Leadership within SW-PBS: Following the Blueprints for

Success

Tim Lewis, Ph.D.University of Missouri

OSEP Center on Positive Behavioral Intervention & Supports

www.pbis.org

"All organizations [and systems] are designed, intentionally or unwittingly, to achieve precisely the results they get."

R. Spencer DarlingBusiness Expert

Key Across Blueprints

• Think about “function” of team members and support personnel vs. traditional roles– What expertise do we currently have?– What additional skill sets do we need?

• Focus on “key features” of process vs. examples– Steps to get to outcomes– How to embed in existing resources– “Repurpose” resources when necessary

Key Across Blueprints

• Target data/data collection strategies that will serve several functions– Student

• What supports do students need? • Are behaviors improving?

– Staff• What supports do staff need?

– System• Are there break-downs (fidelity) in implementation?• Guide resource allocation - District/ School• Visibility / Political support

Key Across Blueprint

• Follow basic logic, but use resources and tools to accomplish what you would like to achieve

• Continue to self-evaluate• Continue to “check in” with key stake holders

– Parents– Community– Staff

School-wide Positive Behavior Support: Implementers’ Blueprint and Self-

Assessment

Funding Visibility PolicyPoliticalSupport

Training CoachingBehavioral Expertise

Evaluation

LEADERSHIP TEAM(Coordination)

Local School/District Implementation Demonstrations

Leadership TeamActive Coordination

FUNCTIONS

• Implementation support

• Data-based action plan

• Coordination

• Capacity building

• Policy & funding

• Communications

• Training capacity

• Exemplars

• Evaluation

MEMBERS

• Coordinator

• Representation

• Behavioral capacity

• Agency

• Parent/family

• Leadership

• Etc

Leadership Team• Team is developed with representation from

appropriate range of stakeholders (special education, regular education, families, mental health, administration).

• Team completes self-assessment.• Team completes a 3-5 year prevention-based

action plan.• Team defines regular meeting schedule & meeting

process (agenda, minutes).

Coordination (District)

Coordinator(s) is identified who has adequate & designated time to manage day-to-day operations.

Funding

Funding sources to cover activities for at least three years can be identified.

Visibility

Dissemination strategies are identified & implemented to ensure that stakeholders are kept aware of activities & accomplishments (e.g., website, newsletter, conferences, TV).

Political Support & Policy

• Student social behavior is one of the top five goals for the school or district

• School Leadership team reports to the district at least annually on the activities & outcomes related to student behavior goal

• PBS policy statement developed & endorsed• Participation & support by administrator from

district

Training Capacity

Leadership team has established trainers, or has access, to build & sustain SW-PBS practices.

Coaching Capacity

• Leadership team has developed, or has access to a coaching network that builds & sustains SW-PBS

• A coach is available to meet at least monthly with each emerging school team (emerging teams are teams that have not met the implementation criteria), and at least quarterly with established teams

Evaluation• Leadership has developed evaluation process for

assessing (a) extent to which school is using SW-PBS (b) impact of SW-PBS on student outcomes, & (c) extent to which the leadership team’s action plan is implemented.

• School-based information systems (e.g., data collection tools & evaluation processes) are in place.

• At least quarterly dissemination, celebration & acknowledgement of outcomes & accomplishments

Behavioral Expertise

• How to access within school / District• How to develop among staff

Key Features

• Teams– District/Region = Funding / Support to Schools– School = Address student challenges / Support

staff

• Problem Solving Strategy – Data-Practice-System

SYST

EMS

PRACTICES

DATASupportingStaff Behavior

SupportingDecisionMaking

SupportingStudent Behavior

SW-PositiveBehaviorSupport OUTCOMES

Social Competence &Academic Achievement

SW-PBS Problem Solving Logic

1. Establish Ground Rules2. Start with Data3. Match Practices to Data4. Align Resources to Implement

Practices (systems, systems, systems)

SW-PBS Problem Solving Logic

1. Establish Ground Rules– Nothing sacred / Everything is important– Not about “philosophy” or “theory"– Keep focus on outcomes– Remember, if what we are doing now was

meeting the needs of all students we wouldn’t be having the conversation

– Allow for a transition period (Phase of Implementation)

