Positive Behavior Support Research

Educational experts and school officials agree that the most important work going on in schools is the daily interaction between teachers and students in the classrooms. To strengthen that interaction, schools must create conditions that enable teachers and students to consistently perform at high levels.(Childress, Elmore, & Grossman., 2006). To perform at high levels, one of the critical conditions for success is to have a safe and orderly school climate.

In fact, research studies have shown a significant correlation between academic achievement and the frequency of behavior problems. The frequency of both serious and non-serious offenses is negatively related to academic achievement in math, reading, science, and social science (Barton, Coley, & Wenglinsky,1998). In short, fewer behavior problems translate into improved student learning and achievement.

We provide you with key findings from the latest and most robust research available regarding positive behavior support. We encourage you to study the positive behavior support literature and integrate that into your use of the TISBIS behavior system. You will find that many of the conclusions from the most respected researchers in the field regarding positive behavior support include elements that are accessible in the TISBIS Student Discipline Software.

School Wide Discipline Procedures

Notes below quoted from: Creating School Wide Discipline Procedures & Alternative Discipline Consequences! (Peterson & Smith, 2007, Conference for Administrators on Behavior Issues)

Purposes of School Discipline

1. To change the student’s behavior

2. To deter or prevent other students from engaging in the behavior (make an “example” of the offending student)

3. To maintain a “safe” school environment

4. To maintain the “decorum” of the school (propriety of language, dress & conduct according to community standards)

Other Unspoken & Less Forthright Purposes of School Discipline

6. Retribution - create “suffering” inflicted as a “just punishment for a misdeed”

5. To get rid of the problem student so adults will no longer have to cope with the student’s behavior

7. To assert adult authority by making clear to students the “power” adults have over students

8. To serve as a supplemental law enforcement agency, providing consequences for illegal behavior.

Traditional School Disciplinary Consequences

Demotion

Lowering grades

Detention

Saturday school

In-school suspension

Suspension

Expulsion

Top 10 Examples of Alternative Consequences

Mini-Courses- Short courses or modules which students can complete on topics related to their behavior as a disciplinary consequence. Can include workbooks, test, oral reports, etc. Examples: drugs, conflict resolution, anger control, social skills topics, appropriate communication skills.
Parent Supervision- Parents should be invited to brainstorm with the school on how to address the behavior. One example might be to “suspend” the parent in to school by having the parent follow and supervise the student all day in school.
Counseling- Students might be required to participate in or receive some amount of counseling which focuses on behavioral needs.
Community Service- Programs which permit the student to perform a required amount of time in community service in the school system or in the community. Examples- Volunteer hours at another school, a soup kitchen, park or other organization where this could be arranged.
Behavior Monitoring- A variety of strategies to monitor behavior and academic progress might include cards checked after each class regarding behavior, self charting of behaviors, strategies to provide feedback to the student, etc.
Restitution- Financial or in-kind. Permits the student to restore or improve the school environment. This can be done either to address problems caused by the student’s behavior – vandalism, for example- or more generically to help or improve the school environment –such as picking up trash.
Problem Solving/Contracting- Use negotiation and problem solving approaches to assist student to identify alternatives. Then develop a contract with the student, which includes reinforcers for success, consequences for continuing problems.
Alternative Programming- Changes in the student schedule, classes or course content; assignment to an alternative school or program; independent study or work experience programs. Should be tailored to student needs.
Appropriate In-school Suspension- In school suspension which includes academic tutoring, instruction related to the student behavior problem such as social skills, and a clearly defined procedure to return to class as soon as the student is ready.
Coordinated Behavior Plans- Creation of a structured, coordinated behavior plan specific to the student and based on assessment of the quantity and purpose of the target behavior to be reduced; should focus on increasing desirable behavior, and replacing inappropriate behaviors.

