POSITIVE BEHAVIOURFOR LEARNINGUpdate 2012
Published by the Ministry of Education, New Zealand. Copyright © Crown 2012.
ISBN 978-0-478-38612-7 (print) ISBN 978-0-473-38613-4 (online)
CONTENTS3 SECTION 1: About Positive Behaviour for Learning
8 SECTION 2: Highlights from the 2011–2012 financial year
11 SECTION 3: The programmes and initiatives being delivered
12 For schools
15 For teachers
17 For parents
19 SECTION 4: Getting it right for Ma-ori
21 SECTION 5: Evaluating our success
SECTION 1
ABOUT POSITIVE BEHAVIOUR FOR
LEARNING
3
WHAT PB4L WILL DELIVER
The Ministry of Education, education sector
and community organisations deliver PB4L
programmes and initiatives.
• By 2016, 628 schools will have access
to PB4L School-Wide – a whole-school
framework for promoting positive
behaviour. This will benefit around
346,000 students and even more than
that over time.
• By 2014, 8,260 early childhood
education and primary school teachers
will participate in the Incredible Years
– Teacher programme. This will benefit
around 253,000 children and even more
than that over time.
• By 2014, more than 10,000 parents/
caregivers will participate in the
Incredible Years – Parent programme.
This will benefit around 25,500 children.
• All schools can call on the Behaviour
Crisis Response Service when they
need help to stabilise a crisis.
• Each year around 220 children with the
most challenging and complex needs
will have the support of the Intensive
Wraparound Service within their local
schools, which may include a period of
support from a residential special school.
• Schools will have access to Check and
Connect, MY FRIENDS and Restorative
Practices to enhance their positive
behaviour work.
• Some schools will have access to
Kaupapa Ma-ori behaviour initiatives,
including Huakina Mai, which will be
piloted in 2013.
Funding for PB4L came from a
reprioritisation of $45 million of Ministry
of Education funding (2010–2014). The
Government provided a further $15 million
in the 2009 and 2012 Budgets to boost
delivery, and further funding through the
Youth Mental Health project in 2012.
THE PRINCIPLES BEHIND PB4L
Positive Behaviour for Learning is based
on a number of principles:
• Positive behaviour is a prerequisite
to improving the engagement and
achievement of our children and
young people.
• Positive behaviour can be learnt,
and difficult and disruptive behaviour
can be unlearnt.
4
• Individual children are not a ‘problem’
– we need to change the environment
around them to support positive
behaviour.
• Punishing and isolating children doesn’t
bring about long-term and sustainable
changes in behaviour.
• We need to concentrate on a small
number of evidence-based programmes
and frameworks that we know work.
• There are no quick fixes. Behaviour
change takes time.
Positive Behaviour for Learning (PB4L) provides a range of evidence-based programmes
and initiatives to support parents and wha-nau, teachers, schools, and early childhood centres
to improve behaviour of children and young people. Improving learner behaviour and their
home and school environments will lead to improved learner engagement and achievement.
1Gluckman, P. (May 2011). Improving the transition: reducing social and psychological morbidity during adolescence – a report from the Prime Minister’s chief science advisor, May 2011, page 61.
WHY IT MATTERS
Over 760,000 children and young people
attend schools every day and are taught by
over 50,000 teachers. Over 211,000 children
attend early childhood education services
and are taught by over 19,000 teachers.
THE BEHAVIOUR PICTURE
Teachers, principals, early childhood
education managers and parents told us that
disruptive behaviour among New Zealand
children and young people is getting worse.
This disruptive behaviour takes a serious
toll on the child, their peers, their early
childhood educators, their teachers, their
school, their parents and their families.
It also impacts student learning and
achievement.
• Most teachers will experience some form
of disruptive behaviour in their service or
school. Incidents may be temporary and
passing. Some may be an expression of
emotional developments that we expect
to see, such as teenage boundary-testing
or testing new behaviours.
