framework that is research- and evidence-based -- backed up by 130 research publications between 1983 and 2009.

PBIS is a systems approach for schools desiring to maximize academic achievement and social-emotional growth for all students. PBIS utilizes a three-tiered approach with progressively increased levels of support for students who need them. The first tier of systems and supports focuses on the prevention of problem behavior and is delivered to the entire student body. The second and third tiers of systems and supports are designed to minimize the impact of problem behavior for at-risk students and to teach new and more appropriate behavioral skills. Tier 2 strategies are designed for small groups of students; 10 to 15 percent of students are expected to need this level of support. Tier 3 strategies are individualized and are expected to be needed for 1 to 5 percent of students.

Schools implementing PBIS create uniform behavioral expectations for all classrooms and building locations, develop systematic procedures for teaching and positively reinforcing expectations for students and staff, and utilize school teams that employ data-based decision-making to guide implementation (Sugai & Horner, 2002).

PBIS is acknowledged and supported by the U.S. Department of Education and the Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. Additionally, PBIS is the only behavior management framework specifically recommended in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) and in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
 According to the synopsis from the National Association of School Psychologists:

• Schools that implement system-wide interventions also report increased time engaged in academic activities and improved academic performance.
• Schools that employ system-wide interventions for problem behavior prevention indicate reductions in office discipline referrals of 20-60 percent.
• Appropriately implemented positive behavior supports can lead to dramatic improvements that have long-term effects on the lifestyle, functional communication skills, and problem behavior in individuals with disabilities.
• A review of research on effectiveness of positive behavior supports showed that there was over a 90 percent reduction in problem behavior in over half of the studies; the problem behavior stopped completely in over 26 percent of the studies.
  SOURCE: http://www.nasponline.org/educators/SchoolClimatePBIS.pdf

ESSENTIAL SUPPORT

Positive behavior supports create student-focused, safe environments conducive to learning – a key ingredient for successful student outcomes. A longitudinal study of school turnaround efforts in Chicago identified five essential supports. All had to be present for sustained success:

• School leadership
• Parent and community ties
• Professional capacity of the faculty
• School learning climate
• Instructional guidance

Schools with strong safety and order were two times more likely to improve in reading than schools weak on this measure. Schools that measured strong in all five supports were at least 10 times more likely than schools with just one or two strengths to achieve substantial gains in reading and math. A sustained weakness in just one of these areas undermined virtually all attempts at improving student learning. (SOURCE: Bryk, A., P.B. Sebring, E. Allensworth, and J.Q. Easton. Organizing Schools for Improvement: Lessons from Chicago. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2010. http://www.press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/O/bo8212979.html )

  

For schools implementing PBIS strategies with fidelity, student instruction time is maximized. Effective use of classroom time has consistently been shown to have a strong effect on student achievement

• SOURCE: Marzano, R.J. (2000). A New Era of School Reform: Going Where the Research Takes Us. Aurora, CO: Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning.

Conversely, zero tolerance, suspensions and expulsions can have devastating consequences for children. In addition to being ineffective as behavior management tools, they can alienate children who often most need support.

• Students can’t learn if they are removed from the classroom.
• When students are suspended or expelled, administrators are often sending that young person back into the environment that inspired their unfavorable behavior.

DISCIPLINE AS AN EQUITY ISSUE

African-American students, particularly males, are far more likely to be suspended or expelled from school than their peers. In the Civil Rights Data Collection sample, black students make up 18 percent of the students, but 35 percent of the students suspended once, and 39 percent of the students expelled. (SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights, 2009-10 national survey; http://ocrdata.ed.gov/ )

Students with disabilities are more likely than non-disabled students to be involved in the school disciplinary process. In a given year, about 1 in 10 students with disabilities receives multiple in-school suspensions with one percent being expelled. Students with emotional disturbances are significantly more likely to have been suspended or expelled in one school year or over their school careers than youth in all other disability categories. (SOURCE: Facts from NLTS2: School Behavior and Disciplinary of Youth With Disabilities, March 2006.. Menlo Park, CA: SRI International. www.nlts2.org/fact_sheets/nlts2_fact_sheet_2006_03.pdf )

Washington State’s Office of the Education Ombudsman’s data on disciplinary cases handled in the 2011 fiscal year shows the same concerning pattern: 76 percent of the suspended/expelled students that OEO worked with were students of color as opposed to 24 percent white; 78 percent were male.

