sitive Behavior Interventions and Supports

Schoolwide PositiveBehavior Supports

Primary Systems and Practices

Brandi Simonsen

George Sugai

Madeline Negron

"So. this is why J feel Uke all I do is

deal with student behavior," said an

administrator of an urban middle

school "5.367 office discipline referrals

in one year!" While flipping through

the latest stack of discipline referrals

on her desk, the administrator noticed

that studejits were being referred to the

office for anything from tapping a pen-

cil in class ("disruptive behavior") to

fighting in the liallway ("physical

aggression"). The administrator sighed.

"Teachers should know how to manage

some of these behaviors in their class-

moms."

Like this administrator, many schoolpersonnel are becoming increasinglyfrustrated with the impact of studentbehavior on iheir schools. More thanever, the public perception is that stu-dent behavior is out of control.Although isolated instances of violence(e.g., school shootings] contribute tothis perception, people are most con-cerned with the lack of discipline andcontrol in schools (Rose & Gallup,2005). As a resuh, schools establishpolicies that try to increase disciplineand control, often by adopting "get

32 COUNCIL FOR EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN

tough" practices. In other words,schools set strict rules about the typesof student behavior that are unaccept-able and assign rather severe conse-quences for students who do not abideby the rules. When the initial policiesprove ineffective, schools often respond

by "getting tougher." That is, theyinvest in other security (e.g., metaldetectors) and punitive measures (e.g.,"zero tolerance" policies that result inexpulsion) that actually have littleimpact on student behavior (Skiba &Peterson, 2000).

Simultaneously, schools are tryingto close an ever-widening achievementgap and ensure that all students,including students with diverse aca-demic abilities, make adequate yearlyprogress (AYP). Given the multiplecompeting initiatives and demands,schools need to invest in a proactiveapproach to organizing and managingresources. Specifically, schools need toidentify clear and measurable outcomes(e.g., decrease problem behavior,increase academic achievement); col-lect and use data to guide their deci-sions; implement relevant, evidence-based practices: and invest in systemsIhat will ensure that practices areimplemented with fidelity and sus-tained over time.

Schoolwide positive behavior sup-ports (SWPBS) is a proactive, systems-level approach that enables schools toeffectively and efficiently support stu-dent (and staff) behavior. SWPBSspecifically asks schools to select out-comes, data, practices, and systems—the four criticai elements previouslymentioned—that are contextuallyappropriate and meaningful for theschool. When schools implementSWPBS, they typically experiencedecreases in inappropriate behaviors(as measured by decreases in disciplinereferrals, suspensions, and exptilsions).

Figure 1 . The Three-Tiered Continuum off Support

Primary Prevention:School/Classroom-

wide System forAll Students, Staff.

and Settings

Tertidry Prevention:Specialized

Individualized Systemsfor Students With

High-Risk Behavior

Secondary Prevention:Specialized Group

Systems for StudentsWith At-Risk Behavior

et al., 1996). The primary tier isdesigned to support all students andstaff across all settings in the school.Meaningful outcomes are identified forall students and staff (e.g., increases inthe percentage of students making AYP,decreases in the percentage of studentsreceiving two or more office disciplinereferrals); aggregate data are examinedto determine if outcomes are met;

When schools implement SWPBS, they typically experiencedecreases in inappropriate behaviors (as measured hy decreases

in discipline referrals, suspensions, and expulsions).

In addition, schools that implementSWPBS often find that students' aca-demic performance improves, as teach-ers are able to return to teaching aca-demics after stabilizing the socialbehavior.

Unlike typical school practices,which often wait for a student to failbefore providing support, SWPBSemploys a three-tier approach tobehavior support to (a) proactivelyaddress the social behavior needs of allstudents and (b) prevent social andacademic failure (see Figure 1; Sugai &Horner, 2002; Sugai et al., 2000; Walker

practices [e.g., establishing positivelystated schoolwide rules, teaching socialskills, developing a schoolwide rein-forcement system) are implemented tomaximize the success of all students;and systems are selected to ensure thatpractices are implemented with fidelityby staff. When implemented effectivelyand accurately, schools can expectmost students (approximately 89%,74%, and 71% of elementary, middle,and high school students, respectively)to respond to the primary tier interven-tion (Horner, 2007).

Even with effective primary tierintervention in place, a group of stu-dents (approximately 11%, 26%, and29% of elementary, middle, and highschool students, respectively) willrequire additional bebavior support toexperience success (Horner, 2007). Thesecondary tier is designed to support atargeted group of students who havenot responded to primary tier interven-tions, but whose behaviors do not posea serious risk to themselves or others.Outcomes are specific to the targetedgroup of students and often focus onpreventing problem behaviors frombecoming chronic. Data are collected tomeasure progress toward outcomes;data sources may include office disci-pline referrals, points earned fordesired behavior (if using an interven-tion that employs a point system),attendance records, and other meas-ures of appropriate behavior. Practicestypically focus on intensifying the sup-ports provided in the primary tier (i.e.,increasing structure, providing moreintensive social skills instmction, anddelivering more frequent reinforce-ment); and systems (e.g., a team to runthe selected secondary intervention)are established to ensure that adoptedpractices are implemented with fidelity

TEACHING EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN 1 JULV/AUC 2008 33

and that data are regularly collected,reviewed, and used to make decisions.