• Other behaviours will be more serious.
They may include fighting, vandalism or
substance abuse. The Gluckman Report1
released in 2011 estimates there will
be in excess of 40,000 children and
adolescents with significant levels
of conduct problems.
Left unchecked, disruptive, anti-social
and violent behaviour can have serious
social and economic implications.
THE YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH PICTURE
Adolescence is a time of rapid development
for young people as they move from
childhood dependence to adult
independence. Young people in New Zealand
are on the whole resilient, adaptable and
doing well. However, an increasing number
of young people are experiencing mental
and physical health problems.
• One in five young people will be affected
by anxiety or depression by the age of
18 years, and over 80% of them are
currently untreated.
• Ma-ori are more likely than non-Ma-ori
to be affected.
• Anxiety and depression can have life-
long consequences. They are the most
expensive illnesses faced by society,
surpassing heart disease, diabetes
and stroke.
• Our youth suicide rates are among
the highest in the world.
Without help, mild mental health problems
can become chronic with life-long costs,
both for the individual and for society.
Undiagnosed mental health problems at
a young age often have detrimental effects
leading to poor performance at school,
early school leaving and adverse impacts
on working life.
PB4L initiatives support learners to improve
their behaviour, resilience and mental well-
being so that they can reach their potential.
5
You cannot separate learning from behaviour. If children are misbehaving or disruptive in class, then they’re not learning and achieving.
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CONTRIBUTION TO BETTER PUBLIC SERVICE GOALS
In 2012, the Government set 10 challenging results for the public
sector to achieve over the next five years. PB4L contributes to
a number of the targets.
SUPPORTING VULNERABLE CHILDREN
• Involving parents in the Incredible Years – Parent programme
can contribute to reducing the number of assaults on children.
• Through building parents’ understanding of child development
and their confidence as parents, they come to appreciate the
value of positive learning in home and early childhood education
environments.
BOOSTING SKILLS AND EMPLOYMENT
Through PB4L programmes and initiatives we eliminate barriers
to children and young people engaging and learning. Children who
are supported to behave positively will have improved wellbeing,
stay on at school and complete qualifications.
REDUCING CRIME
Research has shown that if we act early we can increase children’s
social and emotional skills and curb aggressive behaviours and
other problems before they develop into permanent patterns. Left
unchecked these difficulties put those children at greater risk in
adulthood of unemployment, mental health problems, substance
abuse, early pregnancy/early fatherhood, criminal offending, multiple
arrests and imprisonment, higher rates of domestic violence and
shortened life expectancy.
The combined commitment and energies of a wide range of people are essential to making a positive difference for children experiencing behaviour and mental health difficulties and to sustaining a shift in behaviour and wellbeing over time. This applies not only to community and local interventions but at the national policy and strategic level.
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The following representatives of the
education sector are stewards of Positive
Behaviour for Learning:
• New Zealand Educational Institute
• New Zealand Principals’ Federation
• Post Primary Teachers’ Association
• Early Childhood Council
• Alternative Education
• Secondary Principals’ Association
of New Zealand
• School Trustees Association
• New Zealand Association of
Intermediate and Middle Schools
• Ministry of Education
The Ministry of Education, on behalf of the
Government, is leading the delivery of PB4L.
Fourteen districts, also led by the Ministry
of Education, have stewardship groups that
oversee the delivery of PB4L locally and
make local recommendations about the
focus and spread of programmes. The
Ministry continues to build local resource
to deliver and sustain PB4L programmes
and initiatives by training local RTLBs
(resource teachers: learning and behaviour),
staff from the Ministry, non-governmental
organisations, iwi and early childhood
associations.
INTERAGENCY COOPERATION
PB4L initiatives can only be fully realised
when government agencies work together.
The Ministry of Education works closely
with the Ministry of Social Development
(Child, Youth and Family Service), Ministry
of Justice, Ministry of Health, and the
New Zealand Police to design and develop
the PB4L initiatives, including Incredible
Years – Parent, Intensive Wraparound
Service, Check and Connect and
Restorative Practices.
THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE PROGRAMMES AND SERVICES
SECTION 2
HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE 2011–2012 FINANCIAL YEAR
8
9
WELLBEING@SCHOOL
Wellbeing@School hosts student and staff surveys and self-review
tools to help schools discover where they do well in promoting a safe
and caring climate and where they could be doing better. Schools can
download surveys and the website will analyse their data and provide
them with a confidential report of the findings.
The report looks at aspects such as school-wide climate and
practices, community partnerships, teaching and learning, and
student culture. Schools can then use this report to come up with
a plan to build on those things they do well and address those
things that could be improved.
www.wellbeingatschool.org.nz
PB4LONLINE
PB4LOnline provides educators with practical ideas and tips for
responding to challenging behaviour and for creating environments
that encourage positive behaviours and learning in children and
young people. It supports early childhood education centres and
schools to make changes to the classroom and whole-school
environment as well as work with individual learners.
www.pb4l.tki.org.nz
RESTORATIVE PRACTICES
A practice model and manual for implementing Restorative Practices
in schools will be piloted in secondary schools in 2013. This is based
on the experiences of 160 secondary schools already implementing
Restorative Practices and international and national research into
best practice in the restorative space.
Restorative Practices place relationships at the heart of the
educational experience. The practices and tools of the programme
support schools to prevent, reduce and respond to student
misconduct and provide positive learning environments. Restorative
work has its roots in Ma-ori and other indigenous approaches
to wrongdoing and Restorative Practices adapt the philosophy
and tools for use in school communities.
The Ministry has looked at the evidence relating to Restorative
Practices in schools, including evidence that Restorative Practices is
more effective when developed within a whole-school framework.
We have identified the factors that are critical to successfully putting
Restorative Practices in place. Using this information, the manual
for schools will include:
• seven recommended practices and tools to help schools
put these in place
• a recommended model for and approach to Restorative Practices
based on best evidence.
CHECK AND CONNECT
The Check and Connect programme will be piloted in 7 secondary
schools in 2013. The Prime Minister’s Youth Mental Health project
identified this programme as being effective in improving wellbeing
and keeping young people engaged in learning. Check and Connect
is a structured, long-term mentoring programme for young people
who are at risk of disengaging from learning. It also supports their
family and wha-nau. Mentors work with young people to develop
their skills in problem solving, self-regulation and self-motivation.
This helps young people to see school as a place that is right for
them and learning as something they can do and want to do.
BUILDING POSITIVE YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH
Ten PB4L School-Wide secondary schools will trial the MY FRIENDS
YOUTH programme through the Health curriculum for year 9
students. MY FRIENDS YOUTH guides students through a series of
class-based activities designed to teach them how to deal with
worrying situations. They complete home activities between sessions.
The Prime Minister’s Youth Mental Health project identified this
programme as being effective in improving wellbeing and reducing
anxiety and depression. It supports youth to develop emotional skills
and coping strategies, and improves their capacity to learn.
NEW TOOLS LAUNCHED
In March 2012, the Ministry of Education launched two new web tools to support schools.
ENHANCEMENTS TO PB4L
10
ADDITIONAL BUDGET INJECTION
In tight financial times, the Government has given PB4L
a strong vote of confidence with a funding to boost delivery.
The Government announced a further $15 million for PB4L
programmes and initiatives for the 2012/2013 financial year.
This funding boost:
• gives an additional 2,000 parents and 1,020 teachers access
to the Incredible Years programmes in the 2012/2013
financial year
• enables the Ministry to deliver PB4L School-Wide to a further
50 primary and intermediate schools
• supports the Kaupapa Ma-ori programmes
• supports the Restorative Practices project.
Through the Youth Mental Health initiative, the Government
is also supporting:
• the Check and Connect programme
• access for all secondary schools to the MY FRIENDS
YOUTH programme
• access for all secondary schools to the
PB4L School-Wide framework.
