Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Topics 16 & 17
April Links
PBS Plan Tools
Cultural Competence
Planning in Schools
SIT Team Referral Package
Research Based Case Studies
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Topic 15
Topic 15
Holly Tetreault
Emotional and Behavioral Disorders
Evaluating PBS Plans
The Basics
PBS refers to positive behavior supports. SWPBS is a school wide positive behavior support program that an entire school takes part in. Evaluation of these programs is essential to maintaining its effectiveness. The National PBIS (Positive Behavior Interventions & Supports) website provides all the information necessary to evaluate a SWPBS plan. The first section is comprised of school wide evaluation tools. This also includes case studies and examples. The second section focuses on tiers 2 and 3. This section includes checklists and functional behavior assessments. The third section contains SIMEO tools. SIMEO represents Systematic Information Management for Educational Outcomes. This provides resources to schools, families, and students.
So what does a school wide plan look like? This is an example of a review I wrote about my schools PBS plan. We are White Church Elementary in Kansas City, KS. Our school wide motto is "Be Respectful, Be a Learner, Be in Control." This is a summary of how our SWPBS plan works!
Example of a SWPBS
White Church Elementary has a School-Wide Positive Behavior Support Program in place. Our school rules are, “Be Respectful, Be a Learner, and Be in Control.” The rules apply for our hallways, bathrooms, cafeteria, and classrooms. We begin the year with a PBS program to model what these behaviors look like for our students. In addition we have a school wide token, the Bee Buck. Teachers are allowed to give these to any student who is “caught” following the rules. Students who are walking appropriately, using indoor voices and appropriate voices, keeping hands to themselves, and are being respectful to others are rewarded with bee bucks. The prize for the bee bucks change ever 4-5 weeks.
Our PBS team is the same as our SIT B (Student Intervention Team-Behavior) team. We meet every Tuesday at 8:00 in the morning. If a student is referred to the SIT team we will meet every other week with the teachers to address those behavior issues. Every other week we meet to discuss our PBS program. We brainstorm activities for incentives, funding ideas, and evaluate data to determine if our plan is working. We have six members to our team. Our principal, our fifth grade teacher who serves as the head of the PBS team, our fourth/fifth multi grade teacher, a third grade teacher, a first grade teacher, and myself, the special education teacher.
We use SWIS (School Wide Information System) to collect data on our students. A print out will break down for us the number of referrals we have as a school, how many per grade, and which students specifically. The data also shows what time of day had the most referrals, where the incidents occurred, and what the offenses were that students were written up for. For example, we looked at the data and November and the first thing we noticed is that the most incidents happened on the playground around 1:30. We know this is when fourth and fifth grade is at recess. We also noticed that most of the referrals were written for physical aggression. Furthermore there were four forth grade students that made up nearly 50% of all referrals. After reviewing the data and analyzing the situation we realized that these four students fight over kickball and who can bring in the balls from recess. On these occasions the fights became physical. We decided as a team a plan to put in place during recess in the spring. (We did not have outdoor recess in December, January, and most of February.) We would post the rules of kickball outside, a teacher would monitor the game, and students would have a rotating schedule for who could bring in the balls. When we reviewed data again at the end of March we noticed that referrals for recess for that age group had gone down.
I conduct reading groups for grades kindergarten through 5th grade in my classroom in the mornings. I incorporate PBS by following the school wide plan. We have an apple tree in our room. There is a ladder from the apple tree to the ground and a basket at the bottom. Each group has an apple. If the group has followed the rules, “Be respectful, be a learner, and be in control,” then there apple falls. When the groups’ apple reaches the basket they can choose something from the prize box or choose to have lunch with the teacher. I also reward students with Bee Bucks during the group for things like coming in quietly, sitting at the table, pushing in their chairs, using indoor voices, and working hard.
Our PBS team decides the incentives for Bee Bucks. We alternate doing whole school rewards with classroom rewards. At the beginning of the year we start with a short, whole school reward. Each class sets a goal for how many bee bucks each student needs to earn. Students who meet that goal on time get to participate in an extra recess and have popsicles. We then let teachers set a class goal for the next turn. Goals are typically extra recess, pajama day, a movie, and other treats and activities. Other school wide rewards we’ve had have been a school wide movie with popcorn and soda or juice the last day before the holiday break, a school wide extra recess with a sports theme, and a luau lunch in the cafeteria with all students.
Our PBS program is currently funded by a grant. However, we have begun to brainstorm possible fundraising activities for the upcoming year when the grant will expire. We are working with PAWS (Parents at Work in School) to help coordinate events and activities.