Tertiary tier interventions aredesigned to support individual students(a) who require additional support tobenefit from secondary or primary tierintervention (i.e., students who havenot responded to secondary tier inter-vention) or [b] whose behaviors areserious enough to require more imme-diate and intensive support (i.e., stu-dents whose behaviors pose a risk andwho are not appropriate for secondarytier intervention). Interventions at thislevel are highly individualized; thus,outcomes, data, and practices are iden-tified for each student, and systems aredesigned to support the ongoing imple-mentation of multiple individualizedinterventions within a school.

In this article, we focus on school-wide implementation of the primarytier intervention. Subsequent articles inthis issue focus on secondary and terti-ary tier interventions, classwide inter-ventions, and even more intensive sup-ports. Specifically, we (a) briefly reviewthe supporting literature, (b) describethe key implementation features, and(c) share an example of how oneurban middle school implemented pri-mary tier interventions in SWPBS.

literature SuppoHing PrlnwiryTier Interventions in SWPBSResearch findings indicate that SWPBScreates an effective school environmentwhere proactive behavioral practicescan be implemented successfully(Kartub, Taylor-Greene, March, &Horner, 2000; Lewis, Powers, Kelk, &Newcomer, 2002). Specifically, individ-ual research studies demonstrate thatimplementation of primary tier inter-ventions is associated with increases inconsistency among staff, increases inpositive interactions, and decreases inoffice discipline referrals (Netzel &Eber, 2003; Safran & Oswald, 2003;Turnbull et al., 2002). Similarly, initialfindings from randomized control tri-als, the "gold standard" for experimen-tal research, indicate positive outcomes(e.g., increased fidelity of implementa-tion and improved academic andbehavior outcomes) for schools imple-menting SWPBS (Horner et al., in

press; Leaf & Bradshaw, 2007). Thus,research indicates that SWPBS is aneffective approach to schoolwide inter-vention.

In addition, research documentsthat SWPBS is an efficient approach toschoolwide intervention. For exampie,Scott and Barrett (2004) conductedcost-benefit analyses for schools imple-menting SWPBS; that is, they identifiedthe amount of time saved by schoolstaff and students who were no longerassigning and receiving, respectively,large numbers of office discipline refer-rals. They found that administratorssaved, on average, \5V4 days of admin-istrator time, and students saved, onaverage, 79Vi days of instructional timeper year following implementation ofSWPBS. Although additional researchis still needed, school staff can be con-

cessfully, SWPBS should be among thetop three initiatives listed in the schoolor district improvement plan. In addi-tion, schools should review extant datasources (i.e., rates of office disciplinereferrals, suspensions, and expulsions;state or districtwide test scores; num-bers of students referred for or servedby special education; etc.) and otherrelevant information to identify areasfor improvement. Based on these data,schools need to identify observable,measurable, specific, and achievableannual outcomes, which will becomethe metric by which success of anintervention is judged. Outcomes mayinclude a reduction, by a certain per-centage, in the number of studentsreceiving multiple office disciplinereferrals, an increase in the number ofstudents meeting criteria on the state

[S]chools need to identify observable, measurable,

specific, and achievable annual outcomes, which will become

the metric by which success of au intervention is judged.

fident that interventions in the primarytier are evidence-based and are likelyto be effective when implemented withfidelity in tbeir schools.

Key Implementation FeaturesThe focus of primaiy tier interventionsis improving school outcomes, as indi-cated by data, by implementing evi-dence-based practices to support allstudents across all settings. To imple-ment primary tier interventions,schools need to (a) identify meaningfuloutcomes; (b) establish and invest inschoolwide systems; (c) select andimplement contextually appropriate,evidence-based practices; and (d) col-lect and use data to make decisions.

Identify Meaningful Outcomes

Before implementing primary tier inter-ventions, schools need to identify whatthey plan to achieve. Specifically,schools should review their school ordistrict improvement plans to identifypriority areas. To be implemented suc-

or districtwide assessments, and othersimilar contextually important school-wide improvements.

Establish and Invest inSchcml^ide Systems

After schools have identified outcomes,the focus shifts to establishing the sys-tems that facilitate the implementationof primary tier interventions. First,schools need to establish a representa-tive team tbat guides the implementa-tion process. Team membership shouldinciude a (a) school administrator whobas the authority to commit schoolresources; (b) select group of teacherswho are representative of the certifiedfaculty; (c) representative of specialservices (i.e., counselor, school psy-chologist, school social worker, etc.)who brings behavioral expertise; (d)member of the support staff (i.e., para-professional, secretary, janitor, etc.);and (e) family member. The membersof the team should be positive peoplewith social influence. The goal is to

34 COUNCIL FOR EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN

start with a team that "works" (i.e.,members are supportive of improvingpractices in the school and understandthe importance of using data to makedecisions).

