1. An Introduction to Ross Greene’s Collaborative & Proactive Solutions
CREST School
8-5-15
Terri Cooper
SEDNET Region 13

2. Who is SEDNET ?
The Multiagency Network for Students with Emotional/Behavioral Disabilities
Works with other agencies to create
and facilitate a network of
stakeholders committed to providing
quality care to children with or at risk of
E/BD.
Created by the Florida Legislature in 1984.
A statewide discretionary project funded by the Department of Education.
19 regions across the state.

3. DOE Indicators for SEDNET
Increase Graduation rate for Students with EB/D
Indicator 2
Decrease Drop-out rate for Students with EB/D
Indicator 4
Reduce Out of School Suspension for Students with EB/D
Indicator 14
Improve Post-School Outcomes for Students with EB/D
Continuing Education
Employment
Continuing Education and Employment

4. Expectations Know - Why challenging students are challenging
Understand- The Philosophy of Ross Greene’s Collaborative & Proactive Solutions
Do - Plan Next Steps for using Plan B in your school

5. Proactive Plan B
BUT

6. What Causes Behavior Like This?

7. Things I Need You To Know…..

8. What Causes Behavior Like This?

9. What 3 Things Impact Behavior ?
Trauma
Mental Health
Lack of Skills

10. “One out of every four children attending school has been exposed to a traumatic event that can affect learning and/or behavior.” The National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN)
Terri

12. Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)
Childhood physical abuse
Childhood sexual abuse
Childhood emotional abuse
Physical neglect
Emotional neglect
Growing up with a mentally ill, depressed, or suicidal person in the home
A drug addicted or alcoholic family member
Witnessing domestic violence against the mother
Loss of a parent to death or abandonment
Incarceration of any family member for a crime

13. 2. Children’s Mental Health
One out Five children and adolescents will experience a significant mental health issue
Only 20%-30% will receive treatment for that mental health issue
There can be a ten year lapse from the first signs of a mental health issue until treatment

14. Good Mental Health allows Children…
To think clearly
Develop self-esteem
Develop self-confidence
Learn new skills
Make academic and social gains

15. 3. Lack of Skills
“Kids do the best they can with the skills they’ve got.” Ross Greene

16. TEACH Skills
If a child doesn’t know how to swim, we _____. If a child doesn’t know how to read , we _______. If a child doesn’t know how to multiply, we _______. If a child doesn’t know how to ride a bike, we ______. If a child doesn’t know how to behave, we _______. borrowed from Tom Herner

17. If a Child Doesn’t Know How to Behave, We…
Punish
Motivate

18. Collaborative & Proactive Solutions
Looks at behavior with a New Lens
Skill deficit in behavior
Thinking Skills –
self-regulation,
flexible thinking,
understanding how their behavior affects others,
having the words to express their feelings

19. Students lack the skills required for becoming proficient in handling life’s social, emotional, and behavioral challenges.

20. How Do We Approach Skill Deficits ?
Assess the factors that are interfering with the skill acquisition.
Provide specialized instruction to teach missing skills.

21. How do we Approach Skill Deficits ?
Assess the factors that are interfering with the skill acquisition
Provide specialized instruction to teach missing skills
(in increments that they can handle)

22. Collaborative & Proactive Solutions
Challenging Students aren’t Challenging all of the time.

23. When does a Student with a Reading Disability Struggle with Reading ?

24. When the demands being placed on the student exceed the student’s capacity to the read words.

25. When are Students with Challenging Behavior Challenging?

26. When the demands being placed on the student exceed the student’s capacity to respond to those demands adaptively.

27. Behavior Doesn’t Happen in a Vacuum

28. Behavior Doesn’t Happen in a Vacuum
A student who is lacking skills

29. Behavior Doesn’t Happen in a Vacuum
A student who is lacking skills

30. Behavior Doesn’t Happen in a Vacuum
A student who is lacking skills
2. An environment that demands those skills

31. Behavior Doesn’t Happen in a Vacuum
A student who is lacking skills
2. An environment that demands those skills

32. Behavior Doesn’t Happen in a Vacuum
A student who is lacking skills
2. An environment that demands those skills
3. Challenging Behavior

33. How do We Identify those Lagging Skills ?
ALSUP
Assessment of Lagging Skills and Unsolved Problems

34. Assessment of Lagging Skills and Unsolved Problems (ALSUP)
Discussion Guide for reaching a consensus – not a checklist
The focus is on lagging skills and unsolved problems instead of behavior
Identifying a student’s lagging skills and unsolved problems makes their behavior very predictable
Prioritize

35. Guidelines for Unsolved Problems
1. Problems should begin with the word Difficulty and answer as many Who, What, Where, and When questions as possible.

36. Guidelines for Unsolved Problems
2. Problems should be free of behaviors.

37. Guidelines for Unsolved Problems
2. Problems should be free of behaviors.
Example: Buddy puts his head down on his desk when he thinks his math problems are too hard.

38. Guidelines for Unsolved Problems
2. Problems should be free of behaviors.
Example: Buddy puts his head down on his desk when he thinks his math problems are too hard.
Buddy has difficulty staying on task when his math problems are hard.

39. Guidelines for Unsolved Problems
3. Problems should be free of “Adult Theories”

40. Guidelines for Unsolved Problems
3. Problems should be free of “Adult Theories”
Example: Buddy has difficulty staying on task when his math problems are hard because he gives up too easily.

41. Guidelines for Unsolved Problems
3. Problems should be free of “Adult Theories”
Example: Buddy has difficulty staying on task when his math problems are hard because he gives up too easily.
Stop yourself from using the “B” word.