Topic 14
Topic 14
Holly Tetreault
Emotional and Behavioral Disorders
Cultural Competence
The Basics
What is cultural competence?
Cultural competence is defined by the expert panel at the Centers for Effective Collaboration and Practice as, “a set of congruent behaviors, attitudes, and policies that come together in a system, agency, or among professionals and enables that system, agency, or those professionals to work effectively in cross–cultural situations.” They further provide an operational definition of, “cultural competence is the integration and transformation of knowledge about individuals and groups of people into specific standards, policies, practices, and attitudes used in appropriate cultural settings to increase the quality of services; thereby producing better outcomes.”
So what does this mean for schools?
This tells us that schools have to work together as district, school, and individual teams to meet the needs of our culturally diverse learners. According to Dr. Cathy Kea, Dr. Gloria D. Campbell-Whatley, and Dr. Heraldo V. Richards there are three levels to cultural competence. In their article, “Becoming Culturally Responsive Educators: Rethinking Teacher Education Pedagogy,” they describe the lowest level as exclusive. This means that students are taught about diversity in relation to stereotypes and specific lessons targeted and cultural content. In the second level, inclusive, students are exposed to more diversity in more lessons however it is taught through the same traditional mold. Finally in the transformational level the curriculum has been transformed so that all curriculums across all content areas are integrated to reflect cultural competence.
How does this effect individual students?
As teachers, our job is to make students think about other cultures and embrace them. We are responsible for making all students feel as though they have a place in the classroom environment. As I discussed earlier, this involves creating a classroom environment that is accepting of all students and their cultures. Discussions and activities regarding culture do not stand alone but should be implemented into all curriculums. For students with IEP's there should be specific and explicit accomodations and modifications in place to ensure the child is receiving an appropriate education.
Federal Policies and Legislation
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 states that individuals cannot be discriminated based on race. It does not however specify how they should be taught or address integrating cultural competence into the curriculum.
There are however many tie-ins to special education in regards to cultural competence.
Additional Resources
The following websites will provide additional information on training available. They also provide additional information on cultural competence.
Passports: Crossing Cultural Borders
Center for Effective Collaboration and Practice
Becoming Culturally Responsive Educators: Rethinking Teacher Education Pedagogy
National Clearinghouse for Bilingual Education
Office of Health and Human Services
Education and Culture: A publication of Purdue University
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Topics 12 & 13
Topics 12 & 13
Holly Tetreault
Emotional and Behavioral Disorders
Crisis Management, Seclusion, and Restraint
The Basics
Crisis management, according to the U.S. Department of Education, is vital to helping faculty, students, and parents what the proper steps are in case of an emergency. Emergencies include but are not limited to weather related disasters, intruder alerts, fire related disasters, and attacks on the school. During these crisis events a plan should be set in place. Schools should have a plan to move children to safety, connect with emergency service providers, care for students and faculty in need, and recover from the crisis. These plans should include step by step directions, maps of locations, and procedures for communicating. In addition to having these plans they need to be practiced. Schools are required to have drills to ensure staff know exactly what to do and how to do it in a timely manner in case of disaster.
According to PBIS, Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports, seclusion and restraint refer to students being isolated or physically prevented from causing or continuing to cause serious harm to themselves and others. They are considered types of interventions in treatments however, data shows that they often reinforce problem behaviors. PBIS also notes that schools that participate in SWPBS, Schools Wide Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports, have less need for seclusion and restraint and are often able to use positive interventions to reinforce positive behaviors. Currently seclusion and restraint is a hot topic nationally. It is a highly debated issue that is currently being debated in our government.
Federal Policies and Legislation
Currently districts are responsible for developing their own crisis emergency plans. The U.S. Department of Education offers grants, training, and information to help schools re-evaluate their plans and to create new ones if one does not exist.
The U.S. House recently (March 3rd, 2010) approved H.R. 4247, the Keeping All Students Safe in Schools Act. The act came about after the U.S. Government Accountability office report showed that there were widespread claims of abuse due to inappropriate use of restraint and seclusion. In some extreme cases is was found that duct tape, rope, chairs with straps, and bungee cords were used as means to restrain and isolate children.
The U.S. Department of Education reports that issues of seclusion and restraint are state issues and vary greatly from state to state. Currently nineteen states have no laws regarding seclusion and restraint. This act will create a federal standard to protect all students in all states. The bill will “prohibit school staff from including restraint or seclusion as planned interventions in student’s education plans, known as Individualized Education Programs (IEP’s).”
