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RTI Toolkit: A Practical Guide for Schools Strategies for Working With Behaviorally Challenging and Non-Compliant Students Jim Wright, Presenter 10 August 2012 Lansing School District 158 Lansing, IL Jim Wright 364 Long Road Tully, NY 13159 Email: [email protected] Resources from Workshop Available at: http://www.interventioncentral.org/lansing158

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RTI Toolkit: A Practical Guide for Schools

Strategies for Working With Behaviorally Challenging and Non-Compliant Students

Jim Wright, Presenter 10 August 2012 Lansing School District 158 Lansing, IL

Jim Wright 364 Long Road Tully, NY 13159 Email: [email protected] Resources from Workshop Available at: http://www.interventioncentral.org/lansing158

BehaviorManagementPlanner: Checklist Maker

Classroom Strategies for Behavior Management

This form provides descriptions of the selected intervention, a listing of research articles supporting theintervention ideas, and space for teacher notes.

Behavior-Intervention Strategy Research Citation(s) Teacher Notes ALTERNATIVE ACADEMIC RESPONSE

FORMATS: REDUCING STUDENTFRUSTRATION. For some students, atrigger for misbehavior is that they areasked to complete an academic task in aresponse format that they find difficult orfrustrating. A strategy to address thisissue is to offer the student a moreacceptable alternative response format.For example, a student who does not liketo write by hand can be given access to akeyboard to draft an essay while a studentwho is put off by completing a mathcomputation worksheet independently cananswer the same math facts orally fromflashcards. Note that alternative responseformats should preserve the rigor of theunderlying academic expectations.

Kern, L. & Clemens, N. H.(2007). Antecedentstrategies to promoteappropriate classroombehavior. Psychology in theSchools, 44, 65-75.

Kern, L. Delaney, B.,Clarke, S., Dunlap, G., &Childs, K. (2001). Improvingthe classroom behavior ofstudents with emotional andbehavioral disorders usingindividualized curricularmodifications. Journal ofEmotional and BehavioralDisorders, 9(4), 239-247.

BEHAVIORAL MOMENTUM:INCREASING COMPLIANCE. Studentswith low-frustration tolerance or lack ofconfidence may balk when asked tocomplete challenging academic tasksassigned as independent seatwork. Astrategy to increase the probability that astudent will attempt a challengingacademic task is to precede that task witha short series of brief, easy academictasks. (For example, a student may dothree easy problems on a math worksheetbefore encountering a challenge problem.)The student builds 'behavioral momentum'in completing the easy items and is thus'primed' to attempt the challenge item thatmight otherwise derail them. Teachersusing this strategy should, of course, firstensure that the student has the actualskills to complete any target challengetasks. Generally, a ratio of three to foureasy items interspersed between eachchallenge items can be quite effective.

Kern, L. & Clemens, N. H.(2007). Antecedentstrategies to promoteappropriate classroombehavior. Psychology in theSchools, 44, 65-75.

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Behavior-Intervention Strategy Research Citation(s) Teacher Notes CHOICE: ALLOWING STUDENTS

CONTROL OVER LEARNING. Teacherswho allow students a degree of choice instructuring their learning activities canincrease engagement and reduceclassroom behavior problems. Oneefficient way to promote choice in theclassroom is for the teacher to create amaster menu of options that students canselect from in various learning situations.For example, during independentassignment, students might be allowed to(1) choose from at least two assignmentoptions, (2) sit where they want in theclassroom, and (3) select a peer-buddy tocheck their work. Student choice thenbecomes integrated seamlessly into theclassroom routine.

Kern, L., Bambara, L., &Fogt, J. (2002). Class-widecurricular modifications toimprove the behavior ofstudents with emotional orbehavioral disorders.Behavioral Disorders, 27,317-326.

INSTRUCTIONAL MATCH: ENSURINGSTUDENTS CAN DO THE WORK. Afrequent trigger for behavior problems isthat the student lacks the skills necessaryto do the assigned schoolwork. To verifyinstructional match, the teacher (1)inventories the target student's academicskills and (2) adjusts assignments orprovides additional academic assistanceas needed to ensure that the student isappropriately challenged but notoverwhelmed by the work.

Kern, L. & Clemens, N. H.(2007). Antecedentstrategies to promoteappropriate classroombehavior. Psychology in theSchools, 44, 65-75.

REDUCE RESPONSE EFFORT:INCREASING COMPLIANCE. Teacherscan increase student motivation andcompliance through any method thatreduces the apparent ‘response effort’ ofan academic task- so long as that methoddoes not hold the student to a lesseracademic standard than classmates.Appropriate response-effort examplesinclude (1) breaking a larger studentassignment into smaller ‘chunks’ andproviding the student with performancefeedback and praise for each completed‘chunk’ of assigned work, and (2)arranging for students to start challengingreading or homework assignments inclass as a cooperative activity and thencomplete the remainder on their own.

Skinner, C. H., Pappas, D.N., & Davis, K. A. (2005).Enhancing academicengagement: Providingopportunities for respondingand influencing students tochoose to respond.Psychology in the Schools,42, 389-403.

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Behavior-Intervention Strategy Research Citation(s) Teacher Notes CRITICISM PAIRED WITH PRAISE:

COMMUNICATING ACCEPTANCE.Teachers sometimes must let a studentknow directly that his or her classroombehaviors are not acceptable. Whenreceiving critical feedback, though, somestudents may assume that the teacher isrejecting them personally and reactstrongly to this perceived rejection. Hereis a way to structure critical feedback toconvey that the teacher continues to valuethe student despite the misbehavior: (1)The teacher describes the problembehavior that the student should target forchange; (2) The teacher describes (orencourages the student to brainstorm)appropriate behavioral alternatives; (3)The teacher acknowledges and praisessome noteworthy aspect of the student'spast classroom behavior oraccomplishments, and finally (4) Theteacher affirms that he or she valueshaving the student as a part of theclassroom community. Here is anexample of this communication strategy:(1) Description of problem behavior:"Trina, you said disrespectful things aboutother students during our class meetingthis morning. You continued to do so evenafter I asked you to stop." (2) Appropriatebehavioral alternative(s): "It's OK todisagree with another person's ideas. Butyou need to make sure that yourcomments do not insult or hurt thefeelings of others." (3) Specific praise: "Iam talking to you about this behaviorbecause know that you can do better. Infact, I have really come to value yourclassroom comments. You have greatideas and express yourself very well." (4)Affirmation statement: "You contribute alot to class discussion!"

Thompson, G.J., & Jenkins,J.B. (1993). Verbal judo:The gentle art ofpersuasion. New York:William Morrow.

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Behavior-Intervention Strategy Research Citation(s) Teacher Notes EMPHASIZE THE POSITIVE IN

TEACHER REQUESTS: INCREASINGSTUDENT COMPLIANCE. When aninstructor's request has a positive 'spin',that teacher is less likely to trigger apower struggle and more likely to gainstudent compliance. Whenever possible,the teacher avoids using negativephrasing (e.g., "If you don't return to yourseat, I can’t help you with yourassignment"). Instead, the teacherrestates requests in positive terms (e.g., "Iwill be over to help you on the assignmentjust as soon as you return to your seat").

Braithwaite, R. (2001).Managing aggression. NewYork: Routledge.

SAY NO WITH PREFERREDALTERNATIVE: INCREASINGCOMPLIANCE. This strategy can reducethe non-compliance and acting-out ofstudents who react negatively to beingtold that they cannot engage in apreferred activity or access a desired item. In preparation, the teacher creates a listof those activities or items preferred bythe student that can actually be provided.Whenever the student requests anunavailable activity or item, the teacherstructures the 'no' statement as follows:(1) The teacher states that the studentcannot engage in the requested activity orhave the desired item; (2) The teacherprovides the student with an explanationfor why the preferred activity or item is notavailable; (3) The teacher offers thestudent an alternative preferred activity oritem in place of that originally requested.Here is a sample teacher 'no' statementwith preferred alternative: "Roger, youcannot listen to your music now becausestudent music players are not allowed inclass. However, you can take afive-minute break to play the MathBlasters computer game that you like."