• 2-3 years

SW-PBS Problem Solving Logic

2. Start with Data– Be prepared for the “examination & explanation”– Understand that data are simply a “sample” of what is

going on– Data must be contextualized– Don’t drown in the data– Assess the integrity of the data (plan to correct)– Keep the conversation focused on data that are “in

your control”– Be prepared with a draft action plan

SW-PBS Problem Solving Logic

3. Match Practices to Data– Strategies, curricula, and resources

independent of what is currently in place– Don’t limit to what you currently know –

outside resources

–Build your daily schedule around priorities

SW-PBS Problem Solving Logic

4. Align Resources to Implement Practices–New roles to reach outcomes will

require training and on-going technical assistance (systems)

Blueprint for School-wide Positive Behavior Support Training and

Professional Development

Professional Development Blueprint

Purpose:(a)Identify core components to allow development of

local training adaptations,(b)Provide tools and measures to verify and evaluate

content validity of training, (c)Provide tools and measures to guide assessment of

implementation integrity, (d) Judge the preparedness of professional development

providers, and (e)Guide development of comprehensive professional

development plans at the district, region, and state level.

At the school level

• Start any PD with a measurable outcome in mind

• Simplest delivery method to share content• Check for change

Trainers

• Levels of skill development• Organized around Phases of Implementation

– Team Member– Team Leader– Coach– Trainer– Coach Coordinator– Regional/State Coordinator

Coaching within SWPBS Implementation

• Defining the Role• Internal vs External

• Selecting Coaches• Training and support for coaches• Assessing Impact

Outcomes of Coaching

• Fluency with trained skills• Adaptation of trained concepts/skills to local

contexts and challenges• And new challenges that arise

• Rapid redirection from miss-applications• Increased fidelity of overall implementation• Improved sustainability

• Most often due to ability to increase coaching intensity at critical points in time.

Evaluation Blueprint for School-wide Positive Behavior Support

1. Determine what questions you want to answer

Examples• Can we predict problems/success?

– When/where/who?

• Possible “function” of problem behavior?• Who needs targeted or intensive academic

supports?• What environmental changes/supports are

needed?

2. Determine what data will help to answer questions

• Existing data set(s)

• Current data collection

• Additional / new data

• Confidence in accuracy?

• Complete picture?

3. Determine the simplest way to get data

• Agreement on definitions• Standard forms / process• Frequency of collection• Target “Multi-purpose” data/use

Train ALL staff on use & provide on-going TA

4. Put system in place to collect data

• Build on existing systems

• Add components over time

• Central entry point– Electronic

5. Analyze data to answer questions

• Trends

• Instruction & supports in place/not in-place

• Pre/post “big outcomes”

• Comparisons (norm / local)– Relative growth

– Absolute growth

Tools To Assist

• Identify Progress Monitoring Tool– Tier I

• Team Implementation Checklist• Benchmarks of Quality• School-wide Evaluation Tool• School Assessment Survey• SWIS

– Tier II/III• CICO Progress Monitoring Tool• Benchmark for Advance Tiers (BAT)

Lessons Learned from PBIS • Never stop doing what works

• Focus on the smallest changes that will produce the largest effects on valued outcomes

• Make any initiative adapt to your school culture

• Never introduce something new without simultaneously defining what you will stop doing to create the resources for the new effort.

Lessons Learned• Invest in initiatives that will be implemented with high

fidelity and maintained for at least 10 years.

– Braid Initiatives by• Focusing first on outcomes• Implementing practices not programs.

– Achieve fidelity through comprehensive implementation• Provide instruction on content• Provide opportunities for demonstration• Provide opportunities for practice• Provide coaching in performance context.

– Implement the policies that will support effect practice

“What the Worlds Greatest Managers Do Differently”-- Buckingham & Coffman 2002, Gallup

Interviews with 1 million workers, 80,000 managers, in 400 companies. Create working environments where employees:

1. Know what is expected2. Have the materials and equipment to do the job correctly3. Receive recognition each week for good work.4. Have a supervisor who cares, and pays attention5. Receive encouragement to contribute and improve6. Can identify a person at work who is a “best friend.”7. Feel the mission of the organization makes them feel like their jobs are important8. See the people around them committed to doing a good job9. Feel like they are learning new things (getting better)10. Have the opportunity to do their job well.

Leadership within SW-PBS: Following the Blueprints for Success

Tim Lewis, Ph.D.University of Missouri

OSEP Center on Positive Behavioral Intervention & Supports

www.pbis.org