Blending Social and Academic Supports for Middle and High School students at-risk: Academic Seminar: Part 1 Jessica Swain-Bradway, Ph.D. Illinois PBIS Network

A word about bamboo… Greg Bell, Water the Bamboo 8qXs&feature=youtu.be What are you building that will take several years to realize?

Agenda: Part 1  Academic Seminar defined and conceptual framework  Links to school retention and drop out literature  Adolescent brain development  Importance of universal school-wide foundations to support implementation

Agenda: Part 2 (8:30 am Wed)  Curricular material,  School and student level data,  School-level and district systems necessary for implementation,  Link to the logic for building individual Tier 3 plans of support

Expectations  I will  Be as clear and concise as possible,  Provide relevant examples and,  Embed activities  You will  Ask questions when I am not clear,  Share examples that link to the content,  Unicorn Dog will prompt all activities…

Unicorn Dog

Stage of T2 Implementation?

Conceptual Foundation

Academic Seminar  Tier 2 Support  Class 45 minutes Meets every day minutes of explicit instruction and practice in organizational skills minutes in homework completion- applying organizational skills – Curriculum ( search Academic Seminar)  More complex than CICO May be an appropriate addition to the foundation of CICO  Additional “layer” of T2 Addresses work avoidance

Conceptual Framework  Kansas University Learning Strategies  Teaching organizational skills to students with learning disabilities results in significant gains in grades without re-teaching or supplementing content skills.  Best practices in teaching tell us to:  Increasing scaffolding  Increase opportunities to practice correctly  Increase reinforcement of skill fluency  PBIS tells us to:  Create systems of support to maximize efficiency and effectiveness

Secondary Supports  Increase structure and consistency  Increase positive adult interactions  Link academic and social supports  Increase home engagement  Are readily and continuously available  Increase progress monitoring

Academic Seminar  Class functions as:  MORE intense Extension of & Intensified Universal Tier : Expectations Acknowledgements  Addition of Organization Skill Set  Explicit instruction  Frequent practice opportunities  Explicit, frequent acknowledgement for demonstration of organization skills

Support in the classroom…  Tier 2 isn’t “stuck” in the Academic Seminar Classroom  Or CICO Coordinator’s office…  Tier 2 in the classroom  START PBIS in middle and high school in the classroom  Differentiated instruction

Drop Out Literature Wherever they roam…

Academic failure (Allensworth & Easton, 2005; Balfanz, & Herzog, 2005), Problem behavior (e.g. disruption, disrespect, etc.) (Sweeten, 2006; Tobin & Sugai, 1999 Poor teacher relationships (Barber & Olson, 1997) History of grade retention (Allensworth et al, 2005), Low attendance (Balfanz, & Herzog, 2005; Jerald, 2006; Neild & Balfanz, 2006), and Diagnosed with a disability (NTLS-2, ; Wagner, Newman, Cameto, Levine, Garza, 2006).

Why students drop out  Academic failure is the most empirically robust predictor of drop out is (Allensworth & Easton, 2005; Berktold, Geis, & Kaufman, 1998; Harlow, 2003; Jordan McPartland, & Lara, 1999; Kemple, Herlihy & Smith, 2005; Markow & Scheer, 2002).  Students who drop out are NOT connected to school (Berktold, Geis, & Kaufman, 1998; Harlow, 2003 : Jerald, 2006; Bridgeland, DiIulio, & Morison, 2006).  24% of students who drop out are unable to identify an adult in the school by whom they feel supported (2006 High School Survey of Student Engagement).

School Retention Literature  Adult feedback or interaction (Croninger & Lee, 2001; Dynarski, 2001; Fashola & Slavin, 1998; Hayward & Tallmadge, 1995; Kerr & Legters; Lee & Burkham, 2003; McPartland, 1994; Schargle & Smink, 2001; Sinclair, Christenson, Lehr, & Anderson, 2003; Thurlow, Christenson, Sinclair, Evelo, & Thornton, 1995)  Increase home / school connection (Dynarski, 2001; Fashol & Slavin, 1998; Sinclair, Christenson, Lehr, & Anderson, 2003; Thurlow, Christenson, Sinclair, Evelo, & Thornton, 1995)

School Retention Literature  Increase structure and predictability (Dynarski, 2000; Fashola and Slavin, 1998; Hayward and Tallmadge, 1995; Lee and Burkham, 2003; Sinclair, Christenson, Lehr, and Anderson, 2003)  Both academic and social supports (Dynarski, 2001; Fashol & Slavin, 1998; Hayward & Tallmadge, 1995; Kemple, Herlihy, & Smith, 2005; McPartland, 1994; Schargle & Smink, 2001; Thurlow, Christenson, Sinclair, Evelo, & Thornton, 1995).