Second, the team must identifysomeone who will act as the teamcoach. Coaches are responsible forensuring the team meets regularly,develops and follows a data-basedaction plan, and adheres to the infor-mation gathered during training activi-ties; often, we joke that coaches arethe "positive nags" of the teambecause they provide regular support-ive or positive reminders rather thannegative punishers. Any member of theteam may serve as the coach; however,the coach should have social influenceover other team members (and the fac-ulty at large).

Third, schools need to obtain 80%buy-in, or agreement from the facultyand staff, to implement SWPBS. Buy-inis often documented by a staff vote.

Fourth, schools need to ensure thatthey have a system that allows efficientinput (i.e., data entry) and output (i.e.,visual displays, or graphs) of data (i.e.,office discipline referrals); data shouldbe easily accessible and used for deci-sion making. To make data moremeaningful, many schools find thatthey need to redesign their office disci-pline referrals. For example, the behav-iors listed on the referral are oftenambiguous; schools may revise thenames of behaviors listed and provideoperational definitions of each.

Finally, schools need to sign up fortraining in SWPBS. TVaining activitiesare offered locally in most states, andinformation about training can befound on the Web site of the Office ofSpecial Education Program's NationalTechnical Assistance Center on PositiveBehavioral Interventions and Supports(http://pbis.org). Following each train-ing event, the SWPBS team needs toefficiently disseminate the informationto all faculty and staff. Typically,school teams spend a year attendingtraining events and planning for imple-mentation; then, they implement theplanned activities during the secondyear. School teams should use a briefreadiness checklist to determine if they

Figure 2 . Primary Tier Readiness Requirementsi Systems

0 Establish a representative SWPBS team that "works."

0 Identify a team member who will serve as a coach.

0 Secure 80% buy-in from the school staff.

E! Employ a data system that facilitates data entry and meaningful visualdisplays tgraphsj.

0 Participate, as a team, in SWPBS training.

have met these requirements for estab-lishing SWPBS systems (see Figure 2).

Select and Implement Practices

Once a school has established the sys-tems described in the previous sectionand is in the process of receiving train-ing, the SWPBS team is ready to selectand implement practices. To be clear,the majority of the work will be com-pleted by members of the SWPBSteam; however, the team membersshould actively recniit and incorporatefeedback from the larger faculty atevery step. The key steps to selectingand implementing practices are pre-sented in Figtiie 3.

First, school faculty are asked toidentify a small [three to five) numberof positively stated schoolwide expecta-tions. The expectations, or rules,should be broad enough to encompassthe majority of desired behavior and bemutually exclusive (i.e., they shouldnot overlap). For example, the expecta-tions Be Safe, Be Respectful, and BeResponsible are broad enough toprompt all desired behavior, and mostindividual behaviors fit within onlyone of the expectations (e.g., "keeping

hands, feet, and objects to self" fitswithin the broader expectation of "BeSafe"). Typically, posters are made ofthe expectations and displayed in alllocations of the school—in both class-room and nonclassroom settings.

Second, the SWPBS team definesthe selected expectations in the contextof all settings and routines in theschool (e.g., classroom, cafeteria, hall-way, bathroom). Often, SWPBS teamsuse a matrix format; expectations arewritten as row headings, settings androutines are written as column head-ings, and the description of what it"looks like" to follow each expectationwithin each sett ing/routine is docu-mented, using a few bullet points, inthe cross-sections of each row and col-umn in the matrix (see Fairbanks inthis issue for an example).

Third, the SWPBS team developslesson plans to teach each expectationwithin each setting/routine. Like lessonplans developed to teach academicskills, social skills lesson plans follow aconsistent format: (a) state the ruleand routine; (b) provide students witha definition, or description, of what itlooks like to follow the rule within the

Figure 3. implementing Primary Tier SWPBS ititerventlens: Practices

0 Establish a small number of positively stated expectations.

IZI Define the expectations in the context of routines/settings.

0 Develop scripted lesson plans to teach expectations.

0 Increase active supervision in classroom and nonclassroom settings.

21 Establish a continuum of strategies to acknowledge appropriate behavior.

0 Establish a continuum of strategies to respond to inappropriate behavior.

0 Develop a staff reinforcement system.

0 Develop an action plan to guide roll-out and implement.

TEACHING EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN JULY/AUG 2008 35

routine; (c) model the expected behav-ior; (d) engage students in an activitythat allows them to practice the expect-ed behavior in the natural setting [i.e.,the place where the behavior is expect-ed); and (e) assess to ensure studentsbave acquired and are fluent with thesocial skill (the expected behavior), Toensure that all teachers deliver the les-son plans consistently, lesson plansshould be scripted.