SUMMARY OF STATISTICS (FROM 2010 TO 2012)
(see each programme for a detailed breakdown)
• A total of 287 schools have now adopted the
PB4L School-Wide framework.
• There are 3,720 teachers who have completed or are currently
participating in the Incredible Years – Teacher programme.
• There are 5,824 parents who have completed or are currently
participating in the Incredible Years – Parent programme.
• Since it started in 2010 (when it was called the Intensive
Behaviour Service), 234 learners have received support
through the Intensive Wraparound Service – Behaviour.
HUAKINA MAI
Huakina Mai will be developed and piloted in 2013. Huakina Mai
combines whole-school and restorative practices approaches with
a Kaupapa Ma-ori world view. It is founded on five cultural principles:
1. Pumanawatanga – the morale, tone and pulse of a school
2. Whanaungatanga – building relationships
3. Manaakitanga – the ethos of caring
4. Rangatiratanga – teacher effectiveness
5. Kotahitanga – the concept of bonding
TE MANA TIKITIKI
Te Mana Tikitiki will be piloted in 2013. Te Mana Tikitiki focuses on
the personal mana of the child, encompassing maturity and an
awareness of honour through the concepts of identity, belonging and
achievement. It uses te reo, music, stick movements, art and waiata
to provide a culture-rich medium to communicate and nurture mana
in the student.
SECTION 3
THE PROGRAMMES AND INITIATIVES
BEING DELIVERED
11
FOR SCHOOLS
12
THE PB4L SCHOOL-WIDE FRAMEWORK
THE FRAMEWORK
Positive Behaviour for Learning – School-
Wide (PB4L School-Wide) helps schools
to develop a social culture that supports
learning and positive behaviour. It is an
evidence-based framework that schools
adopt that looks at behaviour and learning
from a whole-of-school as well as an
individual child perspective.
PB4L School-Wide takes the approach that
opportunities for learning and achievement
increase if:
• the school environment is positive
and supportive
• expectations are consistently clear
• children are consistently taught
desired behaviours
• children are consistently acknowledged
for desired behaviours and responded
to in a fair and equitable way.
PB4L School-Wide takes schools through
a tiered process. At each tier schools put
in place systems and practices that match
the needs of their learners.
• Tier I is the foundation on which the
other two tiers are built. It looks at the
support systems and processes across
the whole school and the classroom –
things that impact 80% of learners
in the school.
• Tier II looks at what is needed for the
15% of learners who require more
intensive support.
• Tier III looks at what support is needed
for the 5% of learners who experience
chronic or intense severe and
challenging behaviour.
The PB4L School-Wide framework energises
and inspires:
• consistent and inspirational leadership
and decisions that are based on data
rather than assumptions
• creative and visual expressions
of school values
• creative and inspirational teaching
of those values
• consistent responses to unwanted
behaviour
• fun celebrations, creative rewards
and accolades for desired behaviours
• ways of supporting adults and children
in the most effective and efficient ways
Reducing individual behaviour problems in the school setting can only be achieved if the school is operating well-managed and effective whole-school behaviour management systems and practices.
• inclusive school practices where all
learners are valued and supported
to reach their potential.
Overseas research shows that when
PB4L School-Wide is implemented in an
effective way over 3 to 5 years:
• behaviour incidents in the school decline
• the behaviour of learners improves
• teachers spend more time teaching
• learners are more engaged and
are achieving.
The Ministry provides $10,000 per school
per year for training and coaching support
for the first three years of implementation.
“I don’t think there is a student in the school who doesn’t know
about PB4L, how positive behaviour impacts on everyone’s
learning and what our school expectations are for student
behaviour. There is a shared responsibility, a more consistent,
collaborative approach to managing behaviour and there is a lot
of emphasis on building respectful relationships. Students speak
up against bullying and they encourage others to do so.
