“WORKING SMARTER”Problem Solving & Decision

Making

George Sugai

OSEP Center on PBIS

www.pbis.org

May 9, 2006

F

Purpose

Provide guidelines for improving efficiency & effectiveness of decision making & problem solving.

Example #1

School leadership team has participated in initial SWPBS training and developed an action plan which the team is ready to present to the faculty. The school administrator, however, has missed a number of the training events, and is questioning whether the staff is “ready” to vote on the proposed action plan. He has proposed delaying the presentation of the action plan for another 2 months. Team members are disappointed in the Principal’s position, and see this turn of events as a major set-back.

Example #2

The school board of a school district is concerned that the first year implementation of SWPBS is not taking a “firm enough stance against discipline problems,” and has asked the district leadership team to “get tougher with those kids and their families!” One school board member comments that “these kids should know better,” and that “a clear message needs to be sent that those behaviors won’t be tolerated!”

Example #3

Coaching supports have been established to facilitate team implementation in a school district. However, 5 of the 15 coaches have not attended coaches meetings, failed to submit monthly progress checklists, and not made monthly contact with their school team leaders. School teams have complained to the PBS coordinator about a “lack of support.”

The Challenge

• Multiple initiatives

• Fragmented/overlapping services & activities

• Ineffective/inefficient practices

• Poorly developed & implemented support systems

• Incomplete agreement/implementation

• Inefficient approach to decision making– Unpredictable/inefficient & non-data based

• Inadequate number of minutes

Response: Work Smarter

• Do less…better

• Do it once

• Invest in clear outcomes

• Invest in a sure thing

• Be strategic about problem solving

Overriding 3-Step Process

1. Set collective goal

2. Track progress toward goal with data

3. Use data to assess & adjust efforts to improve outcomes

General Steps & Guidelines for Problem Solving &

Decision Making

SYST

EMS

PRACTICES

DATASupportingStaff Behavior

SupportingStudent Behavior

OUTCOMES

Supporting Social Competence &Academic Achievement

SupportingDecisionMaking

4 PBS Elements

Applications

• Developing action plans

• Selecting practices

• Addressing implementation roadblocks

• Developing policies

• Conducting problem solving meetings

1. Clearly define problem

• What evidence do you have to confirm problem?

• Have you dealt with this problem before?

– What did you learn?

• Who is affected by the problem?

• Does everyone agree that problem is high priority?

2. Specify objective/outcome to be achieved

• What do you want to achieve?

• Who is affected by achievement of outcome?

• Does everyone agree that outcome is appropriate for problem?

• Is outcome achievable?

3. Specify measurable indicator to monitor progress toward objective/ outcome

• What will you measure to know if you’ve achieved your objective?

• How do you know when you are successful?

• When, where, who, & when will indicator be measured?

4. Select research validated practices to achieve objective/outcome

• What evidence exists to suggest that this practice will work?

– For your students? For you?

– Within the time frame available?

• Is this practice appropriate for your students?

5. Assess implementation requirements• What is required to implement practice?

– Skills? Time? Materials? Resources? Personnel?

• Does everyone agree to use practice?

• What modifications are needed to fit practice to your context & increase impact?

• Can practice be integrated into on-going initiatives/efforts?

6. Develop action plan

• How will practice be implemented?

– What? When? Who? Where? For how long?

• What can be done to ensure accurate & consistent implementation?

7. Implement & monitor

• Is adequate progress being made?

– Socially?

– Educationally?

• Can enhancements be made to improve effectiveness?

• What is required to sustain practice?

• What elements can be eliminated?

8. Celebrate success.

• What successes?

– Student, school, family, community

• How will you celebrate?

– When? How? What?

Trainer/Coaches’ Challenges

AttentionPlease

1 Minute

• Work in groups of 2-3 (10 min)

• Pick one of 3 examples (or define own)

• Propose 2-3 strategies to address challenge.

• Report to large group (1 min.)

Scenario #1

“Our SWPBS Leadership Team can’t figure out what to do with this situation. We have been implementing our school-wide interventions for the past 6 months with pretty good accuracy. However, when we reviewed our data last month, we noticed that two teachers are not following the agreed upon guidelines we developed for what rule violations should be sent to the office. Our administrator wants to discuss this problem at the faculty meeting; however, our team doesn’t think this plan would work. Do you agree with our administrator? If yes, why. If no, what would you recommend we do instead and why?”

Scenario #2

“Our leadership team has noticed a dramatic change in our behavior incidents. First, over the last three months, we’ve noticed that number of office discipline referrals from the 5 fourth grade teachers has decreased dramatically in the classroom, but increased by twofold in nonclassroom settings, especially, in the hallway. In contrast, over the same period of time, we’ve noticed an equally dramatic increase in problem behaviors by the 8th graders in the classroom. Please advise us on how we should address this situation.

Scenario #3

“Our SWPBS Leadership Team can’t figure out what to do with this situation. We have been implementing our school-wide interventions for the past 6 months with pretty good accuracy. However, when reviewed our data last month, we noticed that two teachers are not following the agreed upon guidelines we developed for what rule violations should be sent to the office. Our administrator wants to discuss this problem at the faculty meeting; however, our team doesn’t think this plan would work. Do you agree with our administrator? If yes, why? If no, what would you recommend we do instead and why?”

Big Ideas

• Always room for improvement

– “Most organizations perform between 40-60% of their capacity” (1996, p. 52)

• Improvement is associated with “positive, short term feedback”

– Do not accept long periods of training, restructuring, & inactivity

– “Still evolving” is not reinforceable opportunity

• Establish pilot projects with high probability for quick success & meaningful impact

– Develop small # of goals that is manageable & achievable in short term

– Goal is to see regular & frequent impact of your efforts

• Work smarter…not more

– Be strategic about problem solving

Response: Work Smarter

• Do less…better

• Do it once

• Invest in clear outcomes

• Invest in a sure thing

• Be strategic about problem solving