Additional Resources
The following are lists of resources by numerous agencies and cites. They are to divided into crisis management and seclusion and restraint. The purpose of these cites is to provide more information on the issues and guide schools, parents, and students in the proper direction.
Crisis Management
The U.S. Department of Education provides additional resources to help schools initiate crisis plans.
Ready America is a government site that connects parents, schools, and communities with information regarding crisis management. There is also a section just for kids.
The National School Safety and Security Services was created to facilitate emergency and crisis plans.
Seclusion and Restraint
The House Committee on Education and Labor provides additional information on current legislation.
PBIS is a great source for alternatives to seclusion and restraint as a means of treating problem behaviors.
The U.S. Department of Education provides information and updates on the status of seclusion and restraint as is becomes a more prominent issue in the national spotlight.
The Autism Self Advocacy Network provides information on the use of seclusion and restraint on students with Autism.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Topic 11
Topic 11
Holly Tetreault
Emotional and Behavioral Disorders
Social Skills
Operational Definition
Social skills are skills that are taught explicitly during school to promote social acceptance and awareness. The skills are taught based on a student’s need for improvements in behavior regarding social issues. There are various definitions available through various websites. All seem to agree though that the outcome of teaching social skills is for students to have positive interactions with their peers.
How are social skills taught?
Social skills are taught in school throughout the day. In an elementary setting the skills may be taught by a general education teacher, special education teacher, or social worker. In the secondary level the skills may be taught by various content general education teachers, special education teachers, social worker, or school counselor. Skills are taught through lessons that introduce, model, and allow for student practice of the skill. Skills are reinforced throughout the day with positive reinforcements. For example, the lesson may be taught during a 30 minute lesson in the general education classroom daily. This may be incorporated into a morning meeting or during any additional time. If the lesson were on a social skill such as “honesty” the teacher will reinforce this skill by giving positive attention to students who exemplify this skill. A student may give another student back something that was on the floor, this simple action would model being honest.
Is there curriculum available?
According to the Kansas Institute for Positive Behavior Supports some common curriculums include:
- First Steps to Success
- Second Step Violence Prevention
- The Walker Social Skills Curriculum: The Accepts Program
In USD 500, Kansas City Kansas Public Schools, we utilize the Second Step program. The program comes with lessons already created with a script for teachers to read from. There are large picture cards that display students with varying emotions. Students discuss the card and role play activities to model appropriate behaviors.
The program is actually a very good program however it is not utilized as it should be. In many schools due to the time constraints teachers end up cutting second step from the daily schedule. Classes often only use Second Step for 15-30 minutes one day a week. In the secondary schools Second step is used as program for students with frequent suspensions instead of as a preventive school.
How else can social skills help my kids?
Social skills can be used to create replacement behaviors for students. The skills taught can be used in a BIP (Behavior Intervention Plan) as a replacement behavior. For example, in a Kindergarten classroom we had a student who had not attended preschool or day care prior to kindergarten. When he needed something he would shout out. He didn’t understand how to appropriately get attention. The kindergarten teacher and I incorporated a few mini lessons on raising your hand into the morning curriculum. Through out the day she positively praised students for raising their hand, particularly this student. Though at the time we were in the process of an FBA and working on a behavior plan for other behavioral concerns, this was a way we addressed an issue by replacing the behavior of yelling with hand raising.
Where can I learn more?
Here are websites you can view for additional information.
- Model Me Kids: Social Skills Curriculum
- Getting to Know You!: A Social Skills Curriculum
- Dr. Mac: Classroom Behavior Management
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Topic 10
Topic 10
Holly Tetreault
Emotional and Behavioral Disorders
Function Based Interventions for Students
The Basics
According to IDEA 2007, as presented by the Council for Exceptional Children, a functional behavior assessment is conducted when a behavior is determined to impede the learning of him/herself and others. A function-based intervention is put into place when the student is non-responsive to primary and secondary positive behaviors supports. The behavior should first be identified; data collected to show that current interventions are not successful, and finally the plan will contain a replacement behavior that can replace the current behavior. The function refers to why the student is doing what they’re doing. There are two major functions; to obtain something or avoid something. The function-based intervention is put into place and monitored to determine if it has replaced the original behavior with a positive or more acceptable behavior that still allows the student to acquire their needs.
Kansas Institute of Positive Behavior Supports
The following are three resources from the KIPBS site. A description is provided in addition to a link to the KIPBS page where more information can be found. Each resource will be utilized in the future to aide in function based interventions.