Brain Development

Path through the grassy field…

Not just a cool hat… Observing which brain structures participate in specific functions … Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI)  Blood oxygen levels Magnetoencephalography (MEG)  Electrical currents in neurons

Frontal Lobe: Self control, judgment, emotional regulation Parietal Lobe: Sensory integration Temporal Lobe: Emotional maturity Corpus callosum: communication between 2 sides of brain Regulating conscious and subconscious behaviors

Prefrontal cortex  For adults, the Prefrontal area, is the “CEO” of the brain  Memory  Attention  Reasoning  Planning  Decision Making  Impulse Control

Adolescent cognitive processes ARE VERY DIFFERENT from adult cognitive processes

Surprise! (Not)  Adolescent brains actually function differently than adult brains.  The physical evidence gathered from fMRI and MEG images shows that the adolescent brain is only about 80 percent as developed as an adult brain.  Notably, the frontal lobes are responsible for planning, organization, and impulse control, are typically under- developed during adolescence.  In some cases the “adolescent brain” may persist until about the age of 30.  Elizabeth Sowell, Prof of Neurology, UCLA Lab of Nero Imaging

Frontal Lobe: Self control, judgment, emotional regulation Parietal Lobe: Sensory integration Temporal Lobe: Emotional maturity Corpus callosum: communication between 2 sides of brain Restructured in teen years Reaches full maturity in 20’s Still developing after age 16 +/- Immature until age 16+/-

The Amygdala! Previously, erratic behavior during the teen years attributed largely to the influx of steroidal hormones around puberty. Evidence from brain research suggest that differences in structure and functional connectivity may also play a role. Adolescent brain functioning relies heavily on the instinctual part of the brain, the amygdala – which regulates our emotional responses

Universal Foundations

 Bottom line, student success, across MOST of our students and groups (85%+)  Small groups that “fall out” of the data inspection:  Because Universal doesn’t “fit” them?  Because they need additional supports?  There is a difference

Universal Foundations  Universal system must be extremely robust  Withstand changes in funding, administration, student body demographics, community trauma, etc.  Universal teams anticipate changes and challenges and build in systems to mitigate

Valued Outcomes?  When students leave your doors, what do you want them to be able to do?  Explicitly supported by universal systems (expectations, R+, consequences)?  Are your universal systems flexible enough to incorporate student views, community views, family views?  Who is defining “success”?

Universal Foundations  Universal practices and systems:  Academic enablers  Student centered / Family Friendly  Define expectations, provide reinforcement for demonstration of academic enabling social behaviors.  Systems supporting student involvement  Ownership

Universal Foundations: Academic Enablers  Expectations of high academic achievement  Define, teach and reinforce the social behaviors that support academic achievement  Asking questions  Organization  Tracking progress  Treat Self-Management like a content area that happens in every classroom

Universal Foundations: Student Centered  From students, for students  With family and community input  Start with “self”  Define expectations  Create acknowledgements  Refine consequences  NOT Top Down:  Example of Top Down- Respect means students are on time to class because the teachers need to start teaching right away.  Example of Student Centered- Respect means students are on time so they receive all the information they need to be successful

Universal Foundations  How do YOU know it’s working?  What evidence do you have?  Does it all align? (fidelity, outcomes, perception data, etc.)  What information are you missing?  For whom is it NOT working?  What isn’t working?  Why isn’t it working?

GRADE % Meeting Attendance criteria % Students on track to graduate % Students passing all content area classes % Students Failing one content area class ODRs 975%70%60%25%50% 1070%60%50%10%25% 1187%92%78%5%13% 1267%93%85%10%12% Ethnicity IEP status / Category Gender Other? 1. How do you currently “cut” data? 2. What are other ways to disaggregate that are meaningful to your school? Community?

Bottom Line Tier 2  Build capacity to support about 15%  Increase strength of universal systems  Consider brain development  Embed Tier 2 in the classroom

Resources  PBIS.org  Pbisillinois.org  National Institute of Mental Health  National High School Center

Questions?

Until Tomorrow… Breakout D: 8:30-9:45 am Cypress

Blending Social and Academic Supports for Middle and High School students at-risk: Academic Seminar: Part 2 Jessica Swain-Bradway, Ph.D. Illinois PBIS Network

Agenda: Part 1  Academic Seminar defined and conceptual framework  Links to school retention and drop out literature  Adolescent brain development  Importance of universal school-wide foundations to support implementation

Agenda: Part 2  Review  School and student level data  Curricular material:  Eligibility  Skill sets  Classroom features  Instructional practices  Systems necessary for implementation  School  District  Link to the logic for building individual Tier 3 plans of support