Top 10 Foundations for School-Wide Behavior Supports

Gather Data on Behavior- Analyze & Act!- Develop a school data system which permits key bits of data about students to be gathered, analyzed and used to make changes for school and individual students.
Creating a Caring & Welcoming School Environment- Create a “tone” of belonging, caring and valuing of all individuals; Make everyone feel welcome, and that they belong.
Consistent School Values/ Character Education- Curriculum and organization features of schools that promote the development of fundamental values in children. Create and explicit list of desirable goals for student behavior, teach and apply them routinely…
Conflict De-escalation Training- Programs which teach staff and students to recognize and to disengage from escalating conflict.
Mediation Programs- Programs which teach students about non-violent conflict resolution, and which permit students the chance to use and experience these in school. Peer-mediation programs may be only one example.
Positive Office Referrals/ Recognition- Programs which identify and reward individual students for appropriate behavior; permits recognition, reinforcement and celebration of all kinds of “good” behavior.
Increased Parent Communication & Involvement- Programs which involve a variety of parents and community members in functions and activities within the school. Improves systems of communication with parents.
Efforts to Build Adult-Student Relationships- Programs which offer opportunities for students to develop individual relationships with staff.
Early Identification & Intervention- Programs which permit systematically screen students for potential behavior problems, and which provide positive supports for the students identified as at “risk.”
Bullying Prevention & Intervention- Programs which teach students about bullying behaviors, and how they can be responded to and reported in school. Specific interventions are created for both bullies and victims.

What Administrators Can Do:

Emphasize creating a positive climate – insure that “prerequisites” are in place!
Move away from Zero Tolerance policies
Gather and use data for making decisions for policies and individual students
Insure that behavior programs use evidence-based practices.
Expand disciplinary options which do not entail removal
Update and make “Codes of Conduct” more sophisticated and positive

How to Implement Consequences

From: Curwin, R. L. & Mendler, A. N. (1999). Discipline with dignity. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc. p. 95-109

1. Always implement a consequence – Be consistent – Remember, a consequence is NOT a punishment.

2. Simply state the rule and consequence – Calmly – The student is not out to get you. There is no need to cause guilt by scolding as this can cause retaliatory behavior. If the child wants to see you get angry, he/she will be disappointed.

3. Be as physically close to the student as possible when you implement a consequence: Use the power of proximity – Rule of thumb – conversational distance and one step closer.

4. Make direct eye contact when you deliver a consequence (Caution: some cultures teach their children that eyes down is a sign of respect and making direct eye-contact with a teacher is a sign of disrespect.) – Maintain this for about a minute. If the student refuses to make eye contact (and culture isn’t a factor), state the consequence and walk away. You might be able to talk with the student later.

5. Use a soft voice – This is much more effective than shouting or stating the consequence from 20 feet away. Maintain dignity. Others know the child is in trouble anyway. Word about the consequence travels!

6. Catch a student being good – Use the same techniques as above about speaking softly. Very effective. Use 2-3 times per hour.

7. Do not embarrass the student in front of his peers – you maintain dignity and avoid power struggles. The child knows he/she is guilty but doesn’t need to prove himself/herself to peers.

8. Be firm and anger free when giving your consequences (OK, so how do you become anger free) Breathe! Calm down and then give the consequence with a level (impartial) voice. (Think of a judge)

9. Do not accept excuses, bargaining, or whining – This gets my goat more than anything. Do not allow whiner to disrupt class. If no audience, whining stops in a few minutes. Parents, do you notice this with your own children?

Preventing School Violence: The Use of Office Discipline Referrals to Assess and Monitor School-Wide Discipline Interventions

Sugai, Sprague, & Horner, Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, 2000

Key Implications of Study:

A regular summary and analysis of discipline data may help identify where individual schools should invest their reform efforts. Rather than relying on impressions or time to guide decisions to maintain or modify discipline policy and procedures, schools could use patterns in discipline referral data at least to direct attention to universal, targeted group, or targeted individual programming

Schools should not assume that a single system will meet all the needs/challenges associated with school-wide discipline practices and policies. At minimum, disciplinary practices can be divided into four subsystems: (a) school-wide, (b) classroom management, (c) non-classroom setting (e.g., cafeteria, hall-ways, playground) supervision and management, and (d) individual student programming. A continuum of behavior support (universal to targeted) needs to be applied to these subsystems; however, data and data decision rules must be identified to guide how supports are assigned and associated within and across these subsystems.

School-wide discipline systems are the foundation from which all other efforts are based and directed. If school-wide discipline systems are not in place and functioning effectively and efficiently, the establishment of sustainable systems of support for students with significant behavioral challenges is difficult because they require significant human and material resources, time, and financial costs.

Discipline: Zero Tolerance & Early Response

(Skiba & Peterson, 2000)

Key Conclusions

Punishment, especially punishment alone, cannot teach new behavior. The literature of negative consequences has consistently demonstrated a host of serious side-effects in using punishment-based approaches, including escape and counter-aggression, habituation to progressively stiffer consequences, and reinforcement of the punishing agent.

Unless accompanied by positive consequences or alternative goals, student reaction to harsh consequences is likely to be unpredictable, as likely to lead to escape or counter-aggression as to any meaningful alternative behavior.

The crux of school discipline turns on how instruction and correction are to be provided.

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