The OEO also saw a disturbing trend. The number of complaints regarding expulsions and suspensions handled by OEO grew by 9.3 percent in the 2010-2011 school year; 42 percent of those cases were expulsions. While the majority of students expelled were high school students, the youngest students expelled were 6 years old. (OEO 2010-11 Annual Report, http://www.governor.wa.gov/oeo/reports/2011_12_at_a_glance.pdf )

Limiting when and why we suspend and expel, and providing alternative learning while a student is banned from class, will facilitate increased student achievement and graduation.

Why is it a PTA issue?

This PBIS proposal aligns with National PTA recommendations in the renewal of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and having it on the platform would help WSPTA advocate for effective intervention efforts at low-performing schools.

This proposal aligns with WSPTA legislative principles:

• Public Education Policies and Funding: Re-defining basic education; Reducing the achievement gap; Alternative programs for all schools; Reduction of high school dropout rates
• Safe and Nurturing Environments for Children and Youth:  Anti-bullying and anti-harassment; Safe and healthy schools
• Health and Well-being of Children and Youth: Effective prevention and intervention programs; Comprehensive juvenile justice programs that focus on prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation

 This proposal aligns with WSPTA resolutions:

• 4.7 Public School Dropout Prevention/Retrieval
• 18.27 No Child Left Behind and the 1%
• 18.29 Equitable Educational Opportunities
• 19.3 Support for Children with Economic Disadvantages

Here are National PTA’s 2012 public policy recommendations that include PBIS:

• Require “school-parent compacts” to support school and family partnerships in the development of recommendations for student attendance, expectations and supports for student behaviors. Compacts must include rational disciplinary policies that include the implementation of school-wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) or similar evidence-based approaches, and phase-out zero-tolerance policies and out-of-school suspension that contribute to the achievement gap.
• Increase investment for technical assistance, training, and implementation of the PBIS model of addressing behavioral problems in schools, making it an allowable use of funds under ESEA-NCLB.
• Require the inclusion of a classroom-based behavioral management plan that focuses on prevention during the development of every student’s IEP and 504b plan. Require that both general and special education teachers know how to respond to behavioral problems with positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS).

 In addition to the issue submitters, organizations engaged on PBIS include:

• The National Technical Assistance Center on PBIS, a collaboration of the U.S. Department of Education and 11 Technical Assistance Centers across our nation. These Centers provide everything from training, program development, and technical assistance. PBIS has a large network of support available at national, state, and local levels.
• Northwest PBIS, http://www.pbisnetwork.org/
• The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction is in the process of forming a State Advisory Committee in collaboration with NorthWest PBIS to develop a PBIS initiative

 Organizations seeking to change discipline systems/limit suspensions and expulsions include:

• League of Education Voters
• Team Child
• Office of the Education Ombudsman
• ACLU Washington
• Seattle Young People’s Project
• El Centro do la Raza
• Community Center for Education Results
• OneAmerica
• Youth Undoing Institutionalized Racism
• Judge, attorneys, law enforcement

Fiscal Impact

Costs of PBIS implementation will vary by school district. Some districts have discovered that investing in PBIS infrastructure has saved the district money in the long run. As an example of budget considerations:

• “To properly sustain PBIS implementation, an LEA should budget: 1.0 FTE of PBIS coaching per 15 schools or 10,000 students (LEAs can train and re-position federally funded staff such as behavior interventionists and school psychologists to serve as PBS coaches); 0.5 FTE of coaching in targeted and individualized PBS interventions; 0.2 FTE of a district administrator’s time to coordinate the LEA’s PBIS efforts. Training costs vary by source and LEA size. Smaller LEAs can pool funds for training.”

