Foundations in PBIS

How did we get here?

Evidence-based practices in classroom management: What all instructors should be doing in the classroom 1.Maximize structure. 2.Identify, define, and teach expectations. 3.Increase academic engagement. 4.Establish a continuum of supports to encourage appropriate behavior. 5.Establish a continuum of supports to discourage inappropriate behavior. Simonsen et al., 2008

More background Brandi Simonsen University of Connecticut Diane Myers Texas Woman’s University

Additional resources The Office of Special Education Programs Technical Assistance Center for Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (

Additional resources

Additional resources

Getting started: Why do we need CWPBIS?

Talk among yourselves... With a neighbor or in your groups, answer the following questions: – What does good classroom management look like? – What does poor classroom management look like? – Are good classroom managers born or made? Be ready to report out in three minutes!

Why is classroom management important? For more than 10 years, the NEA’s annual surveys reveal that teachers rank classroom management as their No. 1 concern (Larrivee, 2009). Teachers generally believe that they are unprepared to deal with disruptive behavior (Reinke et al., 2011). An estimated 40%–50% of teachers leave the field within their first five years of teaching; many cite student discipline and motivation as contributing factors (Ingersoll & Smith, 2003; Smith & Ingersoll, 2004). NCLB and increased accountability; zero-tolerance policies

What are the consequences of effective classroom management? Increased instructional time Imagine that a school has 1,000 office discipline referrals (ODRs) per year. Imagine that after improving classroom management practices across the school, ODRs decrease by 10%, to 900, the following year. – 10% is a low estimate, given what the research shows us regarding reduction in office discipline referrals!

The impact of reducing ODRs, continued Imagine that each ODR takes 20 minutes of administrator time. 100 ODRs (i.e., the reduction) x 20 minutes equals 2000 minutes—or 33 hours of administrator time. That administrator got back a full four days of work during which he or she can go back to being the instructional leader of the school.

The impact of reducing ODRs, continued How about the students? If each ODR takes the student out of class for 45 minutes, 100 fewer ODRs means 4,500 additional minutes spent in class. That’s 75 hours—two weeks!—of instructional time given back to students.

What is classroom management? Classroom management  discipline. – What’s the difference? Classroom management: – Systems set up by the teacher to maximize academic and social achievement in the classroom Discipline: – How teachers respond to inappropriate behaviors in the classroom

What does good classroom management “look like”? How can we measure classroom management? – How can we tell if classroom management is effective? Look at student behaviors and outcomes: – On-task behavior – Academic engagement – Academic achievement – Disruptive behavior

Are good classroom managers born or made? Characteristics seem intuitive, right? Good classroom managers are made. – Gimmicks will never last! Good classroom managers are teachers who understand and use specific techniques. – Awareness of and training in techniques can change teacher behavior. – These changes will change student behavior. – Research confirms this assertion! Marzano et al., 2003

How does CWPBIS fit within SWPBIS?

What is schoolwide positive behavior support? Today schools are expected to do more—with a wider range of children—than ever before, including: – Increase academic performance – Build social competence – Ensure student safety Traditional “get-tough” approaches do not address the needs of modern schools. Bambara & Kern, 2005

What is schoolwide positive behavior support? Schoolwide positive behavior support (SWPBIS) emphasizes: – Prevention of problem behavior – Active instruction of social skills – Continuum of consequences for problem behavior – Systems to reinforce appropriate behavior – Organizational systems to support all students’ behavioral needs – Data collection and evaluation Bambara & Kern, 2005

SWPBIS: Foundations Schools traditionally provide behavior support only to those students who demonstrate problem behaviors. SWPBIS is based on the public health model of preventive, multitier intervention: – Tier 1 (universal): Delivered to everyone – Tier 2 (targeted): Received by at-risk groups – Tier 3 (individualized): More intensive Bambara & Kern, 2005

Primary Prevention: Schoolwide/Classwide Systems for All Students, Staff, & Settings Secondary Prevention: Specialized Group Systems for Students with At-Risk Behavior Tertiary Prevention: Specialized Individualized Systems for Students with High-Risk Behavior Received by ALL ~80% of Students SOME ~15% FEW ~5% CONTINUUM OF SCHOOLWIDE INSTRUCTIONAL & POSITIVE BEHAVIORAL INTERVENTIONS AND SUPPORTS

SYSTEMS PRACTICES DATA Supporting Staff Behavior Supporting Student Behavior OUTCOMES Supporting Social Competence & Academic Achievement Supporting Decision Making 4 PBIS Elements Like evidence-based classroom management practices! Today’s training in classroom management practices!

SWPBIS settings To be truly “schoolwide,” positive behavioral interventions and supports must be present across all domains in a school, including: – Classroom – Non-classroom – Individual student – Family – Community