Positively Supporting Student Behavior

1. Positively Supporting Student
Behavior

2. Adapted from the work of Geoff Colvin,
Ph.D.

3. Positive Behavior Support is a systems
approach for establishing the social
culture and individualized behavioral
supports needed for schools to achieve
both social and academic success for all
students.

4. We need to look at the capacity and
competence of the setting (context)
as well as the skills of the student.

5. • Traditional behavior
management views the
individual as the problem and
seeks to “fix” him or her by
quickly eliminating the
challenging behavior.
• Positive Behavior Support
focuses on improving
systems, settings, and skills to
create an environment that
encourages positive behavior.

6. • Behavior support is the redesign of environments,
not the redesign of individuals
• Positive Behavior Support plans define changes in the
behavior of those who will implement the plan.
• Sometimes we may need support with this!
(meet counselor)
Let’s think about it this way…

7. Targeted/
Intensive
(High-risk students)
Individual Interventions
(3-5%)
Selected
(At-risk Students)
Classroom & Small
Group Strategies
(10-20% of students)
Universal
(All Students)
School-wide,
Culturally Relevant
Systems of Support
(75-85% of students)
• Intensive social skills training
• Individual behavior management plans
• Parent training and collaboration
• Multi-agency collaboration (wrap-around) services
• Alternatives to suspension and expulsion
• Community and service learning
• Intensive social skills training
• Self-management programs
• Parent training and collaboration
• School based adult mentors
• Increased academic support and practice
• Alternatives to out-of-school suspension
• Community and service learning
• Effective academic support
• Social skills training
• Positive, proactive discipline
• Teaching school behavior expectations
• Active supervision and monitoring
• Positive reinforcement systems
• Firm, fair, and corrective discipline
• Effective classroom management
• Community and service learning
Adapted from:
Sprague & Walker, 2004

8. Administrative Leadership and Support
School leaders actively support the adoption, implementation and maintenance of School-Wide Positive Behavior
Support.
Team-based Implementation
The School-Wide Positive Behavior Support team is composed of members from all stakeholder groups
(administrator, general educator, special educator, classified staff, support staff, parents, and students).
Behavioral Expectations Defined
A small number (3–6) of positively stated expectations are in place for all students and staff. Behavior expectations
need to be concrete, positive behaviors so that every student, staff, and family can remember and follow them.
Behavior Expectations Taught
Behavioral expectations are taught to all students through explanation, modeling, practicing, and processing on a
regular and ongoing basis.
Acknowledge and Reinforce Appropriate Behavior
Appropriate behaviors are modeled by all students, staff, and families and are acknowledged and reinforced on a
regular and ongoing basis.
Monitor and Correct Behavioral Errors
Consequences are consistent and are developed for a continuum of behavioral errors.
Data-based Decision Making
Data is analyzed and used to guide decisions.
Family and Community Collaboration
Partnerships are built between the school, home, and community.
Eight Key Features of
School-Wide Positive Behavior Support

9. 8 Key Features to create
Positive Behavior Support at Home
1. Parental leadership
2. Create a “team” of support
3. Behavioral expectations defined
4. Behavioral expectations taught
5. Acknowledge and reinforce appropriate behavior
6. Monitor and correct behavioral errors
7. Base decisions on data not emotion
8. School and community collaboration

10. Creating a positive culture……
What does it take?

11. Let’s agree…..
• Everyone is treated with dignity and respect.
• Expectations for behavioral and academic success must be
clear and taught to all.
• Provide all children (& adults) with positive interactions and
positive feedback.
• Understand that misbehavior should be treated as a teaching
opportunity.
• Work collaboratively.

12. Positive
Interactions
Negative or
Corrective
Interactions
4:1

13. Touch them- High five or gentle touch on
forearm when talking to them. Message: We
touch people we like. (Shaking hands is a social
skill adults use)
Use their name
Make eye contact
Smile
Laura A. Riffel, Ph.D.
A study found if teachers greeted their students
at the door, it increased on-task behavior from
45 to72% (Allday & Pakurar, 2007).
TUMS

14. Some questions to consider…
• What is the behavior?
– What does it look like?
• When/where/how often is it happening?
• How long has it been happening?
• What is going on when the behavior is NOT
happening?
• Do a high percentage, small group or just a few
students engage in the behavior?
• What has already been tried?

15. Have we taught the
student what we expect
him/her to do?

16. Is it a
Can’t Do
OR
Won’t Do?

17. • When a student struggles with…..
– Fractions
– Writing an essay
– Shooting a basket
• How do we react?
– Supportive…develop and implement instructional
strategies
We TEACH them.

18. • When a student misbehaves…
– Often times we assume it is a choice or a won’t do
• Maybe they don’t have the social skills,
support or circumstances necessary to meet
the behavior expectation.
How do we expect them to “learn” ….. punish or teach?

19. • What if we mirrored the instructional
strategies we use with academic challenges to
behavior?
• Might students learn more appropriate, pro-
social behavior?

20. So, ask yourself… is this a
can’t do
or a
won’t do?

21. Is the student aware
that s/he is engaging
in the behavior?
Has the function of the
behavior been
determined?
Does the student have
the ability to perform
the appropriate behavior?
1. Develop a signal or cue to make the student aware of the
behavior.
2. Develop a way to monitor or have the student self monitor
the behavior.
3. Provide feedback (both positive and corrective).
1. Ask yourself, “It this behavior physiologically possible?”
- If yes, develop lessons to teach the desired behavior.
- If no, make accommodations.
2. Provide feedback (both positive and corrective).
1. Analyze the behavior to determine the function of the
behavior.
2. Develop a plan to teach/reinforce replacement behavior
3. Involve all stakeholders
4. Implement the plan
Adapted from Discipline in the Secondary Classroom, R. Sprick, 2006
Problem Behavior
No
No
Yes
No
Yes

22. Fundamentals of Behavior
Why do we do what we do?
To Get To Escape/Avoid
something desirable something undesirable
Attention
Tangibles/
Preferred
Activity
Sensory
Attention
Tangibles/
Non-preferred
Activity
Sensory

23. • Key Properties of Behavioral
Chains
– Series of behaviors
• Build on each other
– Maintained by the presence of
reinforcement
– Interaction pathways
Behavioral Chains

24. Some Simple Strategies…
1. Avoid using a question format
2. Reduce Distance
3. Reduce Loudness of Request
4. Give a START request rather than a STOP request
5. Make Non-emotional requests instead of
Emotional requests
6. Consistently Reinforce Compliance
?

25. Let’s think about choices…..

26. Let’s think about personal space…..

27. Verbal and Nonverbal Messages
• There are 3 basic elements in any face-to-face
communication
– Verbal Content (words)
– Verbal Tone (the pitch or tone of voice)
– Nonverbal (body language)
• This is known as the 7%-38%-55% Rule
Mehrabian, A. (1971). Silent messages. Wadsworth, Belmont, California. Mehrabian, A. (1981). Silent messages: Implicit communication of emotions and attitudes (2nd ed.). Wadsworth, Belmont, California.

28. Nature Pictures
• Research indicates that 7 minutes of looking at
nature pictures before a test decreases
anxiety.
• Research indicates that looking at nature
pictures when upset can lower blood
pressure.
• In your calm down area in the room, you
should have at least one nature picture.
Laura A. Riffel, Ph.D.

29. Laura A. Riffel, Ph.D.

30. http://behaviordoctor.org/material-download/
Laura A. Riffel, Ph.D.

32. How wonderful it is that no
one need wait a single
moment before starting to
improve the world.
Anne Frank