42. Guidelines for Unsolved Problems
4. Problems should be “Split” rather than “Clumped.”

43. Guidelines for Unsolved Problems
4. Problems should be “Split” rather than “Clumped.”
Example:
Clumped-Buddy has difficulty staying on task when his work is too hard.
Split- Buddy has difficulty staying on task when his math problems are hard.

44. Guidelines for Unsolved Problems
5. Problems should be as specific as possible.

45. Guidelines for Unsolved Problems
5. Problems should be specific as possible.
Example:
Specific- Buddy has difficulty staying on task when his math problems are hard.
More specific- Buddy has difficulty staying on task when he has multiplication problems to solve.

46. Case Study

47. Lagging Skills Choose one or two Lagging Skills
Feel free to add or delete information regarding Buddy

48. Lagging Skills?

49. Unsolved Problem
Identify one or two Unsolved Problems for each Lagging Skill

50. My Unsolved Problem… YES NO Begins with the word Difficulty
Does NOT focus on a behavior
Does NOT include “Adult Theories”
Is Split rather than Clumped
Is very Specific

51. Unsolved Problems ?

52. Let’s take a Break

53. Collaborative & Proactive Solutions
Plan A
Plan B
Emergency Plan B
Plan C

54. Collaborative & Proactive Solutions
Plan A – Adult imposed
Plan B
Emergency Plan B
Plan C

55. Collaborative & Proactive Solutions
Plan A – Adult imposed
Plan B –
Emergency Plan B -
Plan C – Backburner (prioritize)

56. Collaborative & Proactive Solutions
Plan A – Adult imposed
Plan B – Proactive Collaborative Problem Solving
Emergency Plan B-
Plan C – Backburner (prioritize)

57. Plan B Empathy Step Define Adult Concern Invitation Plan B Cheat Sheet
Drilling Cheat Sheet

58. Helping Relationships
Page 59
Research shows that the most reliable factor in helping a student change their behavior is the RELATIONSHIP they have with the person that’s helping them to change.

59. 1. Empathy Step Gather Information from the student’s perspective
Clearest Possible understanding of the student’s concern
Starts with “I’ve Noticed” (Then insert Unsolved Problem ) Ends with “What’s Up?”

60. 2. Define The Problem Step (Adult Concern)
Three Broad Categories
Safety
Learning
How the problem effects others in the classroom
Usually starts with “The thing is…”

61. 3. Invitation Step Brainstorm mutually acceptable solutions
Doing WITH the student rather than TO the student
Restate the concerns from Step 1 and Step “I wonder if there’s a way….”
“Do you have any ideas?”

62. 3. Invitation Step Start with the student’s concern
Make sure the agreed on solution is realistic and mutually satisfactory
Always agree to return to Plan B if the first solution doesn’t work

63. 1. Empathy Step Examples
I’ve noticed that you have a hard time completing your paragraph. What’s up?
I’ve noticed your having a difficult time joining your reading group. What’s up?
I’ve noticed that you have a difficult time accepting when I call on other students to answer questions. What’s up?
I’ve noticed your having a hard time completing math problems with multiples of six. What’s up?

64. One of Six Things Could Possibly Happen
The student responds.
The student says nothing.
The student says, “I don’t know.”
The student says, “That’s not a problem for me.”
The student says , “I don’t want to talk about it.”
The student responds defensively.

65. Drilling for Information
Cheat Sheet
Reflective Listening and Clarifying Statements
Ask about the Who, What, Where, When of the Unsolved Problem
Ask why the behavior occurs under some conditions and not others
Ask the student what they are thinking while the problem is occurring
Break the problem down into smaller parts.
Summarizing

66. Video
Plan B in action

68. Plan B Empathy Step Define Adult Concern Invitation Plan B Cheat Sheet
Drill Cheat Sheet
Problem Solving Plan
Define Adult Concern
Invitation

70. Plan B Teaches Skills Indirectly
When a student solves a problem, they are learning to solve and prevent other problems.
They react less strongly to frustrations.
Respond to frustrations with more thought than emotion.
Respond to frustrations with less help from adults.

71. Direct Instruction

72. sednetregion13wiki.wikispaces.com

73. Next Steps

74. Introducing Plan B to Your School (Chapter 8)
Check Your
Lenses
Staff need to understand the factors that set the stage for challenging behavior.

75. Start Small, Start Slow
Small Core of Teachers (and Leaders) to meet regularly (weekly) to practice (Become Proficient)
For 3 to 4 weeks complete ALSUPS for real students.
Review. Refine the wording of the Unsolved Problems.
For weeks
Become proficient with Plan B. Record use of Plan B with actual students. Core group listens and provides feedback.
After 3 or 4 months
Core group can mentor other staff.

76. In Conclusion, (p.282)
Transforming School Discipline isn’t easy or fast
CPS is hard and takes a long time
The CPS model requires change – Humans resist change.
Teachers are busy
Teachers are “Initiative Weary”

77. Collaborative & Proactive Solutions is…(Intro.)
Hard
Messy
Uncomfortable
Requires teamwork, patience, and tenacity

78. But, It just might work if we…
“Remain calmly optimistic and relentlessly persistent in the face of all odds.”
Robert Kinscherff

80. References
Greene, R. (2008). Lost at school: Why our kids with behavioral challenges are falling through the cracks and how we can help them. New York: Scribner. Lives in the Balance. (n.d.). Retrieved July 21, Otten, K., & Tuttle, J. (2011). How to reach and teach children with challenging behavior: Practical, ready-to-use interventions that work. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

81. Thank You for your Participation
Terri Cooper
SEDNET Region 13
The Multiagency Network for Students with Emotional/Behavioral Disabilities (SEDNET) is a special project funded by the Florida Department of Education, Division of Public Schools, Bureau of Exceptional Education and Student Services, through federal assistance under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Part B.