Fourth, the SWPBS team shouldidentify a plan to increase active super-vision in both classroom and nonclass-room settings. Active supervisionincludes three key staff behaviors:moving around the environment inunpredictable patterns so that studentshave the sense that they are alwaysbeing watched, visually scanning theenvironment, and interacting withmosl students in the environment (Col-vin, Sugai, Good, & Lee, 1997). Duringinteractions, staff should provide spe-cific praise or error corrections contin-gent on appropriate or inappropriatebehavior, respectively.

Fifth, the SWPBS team shouldestablish a continuum of strategies toacknowledge appropriate, or "expecta-tion-following," behavior. At a mini-mum, the SWPBS team should ensurethat school staff are consistently usingspecific and contingent praise to recog-nize instances of appropriate behavior[i.e., telling students exactly what tbeydid well immediately after the desiredbehavior is observed). Many schoolsalso choose to establish a more overtreinforcement system. For example,schools may create positive behaviortickets that recognize students forappropriate behavior. In some schools,tickets can be turned in for a lotterydrawing; in other schools, tickets canbe used as money in a school store.Regardless of how schools operational-ize their reinforcement system, the keyidea is to "catch kids being good."

Sixth, schools need to review thestrategies they have in place to discour-age inappropriate behavior. Specifically,schools should ensure that the firstresponse to minor inappropriate behav-ior is a brief error correction that redi-rects the student back to the appropri-ate behavior (e.g., I saw X, and instead

I would like to see Y). The secondresponse should be to re-teach thedesired behavior. In other words,school staff should treat social behav-ior errors just like academic errors;they should provide feedback andinstruction as necessary. For moreintense or chronic problem behaviors,the SWPBS team needs to ensure tbata documented and predictable staff andadministrator response is in place andapplied consistently by all staff. Often,this process results in the SWPBS teammodifying the discipline handbook andcreating two levels of behaviors: minorbehaviors that should be handled inthe classroom with basic behaviorinterventions and major behaviors thatare referred to the office for additionalsupport.

Seventh, the SWPBS team shoulddesign a staff reinforcement systemthat recognizes staff for the effortsinvolved in implementing SWPBS. Likethe system designed for students,expectations for staff [e.g.,staff are expected to teachlesson plans on scheduleddays and deliver X number ofpositive behavior tickets)should be clearly defined,and staff members shouldreceive, at a minimum, spe-cific social recognition. Someschools choose to design amore elaborate system forstaff reinforcement, with staffreceiving a variety of rewards[e.g., preferred parking, get-out-of-schooi-early coupon)contingent on specific behav-iors.

Finally, after designing thepractices, the SWPBS teamneeds to identify and imple-ment a plan for "roll-out" ofprimary tier interventions.That is, they need to specifyhow the expectations will beintroduced, where posterswill be displayed, when andwhere social skills lessonswill be taught, when andhow the schoolwide rein-forcement system will beimplemented, and other simi-lar steps. This action plan

should be documented, disseminated,and clearly explained to all staff toensure consistency; implementationshould be given high priority.

Collect and Use Data to MakeDecisions

While establishing and sustaining theimplementation of primary tier inter-ventions, the SWPBS team shouldactively collect and use data. A schoolthat meets readiness requirementsshould already have a data system thatfacilitates data entry (input) and gener-ates meaningful visual displays of data(e.g., graphs), which can be manipulat-ed to answer questions generated bythe SWPBS team [e.g., Where are stu-dents exhibiting problem behavior?). Asystem that meets these criteria is theSchoolwide Information System(www.swis.org). To ensure data areheing used effectively, the SWPBS teamshould engage in the following steps[see Figure 4).

36 COUNCIL FOR EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN

Figure 4 . Monitoring Impiementatlon Effoctivoness andFideiity: Data

0 Review data at every SWPBS team meeting and use data to make

decisions.

IZI Share data with the faculty and model data-based decision making.

IZI Celebrate successes with students and staff.

IZI Share successes with parents and other community members.

Step 1: The SWPBS team shouldtnake data review a priority at everyregular team meeting. At the begin-ning of each SWPBS team meeting, thecoach should facilitate a review anddiscussion of schoolwide data for thepast month. In particular, the teamshould discuss the [a) overall rates(i.e., number per day) of office disci-pline referrals [or other schoolwidemeasures of student behavior), (b) per-centage of students who bave receivedmultiple [two or more) office disciplinereferrals for major offenses and poten-tial supports required for those stu-dents, [c) typical locations where prob-lems are occurring, [d) time[s) of theday where problems are occurring, and[e) nature or type of behaviors. Basedon these data, the SWPBS team canrecommend modifications to their cur-rent interventions. For example, if alarge percentage (e.g.. 40%-60%) ofstudents are receiving multiple officediscipline referrals, the SWPBS teammay decide to re-teach the expectationsto all students in tbe school. Similarly,if the SWPBS team notes that mostproblem behaviors are happening inone location [e.g., the cafeteria}, theymay decide to increase prompting,active supervision, and reinforcementof school expectations in that setting.Thus, data are actively used to makedecisions during team meetings.