The interview form is used to collect information on a student during a Functional Behavioral Assessment. For an FBA to conducted it must be determined that the behavior occurs even with tier 1 and 2 interventions. The intervention should address the behavior that needs to be replaced. I personally used this form this year. A general education teacher completed it (as best as she could) on a student I was conducting an FBA on. In my schedule I am unable to observe the student as often as I would like and I do not witness many of the behaviors that occur in the classroom. This allows the teacher a form to constructively tell me about the behaviors.
The competing behavior diagram is used to determine the setting events, antecedent, and the behavior. From there the team determines what the desired behavior is and the replacement behavior. This allows the team to document what they hypothesize and the effectiveness of the interventions. The chart is extremely helpful in outlining what we often think but don’t often verbalize. For me it is an easy visual representation of the behaviors.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Topics 8 and 9
Topics 8 & 9
Holly Tetreault
Emotional and Behavioral Disorders
Strategies for encouraging group collaboration and Involving parents and community members.
The Basics
According to the Educational Alliance of Brown University when No Child Left Behind was implemented the idea was that by publicizing schools test results and performance ratings school, states, and districts would be forced to be accountable for their own education and would steadily improve outcomes. However, this hasn’t been the case. Schools that struggled are still struggling in many cases. Schools alone can’t be responsible fore the total outcome of student success. Many other factors come into play. Other publicly funded services need to be utilized to support students in need of additional support in the classroom. These services can be used to support families in need of help. The issue, the alliance believes, is caused by neither group successfully collaborating with the other. Furthermore parents are in the middle and need to belong in the process. Research is showing that there is a lack of this cohesiveness in our public school systems (Educational Alliance, 2008)
This topic focuses on how do we encourage collaboration in our schools among our teachers and when and how do we involve outside sources for support. For teachers there are hundreds of books, articles, and studies that provide collaboration among the staff. Collaboration can take place in the form of team planning, collaboration between general education teachers and special education teachers, or collaboration among teachers and support staff. There are unlimited ways of utilizing each others skills (Department of Education, 1995).
Federal Policies and Legislation
There are certain terms that come into play when discussing rights of teachers, parents, and the community. The following legal terms are from WrightsLaw.
Due Process Hearing (impartial due process hearing): Procedure to resolve disputes between parents and schools; administrative hearing before an impartial hearing officer or administrative law judge. Called a “fair hearing” in some states.
FAPE: Free Appropriate Public Education; special education and related services provided in conformity with an IEP; are without charge; and meets standards of the SEA.
IFSP: Individualized Family Service Plan
LRE: Least Restrictive Environment; requirement to educate special needs children with children who are not disabled to the maximum extent possible.
LEA: Local education agency or school district.
Mediation: Procedural safeguard to resolve disputes between parents and schools; must be voluntary, cannot be us ed to deny or delay right to a due process hearing; must be conducted by a qualified and impartial mediator who is trained in effective mediation techniques.
Statutory Rights: Rights protected by statute, as opposed to constitutional rights that are protected by the Constitution.
According to WrightsLaw the issue of rights often get confused between schools, parents, and outside agencies. As far as collaborating in schools there is not mandate set that forces staff members to work together. However research has shown that with teacher collaboration, student achievement is greater.
As far as legalities involving parents, WrightsLaw states that parents do have legal rights when it comes to their child. They are a member of the IEP team. They are able to participate in the process of developing and implementing an IEP. They are made aware of all changes to an IEP. They do not however have the final say in a child’s placement to receive services. Often the parents idea of LRE and the schools are different. There are other legal issues that can arise, parents need to know that they do have rights and that the more they educate themselves in regards to special education the better they will be able to protect themselves and there child and be an advocate.
When working with outside agencies the line becomes even more fuzzy. Outside agencies are extremely useful, especially for student with behavioral concerns and in need of wraparound services. However, they are not a required part of the team. Once they have begun providing services however they are a member of that child's IEP/Wraparound planning team.
Websites to See
This website from Autism Collaboration offers support and suggestions for parents and teachers.
This website from the North Central Regional Education Library provides suggestions for creating partnerships between schools, parents, and external agencies.
This is an absolutely fantastic article published by Brown University that focuses on how to utilize support.
For additional support in schools, Dr. Marilyn Friend is the foremost educator on collaboration.
