The Role and Expectations for School-wide PBS Coaches Rob Horner and George Sugai OSEP TA-Center on PBS Pbis.org

Objectives  Define the role of coaches in implementation of school-wide PBS  Define the activities of effective coaches  Define the competencies of effective coaches  Define the responsibilities of coaches within the Team-Training format.

The Main Ideas  Whole schools as the unit of behavior support.  All children need behavior support  Prevention as the most effective way to improve behavior in schools  Teaching and supporting appropriate behavior  Whole-school effort is foundation for individual student supports  Data use as the key to sustainability and improvement.  Systems are as or more important as effective practices.

What is SW-PBS  School-wide PBS is a systems approach to discipline that emphasizes prevention, social skills instruction, and data-based decision- making to both reduce problem behavior and improve academic performance.

SYSTEMS PRACTICES Information Supporting Staff Behavior Supporting Decision Making Supporting Student Behavior Positive Behavior Support OUTCOMES Social Competence, Academic Achievement, and Safety

What it Takes to Build Statewide Capacity  Coordination  Training  Local Technical Assistance (Coaches)  On-going Evaluation and Adaptation

Leadership Team Funding VisibilityPolitical Support TrainingCoaching Evaluation Active Coordination Local School Teams/Demonstrations

Coaching vs. Training  Coaching involves active collaboration and participation Small group Build from local competence Sustainable

Building Coaching Capacity  Selecting Coaches  What should coaches bring?  “internal” vs “external” coaches  How coaches are supported  What coaches do  What is the impact of effective coaching?

Who should be a coach?  Internal vs External  Internal coaches are employed in the school where they provide support  External coaches are employed outside the schools where they provide support (e.g. by district, region (AEA), state).

Who should be a coach? Internal CoachExternal Coach AdvantagesKnowledge of school Staff relationships Regular access Independent Outside perspective Multiple schools experience DisadvantagesConflicting roles Narrow range of experiences Limited knowledge of school Limited relationships Less frequent access

Who should be a coach Coaching Competencies NecessaryPreferred Participate in team training Able to attend team meetings at least monthly Effective working with adults Knowledgeable about school operating systems Professional Commitment Knowledge about SWPBS Knowledge about behavior support practices (targeted, individual) Skilled in collection and use of data for decision-making.

What Coaches Do  Work with team during initial SW-PBS training  Meet with new teams monthly on-site  Telephone/ contact as needed  “Positive” nag  Self-assessment (EBS Survey, Team Checklist)  Action planning  Activity implementation  On-going evaluation School self-evaluation efforts State-wide Initiative evaluation efforts (SET)  Guide State-wide initiative  Feedback to Taskforce

What Coaches Do  Dissemination of outcomes and effects  SWIS Facilitation Implement and support use of data-based decision making. Schedule

Areas of Coaching Impact  Team Start Up  Team Sustainability  Technical Assistance  Public Relations  Statewide support network  Local Leadership

The Impact of Coaches  Initial Implementation Help maintain momentum Help with team process Coordinate information Provide access to praise, celebration Provide or obtain critical information/technical support. Active problem solving All staff trainings/orientation Development and use of data for decision-making  Active Capacity Building Systems development  Sustainability Transition prompts New training

Effective Coaches  Are skilled at individual student behavior support practices  Functional assessment, person-centered planning  Behavior support plan design  Evaluation, adaptation and support  Are knowledgeable about School-wide PBS systems  Are knowledgeable about SWPBS data systems  Team Implementation Checklist (TIC)  School-wide Evaluation Tool (SET)  Office Discipline Referral (ODR…SWIS)

Commitment of Coaches  Team Support First Year ( 1-2 teams) (participate in training and planning) Second Year ( Maintain initial teams, start 3-5 teams) Future Years ( teams total )  FTE commitment 15-25%  Roles/Background Behavior Specialists, Special Education Teachers Consultants, Administrators School Psychologists, Counselors, Social Workers

Guiding Principles for Effective Coaching  Build local capacity Become irrelevant…but remain available  Maximize current competence Never change things that are working Always make the smallest change that will have the biggest impact  Focus on valued outcomes Tie all efforts to the benefits for children  Emphasize Accountability Measure and report; measure and report; measure and report.  Build credibility through: (a) consistency, (b) competence with behavioral principles/practices, (c) relationships, (d) time investment.  Precorrect for success

Specific Expectations Attend and participate in team training Meet with your team(s) at least monthly Provide technical assistance as needed Monitor and report on team efforts Team Checklist EBS Survey Annual Profile/Summary Data Present on School-wide PBS at district, state, national forums. Assist district to build capacity for sustained implementation (re-define your role over time) Meetings with Coordinator and Taskforce for purposes of state-wide planning

Assist Teams in Using Data for Decision-making  Using Team-Checklist and EBS Survey data for Team Action Planning  Using SET data for evaluation  Using ODR data for assessment, planning and reporting.  Keeping faculty involved through regular data reporting.

Questions  How will training on functional behavioral assessment and comprehensive interventions be provided?  When, where, how will these sessions be provided?  Will school districts be notified so coaches can attend?  What do you do if you are an “internal coach” with more than one building?  What work do we give up to do coaching?  What are office discipline referrals (the specific behaviors)?

Agenda for Afternoon  Questions  Comments from Experienced Coaches  Using Data for Decision-making  Planning for future of SWPBS in Iowa

After Lunch Questions  Are the studies you provided about academic and behavior supports available on your website?  Are there ever students who cannot be successful in public school settings?

After Lunch Questions  What do we do with kids who are attention seeking?... Or who have behavior that is both attention AND escape maintained?  How do we address teachers who have ineffective classroom management skills?

Coaches Discussion  What makes coaching work well? Recommendations for new coaches starting to support SWPBS schools  What barriers have you encountered?  What should coaches expect from Alliance?

Coaches Self-Assessment (Data, Practices, Systems )  Coach  Advanced Coach  Coordinator/Trainer

Summary  Coaches serve a core role in the implementation and sustainability of SWPBS  Coaching involves leadership and support, not active doing of all the tasks.  Help teams collect and use data  Coaches Self-Assessment (Data, Practices, Systems)  Coach  Advanced Coach  Coordinator/Trainer

Linking Academic Skills and Problem Behavior.  Kent  Moria  Jorge  Amanda RCT