The Power of Data in Developing Positive Behavior

1. The Power of Data in Developing Positive Behavior Laurel Woods Elementary School Rosanne Wilson, Principal Meryl Sirmans, School Psychologist

2. LWES 2000-2002 • 5 rules • LOTS of students sitting in the office • High expectations but no plan for teaching the students how to meet behavioral expectations • Classroom behavior management strategies varied • Little school-wide emphasis on positive consequences • Changing demographics • Minimal focus on “knowing our learners”

3. Time to Make a Change • Introduced to PBIS • Ready for greater coordination of intervention strategies • Staff ready for a change and opportunity to improve school climate

4. Key Components for Effective Behavior Intervention (PBIS) • School-wide and Classroom Systems • Effective Classroom Management • Non-classroom Systems • Individual Student Systems

5. Some but not all components in place… • School-wide/classroom system implemented negative consequences, lacked the positive • Management strategies varied significantly • Limited plan for hallway, bathroom, cafeteria behavior • Systems in place for individual students (Alternative Education, Consultation Team)

6. If we wanted students to meet our expectations and improve our school climate, we’d have to ensure coordination of all systems and all components.

7. Planning • Created a team to oversee operations • Needs assessment completed with staff • Set goals/objectives (SIP, Action Plan) • Developed prevention and intervention strategies • Streamlined committees to ensure coordination school-wide • Planned for monitoring progress

8. Our School-wide Behavior Plan • Purpose • Rules/Expectations • Teaching what’s expected (matrix) • Lighthouse • Dolphin Days/Dolphin Club • Understanding our students: • Importance of relationships • Understanding the cultures represented (African American, Immigrant, impoverished, etc.) • Acknowledging effect of transient population • Staff and Parent/Guardian Involvement

9. Student Behavior Patterns 1-7% Students with Chronic, Intense Behavior Problems 5-15% Students At-Risk for Behavior Problems 80-90% Students Who Respond To School-wide Approach (No Significant Behavior Challenges)

10. 6 Points of Data for Making Decisions By Grade and School-wide: • Referrals by Problem Behavior • Referrals by Location • Referrals per Month • Students per Number of Referrals • Students Participating in Monthly Dolphin Club School-wide: • Referrals by Student Ethnicity

11. Data Informs our Decisions • Each month, all 6 points of data are reviewed by the Social Behavior Committee then shared with grade-level and other teams throughout the school. • Quarterly, the School Improvement Team reviews the data in relation to the School Improvement Plan milestones. This information is also shared school-wide. • Current data are compared to data from previous school years.

12. Targeted Student Groups and Data Trends • African American Males made up largest student group with office referrals. A 15% reduction in office referrals was expected when compared to last school year. • A large group of students, predominantly African American, were not participating in Dolphin Club because of office referrals and/or “clip moves.”

13. Strategies for Intervention • Positive reinforcement • Book studies • Small groups (social skills, goal setting, self-management) • Consultation

14. Number of Students Earning Dolphin Club Each Month • On-going comparison of the number of participants from month to month • On-going review and revision of interventions and their results • On-going consideration of ways to encourage students, maintain expectations, make Dolphin Club more desirable

15. Few Students NEVER in Dolphin Club More “Yellow and Red Zone” students earn Dolphin Club with secondary and/or individualized interventions.

16. Data Shows the Power of PBIS

17. Questions? LWES 410-880-5960 rosanne_wilson@hcpss.org meryl_sirmans@hcpss.org