Funding options could include: any portion of IDEA Recovery Funds; Professional Development Grants under Title II, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act; Schoolwide Programs under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act; Early Intervening Services under IDEA; School Improvement under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act

 To sustain PBIS efforts, funding options could include: IDEA Personnel Development Grants; IDEA Technical Assistance Grants; and IDEA Model Demonstration Grants; Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Grants; School Counseling Grants (to train school counselors in PBS) under Title V of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act

Resources

• State superintendent’s Office of Student Support: http://www.k12.wa.us/LearningTeachingSupport/PBIS.aspx
• Office of Special Education Programs, Technical Assistance Center on PBIS: http://www.pbis.org/

PBIS History and Misconceptions

This is great summary regarding the history and research on Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports plus some common myths.

http://www.pbis.org/common/pbisresources/publications/PBIS_revisited_June19r_2012.pdf

PBIS in Wenatchee

Is Wenatchee School District using Positive Behavior Interventions and Support (PBIS)? 

Why are some schools still using Make Your Day (MYD)? 

Lewis & Clark Elementary School is using PBIS and not MYD.  What about my child's school?  What about the high schools?

These are great questions.  The answers are more complex.

Here are the facts:

On March 13, 2012, Superintendent Brian Flones presented an action plan to the School Board regarding school-wide behavior management.  This action plan called for an advisory committee to study the current research and best practices, i.e. PBIS.  It also allowed schools to choose to implement PBIS as early as the 2012-13 school year.

On June 11, 2012, this advisory committee presented PBIS to the School Board.

This summer, the Wenatchee School District moved towards using the PBIS framework to guide schools in creating and sustaining a positive school culture where positive student behaviors are taught and reinforced and where adults respond to problem behaviors in a consistent manner. 

This fall, the District Make Your Day Cadre reorganized to become the PBIS District Committee for K-12.  This committee is learning more about best practices, the research, and the essential components of the PBIS framework.  They are studying the PBIS framework to help schools assess and improve upon their current practices to support and promote appropriate behaviors of all students.

What are the essential components of the PBIS framework presented to the School Board in June?

·         Identify a common purpose and approach to discipline

·         Define a clear set of positive expectations and behaviors

·         Implement procedures for teaching expected behavior

·         Differentiate supports from a continuum of procedures for encouraging expected behavior (provide positive feedback for demonstrating expected behaviors)

·         Differentiate supports from a continuum of procedures for discouraging inappropriate behavior (intervene with consequences for not demonstrating expected behavior)

·         Implement procedures for on-going monitoring and evaluation

Is my child's school doing this?

I suggest talking to your school's teachers and administrators and asking questions based on the essential components of PBIS.  Ask:

·         What is our school doing to teach expected positive behaviors?

·         What is our school doing to reinforce and encourage positive behaviors?

·         How are we collecting data to inform and evaluate whether or not our behavior approach is effective?

·         Are there plans to send a team of staff from our school to a PBIS conference or spring training event?

Please support and encourage all the efforts your school is making toward this goal.

How did Lewis & Clark Elementary School become a PBIS school and drop Make Your Day?

In the fall of 2010, Lewis & Clark Elementary School with support from their PTSA started implementing Tier 1 of  the Behavior Response to Intervention (RtI) pyramid while continuing Make Your Day compliance.  Tier 1 is where all students are taught expectations and acknowledged for demonstrating desired behavior. 

In the spring of 2012, a team of staff composed of grade level representatives and select staff choose to attend a two day PBIS training.  Next, the team presented PBIS to the rest of the staff.  A secret ballot vote was taken to choose one of the following options:

·         Implement PBIS and drop MYD

·         Implement PBIS and modify MYD

·         Keep MYD

The majority of staff voted to implement PBIS and drop MYD. 

A second two day training was attended in August 2012 to prepare for PBIS implementation this fall.  An article about PBIS at Lewis & Clark Elementary and Valley Academy of Learning appears in the October 2012 addition of INSIDE Wenatchee Schools.

With support and encouragement from parents, PTA groups, students, staff, and the community, we can strive towards building a strong PBIS foundation that benefits ALL Wenatchee School District students, staff, and parents.

Get involved in this process!

Keep this conversation and action going!

written by

Jennifer Talbot

10-6-12