This newsletter from Washington shares how teachers in a local district successfully implemented collaboration.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Topic 6
Topic 6
Holly Tetreault
Emotional and Behavioral Disorders
PCP and Wraparound
The Basics
According to the Association for Positive Behavior Support Wraparound Planning and Person Centered Planning (PCP) are strategies used in a Positive Behavior Support (PBS) model. Wraparound is team based planning, much like an IEP team, that addresses the needs of students with behavioral or emotional disabilities by involving teachers, families, friends, and other outside sources of assistance the student may receive. For example, in Kansas City Kansas some students receive support from Wyandot Center. Person Centered Planning is a strategy to involve students in the process of their functional behavior assessments (FBA’s) and their behavior plans. It allows students to outline what their goals are, what is important to them, and what they value. While this is much more applicable at older ages it is used for students as young as 4 years old.
Federal Policies and Legislation
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act specifies that by age 14 students with IEP’s need to be involved with their transitions from high schools to post secondary lives. In addition IEP meetings must have transition meetings for students with IEP’s for transition from preschool to elementary school, elementary school to middle school, and high school to post secondary lives. Person centered planning and wraparound are not required by IDEA however are utilized and required by many districts that participate in PBS.
Websites to See
Kansas Institute for Positive Behavior Support
-Person Centered Planning Form
- Wraparound Toolkit
- Planning Indicators
Cornell University Person Centered Planning Education Site
Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services
-Information on HCBS SED Waiver
Kansas Center for Autism Research and Training
Additional Resources
The Kansas Positive Behavior Institute created a Person Centered Process Facilitator Sheet. I have uploaded the original document, as it was created by the Kansas Positive Behavior Institute.
Person Centered Process Facilitator Sheet
Teams will begin using these as early as 4. As students become older the students themselves will play a more active role in completing these forms.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Topic 4
Topic 4
Holly Tetreault
Emotional and Behavioral Disorders
Assessments and Screening
The Basics
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children & Families defines the difference between screenings and assessments. Screenings merely offer a snapshot of student’s current developmental abilities. Assessments make judgments and determine if the student needs service or more evaluations. Assessments are a continual process that monitors growth as students grow (Health and Human Services, 2010). There are many tools available for school psychologists, behavioral specialists, and pediatricians to use when evaluating students for emotional and behavioral disorders. For example, USD 500 (Kansas City Kansas Public Schools) uses a variety of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fourth Edition (WISC-IV). In addition the district uses a standard Functional Behavior Assessment to initially assess behaviors. There are multitudes of assessment tools available and the instruments use vary from district to district. The Violence Institute of New Jersey, a product of Universal Behavioral Healthcare, provides a comprehensive list of assessments and screening tools used specifically for identifying emotional and behavioral disabilities. The University of Pennsylvania created a comprehensive list of standard screening instruments used commonly in special education.
Federal Policies and Legislation
IDEA 2004 (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) outlines specific guidelines for screenings and evaluations. Including:
“3. Clarify that screening for instructional purposes is not evaluation. The screening of a student by a teacher or specialist to determine appropriate instructional strategies for curriculum implementation shall not be considered to be an evaluation for eligibility for special education and related services. [34 CFR 300.302] [20 U.S.C. 1414(a)(1)(E)]”
“5. Add a requirement that evaluation procedure be administered in form that is most likely to yield the most accurate information. Each public agency must ensure that assessments and other evaluation materials used to assess a child under Part 300 are provided and administered in the child’s native language or other mode of communication and in the form most likely to yield accurate information on what the child knows and can do academically, developmentally, and functionally, unless it is clearly not feasible to provide or administer. [34 CFR 300.304(c)(1)(ii)] [20 U.S.C. 1414(b)(3)(A)(ii)]”
For more information on the legalities of evaluations including assessments and screening please visit the IDEA website.
Terms to Know
For additional terms or a more comprehensive list of terms please visit Wrightslaw. Wrightslaw is a free website that provides federal legislations and policies in regards to special education.
Assessments: The process of testing and measuring skills and abilities. Assessments include aptitude tests, achievement tests, and screening tests.
Criterion-Referenced Tests: The individual’s performance is compared to an objective or performance standard, not to the performance of other students.
Diagnostic Test: A test used to diagnose, analyze or identify specific areas of weakness and strength; to determine the nature of weakness or deficiencies; diagnostic achievement tests are used to measure skills.
Intelligence Tests: Tests that measure aptitude or intellectual capacities.
Norm-referenced Tests: Standardized tests designed to compare the scores of children to scores achieved by children the same age who have taken the same test.