Mace, F. C., Pratt, J. L.,Prager, K. L., & Pritchard,D. (2011). An evaluation ofthree methods of saying"no" to avoid an escalatingresponse class hierarchy.Journal of Applied BehaviorAnalysis, 44, 83-94.

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Behavior-Intervention Strategy Research Citation(s) Teacher Notes TEACHER COMMANDS:

ESTABLISHING CLASSROOMCOMMAND AND CONTROL. Teachercommands play an important role inclassroom behavior management.Teacher commands are most likely toelicit student compliance when they (1)are delivered calmly, (2) are brief, (3) arestated when possible as DO statementsrather than as DON'T statements, (4) useclear, simple language, and (5) aredelivered one command at a time andappropriately paced to avoid confusing oroverloading students. Effective teachercommands avoid both sarcasm or hostilityand over-lengthy explanations that candistract or confuse students.

Kern, L. & Clemens, N. H.(2007). Antecedentstrategies to promoteappropriate classroombehavior. Psychology in theSchools, 44, 65-75.

Walker, H.M. & Walker, J.E.(1991). Coping withnoncompliance in theclassroom: A positiveapproach for teachers.Austin, TX:: Pro-Ed, Inc.

TWO-PART CHOICE STATEMENT:DELIVERING CLEAR CONSEQUENCESFOR NON-COMPLIANCE. When astudent is non-compliant, the teacher canstructure verbal requests to bothacknowledge the student’s freedom tochoose whether to comply and to presentthe logical consequences fornon-compliance (e.g., poor grades, officedisciplinary referral, etc.). The teacherframes requests to uncooperativestudents as a two-part 'choice' statement:(1) The teacher presents the negative, ornon-compliant, choice and itsconsequences (e.g., if a seatworkassignment is not completed in class, thestudent must stay after school); (2) Theteacher next states the positive behavioralchoice that the student is encouraged toselect (e.g., the student can complete theseatwork assignment within the allottedwork time and not stay after school). Hereis a sample 2-part choice statement,"John, you can stay after school to finishthe class assignment or you can finish theassignment now and not have to stay afterclass. It is your choice."

Walker, H.M. (1997). Theacting-out child: Copingwith classroom disruption.Longmont, CO:SoprisWest.

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Behavior-Intervention Strategy Research Citation(s) Teacher Notes IN-CLASS TIME-OUT: TEMPORARY

REMOVAL FROM REINFORCEMENT.This strategy briefly excludes a studentfrom desirable class activities and peer oradult interactions because of significantmisbehavior. Here are steps for setting upin-class time-out: (1) The teacher choosesan in-class location away from otherstudents (e.g., study carrel) as the timeoutsite; (2) The teacher determines anamount of time appropriate for timeoutsessions (typically not to exceed 5minutes); (3) The teacher clearly defines,explains, and demonstrates classroomrules or behavioral expectations with allstudents; (5) The teacher tells studentsthat, when any student continues tomisbehave despite a warning, that studentwill receive in-class timeout at theteacher's discretion for a pre-determinedduration (e.g., 5 minutes) -- but thattimeout will continue past the time limit ifnecessary until misbehavior ceases;(5)The teacher instructs classmates that theyare not to interact with a student intimeout (6) The teacher keeps a writtenlog (at minimum to include date, studentname, start time, and end time) for eachtimeout session.

Foxx, R. M. & Shapiro, S.T. (1978). The timeoutribbon: A nonexclusionarytimeout procedure. Journalof Applied BehaviorAnalysis, 11, 125-136.

Yell, M.L. (1994). Timeoutand students with behaviordisorders: A legal analysis.Education and Treatment ofChildren, 17, 293-301.

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Behavior-Intervention Strategy Research Citation(s) Teacher Notes RESPONSE COST: INCENTIVE TO

REDUCE PROBLEM BEHAVIORS. Toreduce non-compliant or distractingbehaviors, the teacher can use 'responsecost': first awarding points or tokens andthen deducting those points or tokenswhenever a student behavior disruptsinstruction or distracts other students.Here is a simple classroom version of thisstrategy: (1) At the start of each classperiod, the teacher awards the student acertain number of 'behavior points' (e.g.,5) and writes a series of tally marks on theblackboard to equal this number; (2) Theteacher privately informs the student thateach time the student engages inmisbehavior that obviously distracts otherstudents, the teacher will silently go to theboard and erase one point from thestudent's total; (3) At the end of eachclass period, the student is allowed tokeep any 'behavior points' that still remain;(4) The student is informed that he or shecan collect points across multiple daysand eventually redeem a certain numberof collected 'behavior points' for prizes orprivileges (e.g., extra free time).

DuPaul, G.J., & Stoner, G.(2002). Interventions forattention problems. In M.Shinn, H.M. Walker, & G.Stoner (Eds.) Interventionsfor academic andbehavioral problems II:Preventive and remedialapproaches (pp. 913-938).Bethesda, MD: NationalAssociation of SchoolPsychologists.

BRIEF REPRIMANDS/REMINDERS:REDIRECTING STUDENT BEHAVIORS.The teacher gives a brief, gentle signal todirect back to task any students who isjust beginning to show signs ofmisbehavior or non-compliance. These‘soft’ reprimands can be verbal (e.g., aquiet word to the student directing them tostop engaging in problem behavior) ornon-verbal (e.g., a significant look or headshake).

Simonsen, B., Fairbanks,S., Briesch, A., Myers, D., &Sugai, G. (2008).Evidence-based practicesin classroom management:Considerations for researchto practice. Evaluation andTreatment of Children,31(3), 351-380.

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Behavior-Intervention Strategy Research Citation(s) Teacher Notes COOL-DOWN BREAK: CALMING THE

EMOTIONALLY ESCALATINGSTUDENT. This idea addresses studentswho become angry or upset and needtime to collect themselves. (1) Theteacher selects an area of the room (orarea outside the classroom with adultsupervision) where the target student cantake a brief 'respite break' whenever he orshe feels angry or upset. (2) Whenever astudent becomes upset and defiant, theteacher first offers to talk the situationover with that student once he or she hascalmed down. (3) The teacher then directsthe student to the cool-down corner. (E.g.,"Thomas, I want to talk with you aboutwhat is upsetting you, but first you need tocalm down. Take five minutes in thecool-down corner and then come over tomy desk so we can talk.") The teachermakes cool-down breaks available to allstudents in the classroom, to avoidsingling out only those children withanger-control issues. The teacher alsoensures that students see the cool-downstrategy not as punishment but instead asa support. It is also recommended that theteacher keep a written log of studentsusing the cool-down location (at minimumto include date, student name, start time,and end time).

Long, N.J., Morse, W.C.,Newman, R.G. (1980).Conflict in the classroom.Belmont, CA: WadsworthPublishing Company.

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Behavior-Intervention Strategy Research Citation(s) Teacher Notes PLANNED IGNORING: OVERLOOKING

THE SMALL STUFF. In this tactic, theteacher identifies in advance low-levelproblem student behaviors (e.g., minortalking out) and makes the commitment toignore such behaviors if they do notseriously distract other students, disruptclassroom routine, or otherwise violateimportant behavioral expectations. NOTE:The teacher can always follow up privatelywith a student regarding low-level problembehaviors even if the instructor chooses to‘ignore’ them during the class period.However, planned ignoring is notrecommended if the student’s behaviorrepresents a serious infraction or if thestudent has a pattern of escalatingbehaviors until he or she gains teacherattention.

Colvin, G. (2009).Managing noncomplianceand defiance in theclassroom: A road map forteachers, specialists, andbehavior support teams.Thousand Oaks, CA:Corwin.