“There is more active playground supervision and there are many
ways in which we reinforce positive behaviour. Playground fights
are a thing of the past and stand-downs are a quarter of what
they were last year this time.”
Wainuiomata Intermediate School
“Personification in Te Ao Ma-ori is a normal practice. We
acknowledge our mountains, our rivers and our waka. Our
stories even speak about mountains that walked and talked.
So translating the acronym of our values (Pono, Unique, Tika
and Aroha) into a living being (PUTA) was a natural thing to do.
We no longer talk about rules. Instead of, ‘Don’t do this, don’t
do that,’ we ask, ‘What would PUTA say if he was standing next
to you? What would he be saying with regard to your values
and your actions?’ It’s about the boys starting to take ownership
of their actions.”
Te Aute College
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THE STATISTICS
THE STORIES
Schools participating in PB4L School-Wide by type
Anecdotal feedback from PB4L School-Wide
schools shows that the approach is already
improving school climates and learner
behaviour. Those secondary schools that
started PB4L School-Wide in 2010 have
seen a 26% decline between 2010 and
2011 in the number of critical behaviour
incidences that resulted in suspensions,
stand-downs or exclusions. For all
New Zealand schools (including those
participating in PB4L School-Wide) there
was a 19% decrease in the number of
student suspensions.
PB4L School-Wide is a long-term approach
and the first year of implementation
focuses on defining expectations of school
behaviour. We expect to see a stronger
downwards trend in suspensions, stand-
downs and exclusions towards the end
of their third year of implementation.
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Sonya (name has been changed to protect privacy), 10, had a history of absconding
from class and emotional outbursts involving kicking, hitting, destroying property,
impulsivity and hyperactivity.
She had been in and out of foster homes after Child, Youth and Family removed her from
her mother in early childhood. Sonya has not seen her mother or her father since. Records
showed Sonya struggled academically, but had a vivid imagination and an obvious love
of the performing arts.
We brought together Sonya’s family therapist, her teacher and her foster family to talk
about what she needed and to develop a personalised plan.Sonya’s plan featured a series
of home and school strategies aimed at building Sonya’s resiliency skills, managing her
anti-social behaviour and introducing enjoyable activities to her life such as role playing.
The plan aimed to help Sonya develop pro-social behaviour and help her foster family
and her teacher reduce conflict at home and in class. A specialist teacher was employed
to develop and implement a remedial literacy and numeracy programme for Sonya.
Today Sonya is more engaged in the classroom and is behaving well at home and at school.
She is learning to regulate her emotions and build up her social skills. She no longer hits
other children at school and is enjoying group experiences in class. Her science and sports
grades are improving and her classroom teacher reports Sonya has had no incidents.
THE SERVICE
The Intensive Wraparound Service is for
children and young people with complex
and challenging behaviour, and social or
education needs. The intensive support is
provided from a learner’s local school and
community and may include a period of
support from a residential special school
where needed. The service supports children
and young people to:
• learn new skills and ways of behaving
• stay at or return to their local school
• behave in a positive and social way
• enjoy a successful home and school life.
Children and young people are referred to
the Intensive Wraparound Service by the
Ministry of Education’s regional special
education staff following discussion with
the child’s school and parents or caregivers.
An Intensive Wraparound Service facilitator
(usually a psychologist) will assess the child
and develop an individualised plan that sets
out all the things that everyone will do to
help the child or young person succeed.
The facilitators work with all the people who
support a child – including their parents,
family and wha-nau, their teachers and other
people such as special education specialists.
Other people from agencies such as Child,
Youth and Family and residential special
schools might also be involved.
Initiatives set out in the facilitator’s plan
cover a period of up to three years and are
funded by the Ministry of Education through
the Intensive Wraparound Service for up
to two years.
INTENSIVE WRAPAROUND SERVICE
THE STORIES
THE STATISTICS
Since the Intensive Wraparound Service
started in 2010 (when it was called the
Intensive Behaviour Service), 234 learners
have received support.
