PBIS in the Classroom: Differentiated Instruction for High School: Jessica Swain-Bradway, Ph.D., IL PBIS Network

PBIS in the Classroom: Differentiated Instruction in High School Seating Arrangement If you are a… Special Educator Administrator General Educator PBIS Coach Other Please sit…

Objectives  Explain the relationship between academic and social success.  Describe the rationale for differentiating instruction within the high school content area classroom.  Describe 2-3 strategies for increasing differentiated content delivery.  Describe the importance of regular coaching in maximizing meaningful instruction.

Agenda  The Big Idea  Why and What?!  Supportive School Environments  Some basics, or let’s get on the same page  Foundations of Differentiation  Pilot  English  Math  Feedback from the teachers and students  Questions and Answers

Unicorn Dog

Questions to consider  Where are we in our implementation?  What do I hope to learn?  What did I learn?  What will I do with what I learned?

The Big Idea  Increasingly diverse student population  Language, SES,  Academic ability (range)  Social behaviors  Stressors at home / community  To meet the range of needs, teachers need to:  Employ a range of instructional strategies  Teach classroom routines to support higher level thinking skills  Encourage student behaviors  Pointed toward self-management

Think, Pair, Share  Turn to the person next to you and talk about how the range of needs in your classes / schools impacts:  Teaching? Staffing? Planning?  Share with another pair.  Share the top two issues of concern with the whole group.

Impacts…your responses

Supportive Climates: School Retention Literature Schools that are the most successful with supporting graduation…

Supportive Climates  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)

Supportive Climates  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).

Supportive Climates  High Expectations  Coupled with High Supports  Adult positive interactions  Home school connection  Predictable, structured day /activities  Social and Academic supports  Fewer “basic” level classes  More advanced classes, with adequate support (Jerald, 2006)

Supportive Climates  Have classes that reflect the level of achievement we want to see NOT  Where student “begin”  Universal Design  Differentiation of Instruction  Routines, activities, environment, encouragement = academic self management and achievement

Show of Hands  How many of you feel as though your schools is currently providing this type of support?

Supportive Classrooms Differentiate!

Differentiated Instruction: Some Basics  Scaffolding  Model, Lead, Test  Opportunities to respond that match level skill level  Error analysis

Universal Design, Response to Intervention  Presentation  Engagement  Expression  Providing a level of support commensurate with student responses  Not responding? Increase supports.

EncouragementClassroom Routines Instructional Practices Academic Self- Management FOUNDATIONS

Foundations for Success

Instructional Practices  Model, lead, test EVERY social and academic behavior  If you want to see it, teach it  Research in adolescent brain development suggests that we need to provide extra support in executive functioning skills  Book use, test taking, asking questions, checking grades and missing work, self- advocacy, interacting with peers, etc.

Instructional Practices  Increase Opportunities to Interact with Content:  Teacher as facilitator: talk in 5-7 minute increments  All “teaching” is followed by practice opportunities  Small group, paired, independent, whole group  Student lead instruction with peers  Think, Pair, Share with peers  Break instruction into small “chunks” by skill, concept, not an entire unit

Instructional Practices  Increase Opportunities for Corrective Feedback  Small groups, pairs  “Expert” peers  Answer keys for self/ small group check  Teacher rotates among groups  Share outs (in small groups)  Answer cards (Example)  Answers on board

Classroom routines  Apply instructional approaches to classroom routines:  Teacher and student identified Entering and leaving classroom Test taking Asking questions Checking progress (grades, missing work, projects, etc.) Constructive feedback to peers Synthesis of material Participating in groups  Practice and encourage

Think Aloud  In a small group, share the most difficult classroom routines to manage  Write down the top 3  Move to another group  Share the top three most difficult routine  As a group select 1  Generate a strategy to manage this routine effectively  Be prepared to share with the entire group

Encouragement  Teacher encouragement of student efforts  Academic / Social  Asking questions  Constructive feedback  Active listening  Using index

Encouragement  Specific verbal praise  Grades  Stars on board  Post-it notes  GROUP REWARDS  Sit where you want on Friday  Pick the order of activities  Quiet music during work time  Make the teacher do something silly…

How do you feel?  Switch groups/ new pair  What thoughts do you have when you hear “teach and reward everything you want to see in your classroom”?  Think about it (give it a hug)  Emotions give or prevent “traction” …

Academic Self-Management  Instructional practices, classroom routines, and encouragement are all set up to explicitly support academic self- management on the part of the students.  What tools and skills do students need to operate independently in your classroom?