Step 2: The SWPBS team shouldshare data with the faculty andmodel data-based tUvision making.Because buy-in is required to sustainimplementation of primary tier inter-ventions over time, all faculty and staffmust be informed of the schoolwidedata and should receive brief updatesfrom the SWPBS team at regular staff

meetings. In addition, some schoolschoose to share data with their staff ina school newsletter or a visual display(e.g., bulletin board) in a staff area.

Step S: The SWPBS team shouldcelebrate successes identified withdata. Specifically, when data patternsindicate that progress is being madetoward one or more of the desired out-comes, the SWPBS team should workwith administration to plan a celebra-tion for the staff and students. Celebra-tions can range from social recognitionat an assembly, staff meeting, or overthe morning announcements to a tangi-ble or activity reward (e.g., a party,lunch, fun item, etc.).

Step 4: The SWPBS team shouldshare successes with parents and thebroader commmritv. Family involve-ment is a key ingredient to tbe successof SWPBS implementation. As men-tioned previously, a family membershould serve on the SWPBS team, andall school families should be informedabout the positive changes being madeat the school. Therefore, parentsshould be invited to celebrate the suc-cesses of their students and the staff ofthe school. Again, sharing the successcan range from informing parents dur-ing PTA/PTO meetings or via newslet-ters and asking them to congratulatetheir student to inviting parents to joina school assembly or event where thestaff and students are celebrating theimprovement. Similarly, the SWPBSteam should share successes with othercommunity members, including admin-istrators in the district office, schoolboard members, and others in thebroader community [e.g., members ofthe Chamber of Commerce, servicegroups). This positive publicity helps

maintain the momentum of SWPBSand may generate donations that theschooi can reinvest in its implementa-tion efforts.

Implementing SWPBS Inan Urban Middle SchoolTbe frustrated administrator describedat the beginning of this article, reachedthe peak of her frustration when sherealized that students in her schoolreceived 5.367 office discipline referralsin one year. Later that year, the admin-istrator attended a regional conference,and she learned about SWPBS. As shelistened lo the presentation, she grewincreasingly excited about the real pos-sibility of shifting from a reactivelydriven discipline system to a preventiveand positive approach in her school. Anew sense of optimism grew as sheheard stories about schools reducingtheir rates of office discipline referrals.reclaiming lost instructional minutes,improving school climate, and increas-ing academic scores on high-stakestests because teachers bad time toteach. Learning about bow to get readyto adopt and implement SWPBS in herschool became high priorities for theprincipal.

She started by working with her dis-trict administrator [who also was direc-tor of special services) to contact thePBS coordinator from her state, whichwas listed on the national Web site[bttp://pbis.org). Together, theyarranged a meeting with school anddistrict administrators, state PBS coor-dinator, and consultants from the localuniversity. At this meeting, the admin-istrator received information aboutreadiness requirements and upcomingtraining activities.

After this initial orientation meeting,the administrator worked to completethe readiness requirements in time forthe training activities. Specifically, sheestablished a SWPBS team that"worked." She hand picked seniorteachers and support personnel whohad social influence with their peersand were likely to be supportive ofSWPBS. She gathered schoolwide data[i.e., office discipline referrals) that herteam would need to guide decisionsabout outcomes. Initially, she did not

TEACHING ExcEFnONAL CHILDREN JULY/AUG 2008 37

Figure 5. A Sample Matrix of Expeclations Within Routines and Settings

1[111vlS]2i.

1

1S22

111111•

I]IiJ111

HaUway/Stairway

1 u Keep hands.1 feet and1 objects to1 yourself1 P Use a quiet1 voice

1

1111111 P Walk facingI forward.1 staying to the

1 rightn Follow rules

without aduli1 reminders1 n Wcilk directly1 to destination

using1 appropriate

route1 D Have hall[ passes avail-

ahleP Report al!

unsafe1 behavior and

vandalism

C Use politelanguage

' n Keep hallwaysand stairways

[ ciean

1

All Classrooms

LJ

P

P

P

P

P

•

n

p

p

p

p

p

Keep haiids,feet andohjects toyourselfUse a quietvoiceEnler roomquietlyBe consider-ate of otherpeople'sbelongingsBe an activelistener

Respond toquiet signalimmediatelyBe on timeand bepreparedFollowclassroomproceduresReport allunsafebehavior andvandalism

Use politelanguageDo your ownworkDo your bestwork at alltimesKeep workareas clean

u

P

D

n

n

a

n

p

p

p

n

CaS4

Keep hands.feet andobjects toyourselfUse a quietvoiceEnter and exitin an orderlymannerBe coiisider-ate of otherpeople'shelongingsStand in lineas directed