Eighty-nine students completed their
wraparound programme during 2011.
• Nine per cent of these learners were
female. A key focus is to increase the
number of girls who have access to
the service.
• Forty-four per cent of these learners
were Ma-ori (a nine per cent increase
on last year).
• Four per cent of these learners were
Pasifika (a three per cent increase
on last year).
Prior to entering the service, learners were,
on average, attending school 40% of the
time. After receiving support through the
service, attendance increased to 87% for
Ma-ori learners and 90% for non-Ma-ori.
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FOR TEACHERS
THE STATISTICSTHE PROGRAMME
The Incredible Years – Teacher programme
provides teachers with approaches to help
turn disruptive behaviour around and create
a more positive learning environment for
children. The programme is for teachers
of children aged 3 to 8 years.
Teachers from a school or early childhood
education centre meet with colleagues from
other schools or centres once a month over
six months. There is also a follow-up, one-
day session three months later.
The Incredible Years – Teacher
programme covers:
• building positive relationships
with children
• proactively preventing behaviour
problems
• using attention, encouragement
and praise to turn behaviour around
• motivating children by giving
them incentives
• helping children learn social skills,
empathy and problem-solving
• using appropriate consequences
for undesirable behaviour.
Incredible Years − Teacher: teachers participating (financial years)
Breakdown of Incredible Years − Teacher schools by decile for 2011/12
Incredible Years – Teacher participants
The Ministry is continually increasing
participation by teachers from low decile
schools and early childhood education
centres in lower income communities.
To support the importance of early
intervention in behaviour, the Ministry
had a target of 30% of teachers
participating in the Incredible Years –
Teacher programme coming from the early
childhood education sector. The sector
has embraced this programme and we
have exceeded this target with 43% of
attendees being from the early childhood
education sector.
Response to the programme – early childhood and primary teachers
“Your whole group is being ratty and they’re all a bit distracted and then you pick on
someone who’s doing the right thing and give them a sticker or just say something to
them and the others will all sit up – ‘They’re getting attention for doing the right thing
and I want to get attention too.’ They want to please you.”
“Because of the research it gives the teachers a lot of confidence that these are the
strategies, these are the ones that have been shown to be really effective with these
kids and so I know that I’m on the right track.”
“Before we went on the course we thought we had ways of dealing with behaviour.
But we got experience from other teachers who were there. We came back quite excited
– let’s try this with these children. It’s been eight months since we finished it and we’re
still talking about it. Every staff meeting we’re still going over situations.”
“I think going there and actually having a ‘focus child’ gave you, for lack of a better word,
a sense of hope.”
Before the programme
“I had one boy who was physically
hurting other children. It was like he
didn’t recognise that it was wrong
because he’d hurt someone and then
look at you for recognition.”
“One child, his big thing was about
people watching him. He’d flare up
about that. I didn’t know where to start
with him because it was the first time
I’d ever had a child like that.”
“It’s very frustrating when you have a
child that just won’t sit and be part of
the class. It’s very hard to get a lesson
finished without interruptions.”
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THE STORIES
If a teacher feels confident and supported in the way they’re managing the classroom, it affects the entire class. We raise the social competence of all children, not just at-risk children. We also get ongoing results because those teachers go on to use the techniques in their classes for years to come.
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FOR PARENTS
Incredible Years – Parent is a 14 –18-session programme for parents
of children aged 3 to 8 that helps parents turn behaviour around
and create an enjoyable and harmonious family life. Parents come
together each week and develop approaches to use at home with
problem behaviours, such as aggressiveness, ongoing tantrums, and
acting out behaviour, such as swearing, whining, yelling, hitting and
kicking, answering back and refusing to follow rules. Parents learn
from and support each other. The programme looks at:
• making time to play and spend time with children and letting
children lead the play
• encouraging the behaviours parents would like to see,
through setting clear rules and boundaries and using praise
and encouragement
• selectively using consequences, such as ignoring,
loss of privilege and time out.