Academic Self-Management  Identify the skills (and pre-skills) and set up the classroom to explicitly teach, and acknowledge these skills as if you expect the students to not have them at all.  Point all instructional practices, classroom routines, and encouragement toward self- management

Include Students in the Process  Maximize student input  Routines  Acknowledgements  Agenda (order, content, types of activities)  Increase motivation  Model and lead executive thinking skills

Whole Group  How do you currently include students in the classroom processes?  What are possible limitations / concerns about including students?

Pilot  Math and English Classrooms  1 hour per week  Worked on foundations  COACHING  Provided small, doable tips at each meeting, coached on use of those tips via , or at next session

Direct Observation Data

Cody: Algebra and Geometry  Met for one hour per week  March- June  Coached on teaching to mastery:  Efficient teaching  Small groups with like skills  Catch students before making errors repeatedly  Explicit teaching of classroom routines that provide access to academic success:  Working in groups  Peer tutoring  Using text book  Asking questions  Preparing to take a concept test  Self-monitoring  Class arrangement:  Small groups with like skills  Flexible groups  Independent work at end of semester to allow students to work on own goals

Fred: Literature  Met 5-6 times for 90 minutes each  March – June  Coached on:  Social routines to increase academic access Expectations and reinforcers for work completion  Explicit teaching of academic pre-skills How to complete focus questions How to lead and contribute to class discussion  Facilitating learning versus dictating learning Students gradually took over the discussions Increase higher-level critical thinking skills  Class arrangement:  1 group (12 students)  “Book club”  All students sitting at 1 large table facing each other and Fred  Conversational – hand raising not necessary

Coaching  Both Cody and Fred indicated that the coaching was the most important component  Numerous in-services / trainings  Train and Hope  Coaching was contextual, real-life and in the NOW  Sustained implementation of strategies for the duration of the coaching

Outcomes  English Lit classroom:  The first week of the “new” model, first time all year that ALL students completed homework reading (persisted over the semester)  Increased student participation  Higher quality academic output  Increased student satisfaction  Less teacher stress and more increased work satisfaction

Outcomes  Math classroom:  Better attendance  More participation  Faster rate of completion of concept tests  Less teacher stress and increased job satisfaction  Reduction in office referrals  Increased student initiative in work completion and asking for assistance

From the teachers…  I have learned that establishing tight systems of classroom management, along with individual and whole-class goals, relies on increasing motivation.  I have WAY fewer discipline issues when I do considerably less talking to the entire class.  It ended up being about self-management; a life skill that these kids need to learn immediately. Kids who could help felt more empowered. Kids who needed help felt the power of asking questions without feeling embarrassed by asking in front of the whole class.

From the teachers…  Most of the students hated coming to the class and I disliked teaching it. The majority of the fifteen students were not doing their work –  … the class took ownership of their book club… by asking them how we should handle motivation.  Rewards and consequences were discussed and agreed upon by the students and enforced with the first reading assignment of the year's last quarter.  The following Monday, every student had completed the assigned reading and authenticated their work with a lively and informed discussion using my "book club discussion guide" of questions.  As the weeks moved on, the students were given more and more responsibility for leading our discussions and for asking for what they needed  Twice during the quarter, I asked the class to write how they felt about this "new" way of working. The responses were overwhelmingly positive.

From the students…  Being in a small group helps me concentrate  The help is focused on me  I get embarrassed / frustrated in a big group  Small groups work better because people don’t need to worry about asking “stupid” questions  It feels good to accomplish something on my own  I can learn at a comfortable pace  I enjoy independent work more because I like working at my own pace with no pressure.  I get more work done in small groups  It’s funner and more interactive!

From the students  I feel like I did better than most, boosting my self-esteem!  I felt respected!  The rewards were nice but not necessary- this was fun!  I get more help and the checklists help you set goals and when goals are set it makes you want to reach them.  I can pay attention better  It’s easier to take notes and get work done without dealing with distractions  I feel like I get more work done this way  I get more help  With small groups I push myself harder to do the work and gain more understanding.

Question & Answer Time

Thinking back  Where are we in our implementation?  What do I hope to learn?  Did we provide relevant information?  What did I learn?  Examples?  What will I do with what I learned?  Share how this is applicable in the short and long term.

Resources  Anita Archer (reading)  Universal Design  National center of Accessible Instructional materials:  Differentiated Instruction and Response to Intervention: