Growing the Green:
Focusing on Universal
Interventions
Joan Ledvina Parr
PBIS Team Leaders and Coaches Meeting
November 13, 2008
Our Task
Our task, as educators, is to
build environments to
encourage students to learn
as well as to behave.
Remaining engaged in
instruction is essential for
student academic and
behavioral success.
Before Focusing on Interventions
for Students in the Yellow and
Red Zones:
• Consider the fidelity of your universal
interventions
• Consider the rules and procedures for
non-classroom areas
• Consider the rules and procedures for
classroom areas
School-wide Positive Behavior Support Systems:
Four Systems
Classroom
Setting Systems
School-wide
Systems
School-wide Systems
∙ Common purpose & approach to discipline
∙ Clear set of positive expectations & behaviors
∙ Procedures for teaching expected behavior
∙ Continuum of procedures for encouraging
expected behavior
∙ Continuum of procedures for discouraging
inappropriate behavior
∙ Procedures for on-going monitoring &
evaluation
Nonclassroom Setting Systems
• Teaching expectations & routines
• Active supervision
–
–
–
Scan
Move
Interact
• Precorrections & reminders
• Positive reinforcement
Classroom Setting Systems
• Behavior management
– Positive expectations taught and encouraged
– Teaching classroom routines
– Ratio of 5 positive to 1 corrective adultstudent interaction
– Active supervision
– Precorrections
– Redirections for minor, infrequent behavior
errors
• Instructional management
– Curriculum & Instructional design
• Environmental management
Classroom Setting Systems
• High rates of active engagement
• High number of opportunities to
respond
• High rates of correct responding
• High rates of teacher reinforcing
appropriate academic response as
well as teacher reinforcing
expected behavior
What happens when teachers simply
increase their rate of praise?
• High rates of praise is an evidenced
based practice
• Teacher increased her frequency of
praise to the class
• How did this affect the behavior of the
“problem student?”
• Using a classroom intervention negated
the need for a specific student
intervention
Individual Student Systems
• Staff with behavioral competence
• Function-based behavior support
planning
• Comprehensive person-centered
planning & wraparound processes
• Targeted social skills instruction
– Self-management
• Individualized instructional & curricular
accommodations
Strategies for Working
with Yellow Zone Students
Joan Ledvina Parr
PBIS Team Leaders and Coaches Meeting
November 13, 2008
Basic Ideas
• Students have learned problem behavior
to get what they want
• Teachers must teach the students a
way to get their needs met.
Consider the Function
of the Behavior
Problem Behavior
Function of the
Behavior
Off-task, Non-disruptive
Peer Attention
Off-task, Disruptive
Peer Attention
Off-task, Non-disruptive,
Work Completion
Escape
Off-task, Non-disruptive,
Work Completion
Attention
(avoids teacher and
peers during instruction)
(responds to
teacher directions, engages peers)
Replacement Behavior
• The replacement behavior for all the
previous problem behaviors is:
On-task, work completion
Design the Intervention to Meet
the Needs of the Student
• Consider the function of the behavior:
• Peer Attention—Earn time with peers for
meeting self-management goals
• Escape—Earn a “skip a homework” pass or
earn other preferred activity for meeting
self-management and work completion
goals
• Attention with poor work completion—Earn
a “work with a peer” activity or earn other
preferred activity for meeting selfmanagement and work completion goals
Designing Interventions
Function: Peer Attention (without Disruption)
#2
#1
Problem Behavior
Off-task, Non-disruptive
Function
Peer Attention
#3
Replacement Behavior
On-task, Work completion
#5
Outcome for Replacement Behavior
Earn time with peers
#4
Intervention
Lesson “on task”
Pre-correct @ start of class
Self-monitor: on-task
Periodic praise by teacher
Quick de-brief at end of class
Designing Interventions
Function: Peer Attention (with Disruption)
#2
#1
Problem Behavior
Off-task, Disruptive
Function
Peer Attention
#3
#5
Outcome for Replacement Behavior
Earn time with peers
Replacement Behavior
On-task, Respectful responses,
Work completion
#4
Intervention
Lesson “on task”
Lesson “respect”
Pre-correct @ start of class
Self-monitor: on-task
Periodic praise by teacher
Quick de-brief at end of class
Designing Interventions
Function: Escape (avoids teacher and peers)
#2
#1
Problem Behavior
Off-task, Non-disruptive
Work completion
Function
Escape to avoid
teacher and peers
during instruction
#3
Replacement Behavior
On-task, Work completion
#5
Outcome for Replacement Behavior
#4
Earn a “skip a homework” pass
Intervention
Earn other preferred activity
Lesson “on task”
Pre-correct @ start of class
Self-monitor: on-task and work completion
Quick de-brief at end of class
Designing Interventions
Function: Attention
(responds to teacher directions and engages peers)
#2
#1
Problem Behavior
Off-task, Non-disruptive,
Work Completion
Function
Attention
(responds to teacher
directions, engages peers
#3
Replacement Behavior
On-task, Work completion
#5
Outcome for Replacement Behavior
#4
Earn a “work with peer” activity
Intervention
Earn other preferred activity
Lesson “on task”
Pre-correct @ start of class
Self-monitor: on-task and work completion
Periodic praise by teacher
Quick de-brief at end of class
Check-In, Check-Out
• Students are identified and are monitored
by a specific individual
• Students check in during the morning,
review the plan for the day, and are
encouraged to do well on their point sheet
• Student returns to check out at the end
of the day and reviews their point sheet
with the adult
• Point sheets are monitored and progress is
charted
Teacher Mentoring
• Teachers are assigned frequent fliers
to monitor
• Mentor and student meet weekly
• Time can be structured
– Lunch
– Homeroom
– End of day
Special Activities
• Certain activities are designated for
the yellow zone students
• They may have the opportunity to earn a
specific reward or choose from a menu
– Faculty – student basketball game
– Game room
– Lunch table with friends
Breakfast Club / Lunch Club
• Identified students meet with a staff
member to eat breakfast (or lunch),
socialize, and discuss behavior
• Often the students have point sheets
• Focus is on the opportunity to socialize
and form a strong relationship with a
supportive adult
Personalized Behavioral Report Card
• Students have behavioral point sheets
designed to reflect their specific needs
(social skills, hallway behaviors,
homework behaviors, compliance, etc.)
• Point sheets are completed by staff and
sent home for parents to review
• Weekly progress is noted
Gentlemen’s Club /
Ladies’ Club
• Students are identified and are
matched with a staff member willing to
work with a group
• The students meet and discuss
problems and solutions
• Relationship building is key to success
Homework Club
• Students who have difficulty completing
homework have the opportunity to finish
homework in school with a supportive
staff member
• Specific times are identified and the
students are expected to attend
Data Needs to be Your
Friend
Without data, you are just
another person with an
opinion…..
Strategic Interventions
• Develop your strategies
based on your data
• Plan what data you need
to collect in order to
evaluate the
effectiveness of your
intervention
Imagination,
Commitment, and
Relationships
are the Keys to Success