The programme is delivered by Ministry of Education, Special
Education staff and by 51 non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
Eleven of the NGOs are Wha-nau Ora providers. Many are also
providing a range of social services to families funded through
the Ministry of Health or the Ministry of Social Development
or other agencies.
The Pasifika community has embraced Incredible Years – Parent.
The Ministry of Education has exceeded its goal of eight per cent
participation by Pasifika parents. This Ministry is still working towards
its goal of 40% participation by parents of Ma-ori children by 2015.
This year the Ministry will focus on increasing Ma-ori participation
in the programme through partnerships with iwi-based non-
governmental organisations that are delivering the programme.
The Ministry will continue to build the pool of Ma-ori facilitators
who reach accreditation.
THE PROGRAMME THE STATISTICS
Registered June 10/11
Registered July 11/12
Target June 12/13
NZ European/Pa-keha- 54% 46% 44%
Ma-ori 37% 35% 38%
Pasifika 4% 12% 12%
Other 5% 7% 6%
Incredible Years – Parent participants (financial years)
Child ethnicity targets for Incredible Years − Parent
Good behaviour can be taught and difficult behaviour can be unlearnt.
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THE STORIES
“Our house was descending into chaos. I know all the basic
parenting rules but kept finding myself in a vicious circle of yelling
and nagging at my children. The attention they were getting was
mostly the negative kind. The Incredible Years programme was a
light at the end of the tunnel and gave me hope that peace and
happiness could be restored at home. This course has set about a
change in my parenting that we are all reaping the benefits from.
Fourteen weeks sounds like a long time to commit but each session
has guided and supported me. The biggest advocates for this course
would be my children.”
“Five years of dealing with an angry, scared, confused little
boy and not being able to help him … Fourteen weeks of this
programme – no labels, no drugs, no wasted time or money.
Fourteen weeks of ‘just’ play, consistency, gentleness, ignoring,
common sense, patience, communication, persistence, love,
respect, understanding and determination. In those 14 short
weeks this programme has helped me, helped my child with small
steps to success every day. In 14 weeks there have been positive
changes not just in our boy but in ourselves as well … The results
will and do speak for themselves. Our kids deserve it!”
“The Incredible Years taught me, from whoa to go, everything
I could have hoped to learn. My house was chaotic with much
yelling, frustration and guilt. Each week we worked through
different aspects of positive parenting – a completely foreign
concept. This course gave me the knowledge of how to have a
wonderful relationship with my children and hopefully one day,
my grandchildren. It taught the perspective I was lacking – praise
praise, praise! (Easier said than done, by the way!) You would not
recognise my house now. Not perfect, far from it, but children
who are happier in their own skin, learning to share and express
themselves appropriately. I had learnt to positively reinforce
and model behaviours I wanted to see more of. It worked! …
You can be as qualified and as smart as you like, if you do not
change your perspective by educating yourself about positively
parenting your most precious blessings, your children, what
have you got?”
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SECTION 4
GETTING IT RIGHT FOR MA
-ORI
Ma-ori enjoying education success as
Ma-ori means having an education system
that provides all Ma-ori learners with the
opportunity to get what they require to
realise their own unique potential and
succeed in their lives as Ma-ori.
A 20092 report to Government states
that 15–20% of Ma-ori tamariki and taiohi
will display conduct problems of sufficient
severity to merit intervention. These
figures are reflected in the percentage
of Ma-ori learners who access special
education services.
For Ma-ori learners to excel and successfully
realise their cultural distinctiveness and
potential they must be an important focus
of PB4L.
• The programmes and frameworks being
supported through the plan give priority
to parents and teachers of Ma-ori children
and schools that have a higher number
of Ma-ori learners.