Sit in desig-nated areasRespond toquiet signalimmediatelyReport aliunsafe behav-ior andvandalism

Use politelanguageKeep tableand floorclean andplace trashinto harreisLeave area asyou found itor better

Bathroom/Water Foantatn

u

a

••

p

D

D

n

p

n

•a

p

p

Keep hands.feet andobjects toyourselfUse a quielvoiceAllow otherstheir privacyWai! yourtum at thesink orfountainTake careof schoolproperty

Walk directlyto destinationusingappropriaterouteRepon allunsafebehavior andvandalismWash and dryhandsRetumto classimmediately

Use politelanguageKeep areacleanThrow papertowels intrash cansFlushappropriatelyKeep waterfountainsclean

Bus/Bus Stop/

u

P

D

D

n

n

p

p

n

p

p

p

D

Walkers

Keep hands.feet andobjects toyourselfUse a quietvoiceBe consider-ate of the busdriver and thehusWait patiendyto get on oroff the busShare yourseat

Havebelongingsready to enterand exitRemain seatedat all timesReporl allunsafebehavior andvandahsmFoiiow busniles at alitimesGet on and offbus at correctstopStay offprivateproperty

Use politelanguageThrow trashin wastehasket

Locker Room

U

D

P

D

D

D

n

n

Keep hands.feet andohjects toyourselfUse a quietvoiceBe consider-ate of otherpeople'sbelongings

Be preparedfor gym classRespond toquiet signalimmediatelyReport allunsafebehavior andvandalism

Use politelanguageLeave area asyou found itor better

U

P

D

p

•

n

D

p

DD

P

D

•D

Auditorium

Keep tiaritls.feet andobjects toyourselfUse a quietvoiceStay seateduntil directedotherwiseRespond tothe speakerappropriatelyListen witheyes onspeaker

Respond toquiel signalimmediatelySit indesignatedareasEnter <ind exitin an orderlyinannerBe promptReport a!lunsafebehavior andvandalism

Use politelanguageTYeat speaker•IS .1 welcomeguestTVeat funiituieappropriatelyLeave area asyou found itor better

Media Center V

u

p

n

D

n

p

D

P

•n

n

• ^

Keep h.inds.feet andobjects toyourselfUse a quietvoiceEnter roomquietlyUse mediacentermaterials andequipmentappropriately

Respond toquiet signalimmediatelyFollow mediacenterproceduresReporl allunsafebehavior andvandalismRetummaterialson time

Use politelanguageKeep yourwork areacleanLeave area asyou found itor hetter

have district support to invest in a newdata system (e.g., Schooiwide Informa-tion System); therefore, she workedwith her existing system and generatedthe information she would need tohelp her team move forward. After theSWPBS team attended an initial train-ing activity where they received a basicoverview of SWPBS, learn memberspresented the idea of SWPBS to therest of the faculty and staff duringgrade level team meetings. Followingthe presentations, the SWPBS teamconducted a staff vote, which resultedin greater than 80% buy-in. Thus, allreadiness requirements were met, and

the SWPBS team continued to attendtraining events throughout the year.

During the course of the trainingyear, the SWPBS team designed theirprimary tier intervention, and al! imple-mentation steps were documented in adetailed action plan, which wasreviewed and updated at each regularteam meeting. Team members, withinput from the faculty, identified threepositive expectations for their school-Respect, Responsibility, and Pride-that they called the "Keys to Success."The team then identified all of the rele-vant settings/routines in their schooland created a matrix that defined each

"key" within each setting/routine (seeFigure 5). The team then created les-son plans for each box in the matrix(i.e., each expectation within each rou-tine). The matrix, lesson plans, rein-forcement system, plan for implemen-tation, and other relevant informationwere assembled in a PBS notebook,which was distributed to all facultyand staff prior to implementation.

To increase the likelihood of stu-dents foiiowing the rules, the PBS teamdeveloped a two-part schooiwide rein-forcement system. First, they createdbehavior tickets that staff memberswere to give to students who demon-

COUNCIL FOR EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN

sirated one of the Keys to Success. Thetickets were preprinted with checkboxes that allowed staff to indicatewhich key the student followed Inwhich location. Second the team felt itwas important to recognize students forboth social and academic excellence, sothey developed a card system. Studentswho received one or fewer disciplinereferrals were eligible for a yellow card;students who made the honor role buthad multiple office discipline referralswere eligible for a silver card; and stu-dents who made the honor role andhad one or fewer discipline referralsreceived the coveted gold card. Eachcard gave the students access to privi-leges in the school (e.g., sitting next toa friend at lunch) and the community(e.g., a free slice of pizza at a localrestaurant and other donated itemsfrom local establishments). The school-wide reinforcement was also document-ed in the PBS notebook.

