Effective Classroom Practice: Expectations and Rules MO SW-PBS Center for PBS College of Education University of Missouri

~80% of Students Tier 1 = Primary Prevention: School-/Classroom-Wide Systems for All Students, Staff, & Settings Tier 2 = Secondary Prevention: Specialized Group Systems for Students with At-Risk Behavior Tier 3 = Tertiary Prevention: Specialized Individualized Systems for Students with High- Risk Behavior ~15% ~5% CONTINUUM OF SCHOOL- WIDE INSTRUCTIONAL & POSITIVE BEHAVIOR SUPPORT Goal: Reduce new cases of problem behavior and/or academic failure Goal: Reduce current cases of problem behavior and/or academic failure Goal: Reduce intensity and severity of chronic problem behavior and/or academic failure

SYSTEMS PRACTICES DATA Supporting Staff Behavior Supporting Decision Making Supporting Student Behavior SW Positive Behavior Support OUTCOMES Social Competence & Academic Achievement

Effective Classroom Practices Classroom: Expectations & Rules Procedures & Routines Continuum of Strategies to Acknowledge Appropriate Behavior Continuum of Strategies to Respond to Inappropriate Behavior Active Supervision Multiple Opportunities to Respond Activity Sequence & Offering Choice Academic Success & Task Difficulty

Newcomer, 2008

Classroom Expectations & Rules Identify, Teach, Practice, Reinforce

Why Focus on Classroom Rules? A dependable system of rules and procedures provides structure for students and helps them be engaged with instructional tasks (Brophy, 1998) Teaching rules and routines to students at the beginning of the year and enforcing them consistently across time increases student academic achievement and task engagement (Evertson & Emer, 1982; Johnson, Stoner & Green, 1996) Clearly stating expectations and consistently supporting them lends credibility to a teacher’s authority (Good & Brophy, 2000)

What are Expectations and Rules? Expectations are outcomes Rules are the specific criteria for meeting expectation outcomes Rules identify and define concepts of acceptable behavior Use of expectations and rules provides a guideline for students to monitor their own behavior and they remind and motivate students to meet certain standards

Discuss: Importance of expectations & rules? 2-Minute Frenzy – – How has clarifying schoolwide/non-classroom setting rules impacted student behavior? – Why do you think it is important to clarify classroom rules?

Guidelines for Writing Classroom Rules Consistent with schoolwide expectations/rules 1.Observable 2.Measureable 3.Positively stated 4.Understandable 5.Always applicable – Something the teacher will consistently enforce

Other Considerations… Students play a role in formulating rules Rules displayed prominently; easily seen Teacher models and reinforces consistently Rules that are easily monitored

Expectations and Rules Example… Expectation is: Students will be Safe – Rules are… Keep hands and feet to self Use materials correctly

Which of These Follow the Guidelines? Keep hands and feet to yourself Turn in completed assignment Respect others Walk in the hallways Don’t run

Which of These Follow the Guidelines? Think before responding Come to class on time, prepared with all supplies and assignments Be responsible Be ready to learn Sit in your seat unless you have permission to leave it

Classroom Rule Writing Activity 1 List problem behaviors in your classroom List replacement behavior (what we want kids to do instead) List schoolwide expectations Categorize rules within schoolwide expectations * Post, teach and acknowledge student compliance of rules Handout 1 & 2

Activity 2 Classroom Rules Survey Write expectations from the SW matrix. List classroom rules for each expectation. Check if rules meet 5 criteria. – Observable, Measurable, Positive, Understandable, Always Applicable Use survey questions to consider how expectations and rules are used throughout the building. Handout 3

Schedule for Teaching Classroom Rules First Grading Period – Teach rules for all areas of school, including individual classrooms, during first week of school – After first week, review rules 2 or 3 times / week

Schedule for Teaching Rules Through Second Grading Period – Review rules once per week Remainder of the Year – Review rules periodically as needed

References Brophy, J. (1998). Motivating Students to Learn. Boston: McGraw Hill. Evertson, C., & Emmer, E. (1982). Preventive classroom management. In D. Duke (Ed.), Helping teachers manage classrooms. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Evertson, C. M., Emmer, E. T. & Worsham, M.E. (2003). Classroom Management for Elementary Teachers. Boston: Pearson Education. Freiberg, J., Stein, T., & Huan, S. (1995). Effects of a classroom management intervention on student achievement in inner-city elementary schools. Educational Research and Evaluation, 1, Good, T. & Brophy, J. (2000). Look Into Classrooms. Boston: Allyn & Bacon. IRIS Center, Research to Practice Instructional Strategies. Nashville: Vanderbilt University. Johnson, T.C., Stoner, G. & Green, S.K. (1996). Demonstrating the experimenting society model with classwide behavior management interventions. School Psychology Review, 25(2), Kern, L., Clemens, N.H. (2007). Antecedent strategies to promote appropriate classroom behavior. Psychology in the Schools, 44(1), Newcomer, L. (2007, 2008). Positive Behavior Support in the Classroom. Unpublished presentation. Shores, R., Gunter, P., & Jack, S. (1993). Classroom management strategies: Are they setting events for coercion? Behavioral Disorders, 18, Simonsen, B., Fairbanks, S., Briesch, A., Myers, D. & Sugai, G. (2008). Evidence-based practices in classroom management: Considerations for Research to practice. Education and Treatment of Children, 31(3), pp