PRE-CORRECTION: GIVING A TIMELYREMINDER. Pre-corrections are a simplemeans of keeping students mindful ofbehavioral expectations just before theyencounter situations in which they aremost likely to misbehave. Here are thesteps to using effective pre-corrections:(1) The teacher specifically defines thestudent problem behavior(s) and identifiesthose situations in the school settingwhere the problem behavior(s) tend to bedisplayed; (2) The teacher meets with thestudent to share information about thatstudent's problem behaviors and therelated situations or settings where theyoccur; (3) In their meeting, the teacherand student next come up with expectedor acceptable replacement behaviors thatthe student should instead display inthose situations; (4) At the 'point ofperformance' (that is, whenever thestudent is about to encounter a problemsituation), the teacher delivers a briefpre-correction, a timely behavioralreminder that alerts the student verbally ornon-verbally to remember to follow theclassroom behavioral rule or expectation.

De Pry, R. L., & Sugai, G.(2002). The effect of activesupervision andpre-correction on minorbehavioral incidents in asixth grade generaleducation classroom.Journal of BehavioralEducation, 11(4), 255–267.

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Behavior-Intervention Strategy Research Citation(s) Teacher Notes SILENT SIGNAL: PROVIDING LOW-KEY

BEHAVIORAL PROMPTS. The teachercan unobtrusively redirect students whobegin to show problem behaviors by usinga silent signal. (1) The teacher meetsprivately with the student to identify thoseproblem behaviors that appear to be mostchallenging. (2) The student and teacheragree on a silent signal to be used to alertthe student whenever his or her behaviorhas crossed the threshold and now isdistracting others or otherwise creatingclassroom problems. (3) The teacherrole-plays several scenarios with thestudent in which the student begins todisplay a problem behavior, the teacheruses the silent signal, and the studentthen successfully controls the problembehavior. NOTE: When the silent signal isput into use, the teacher should be sure topraise the student privately for respondingappropriately and promptly when thesignal is given.

U.S. Department ofEducation (2004). Teachingchildren with attentiondeficit hyperactivitydisorder: Instructionalstrategies and practices.Retrieved from http://www.ed.gov/teachers/needs/speced/adhd/adhd-resource-pt2.doc

ACTIVE SUPERVISION: ROAMING THECLASSROOM. The teacher circulatesthrough the classroom periodically, usingphysical proximity to increase studentattention to task and general compliance.While moving about the room, the teacherprovides corrective academic feedbackand encouragement to students, as wellas reinforcing students for showingappropriate behaviors.

Simonsen, B., Fairbanks,S., Briesch, A., Myers, D., &Sugai, G. (2008).Evidence-based practicesin classroom management:Considerations for researchto practice. Evaluation andTreatment of Children,31(3), 351-380.

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Behavior-Intervention Strategy Research Citation(s) Teacher Notes CLASSROOM RULES: PROVDING

CLEAR BEHAVIORAL EXPECTATIONS.Clear rules outlining behavioralexpectations are an essential part of anyclassroom behavior management plan.Here are recommendations for strongclassroom rules: (1) Rules should belimited to no more than five; (2) Studentsshould have input in developingclassroom rules, to provide a sense ofownership; (3) Rules should be stated insimple language, be brief, and - wheneverpossible - be stated as DO rather than asDON'T statements; (4) Rules should bepublicly posted so that students can easilysee and refer to them; (5) The teachershould regularly teach and demonstratethese rules with students, particularly atthe start of the school year, and generateboth examples and non-examples toillustrate specific behavioral expectations.

Kern, L. & Clemens, N. H.(2007). Antecedentstrategies to promoteappropriate classroombehavior. Psychology in theSchools, 44, 65-75.

Simonsen, B., Fairbanks,S., Briesch, A., Myers, D., &Sugai, G. (2008).Evidence-based practicesin classroom management:Considerations for researchto practice. Evaluation andTreatment of Children,31(3), 351-380.

DAILY SCHEDULES: INCREASINGPREDICTABILITY. Students maybecome agitated and misbehave whenthey do not know the purpose of a currentclassroom activity, cannot predict howlong that activity is to last, or do not knowwhat activity will occur next. One strategyto increase the predictability of events forindividual students or an entire classroomis to post or otherwise provide a scheduleoutlining the day's classroom events. Insimplest form, such a schedule lists a titleand brief description for each scheduledactivity, along with the start and end timesfor that activity. Teachers may wish to addinformation to the schedule, such ashelpful reminders of what work materials astudent might need for each event.Students who have difficulty interpreting awritten schedule may benefit from havingtheir schedules read aloud and/or fromhaving pictorial equivalents included intheir schedules.

Kern, L. & Clemens, N. H.(2007). Antecedentstrategies to promoteappropriate classroombehavior. Psychology in theSchools, 44, 65-75.

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Behavior-Intervention Strategy Research Citation(s) Teacher Notes ESTABLISH CLASSROOM ROUTINES:

INCREASING PREDICTABILITY. Manybehavior problems occur when classroomsituations are unstructured or lackbehavioral guidelines. Classroom routinescan help. A strategy to reduce thelikelihood for misbehavior is for theteacher (1) to create a list of thosepotentially problematic situations whenmisbehavior is most likely to occur (e.g.,transitioning from one activity to another;individual students entering or exiting theclassroom, student dismissal) (2) toestablish clear, consistent classroombehavioral routines for each of theseproblem situations, (3) to teach studentsthe steps of these routines; (4) to havestudents practice routines under teachersupervision until mastered; and (5) toregularly reinforce students throughacknowledgment, praise, and perhapsrewards for successfully and consistentlyfollowing those routines.

Kern, L. & Clemens, N. H.(2007). Antecedentstrategies to promoteappropriate classroombehavior. Psychology in theSchools, 44, 65-75.

PREFERENTIAL SEATING:INCREASING ATTENTION ANDREMOVING DISTRACTIONS. Theteacher seats a student who is distractedby peers or other environmental factors ina location where the student is most likelyto stay focused on instructional content.NOTE: The teacher can increase studentmotivation by allowing that student tochoose from two or morepreferential-seating options.

U.S. Department ofEducation (2004). Teachingchildren with attentiondeficit hyperactivitydisorder: Instructionalstrategies and practices.Retrieved from http://www.ed.gov/teachers/needs/speced/adhd/adhd-resource-pt2.doc

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Behavior-Intervention Strategy Research Citation(s) Teacher Notes LINK PREFERRED ACTIVITIES/ITEMS

TO WORK COMPLETION: INCREASINGCOMPLIANCE. This strategy is intendedto increase the academic engagementand work completion of non-compliantstudents who request access to desireditems or preferred activities. Inpreparation, the teacher definesreasonable short-term academic workexpectations for the student: e.g., tocomplete 10 math computation problems;to read independently for 20 minutes.When the student requests an activity oritem that can reasonably be provided, theteacher structures the response asfollows: (1) The teacher says that thestudent can access the requested activityor item; and (2) The teacher describes theconditions of the academic activity that thestudent must first perform to access thepreferred activity or item. Here is a sampleteacher response to a student request:"Yes, Alice, you can spend five minutesdrawing at your desk--once you completethe 10 problems on the math worksheetthat I just handed out."

Mace, F. C., Pratt, J. L.,Prager, K. L., & Pritchard,D. (2011). An evaluation ofthree methods of saying"no" to avoid an escalatingresponse class hierarchy.Journal of Applied BehaviorAnalysis, 44, 83-94.

PRAISE: ACKNOWLEDGING ANDSHAPING BEHAVIOR. To increasedesired behavior, the teacher praises thestudent in clear, specific terms wheneverthe student engages in that behavior. Theteacher uses praise statements at a ratesufficient to motivate and guide thestudent toward the behavioral goal: (1)The teacher selects the specific desiredbehavior(s) to encourage through praise;(2) The teacher sets a goal for howfrequently to deliver praise (e.g., to praisea student at least 3 times per class periodfor working on in-class assignments). (3)The teacher makes sure that any praisestatements given are behavior-specific.

Kern, L. & Clemens, N. H.(2007). Antecedentstrategies to promoteappropriate classroombehavior. Psychology in theSchools, 44, 65-75.

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Behavior-Intervention Strategy Research Citation(s) Teacher Notes BEHAVIOR CONFERENCE:

ENCOURAGING STUDENTRESPONSIBILITY. When a studentmisbehaves, the teacher may choose tomeet with that student briefly to discussand attempt to resolve the problembehavior(s). The teacher should take thestudent aside for a private conversation.Here is a recommended outline forconducting a behavior conference: (1)Maintaining a calm and respectful tone,the teacher describes the studentmisbehavior that led to the conference; (2)The teacher asks open-ended questions(e.g., who, what, where, how) asnecessary to fully understand thestudent's view of why the problembehavior has occurred; (3) The teacherasks the student to identify one or moresolutions to resolve the behaviorproblem(s)--with the teacher prepared tooffer solutions if the student appearsunable or unwilling to do so; (4) Fromsolutions offered, teacher and studentselect one to implement; (5) Beforeconcluding the conference, the teachersummarizes the selected solution toresolve the behavior problem. The teachermay also wish to remind the student of thedisciplinary consequences that will followif the problem behavior(s) continue. It isrecommended that the teacher keep awritten record of these behavioralconferences, to be shared with faculty,administration, or parents if needed.

Lanceley, F.J. (1999).On-scene guide for crisisnegotiators. Boca Raton,FL: CRC Press.

Walker, H. M., Colvin, G.,Ramsey, E. (1995).Antisocial behavior inschool: Strategies and bestpractices. Pacific Grove,CA: Brooks/ColePublishing.

MAINTAIN A HIGH RATIO OF POSITIVEINTERACTIONS: BUILDING STUDENTCONNECTIONS. Teachers can increasethe odds of building a positive relationshipwith any student by maintaining a ratio ofat least three positive teacher-studentinteractions (e.g., greeting, positiveconversation, high-five) for every negative(disciplinary) interaction (e.g., reprimand).

Sprick, R. S., Borgmeier,C., & Nolet, V. (2002).Prevention andmanagement of behaviorproblems in secondaryschools. In M. A. Shinn, H.M. Walker & G. Stoner(Eds.), Interventions foracademic and behaviorproblems II: Preventive andremedial approaches(pp.373-401). Bethesda,MD: National Association ofSchool Psychologists.

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Behavior-Intervention Strategy Research Citation(s) Teacher Notes STRIVE FOR DAILY POSITIVE

INTERACTIONS: BUILDING STUDENTCONNECTIONS. If the teacher lacks a positive relationship with a particularstudent, the teacher makes thecommitment to have at least one positiveverbal interaction per class period withthat student (e.g., greeting at the door,positive conversation, praise for studentdiscussion comments). Wheneverpossible, the teacher continues to interactin positive ways with the studentthroughout the rest of the class periodthrough both verbal (e.g., praise commentafter a student remark) and non-verbal(e.g., thumbs-up sign, smile) means. In allsuch interactions, the teacher maintains apolite, respectful tone.

Fields, B. (2004). Breakingthe cycle of office referralsand suspensions:Defensive management.Educational Psychology inPractice, 20, 103-115.

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Accommodations for General-Education Students

This report lists selected accommodations in one column and research citations for each in the nextcolumn. A third column includes a space to write notes.

Accommodation Research Citation NOTES CUE IMPORTANT INFORMATION.

Identify those concepts, ideas, or otheracademic content likely to be evaluatedon upcoming tests and quizzes. Duringlecture or class discussion, teachercomment can draw attention toimportant content, while on handouts,asterisks or other visual highlightingtechniques can be used to emphasizecontent likely to appear as test items.

International DyslexiaAssociation. (2002).Accommodating studentswith dyslexia in allclassroom settings.Retrieved fromhttp://www.interdys.org/

EMPHASIZE THE POSITIVE INREQUESTS. When delivering a request,directive, or command to a student,state the request using positive phrasing(e.g., "I will be over to help you on theassignment just as soon as you return toyour seat") rather than negativephrasing (e.g., "I can’t help you withyour assignment until you return to yourseat."). When a request has a positive‘spin', that teacher is less likely totrigger a power struggle and more likelyto gain student compliance.

Braithwaite, R. (2001).Managing aggression. NewYork: Routledge.

FOCUS ATTENTION VIA SILENTCUES. Meet with the student and agreeon one or more silent teacher cues toredirect or focus the student (e.g.,placing a paperclip on the student’sdesk) during class instruction. Use thecue as needed. Optionally, direct thestudent to keep track of the number oftimes the cue is used and provideincentives to the student for reducing thenumber of teacher prompts needed.

Barkley, R. A. (2008). 80+classroom accommodationsfor children or teens withADHD. The ADHD Report,16(4), 7-10.

PREPARE A COURSE GLOSSARY.Create a glossary with definitions ofvocabulary terms essential for thecourse or content area. Make copies ofthe glossary available to all students.Provide opportunities for strugglingstudents to practice and demonstratemastery of these crucial vocabularyitems.

International DyslexiaAssociation. (2002).Accommodating studentswith dyslexia in allclassroom settings.Retrieved fromhttp://www.interdys.org/

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Accommodation Research Citation NOTES PUBLICLY POST DIRECTIONS. Post

routine directions on classroom walls orprovide copies for students to refer to asneeded. Format complex directions intobulleted sub-steps for posting.

Beech, M. (2010).Accommodations: Assistingstudents with disabilities.Florida Department ofEducation. Retrieved from http://www.fldoe.org/ese/pdf/accomm-educator.pdf

REPEAT/REPHRASE COMMENTS.Repeat or rephrase student questions orcomments to the class or group beforeresponding.

Disability Resource Center:University of Florida (2008).Instructor fact sheet:Teaching students withhearing loss. Retrieved from http://www.dso.ufl.edu/drc/documents/hearing_loss_instructor_fact_sheet.pdf

SIMPLIFY DIRECTIONS. Simplifywritten directions on assignments andtests to the bare essentials to avoidstudent confusion or misunderstanding. Aim for simple vocabulary andconciseness of expression.

International DyslexiaAssociation. (2002).Accommodating studentswith dyslexia in allclassroom settings.Retrieved fromhttp://www.interdys.org/

USE STRONG TEACHERCOMMANDS. Maximize the likelihood ofstudent compliance with teachercommands by (1) gaining the attentionof the student, (2) stating the commandcalmly in clear and simple language as a‘do’ statement, (3) presentingmulti-step commands one step at a time,and (4) waiting for compliance with eachstep before moving to the next.

Kern, L, & Clemens, N.(2007). Antecedentstrategies to promoteappropriate classroombehavior. Psychology in theSchools, 44(1), 65-75.

ALLOW MUSIC DURINGINDEPENDENT WORK. Permit thestudent to listen to music withearphones during independent work ifthis allows her or him to improveconcentration and increase productivity.

Barkley, R. A. (2008). 80+classroom accommodationsfor children or teens withADHD. The ADHD Report,16(4), 7-10.

ARRANGE CLASSROOM SEATING.Arrange classroom seating to elicit thedesired student behavior: (1) to promotehigher rates of student engagement andon-task behavior, arrange seats intraditional rows facing the instructor; (2)to promote discussion and studentquestions, arrange seats in asemi-circle.

Kern, L, & Clemens, N.(2007). Antecedentstrategies to promoteappropriate classroombehavior. Psychology in theSchools, 44(1), 65-75.