To improve the reliability of disci-pline referral data, the team modifiedtheir office discipline referral form bydefining behaviors and splitting theminto two categories (major and minor)that corresponded to office and class-room managed behaviors, respectively.They also included a possible motiva-tion [i.e., function) section on theform, which asked staff to identifywhat they believed the student was try-ing to access or escape by engaging inthe problem behavior. In addition tomodifying the form, the SWPBS teamenhanced their discipline proceduresand documented the new proceduresin the PBS notebook. Specifically, theyidentified how teachers should respondto the problem behaviors now definedas classroom managed, and they artic-ulated how administrators shouldrespond to the behaviors classified asoffice managed.

The SWPBS team also designed astaff reinforcement system, whichdelineated a variety of ways in whichstaff would be recognized (e.g., lunchwith administrator, doughnuts for agrade-level team) contingent on speci-fied behaviors (e.g., exceeding expecta-tions for delivering coupons). Theyalso established opportunities for allstaff to be recognized when the school

met certain benchmarks. For example,they brought in cookies when theyachieved 80% buy-in.

After documenting the various sys-tems in the PBS notebook, the SWPBSteam designed a plan for roll-oui at thebeginning of the next school year. Atthis school SWPBS was a top priority,and the team decided that they woulddedicate the first four days of theschool year entirely to SWPBS. Theydeveloped a schedule to facilitate activ-ities, and they clearly communicatedthat all teachers would teach social

increasing punishment for those stu-dents, a "get tough" approach that mayhave been used in the past, the admin-istrators increased active supervision.Specifically, the principal and two viceprincipals each positioned themselvesat the top, middle, and bottom of thestairs; the fighting was prevented. Bytaking 5 minutes of their day to super-vise a transition, they saved hours inprocessing discipline referrals and sus-pensions for students fighting.

As a result of implementing SWPBS.the administrator can now allocate her

As a result of implementing SWPBS, the administrator can

now allocate her time to more proactive and preventative approaches

and be an instructional leader, rather than a disciplinarian.

skills lesson plans to ail students in thenatural settings. They created a "pass-port" so that each student couldreceive a stamp for participating ineach lesson. For example, a teacherwould take his class out to the busses,which came back to the school in themiddle of the day so that the lessoncould occur on the bus, deliver a les-son on how to follow the keys to suc-cess on the bus, and stamp each stu-dent's passport once they had demon-strated each key on the bus. This planwas communicated to staff, and theteam provided training in how toimplement the plan (i.e., how to teachlessons, how to use the reinforcementsystems, etc.J during a series of profes-sional development activities. Thus, allstaff members were ready for the roll-out of SWPBS on the first day of theschool year; they even had t-shirts thatstated the keys to success.

The SWPBS team monitored imple-mentation of their action plan, andreviewed schoolwide data at their regu-lar team meetings. When they noticedan area for improvement, they made adata-based decision. For example, theschool administrators noted that theywere receiving multiple reports of stu-dents fighting on one staircase during aparticular passing period. Rather than

time to more proactive and preventa-tive approaches and be an instructionalleader, rather than a disciplinarian.Within one year, the school was imple-menting SWPBS with high fidelity (i.e.,they achieved a score of 98% of theSchoolwide Evaluation Tool, a measureof implementation fidelity). As a result,they experienced a decrease in thenumber of office discipline referrals,and the students and staff reported thatthey enjoyed the reinforcement sys-tems. The school staff has now shiftedfocus to adopting other initiatives toimprove academics, is continuing toprovide their staff with professionaldevelopment to continue to enhancetheir skills, and is shifting their atten-tion to improving their practices andsystems for students whose behaviorsare nonresponsive to primary tier inter-ventions. In other words, because theschool adopted a proactive and effi-cient approach to intervention, theyhave been able to pursue other initia-tives and further improve the quality ofeducation provided to students.

Concluding CommentsThis article describes the essentialpractices and systems of a schoolwideprimary tier intervention. Specifically,we emphasized the importance of six

TEACHING EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN : JULV/AUG 2008 39

key elements: {a] common vision andapproach to schoolwide discipline, (b)small number of schoolwide expecta-tions that are operationalized intoobservable or behavioral terms, (c) for-mal procedures or lesson plans forteaching these behavioral expectationsacross real school settings, (d) continu-um of practices for acknowledging stu-dents who display these behavioralexpectations, (e) continuum of conse-quences for rule violations {both class-room and office managed), and (f) sys-tems for collecting and reviewing datafor decision making.

We emphasized the importance ofsystems that establish and sustain con-sistent accurate implementation acrossall staff, students, and settings, includ-ing for example, team-based leadershipand coordination; documented staffcommitments and agreements; district-level endorsements and supports (e.g.,coordination, coaching, initiative inte-gration); and investments in useableand efficient data storage and outputsystems.

When done consistently and accu-rately, school staff can experienceimproved disciplinary climate, moreavailable instructional minutes,enhanced academic achievement,greater family and cotnmunity rela-tions, and improved capacity toaddress the needs of students whoneed more intensive behavior and/oracademic supports to be successful.