• Nationwide, 35% of the children whose
parents attend the Incredible Years –
Parent programme are Ma-ori and this
is higher in districts with higher Ma-ori
populations. The goal is to increase this
percentage to 40% by the end of 2015.
• A number of iwi-based organisations
have been contracted to deliver
Incredible Years – Parent programmes
to Ma-ori parents and some are run
from local marae.
2 Advisory Group on Conduct Problems. (2009). Conduct problems best practice report 2009. Ministry of Social Development.
• Cultural enhancements are embedded
into the Incredible Years programmes
through their collaborative and parent-
teacher-centric approach. This approach
values and responds to the heritage
and tikanga of those attending. The
Ministry will continue to enhance
these programmes to ensure they
work for Ma-ori.
• The impact of the Incredible Years
programmes is being closely monitored
and evaluated.
In addition to culturally enhancing existing
programmes, Positive Behaviour for Learning
will contribute to the New Zealand evidence
base through evaluating and supporting
Kaupapa Ma-ori behaviour initiatives.
The following two Kaupapa Ma-ori initiatives
are being piloted:
1. Huakina Mai – combines whole-school
and restorative practices approaches
with a Kaupapa Ma-ori world view.
2. Te Mana Tikitiki – uses te reo, music,
stick movements, art and waiata to
provide a culture-rich medium to
communicate and nurture mana
in the learner.
The Ministry has developed a cultural
enhancement framework to be responsive
to a range of Ma-ori-specific issues.
The framework acknowledges and
is responsive to the three principles
inherent in the Treaty of Waitangi, and
has been developed to guide the cultural
enhancement of Western programmes
that are intended for use with Ma-ori. A
Ma-ori Advisory Group provides advice and
guidance to ensure that Positive Behaviour
for Learning programmes and initiatives are
culturally responsive to Ma-ori in the way
they are designed, developed, delivered
and evaluated.
GETTING IT RIGHT FOR MA- ORI
The parenting principles of nurturing, caring and building positive relationships with children work well across all cultural groups. We all want the same things for our kids – for them to be happy, have friends and succeed.
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SECTION 5
EVALUATING OUR SUCCESS
The Ministry has developed a research and
evaluation plan to evaluate the impact of
Positive Behaviour for Learning. PB4L will
be measured against identified system-level
indicators and intermediate and long-term
outcomes.
The Ministry has set up data collection
systems to:
• enable efficient and effective
service delivery
• inform the development of practice
frameworks
• contribute to the continuous
improvement of service delivery
• monitor and report on progress
to a range of audiences
• contribute to the intermediate and
longer term outcome evaluations.
This research will contribute to the
international evidence base. It will identify
whether the implementation of these
initiatives and programmes is as successful
in New Zealand as it has been in other
countries.
EVALUATING OUR SUCCESS
The Ministry will invest in research and
evaluation to ensure that programmes are
effective. The Ministry has completed:
• the evaluation of the Ministry of Social
Development-led research on the
Incredible Years – Parent programme –
the 18-session programme was being
delivered and evaluated over three sites
in New Zealand; a component of this
research evaluated the effectiveness
of this evidenced-based programme
for Ma-ori tamariki and wha-nau
• the initial evaluation of three Ma-ori
Kaupapa Ma-ori behaviour programmes
• a preliminary investigation of the
effectiveness of Restorative Practices
in New Zealand.
In the 2012/2013 financial year the Ministry
of Education will commence the evaluation
of the Incredible Years –Teacher programme,
the PB4L School-Wide framework and the
Intensive Wraparound Service.
THE DIFFERENCE PB4L WILL MAKE
• Children and young people will be more
engaged and will achieve at school.
• Teachers and leaders will spend more
time teaching and be less stressed.
• Educators will keep more children
and young people at school, will feel
confident and will feel supported in
addressing behaviour problems.
• Parents and wha-nau will have
relationships with their children that
are more positive, and home life will be
more positive and harmonious.
• School leaders and boards will celebrate
the learning and achievement of all
of their learners.
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