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Jim Wright, Presenter www.interventioncentral.org 18

AccommodationFinder: Checklist Maker

Accommodation Research Citation NOTES CREATE LOW-DISTRACTION WORK

AREAS. For students who are off-taskduring independent seatwork, set up astudy carrel in the corner of the room orother low-distraction work area. Theteacher can then either direct thedistractible student to use that areawhenever independent seatwork isassigned or can permit the student tochoose when to use the area.

U.S. Department ofEducation (2004). Teachingchildren with attention deficithyperactivity disorder:Instructional strategies andpractices. Retrieved fromhttp://www.ed.gov/teachers/needs/speced/adhd/adhd-resource-pt2.doc

DIRECTIONS: ASSIGN A BUDDY.Assign a study buddy who is willing andable to repeat and explain directions tothe student.

Beech, M. (2010).Accommodations: Assistingstudents with disabilities.Florida Department ofEducation. Retrieved from http://www.fldoe.org/ese/pdf/accomm-educator.pdf

PROVIDE APPROPRIATE OUTLETSFOR PHYSICAL MOVEMENT. Toaccommodate the student who is fidgetyor has a greater need than peers forphysical movement, negotiate with thestudent appropriate outlets formovement. For example, the teacherand student may agree that itacceptable for the student to stand whencompleting independent work at his orher desk.

Barkley, R. A. (2008). 80+classroom accommodationsfor children or teens withADHD. The ADHD Report,16(4), 7-10.

PROVIDE CLASSROOM STORAGESPACE. Provide the student with asection of shelf or container in theclassroom to store work materialsrequired for class.

Beech, M. (2010).Accommodations: Assistingstudents with disabilities.Florida Department ofEducation. Retrieved from http://www.fldoe.org/ese/pdf/accomm-educator.pdf

PROVIDE MISSING WORKMATERIALS. Provide reasonable workmaterials (e.g., paper, writing utensil) forstudents who forget to bring them toclass. Rather than withhold workmaterials from the habitually unpreparedstudent, devise other appropriateconsequences for missing materials(e.g., incentives for students who cometo class prepared; deductions in global‘effort’ grade for unprepared students).

Skinner, C. H., Pappas, D.N., & Davis, K. A. (2005).Enhancing academicengagement: Providingopportunities for respondingand influencing students tochoose to respond.Psychology in the Schools,42, 389-403.

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Jim Wright, Presenter www.interventioncentral.org 19

AccommodationFinder: Checklist Maker

Accommodation Research Citation NOTES USE PREFERENTIAL SEATING. Seat

the student in a classroom location thatminimizes distractions and maximizesthe ability to focus on the teacher’sinstruction. When possible, the studentshould be consulted and offered two ormore seating choices. Also, preferentialseating should be presented as asupport, not as a punitive response tostudent misbehavior or inattention.

International DyslexiaAssociation. (2002).Accommodating studentswith dyslexia in allclassroom settings.Retrieved fromhttp://www.interdys.org/

CLASS NOTES: PROVIDE ASTUDENT COPY. Provide a copy ofclass notes to allow the student to focusmore fully on the lecture and classdiscussion. This strategy can bestrengthened by requiring that thestudent highlight key vocabulary termsappearing in the prepared notes as theyare brought up in the lecture ordiscussion.

International DyslexiaAssociation. (2002).Accommodating studentswith dyslexia in allclassroom settings.Retrieved fromhttp://www.interdys.org/

ADJUST INSTRUCTIONAL MATCH.Verify that the student possesses therequired skills to understand courseinstruction and complete academic tasksassigned as in-class work or homework.If necessary, provide additionalinstruction (e.g., via tutoring sessionswith a peer or instructor) or othersupports to enable the student to meetacademic expectations.

Kern, L, & Clemens, N.(2007). Antecedentstrategies to promoteappropriate classroombehavior. Psychology in theSchools, 44(1), 65-75.

CHUNK CLASSWORK AND INCLUDEBREAKS. Break up lectures or studentwork sessions into smaller chunks andinclude brief breaks to sustain studentattention.

Barkley, R. A. (2008). 80+classroom accommodationsfor children or teens withADHD. The ADHD Report,16(4), 7-10.

CLASS NOTES: CREATE GUIDEDNOTES. Prepare a copy of notessummarizing content from a classlecture or assigned reading—with blanksinserted in the notes where key facts orconcepts should appear. As informationis covered during lecture or in a readingassignment, the student writes missingcontent into blanks to complete theguided notes.

Konrad, M., Joseph, L. M., & Eveleigh, E. (2009). Ameta-analytic review ofguided notes. Education andTreatment of Children, 32,421-444.

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Accommodation Research Citation NOTES CLASS NOTES: PROVIDE LECTURE

OUTLINE. Make up an outline of thelecture to share with students.Encourage students to use the elementsof the outline to help to structure theirclass notes and to ensure that theirnotes do not omit important information.

International DyslexiaAssociation. (2002).Accommodating studentswith dyslexia in allclassroom settings.Retrieved fromhttp://www.interdys.org/

INCREASE OPPORTUNITIES TORESPOND. Provide the student withincreased classroom opportunities foractive academic responding. Examplesof active student responding are readingaloud, responding in writing or orally to ateacher question, and collaborating witha peer to solve a math problem.

Kern, L, & Clemens, N.(2007). Antecedentstrategies to promoteappropriate classroombehavior. Psychology in theSchools, 44(1), 65-75.

INTERSPERSE LOW- ANDHIGH-INTEREST ACTIVITIES. Whenstructuring a lesson, switch betweenless-appealing and more-appealingactivities in short spans to hold studentinterest.

Barkley, R. A. (2008). 80+classroom accommodationsfor children or teens withADHD. The ADHD Report,16(4), 7-10.

LECTURE: SUMMARIZE OFTEN.When lecturing, review and reinforcestudent understanding throughrepetition, paraphrase, and frequentsummarization of important points.

Beech, M. (2010).Accommodations: Assistingstudents with disabilities.Florida Department ofEducation. Retrieved from http://www.fldoe.org/ese/pdf/accomm-educator.pdf

LECTURE: TIE INFORMATION TOCOURSE READINGS. When presentingimportant course concepts duringlecture, explicitly link that content topage references in the course text orother assigned readings that also coverthat information. In class notes, also linkimportant information to the course textby page number.

Beech, M. (2010).Accommodations: Assistingstudents with disabilities.Florida Department ofEducation. Retrieved from http://www.fldoe.org/ese/pdf/accomm-educator.pdf

MATCH WORK TO PEAK ENERGYPERIODS. Schedule the mostchallenging academic subjects, tasks, oractivities when students’ energy levelsare highest (e.g., at the start of the dayor class period).

Barkley, R. A. (2008). 80+classroom accommodationsfor children or teens withADHD. The ADHD Report,16(4), 7-10.

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Jim Wright, Presenter www.interventioncentral.org 21

AccommodationFinder: Checklist Maker

Accommodation Research Citation NOTES PREPARE READING GUIDES.

Develop reading guides to help studentsto better access demanding texts in thecourse or content area. Reading guidesprovide a general map of the text,summarize main ideas and key detailspresented, and offer tips and posequestions to alert the reader to importantcontent. Depending on student needs,reading guides can deal broadly withwhole sections of a text or focus morespecifically on chapters or sub-chapters.

International DyslexiaAssociation. (2002).Accommodating studentswith dyslexia in allclassroom settings.Retrieved fromhttp://www.interdys.org/

PREPARE WEEKLY HOMEWORKASIGNMENTS. Share weekly listings ofupcoming homework assignments withthe student. Also, ensure that thesehomework assignments are shared withthe student’s parent(s), to help them tosupport their child’s homeworkcompletion.

Barkley, R. A. (2008). 80+classroom accommodationsfor children or teens withADHD. The ADHD Report,16(4), 7-10.

SET A REASONABLE HOMEWORKQUOTA. Limit homework to amanageable amount of work. Use thisformula to estimate an appropriatehomework load: 10 minutes times thestudent’s grade level equals anappropriate TOTAL time devoted tonightly homework.

Barkley, R. A. (2008). 80+classroom accommodationsfor children or teens withADHD. The ADHD Report,16(4), 7-10.

TEST: ALLOW EXTRA TIME. For teststhat evaluate student knowledge or skillsbut do not formally assessspeed/fluency with fixed time limits,allow all students a reasonable amountof additional time if needed.

Nelson, J. (2000). Studentpreferences for adaptationsin classroom testing.Remedial & SpecialEducation, 21, 21, 41-52.

TEST: ALLOWOPEN-BOOK/OPEN-NOTES. Insituations in which students are beingtested on their ability to apply – ratherthan memorize—course information orconcepts, allow students full access totheir textbooks and/or notes during thetest.

Nelson, J. (2000). Studentpreferences for adaptationsin classroom testing.Remedial & SpecialEducation, 21, 21, 41-52.

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AccommodationFinder: Checklist Maker

Accommodation Research Citation NOTES TEST: EVALUATE MORE

FREQUENTLY. Assess student masteryof course content frequently (e.g.,weekly) through shorter quizzes in placeof less–frequent, more-comprehensivetests. More frequent, smallerassessments can make study moremanageable for students, build stronghabits of continual study and review,and provide more formative assessmentinformation for the teacher.

Nelson, J. (2000). Studentpreferences for adaptationsin classroom testing.Remedial & SpecialEducation, 21, 21, 41-52.

TEST: HIGHLIGHT KEY WORDS INDIRECTIONS. When preparing testdirections, highlight key words orphrases in bold or underline to drawstudent attention.

Nelson, J. (2000). Studentpreferences for adaptationsin classroom testing.Remedial & SpecialEducation, 21, 21, 41-52.

TEST: PRACTICE UNDER TESTCONDITIONS. Create practice tests thatmimic the actual test in format andenvironmental conditions (e.g., with timelimits). Have the student completepractice tests to build endurance, reducetest anxiety.

Beech, M. (2010).Accommodations: Assistingstudents with disabilities.Florida Department ofEducation. Retrieved from http://www.fldoe.org/ese/pdf/accomm-educator.pdf

TEST: PROVIDE EXTRA SPACE.Format tests with extra space to writeanswers. This formatting change hastwo advantages: (1) it can accommodatestudents who have difficulty writing insmall spaces due to fine-motor issues,and (2) it can result in a neater test thatlooks less crowded and therefore lessintimidating.

Nelson, J. (2000). Studentpreferences for adaptationsin classroom testing.Remedial & SpecialEducation, 21, 21, 41-52.

USE GRAPHIC ORGANIZERS. Selectthe graphic organizer(s) (e.g., outline,chart, or other visual representation)most appropriate to help the student tobetter understand course content bynoting key ideas, recording importantdetails, making specific connectionsbetween concepts, etc. To adequatelyuse graphic organizers, students shouldfirst be explicitly trained in their use.Teachers should also require thatstudents turn in completed organizersperiodically to monitor their use andeffectiveness.

International DyslexiaAssociation. (2002).Accommodating studentswith dyslexia in allclassroom settings.Retrieved fromhttp://www.interdys.org/

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Accommodation Research Citation NOTES USE WHITEBOARDS FOR STUDENT

RESPONDING. Reduce impulsiveresponding and increase studentparticipation by providing all studentswith small white boards and markers.The teacher (1) poses a question, (2)directs students to write their answerson whiteboards, and then (3) prompts allstudents in unison to hold up theirwhiteboards for teacher review.

Barkley, R. A. (2008). 80+classroom accommodationsfor children or teens withADHD. The ADHD Report,16(4), 7-10.

INCORPORATE STUDENTINTERESTS. Structure or reworkinstruction or academic tasks toincorporate topics of student interests. Ifstudents are interested in NASCAR orfashion, for example, the teacher canwork these topics into writing or mathlessons.

Kern, L, & Clemens, N.(2007). Antecedentstrategies to promoteappropriate classroombehavior. Psychology in theSchools, 44(1), 65-75.

OFFER CHOICE IN MODES OF TASKCOMPLETION. Allow the student two ormore choices for completing a givenacademic task. For example, a studentmay be given the option to use acomputer keyboard to write an essayinstead of writing it by hand -- or torespond orally to math-facts onflashcards rather than recordinganswers on a math worksheet.

Kern, L, & Clemens, N.(2007). Antecedentstrategies to promoteappropriate classroombehavior. Psychology in theSchools, 44(1), 65-75.

OFFER CHOICE VIA ASSIGNMENTSUBSTITUTION. Present the studentwith two or more alternative activities tochoose from that contain equivalentacademic requirements. For example,an instructor who wants students toreview a chapter of the course textbookmight allow them the choices of readingthe passage independently ordiscussing that passage in a structuredcooperative learning activity.

Kern, L, & Clemens, N.(2007). Antecedentstrategies to promoteappropriate classroombehavior. Psychology in theSchools, 44(1), 65-75.

OFFER CHOICE: TASK SEQUENCE.When the student has several tasks tocomplete during independent work time,allow the student to select the order inwhich she or he will complete thosetasks. When the student begins theindependent work, provideencouragement and prompting asneeded to keep the student engaged.

Kern, L., Bambara, L., &Fogt, J. (2002). Class-widecurricular modification toimprove the behavior ofstudents with emotional orbehavioral disorders.Behavioral Disorders, 27,317-326.

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AccommodationFinder: Checklist Maker

Accommodation Research Citation NOTES PROVIDE ADULT ATTENTION. Provide

the student with brief, regular, repeateddoses of positive adult attention(‘scheduled attention’) at times whenthe student is behaving appropriately.Examples of positive teacher attentionare greetings, brief conversations,encouraging notes written onassignments, and non-verbal signals(e.g., thumbs-up).

Kern, L, & Clemens, N.(2007). Antecedentstrategies to promoteappropriate classroombehavior. Psychology in theSchools, 44(1), 65-75.

REWARD ACCURACY AND EFFORTFOR BEGINNING LEARNERS. For thestudent just acquiring an academic skillwho is not yet proficient, provideencouragement and/or incentives foroverall effort and accuracy of any workcompleted-- rather than focusing onspeed or total number of problemsfinished.

Barkley, R. A. (2008). 80+classroom accommodationsfor children or teens withADHD. The ADHD Report,16(4), 7-10.

ASSIGN A ‘FALL-BACK’ PEER.Choose a peer whom the student cancall or email to get details about missingor lost homework assignments.

Barkley, R. A. (2008). 80+classroom accommodationsfor children or teens withADHD. The ADHD Report,16(4), 7-10.

CREATE STUDENT ORGANZATIONFOLDER. Help the student to create awork folder to organizer materials for acourse or content area. The foldershould include dividers and color-codingto organize materials by subject or topic.

Beech, M. (2010).Accommodations: Assistingstudents with disabilities.Florida Department ofEducation. Retrieved from http://www.fldoe.org/ese/pdf/accomm-educator.pdf

DEVELOP A STUDENT SELF-CHECKERROR CHECKLIST. Meet with thestudent and generate a short list of themost common errors that the studenthabitually makes on course assignments(e.g., ‘In writing assignments, somewords are illegible’, ‘Not all words atsentence beginning are capitalized’.) Format that list as a customizederror-correction checklist. Instruct thestudent to review completedassignments using the error-correctionchecklist before turning in the work.

Beech, M. (2010).Accommodations: Assistingstudents with disabilities.Florida Department ofEducation. Retrieved from http://www.fldoe.org/ese/pdf/accomm-educator.pdf

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AccommodationFinder: Checklist Maker

Accommodation Research Citation NOTES HIGHLIGHT ESSENTIAL MATERIAL.

Have the student use a highlighter toidentify key ideas and vocabulary in text.If necessary, train the student in the skillof highlighting only essential material(e.g., with the teacher initiallyhighlighting a text selection andcomparing her/his highlights to those ofthe student).

International DyslexiaAssociation. (2002).Accommodating studentswith dyslexia in allclassroom settings.Retrieved fromhttp://www.interdys.org/

PROMOTE STUDENT-DEVELOPEDSTUDY SCHEDULES. Sit with thestudent to develop daily (and perhapsweekly and monthly) schedules to studymaterial from a course or content-area.Meet periodically with the student toupdate these study schedules, graduallyplacing full responsibility on the studentto create the schedule independentlyand bring to the instructor for review.

Gettinger, M., & Seibert, J.K. (2002). Contributions ofstudy skills to academiccompetence. SchoolPsychology Review, 31,350-365.

PROVIDE SCHEDULES/AGENDAS.Provide the student with an academicagenda or schedule for the class periodor school day. This agenda outlines theinstructional activities, independentassignments, and other tasks to becovered during the period, as well astheir approximate duration. Preview theschedule with students to prepare themfor upcoming activities. To forestallproblem behaviors that might ariseduring a long or challenging activity,refer to the schedule at several pointsduring the activity in order both toremind students of the time remainingand (perhaps) to describe the nextactivity to follow. Prepare students witha brief prompt/warning to prepare themfor upcoming transitions betweenactivities.

Kern, L, & Clemens, N.(2007). Antecedentstrategies to promoteappropriate classroombehavior. Psychology in theSchools, 44(1), 65-75.

SELF-MONITOR STUDENT GOALS.Meet with the student to develop one ormore classroom performance goals(e.g., arriving to class on time;completing independent assignments;participating in class discussion). Havethe student monitor and chart her or hisperformance during each class period.Meet periodically with the student toreview performance.

Barkley, R. A. (2008). 80+classroom accommodationsfor children or teens withADHD. The ADHD Report,16(4), 7-10.

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AccommodationFinder: Checklist Maker

Accommodation Research Citation NOTES TRAIN THE STUDENT IN BASIC

STUDY HABITS. Share study tips withthe student, including theserecommendations: (1) Schedule themost difficult academic tasks andcontent for times when the student haspeak energy; (2) break largerassignments into smaller, moremanageable chunks; (3) mix and varystudy tasks (e.g., reading writing) toavoid monotony; (4) show flexibility inupdating the study schedule toaccommodate unforeseen interruptionsor unexpected windfalls of study time.

Gettinger, M., & Seibert, J.K. (2002). Contributions ofstudy skills to academiccompetence. SchoolPsychology Review, 31,350-365.

TRAIN THE STUDENT TO REQUESTASSISTANCE. Meet with the studentand share your expectations for whenand how he or she should request helpduring independent work. This training islikely to include these elements: (1)providing the student with simple fix-upskills to use when stuck; (2)self-identifying when the student needsoutside assistance (e.g., ‘If you haveworked for more than five minutes on amath problem and are still not sure whatto do, it’s time to get help.’); and (3)guidelines for seeking additionalassistance (e.g., ‘First, ask a peer forhelp. If you are still stuck, come to mydesk for help.’). Create a checklist withthe assistance steps and tape it to thestudent’s desk, place into his or herwork folder, or post on the wall.

Beech, M. (2010).Accommodations: Assistingstudents with disabilities.Florida Department ofEducation. Retrieved from http://www.fldoe.org/ese/pdf/accomm-educator.pdf

USE ‘VISUAL BLOCKERS’. Encouragethe student to reduce distractions onassignments by using a blank sheet ofpaper or similar aid to cover sections ofthe page that the student is not currentlyworking on.

International DyslexiaAssociation. (2002).Accommodating studentswith dyslexia in allclassroom settings.Retrieved fromhttp://www.interdys.org/

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AccommodationFinder: Checklist Maker

Accommodation Research Citation NOTES USE DAILY HOMEWORK

ASSIGNMENT SHEET. Create anassignment sheet for the student torecord daily homework assignments.The sheet should include columns torecord individual homework tasks,materials needed for each task, anestimated amount of time needed tocomplete each task, and whether thestudent actually completes and turns ineach assignment task. Optionally, havethe student collect completed homeworkassignment sheets and turn them ineach week to verify that they are beingused.

Barkley, R. A. (2008). 80+classroom accommodationsfor children or teens withADHD. The ADHD Report,16(4), 7-10.

ALLOW EXTRA WORK TIME. Allow thestudent additional time to complete anin-class activity or assignment.Particularly for longer assignments, theinstructor may want to announce tostudents at the start the amount of extratime available for those that need it.

International DyslexiaAssociation. (2002).Accommodating studentswith dyslexia in allclassroom settings.Retrieved fromhttp://www.interdys.org/

ELIMINATE BUSY WORK: Decreasethe student’s class or homework toinclude just the essential tasks neededto master course or topic content.Maintain high academic standards buteliminate any ‘busy’ work not requiredfor student success.

Barkley, R. A. (2008). 80+classroom accommodationsfor children or teens withADHD. The ADHD Report,16(4), 7-10.

FORMULATE STUDENT-SEATWORKGOALS. Before beginning an in-class orhomework assignment, have the studentset a work goal (e.g., to complete 20math computation problems; to write anintroductory paragraph for an essay).Later, check in with the student to seewhether the goal(s) were successfullyattained.

Barkley, R. A. (2008). 80+classroom accommodationsfor children or teens withADHD. The ADHD Report,16(4), 7-10.

GIVE AN ASSIGNMENT HEAD-START. Allow students who require extra time tocomplete a lengthy or involvedassignment to start it early to secureadditional time to complete the task.

Beech, M. (2010).Accommodations: Assistingstudents with disabilities.Florida Department ofEducation. Retrieved from http://www.fldoe.org/ese/pdf/accomm-educator.pdf

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AccommodationFinder: Checklist Maker

Accommodation Research Citation NOTES HIGHLIGHT TEXTBOOK

INFORMATION. Encourage the studentto use post-it notes and/or erasablehighlighter to highlight importantinformation in the course textbook.

Beech, M. (2010).Accommodations: Assistingstudents with disabilities.Florida Department ofEducation. Retrieved from http://www.fldoe.org/ese/pdf/accomm-educator.pdf

PROVIDE A WORK PLAN. Provide aFormal Work Plan. In advance of morecomplex assignments such as researchpapers, give the student an outline of awork plan for completing thoseassignments. The plan breaks a largerassignment into appropriate sub-steps(e.g., ‘find five research articles for thepaper’, ‘summarize key informationfrom research articles into notes’, etc.).For each sub-step, the plan provides (1)an estimate of the minimum amount of‘seat time’ required to complete it and(2) sets a calendar-date deadline forcompletion. The teacher then touchesbase with the student at least weekly toensure that the student is stayingcurrent with the work plan. TIPE: Overtime, the teacher can transfer increasingresponsibility for generating work plansto the student.

Beech, M. (2010).Accommodations: Assistingstudents with disabilities.Florida Department ofEducation. Retrieved from http://www.fldoe.org/ese/pdf/accomm-educator.pdf

PROVIDE TEXTS WITH EASIERREADABILITY. Locate alternative textsfor course readings that have the samevocabulary and concepts as thestandard text(s) but are written at alower reading level. Allow students toselect the easier texts as substitutes oras supplemental course readings.

Beech, M. (2010).Accommodations: Assistingstudents with disabilities.Florida Department ofEducation. Retrieved from http://www.fldoe.org/ese/pdf/accomm-educator.pdf

PROVIDE WORK SAMPLES ANDEXEMPLARS. Provide samples ofsuccessfully completed academic items(e.g., math computation or wordproblems) or exemplars (e.g., samplesof well-written paragraphs or essays) forthe student to refer to when workingindependently.

International DyslexiaAssociation. (2002).Accommodating studentswith dyslexia in allclassroom settings.Retrieved fromhttp://www.interdys.org/

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AccommodationFinder: Checklist Maker

Accommodation Research Citation NOTES RESPONSE EFFORT: CHUNK

INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENTS. Toreduce the response effort for aparticular student, break a largerin-class or homework assignment intosmaller ‘chunks’. Optionally, theteacher can then provide the studentwith performance feedback and praisefor each completed ‘chunk’ of assignedwork.

Skinner, C. H., Pappas, D.N., & Davis, K. A. (2005).Enhancing academicengagement: Providingopportunities for respondingand influencing students tochoose to respond.Psychology in the Schools,42, 389-403.

RESPONSE EFFORT: STARTASSIGNED READINGS IN CLASS.Whenever students are assigned achallenging text to read independently(e.g., as homework), have either theteacher or other skilled reader (e.g.,student) read the first few paragraphs ofthe assigned reading aloud while theclass follows along silently in their owntexts. Students are then expected toread the remainder of the text on theirown.

Skinner, C. H., Pappas, D.N., & Davis, K. A. (2005).Enhancing academicengagement: Providingopportunities for respondingand influencing students tochoose to respond.Psychology in the Schools,42, 389-403.

RESPONSE EFFORT: STARTCHALLENGING HOMEWORKASSIGNMENTS IN CLASS. Whenassigning challenging homework, pairstudents off or divide into groups andgive them a small amount of class timeto begin the homework together,develop a plan for completing thehomework, formulate questions aboutthe homework, or engage in otheractivities to create the necessarymomentum to motivate students then tocomplete the work independently.

Skinner, C. H., Pappas, D.N., & Davis, K. A. (2005).Enhancing academicengagement: Providingopportunities for respondingand influencing students tochoose to respond.Psychology in the Schools,42, 389-403.

STRUCTURE ASSIGNMENTSFORINITIAL SUCCESS. Promote studentmotivation on worksheets andindependent assignments by presentingeasier items first and more challengingitems later on the sheet or assignment.Placing easier problems or questionsfirst provide both skills practice andreinforcement to the student.

International DyslexiaAssociation. (2002).Accommodating studentswith dyslexia in allclassroom settings.Retrieved fromhttp://www.interdys.org/

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AccommodationFinder: Checklist Maker

Accommodation Research Citation NOTES USE A PEER TO HELP IN STARTING

ASSIGNMENTS. If a student finds itdifficult to get organized and beginindependent seatwork activities, select asupportive peer or adult in theclassroom who can get the studentorganized and started on theassignment.

Skinner, C. H., Pappas, D.N., & Davis, K. A. (2005).Enhancing academicengagement: Providingopportunities for respondingand influencing students tochoose to respond.Psychology in the Schools,42, 389-403.

WORKSHEETS: GIVE TWO COPIES.Provide the student with two copies ofworksheets. The student can use thefirst as a ‘draft’ and the second as thefinal, neat copy to be turned in to theteacher.

Beech, M. (2010).Accommodations: Assistingstudents with disabilities.Florida Department ofEducation. Retrieved from http://www.fldoe.org/ese/pdf/accomm-educator.pdf

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‘Defensive Management’: Maintaining the Teacher’s Behavioral Control by Planning, Connecting, and Defusing Description: ‘Defensive management’ (Fields, 2004) is a teacher-friendly six-step approach to avert student-teacher power struggles that emphasizes providing proactive instructional support to the student, elimination of behavioral triggers in the classroom setting, relationship-building, strategic application of defusing techniques when needed, and use of a ‘reconnection’ conference after behavioral incidents to promote student reflection and positive behavior change.

Purpose: When students show non-compliant, defiant, and disruptive behaviors in the classroom, the situation can quickly spin out of control. In attempting to maintain authority, the teacher may quickly get into a power struggle with the student, often resulting in the student being removed from the classroom. The numerous negative consequences of chronic student misbehavior include classwide lost instructional time, the acting-out student’s frequent exclusion from instruction, and significant teacher stress (Fields, 2004). Defensive management can prevent these negative outcomes.

Materials: No specialized materials are needed.

Preparation: No advanced preparation is required.

Intervention Steps: Defensive management is implemented through these steps:

1. Understanding the Problem and Using Proactive Strategies to Prevent It. The teacher collects information--through direct observation and perhaps other means--about specific instances of student problem behavior and the instructional components and other factors surrounding them. The teacher analyzes this information to discover specific ‘trigger’ events that seem to set off the problem behavior(s). Examples of potential triggers include lack of skills; failure to understand directions; fatigue because of work volume; reluctance to demonstrate limited academic skills in the presence of peers or adults; etc.). As the teacher identifies elements in the classroom environment that appear to trigger student non-compliance or defiance, the instructor adjusts instruction to provide appropriate student support (e.g., provide the student with additional instruction in a skill; repeat directions and write them on the board; ‘chunk’ larger work assignments into smaller segments; restructure academic tasks to reduce the likelihood of student embarrassment).

2. Promoting Positive Teacher-Student Interactions. Early in each class session, the teacher has at least one positive verbal interaction with the student. Throughout the class period, the teacher continues to interact in positive ways with the student (e.g., brief conversation, smile, thumbs up, praise comment after a student remark in large-group discussion, etc.). In each interaction, the teacher adopts a genuinely accepting, polite, respectful tone.

3. Scanning for Warning Indicators. During the class session, the teacher monitors the target student’s behavior for any behavioral indicators suggesting that the student is becoming frustrated or angry. Examples of behaviors that precede non-compliance or open defiance may include stopping work; muttering or complaining; becoming

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argumentative; interrupting others; leaving his or her seat; throwing objects, etc.).

4. Exercising Emotional Restraint. Whenever the student begins to display problematic behaviors, the teacher makes an active effort to remain calm. To actively monitor his or her emotional state, the teacher tracks physiological cues such as increased muscle tension and heart rate, as well as fear, annoyance, anger, or other negative emotions. The teacher also adopts calming or relaxation strategies that work for him or her in the face of provocative student behavior, such as taking a deep breath or counting to 10 before responding.

5. Using Defusing Tactics. If the student begins to escalate to non-compliant, defiant, or confrontational behavior (e.g., arguing, threatening, other intentional verbal interruptions), the teacher draws from a range of possible descalating strategies to defuse the situation. Such strategies can include private conversation with the student while maintaining a calm voice, open-ended questions, paraphrasing the student’s concerns, acknowledging the student’s emotions, etc.

6. Reconnecting with The Student. Soon after any in-class incident of student non-compliance, defiance, or confrontation, the teacher makes a point to meet with the student to discuss the behavioral incident, identify the triggers in the classroom environment that led to the problem, and brainstorm with the student to create a written plan to prevent the reoccurrence of such an incident. Throughout this conference, the teacher maintains a supportive, positive, polite, and respectful tone.

Adjusting/Troubleshooting: Here are recommendations for using defensive management as an intervention strategy and addressing issues that might arise:

Consider adopting defensive management across classrooms. Particularly in middle and high schools, students who are chronically non-compliant or defiant often display those maladaptive behaviors across instructional settings. If all teachers who work with a challenging student use the defensive management approach, there is a greater likelihood that the student will find classrooms more predictable and supportive—and that teachers will experience greater success with that student.

Do not use defensive management to respond to physically aggressive behaviors. While the defensive-management process can work quite effectively to prevent or minimize verbal outbursts and non-compliance, the teacher should not attempt on his or her own to manage serious physical aggression using this classroom-based approach. Instead, teachers should respond to any episodes of student physical aggression by immediately notifying building administration.

Reference

Fields, B. (2004). Breaking the cycle of office referrals and suspensions: Defensive management. Educational Psychology in Practice, 20, 103-115.

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