ReferencesColvin, G., Sugai, G., Good, R. H., Ill, &

Lee. Y. (1997). Using aclive supervisionand precorrection to improve transitionbehaviors in an elemenlary school.School Psychology Quarterly. 12. 344-363.

Horner, R. H. (2007), Discipline preventiondata. Eugene, OR: OSEP Center on Posi-tive Behavioral Interventions andSupports. University of Oregon.

Horner, R. H., Sugai. G., Smoikowski. K,,Tbdd, A., Nakasato, J,, & Esperanza, J.(in press). A randomized control trial ofschool-wide positive behavior support inelementary schools, Joumai of PositiveBehavior Interventions.

Kartub, D, T, Taylor-Greene, S,, March. R.E,. & Horner. R. H. (2000). Reducing haii-vfsy noise: A systems approach. Journalof Positive Behavior Interventions, 2,179-182,

Leaf, R, & Bradshaw. (2007). Project Target.Retrieved January 16. 2008 from Johns

Hopkins University, Center for the Pre-vention of Youth Violence Web site:http: //www, jh sph, ed u/ preventyouthvio-lence/Research/Project.Target.html

Lewis, T J,, Powers, L. J,, Kelk. M. J,, &Newcomer. L, L, (2002). Reducing prob-lem behaviors on the playground: Aninvestigation of the application of school-wide positive behavior supports.Psychology in the Schools. 39(2), 181-190,

Netzel. D. M.. & Eber, L. (2003), Shiftingfrom reactive to proactive discipline in anurban school district: A change of focusthrough SWPBS implementation, Joumaiof Positive Behavior Interventions, 5(2)71-79,

Rose, L C, & Gallup, A, M, (2005. Septem-ber), 37th annual Phi Delta Kappa/Gal-lup poll of the public's attitudes towardthe public schools, Kappan, 41-59.

Safran, S, P,, & Oswald. K. (2003), Positivebehavior supports: Can schools reshapedisciplinary practices? Exceptional Child-ren. 69, 361-373,

Scott, T M,, & Barrett, S, B, (2004), Usingstaff and student time engaged in disci-plinary procedures to evaluate the impactof school-wide PBS, Journal of PositiveBehavior Interventions, 6, 21-27,

Skiba. R, J.. & Peterson, R, L, (2000).School discipline at a crossroads: Fromzero tolerance to early response.Exceptional Children, 66, 335-346,

Sugai. G,, & Horner, R. H, (2002), The evo-lution of discipline practices: School-widepositive behavior supports. Child andFamily Behavior Therapy. 24, 23-50.

Sugai, G.. Horner, R. H., Dunlap. G. Hiene-man, M., Lewis, T. J,, Nelson, C, M,, et

Ad Index

Abilitations, 53

CEC, cover 2, 1. 15,43, 62,cover 3

Crisis Prevention Institute [CPI),cover 4

Jossey-Bass, 23

Standards Plus, 23

al, (2000). Applying positive behavioralsupport and functional behavioral assess-ment in schools. Journal of PositiveBehavior Interventions. 2, 131-143,

Tlirnbull. A, P,. Edmonson, H,, Griggs. P,,Wickham, D,, Sailor. W,. Freeman, R,, etal, (2002). A blueprint for schoolwidepositive behavior support: Implemen-tation of three components. ExceptionalChildren. 68. 377-402,

Walker. H. M,. Horner, R. H.. Sugai, G.,BuIIis. M,, Sprague, J, R., Bricker, D.. etal. (1996), Integrated approaches to pre-venting antisocial behavior patternsamong school-age children and youth.Joumai of Emotional and BehavioralDisorders. 4, 194-209,

Brandi Simonsen (CEC CT Federation).Assistant Professor of Special Education;George Sugai (CEC CT Federation). CarolNea^ Endowed Chair and Professor ofSpecial Education. Department of Educa-tional Psychology. Neag School of Education.University of Connecticut. Storrs. MadelineNegron (CEC CT Federation). Principal.Windham Middle School. Willimantic.Connecticut.

Address correspondence to Brandi Simonsen.249 Glenbrook Road, Unit 2064. Neag Schoolof Education. University of Connecticut.Storrs. CT 06269-2064 (e-mail: brandi.simonsen@uconn.edu).

TEACHING Exceptional Children, Vol 40.No. 6. pp. 32-40.

Copyright 2008 CEC.

Ad Placement

Information

Rates:

$18.00 per line • $72.00 minimum

Issues/Deadlines:Sept/OctNov/DecJan/FebMar/AprMay/JuneJuly/Aug

July 21, 08Sept 20, 08Nov 20, 08Jan 21, 09Mar 19, 09May 21, 09

For more information contact:

CEC Advertising1110 North Glebe Road Suite 300

Arlington. VA 22201-5704

TEL: 703/264-9454

FAX: 703/264-1637

40 COUNCIL FOR EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN