1. Classroom Problem Solving as Part of the Tier II Process
Tim Lewis, Ph.D.
University of Missouri

2. Basic Tier II Steps
School-wide, including classroom, universals in place
Identify students who need additional supports
Identify what supports student needs
Environment
Intervention
Monitor & evaluate progress

3. Starting Point Work within current formal and informal systems
Develop missing steps of efficient process
Provide training and technical assistance to facilitators
Classroom Problem Solving Teams (partnership)
Tier II Team
Guided process with templates for environmental modifications and interventions
Goal = fluency among all faculty and staff

4. Tier II Support Process
Step 1 – Insure Universals, including Classroom, in place
Step 2 – Student Identification Process
Decision Rules
Referral
Screen
Step 3 – Classroom Problem Solving
Classroom supports (function-based)
Progress monitor
Step 4 - Tier II supports
Non-responders to grade level supports
Match function of student behavior to intervention
Step 5 - Evaluate Process

5. Teams (Data, Practices, Systems)
School-wide PBS
Universals
Connect points to Tier II & III
Classroom Problem Solving
Review data
Develop function-based interventions
Tier II (III) (e.g., CARE, SAT, TAT)
Partner with Grade Level Problem Solving Lead/Coordinator
Coordinate and monitor tier II supports

6. 3. Classroom Problem Solving
Grade level / combinations
Once a week focus of meeting = social behavior concerns when decision rule met
Standard problem solving steps

7. Classroom Problem Solving
Process leader
Classroom teachers, Specialist teachers
Tier II Team partner
School Psychologist, Counselor, Administrator
Process
Data-based decision making
Guiding questions
Function-based intervention
Teach replacement
Environmental alterations / supports
Monitor progress

8. Classroom Problem Solving
Student meets data decision rule
Classroom teacher completes preliminary forms (documents student progress to date)
Grade level lead walks team through problem solving process
Tier II Team partner attends if team is unable to identify patterns leading to intervention or when significant concerns noted
Plan put in place
Student progress monitored and reported at weekly meetings

9. Classroom Problem Solving Process
Develop intervention based on function of behavior
Environment changes
Student skills to teach/practice/reinforce
Monitor progress
Same data that brought them to your attention
Problem and Appropriate behavior
Teacher observations

10. Behavior is functionally related to the teaching environment
The Key
Behavior is functionally related to the teaching environment

12. Moving beyond the form of behavior...
Applied Behavior Analysis

13. The Basics Behavior is learned
Do not assume children know your rules, expectations, or social skills
Every social interaction you have with a child teaches him/her something

16. The Basics Behavior communicates need
Children engage in behavior(s) to "get" what they find reinforcing or to "avoid" what they find aversive
Need is determined by observing what happens prior to and immediately after behavior

17. Functional relationships with the Teaching Environment
Events that follow behavior
Following a student behavior the environment “gives” something to the student and student behavior maintains or increases -- what ever was given is reinforcing to that individual

18. Functional relationships with the Teaching Environment
Events that follow behavior
Following a behavior the environment allows the student to stop an activity or is removed from the situation and the student behavior maintains or increases -- the event the student is avoiding is aversive to that individual

19. “Positive Reinforcement” Receive attention from adults or peers
Get/Acquire
“Positive Reinforcement”
Receive attention from adults or peers
Receive tangible objects or access to preferred activities
Get automatic sensations
Escape/Avoid
“Negative Reinforcement”
Escape adults or peers
Avoid tasks or responsibilities
Avoid automatic sensations

20. Functional relationships with the Teaching Environment
Events that precede behavior
Events in the environment can “trigger” challenging behavior - they serve as cues for the student to perform a behavior because the student can predict the outcome when the cue is present

21. What antecedent events reliably precede problem behavior?
When does the behavior occur?
What activities are taking place?
What people are present?
How is the environment arranged?
When is the problem behavior absent?

25. Parkade Elementary Columbia, MO
Carrie

26. School Demographics Currently 430 students
District Multi-Categorical classroom
District Emotional Disturbance program
Free and Reduced Percentage: 65%
Special Education Students: 19%
Mobility: 23%
Ethnicity
White 46%
Minority 53%
Black 36%
Hispanic 7.5%
Asian 4%
Multi 2.5%
American Indian 2%
Pacific Islander 1%
Carrie
Focus on:
Almost 100 more boys in our school than girls
The addition of 20 new ELLs to our school.
Mobility defined as students that either came to us or left us since the beginning of the year.
Don’t discuss F&R.