Response to Intervention (RTI): Use of research-based instruction and interventions to students who are at risk and who are suspected of having specific learning disabilities; used as an initial screening tool.
Standard Deviation (SD): A measure of the variability of a distribution of scores. The more the scores cluster around the mean, the smaller the standard deviation.
Websites to See
The following websites provide additional information on assessments and screening.
Developmental Screening and Assessment Instruments with an Emphasis on Social and Emotional Development for Young Children Ages Birth through Five. Information provided by the National Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center.
Screening for Social Emotional Concerns: Considerations in the Selection of Instruments. Information provided by the Technical Assistance Center on Social Emotional Intervention.
Additional Resources
The following are links to groups that provide support to families who need additional information and support on screening and assessments.
Council for Children with Behavioral Disabilities
Pacer Center: Champions for Children with Disabilities
Monday, February 15, 2010
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Topic 3
Topic 3
Holly Tetreault
Emotional and Behavioral Disorders
Classroom Management
The Basics
According to Wolfgang and Glickman (1986) "classroom management is is a term used by teachers to describe the process of ensuring that classroom lessons run smoothly despite disruptive behavior by students." Classroom management philosophies vary from teacher to teacher. Education has adapted from negative reinforcements to positive reinforcements. In the state of Kansas, as well as many other states, PBS (Positive Behavior Supports) has become a school wide model of promoting positive behaviors everywhere including in the classroom (PBIS, 2010).
Federal Policies and Legislation
According to Edweek.org a bill has passed through the house Education and Labor Committee that would prevent educators from applying restraint or seclusion on students with behavior issues in the classroom (Edweek, 2010). The committee on Education and Labor has released information on the Preventing Harmful Restraint and Seclusion in Schools Act. The website provides the myths and facts on behavior issues in classrooms (Committee on Education and Labor, 2010).
My Classroom Experience
Chris Borgmeier, PhD, Portland State University, created a resource to help classroom teachers assess how they manage behavior in their room. I used this form provided through the Kansas Institute for Positive Behavior Supports to assess my own personal abilities.
Mapping School-Wide Rules to Classroom Behavioral Expectations
Teacher __Tetreault__________________ Grade/Subject __K-5___
School __White Church Elementary_______________________________
School Rules: Be Safe, Be Respectful, Be Responsible
Expected Student Behavior: White Church Rules: Be Respectful, Be a Learner, Be in Control
Classroom Routine/Behavioral Expectations...
Entering the Classroom: Students wait at the bottom of the stairs (my room is downstairs) and enter the room as the previous group leaves. We walk quietly as we pass through two other groups to get to my room. Once in the room students sit in their seat at the reading table and wait for further instructions. (Everyday we have a different paper passer and pencil passer each day.)
Starting the Day: N/A
Attention Signal: We raise our hand to obtain attention.
Working Independently: We work with "Red Light Ready" voices while working independently.
Working in Groups: When working with partners we work with "Yellow Light" voices and when working whole group we use "Green Light" voices. (We have a traffic light hanging in our room. Red Light Ready is when we are quiet, hands in our laps, feet flat on the floor, and we're ready to be super readers. Yellow light is when we use a whisper voice to talk to a partner and green light is when we use our inside voice to speak to the whole group.)
Asking for Help: We raise our hands for attention.
Transition: We put our materials away and we line up in a SWAMEO line at the door. (SWAMEO is our school wide PBS model for the hallway. S=straight line, W=walking, A=arms in control, M=mouths closed, E=eyes forward, O=off the walls.)
Procedures for...
Lining up: SWAMEO (See above)
Hall Pass: We have a hall pass in case of emergencies. For non-emergencies we use the restroom on their way back to class. (We have 30 minute reading groups.)
System Obtaining Materials: Designating different students each day. (Between 3-6 students in a group; everyone gets a task everyday.)
Supplies: (See above)
Completing & Returning Homework: N/A
Reflection
My goal was to assess how I actually use PBS in my room and to measure how often I use positive supports as opposed to negative reinforcements. However, with parent/teacher conferences and a field trip Friday morning, I haven't been able to use the Classroom Behavior Assessments available on the KIPBS site.
Check back on Tuesday, February 9th after 9 P.M. to see my completed form and reflection.
!UPDATE! As of Tuesday, February 9th I'm not able to scan my document in. I will try to have it scanned in on Thursday. I completed the:
Positive Behavior Support:
Classroom Management:
Self-Assessment
George Sugai & Geoff Colvin
Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports
University of Oregon
Version: March 10, 2004
Websites to See
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