Emerging Issues in Positive Behavior Support: Bringing School-wide Support Into Alignment with Person-Centered Support

Lewis Jackson

National Center on Low-Incidence Disabilities

Before we begin

Agenda

What is Positive Behavior Support?
Person-centered Support versus School-wide Support
The Promise of School-wide Positive Behavior Support
Seven Steps for Improving SW-PBS

What is Positive Behavior Support?

An applied science

What is done?
- Educational methods
- Systems change
With what outcomes?
- Minimize problem behavior
- Positive change in quality of life
Who is impacted?
- All relevant stakeholders

Person-centered Support versus School-wide Support

Person-Centered

Circle in 3 sections. The sections are labeled Hypothesis based Intervention, Relationship Development and Person-centered planning vision

Circle in 3 sections. The sections are labeled Hypothesis based Intervention, Relationship Development and Person-centered planning vision. The center of the circle says Crisis Support

School-wide

Circle in 3 sections. One section is labeled defined, communicated high social and behavioral expectations

Circle in 3 sections. One section is labeled defined, communicated high social and behavioral expectations and another is labeled differentiated consequence for both acceptable and unacceptable behaviors

Circle in 3 sections. They are labeled defined, communicated high social and behavioral expectations; differentiated consequence for both acceptable and unacceptable behaviors; and centralized data systems

Rose Hill Elementary School

Respect Others Self Environment - Helping Individuals Lifelong Learners -- spells ROSE HILL

Expectations

Reinforcer Currency

Contact Sheet

Person-centered

Person-centered planning (vision development)
Relationship development
Hypothesis-based intervention
Crisis support

School-wide

Defined, communicated, high social and behavioral expectation
Differentiated consequence for both acceptable and unacceptable behaviors
Centralized data system
3-tiered responding

The Promise of School-wide Positive Behavior Support

Schools Today . . .

Student-as-problem

Trends in violence in the U.S.

Solution #1: More discipline

Trends in violence in the U.S.

Solution #1: More discipline
Solution #2: Behavior as Disease

What labels often do . . .

Enhance miscommunications
Obscure potential
Give one person power over another
Limit educational opportunity
Lead to a false sense of understanding
Stigmatization

famous visual connundrum showing a young girl and an old woman

Student-as-problem

Trends in violence in the U.S.

Solution #1: More discipline
Solution #2: Behavior as Disease
Solution #3: School-wide Positive Behavior Support

Demonstrated reductions in problem behaviors
Seems to be especially effective with students in the middle tier
Requires centralized records for accountability

School-as-problem

Trends in school discipline in the U.S.

Solution #1: Democratic schools

Trends in school discipline in the U.S.

Solution #1: Democratic schools
Solution #2: More and better training for targeted audiences

The Needs Assessment Survey

Developed to identify the priority concerns in severe disabilities, blindness/low vision, and deafness/hard-of-hearing.

The 35 Items were a mixture of reform-minded, skill-based, and service-oriented statements, that could be responded to on a likert scale.

Available online for about six months, until the end of 2003.

Study Participants (Total N = 1543)

Severe disabilities
N = 820

Blindness/low vision
N = 392

Deafness/hard-of-hearing
N = 331

Three of the Top Five Needs

Educating administrators about appropriate services. (#1)
How to work within the system to change it.
Working with people in schools so that greater acceptance and participation of persons with disabilities is encouraged.

School-as-problem

Trends in school discipline in the U.S.
Solution #1: Democratic schools
Solution #2: More and better training for targeted audiences
Solution #3: School-wide Positive Behavior Support

Shifts the focus from the negative to a more balanced view of behavior
Defines and teaches expectations
Differentiates the consequences
Promotes fairness in responding across the population

Special Education-as-problem

Perspectives on special education from those not in special education

Perspectives on special education from those not in special education

Solution #1: Eliminate special education's protections

Perspectives on special education from those not in special education

Solution #1: Eliminate special education's protections
Solution #2: Segregate special education populations

Why does this child behave appropriately?

Supported inclusive education
Positive behavioral support
Home/school communications

Photo of State Hospital for Insane, Lincoln, NB

Special Education-as-problem

Perspectives on special education from those not in special education

Solution #1: Eliminate special education's protections
Solution #2: Segregate special education populations
Solution #3: School-wide Positive Behavior Support

Levels playing field by defining expectations and consequences that are the same for all students
May reduce number of students requiring "protected" status
Provides a rationale for special treatment for those that do

SW-PBS: What are the downsides?

Does not fully emphasize the values and practices of Person-centered positive behavior support

Acceptability is high and effectiveness is high in certain ways; sustainability is open to question

Seven Steps for Improving SW-PBS

1. Focus on student learning

2. Work for equity

3. Give students a voice

4. Create sustained dialogue with students

5. Form an oversight committee

6. Expand measurement

7. Component analysis and comparative research

Review

What is Positive Behavior Support?
Person-centered Support versus School-wide Support
The Promise of School-wide Positive Behavior Support
Seven Steps for Improving SW-PBS

Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia/Dec 2004