27. Parkade Elementary Tier 2 Team Structure
Classroom Teachers
Grade Level Teams
Tier 2 Development Team
Tier 2
Core Team
Carrie

28. Grade Level Teams
Meet Weekly Rotating between Academics and Social Behavior
Discuss Students Who Meet Data Decision Criteria
Use Function Base Decision Making
Collaborate and Generalize for Similar Students’ Behavior and Function
Carrie
We are building fluency at three levels
Bullet 3: identify a behavior and think of kids in your class that have that behavior –or- depending upon the team’s fluency you can talk about the function of the behavior and problem solve based upon function
Remember: we can problem solve based on behavior if we are addressing it from a skill deficit standpoint, otherwise we have to address it from a function-based standpoint

29. Carrie
Pg. 8

30. 1. Insure Universals Including Classrooms are in Place
Teams discuss their expectations, rules, procedures and routines before the school year starts and then explicitly teach those in the first few days of school.
Morning Meetings from 8:50-9:20 school-wide
Lessons are determined by looking at previous months data
Carrie - Describe what you did so all teachers would teach and practice hallways, cafeteria, playground, arrival, dismissal at beginning of year. Mention that our expectations are safe, responsible, and respectful.

31. 1: Insure Universals, including Classrooms are in Place
Expectations & Rules
Procedures & Routines
Acknowledgment
Response Strategies & Error Correction
Active Supervision
Opportunities to Respond
Activity Sequence & Offering Choice
Academic Success & Task Difficulty
Carrie – These are the 4 we’ve worked on the last couple years. (Go over ppts. To review in own mind.) Ongoing at grade level team meetings. Effective Classroom Practices in blue taught at the beginning of school year. How did Parkade teach teachers the first 4Effective Classroom Practices.

32. How We Know Universals Are in Place
Schoolwide Evaluation Tool over 92%
Administrative Walk-Through’s To Observe Classrooms
Feedback from Parents and Visitors
Office Discipline Data
Carrie

33. Baseline Behavior Data Spring 2008
15% Tier 3
Goal 5%
16% Tier 2
Goal 15%
69% Tier 1
Goal 80%
57 students with 9+ Referrals
6+ Referrals
2-5 Referrals
0-1 Referral
Carrie
1712 referrals

34. Current Behavior Data 2010-2011 7% Tier 3 10% Tier 2 83% Tier 1
16 Students with 9+ Referrals
7% Tier 3
Goal 5%
10% Tier 2
Goal 15%
83% Tier 1
Goal 80%
6+ Referrals
2-5 Referrals
Carrie
Last year, 945 referrals
0-1 Referrals
516 Referrals

35. Tier II Support Process
Insure Universals, including Classroom, in place
Student Identification Process
Classroom Problem Solving
Tier II Supports
Evaluate Process
Linda

36. 2. Student Identification Process
Parkade Tier II Data Decision Rules – Behavior:
2-5 Office referrals (Major)
2+ Buddy Room referrals in a 2 week period (Minor)
Student is engaging in a repeated pattern of problem behavior in more than one setting or with more than one adult
Internalizing Behaviors
Problem behavior is having negative consequences on student’s social relationships
The problem behavior is NOT dangerous to student or others
Linda

37. Behavior Data Review
On Monday teachers receive Minor and Major office discipline referrals before Grade Level Team Meeting Review and highlight students who meet any Tier II data decision rule
Describe the Observable Problem Behavior
Be prepared to discuss student at Grade Level Team Meeting
Linda

38. Tier II Support Process
Insure Universals, including Classroom, in place
Student Identification Process
Classroom Problem Solving
Tier II Supports
Evaluate Process
Linda

39. 3. Classroom Problem Solving
Grade Level Teams…
Discuss Individual Students to Identify Strategies that Work for Similar Students in Each Teacher’s Class
Just like they do for Academics
Linda