Academic Seminar  Tier 2 Support  Class 45 minutes Meets every day minutes of explicit instruction and practice in organizational skills minutes in homework completion- applying organizational skills – Curriculum ( search Academic Seminar)  More complex than CICO May be an appropriate addition to the foundation of CICO  Additional “layer” of T2 Addresses work avoidance

Academic Seminar Outcomes Increase self-management sufficient to document increases in assignment completion, credit accrual. Practices Explicit teaching, reinforcement of self- management skills. Work completion supports

Academic Seminar Data Screening data (grades, attendance, teacher referrals, discipline referrals). Progress data (grades, attendance, assignment completion, CICO points, etc.) Outcome data (grades, graduation rates, etc.) Systems Early Identification Communication  Amongst teachers  From middle school Academic Class Check-In Check Out Decision-making rules Training, FTE

School Successes School Demographics # students per term % successful each term % “Repeaters” % requiring additional supports SchoolTotal Enrollment Academic Seminar Archibald %25%6-10% Ingenuity %30%6-10% World * %30%N/A Canter **1, %25%3-5% Percentages represent average over the past 4 years. * World High School is an international baccalaureate school. ** Exceptionally good at in-classroom differentiation of content

Academic Engagement Data, Participants

Academic Engagement Data, Participants and Peers

Curricular Materials Academic Seminar Handbook, 2 nd Edition

Academic Seminar, 2 nd Edition  Build skills necessary across content areas and school-levels (including college, post high school)  Organizational Skills  Student Guided Supports

Eligibility: Academic Seminar for Students who…  At risk for failing 1 or more content area class  Not earning credits due to lack of work completion:  Have appropriate supports / skill level for content area classes  Incomplete homework, class work  Could use additional supports organizing  Black hole back pack  Missing work  Don’t know due dates, class requirements  Find at least one adult reinforcing  Are not in “crisis”  Have organizational / self-management goals in IEP

Student Guided Supports  Interacting with Teachers  Greeting  Acknowledging Help  Request for Feedback  Asking “Good” Questions  Asking for Help

Organization Skill Set  Goal Setting  Tracking Progress  Planner  Notebook  Graduation Plan  Test Taking  Study Skills Utility across content areas Immediate access to classroom reinforcers

Scope and Sequence *p.20  Model, lead, test  Students only move to the next skill / and the next level of instruction when they are at 95%

Classroom / Instructional Features *p 19  High structure  Best practices in behavior management and instruction  Differentiated instruction  Set up for success  All worksheets, books, materials, etc.

Lesson Plan format *p 21  Pre-requisite  Goals  Time / materials  Teacher talk  Model, lead, test  Wrap-up  Follow up activities  Special notes

Systems

Systems: District  Support T2 implementation  A commitment to staffing the class,  hiring staff and / or adding FTE as necessary to meet anticipated capacity,  funding related materials,  Providing credit for course completion  Regularly reviewing student progress data (as with all interventions).

Systems: School  Strong Universal  Tier 2 in the classroom  Tier 2 Systems team  Universal screening  A commitment to staffing the class(es),  providing physical classroom and related materials,  facilitating attendance of training opportunities for Academic Seminar teacher(s),  providing a regular planning period,  regularly reviewing and sharing student progress data.  Make AcSem 1 st period  Keep enrollment below 15 students per classroom

Systems: Classroom  45 minute daily class  Five minute entry task,  minutes teaching and practice,  minutes supported homework completion.  High density of explicit teaching, practice, corrective feedback and reinforcement.  Students may/ may not also be enrolled in additional layers of Tier 2 support (Check In Check Out, Check & Connect, mentoring, etc.).

Questions / Obstacles / Facilitators  Activity 1- Make a list of questions Be prepared to share 2- What obstacles can you see to implementing this type of class? Be prepared to share 3- What systems would you need to have in place to facilitate implementation? You guessed it, be prepared to share.

Exemplars

How Are Schools Doing This?  Freshman Seminar  Junior / Senior Transition Course  Revamped Study Hall  Elective  In conjunction with CICO:  To address work avoidance

OR School Examples NEHS 80+ students per term 9th, 10 th, 11 th & 12 th graders IEP and Non IEP  11 / 12 extend curriculum to transition goals About 60% success rate (non-repeaters) CHS 80+ students per term Mostly freshman IEP and non-IEP About 80%-85% success rate (non-repeaters)

Linking to Tier 3  Increased T2 supports  Screening for T3  Small classroom setting provides increased information on student needs and functioning  Individualized  Wraparound, RENEW, FBA  Not THE entire T3 intervention  Place to monitor goals, plan implementation, etc.  IF it fits

Resources  (Search Academic Seminar)  Chapter 10 in Responding to Problem Behavior in Schools: The Behavior Education Program, Second Edition, Eds. Crone, Horner, & Hawken ISBN:  Thank you! 