40. The Problem Solving Process
Write Summary Statements
-Antecedents
-Observable Problem Behavior
-Outcomes/Consequences
-Determine Function of Behavior
Identify Replacement Behavior
Decide on Strategies That Match the Function
Increase the Replacement Behavior
Decrease the Problem Behavior
Plan to Progress Monitor
Linda

41. ABC Example Behavior Antecedent Outcome Function
When Given an independent work task, mostly writing
Student Will Walk around the room, put head down, talk to other students
Because Teacher works with student 1 on 1.
Therefore, the function is to avoid or access hard writing tasks.
Replacement Behavior: Begin work, work the entire time and appropriately ask for help.
Strategies to Increase Replacement Behavior: Teach student to put a Post-It on desk to ask for help.
Strategies to Decrease Problem Behavior: Write to the star then check –in with the teacher.
Linda

42. How Were Steps Taught?
Multiple practice rewriting generic behaviors into specific observable behavior
ABCs of Behavior (Chris Borgmeier, Portland State University)
Training During Grade Level Team Meetings
Model, group practice, homework, review
Practice, practice, practice
Linda

43. We Always Come Back to… Classroom Effective Practices
Expectations & Rules
Procedures & Routines
Acknowledgment
Response Strategies & Error Correction
Active Supervision
Opportunities to Respond
Activity Sequence & Offering Choice
Academic Success & Task Difficulty
Linda - Effective Classroom Practices in blue taught at the beginning of school year. How did Parkade teach teachers the first 4Effective Classroom Practices.

44. Strategies Teachers Used
Students Seeking Attention—
Increased Pride Tickets… “It was like magic”
Moved student to the middle of the room to increase teacher contact when moving in a Figure 8 pattern.
Made special 1:1 time at beginning of the day… “I faked being interested during 1000 stories of military figures”
Students Avoiding Work –
Teachers increased pre-corrects about work expectations
Teachers used strategies for independent writing, (e.g., write to the star)
Taught appropriate ways to ask for help, (e.g., 3 fingers on the shoulder, post-it on desk)
Linda

45. Tier II Support Process
Insure Universals, including Classroom, in place
Student Identification Process
Classroom Problem Solving
Tier II Supports
Evaluate Process
Carrie

46. How Do We Know if Classroom Environmental Changes Were Effective?
DATA
Office Discipline Referrals (minors and majors)
Teacher Progress Monitoring (work completion, Pride Tickets earned, etc)
Teacher perception
Linda

47. 4. Tier II Supports
If Data indicated classroom strategies were not effective, teachers asked Administrator to take the student to Core Tier II Team.
Check In/Check Out
Social Skills Groups
Academics
Linda

48. Check In Check Out
For students who seek consistent and frequent positive attention from adults
Two facilitators
PE Teacher and Instructional Aide
Check in and out with students
Collect data on Daily Progress Report
Enter student points into Excel Spreadsheet daily
Rewards when students meet their goals
Linda

49. Check In Check Out Data
Tier II Team Reviews data bimonthly to determine…
Integrity of Implementation
If in question, Administrator does an observation and DPRs checked
Review student graphs to decide…
if student continues,
fading starts or
intervention is not appropriate.
Linda

50. Student Progress Monitoring Graph
Linda

51. Student Progress Monitoring Graph
Linda

52. 5. Evaluate Process Universals Grade Level Team Problem Solving
Schoolwide Evaluation Tool (SET)
Big 5 Report Reviews
Self Assessment Tool
Grade Level Team Problem Solving
Observations of process
Classroom major and minor discipline referrals
Linda

53. 5. Evaluate Process Tier II Interventions Entire Tier II System
Integrity of Implementation Checks
Student Data Graphs
Staff Self Assessment Surveys
Student Surveys
Entire Tier II System
Benchmark for Advanced Tiers (BAT)
Individual Students Systems Evaluation Tool (ISSET)
Office Discipline Data
Linda

54. Lessons Learned Scheduling meetings is tricky
Must take the time to build trust
It is hard to focus on Tier II and not students needing Tier III support
Plan for bringing new staff and new teams up to date
Time for continuing professional development
Having a big enough binder
Carrie

55. Classroom Problem Solving as Part of the Tier II Process
Tim Lewis, Ph.D.
University of Missouri