Students meet in a small group or individual format. The facilitator empathetically listens, helps the students set personal goals, and engages them in skill development via explicit instruction in life skills.
All grade levels.
Students who need to develop life skills to address an acquisition/fluency deficit (AKA a "can't do" problem). Schools often maintain multiple groups that each target a common area of need (e.g., an anger management group, a friendship skills group, an anxiety management group, etc.) so students can be matched with the instruction they need.
The same instructional elements that we use in universal life skills instruction are present here (i.e., establishing rationale for a skill, modeling, practice, feedback), but there are increased opportunities for student input, practice, and feedback. In addition, students are often provided with more opportunities to express themselves, receive empathetic listening, and receive encouragement and guidance on personal goal setting.
NOTE: In middle and high schools, it's fairly common to combine this intervention with organizational skills coaching. For example, students might register for a term of a structured study class (e.g., "Personal Enrichment" or "Academic Success") where the first part of each class period is life skills instruction and the second part is coaching students through organizational routines.
Progress monitoring is using a consistent measurement tool repeatedly over time to track changes in a student’s performance.
There are five logistical options for collecting behavior progress monitoring data. It's important to use a tool that matches your intervention.
Use a 0-10 scale (a "DBR") for: Self-Control, Following Instructions, Respectful Peer Interactions, or Academic Engagement. You can even automatically email the DBR to teachers!
Graph your rating scale data in eduCLIMBER. You can view it alongside discipline incidents, attendance, and grades.
Regularly review your data and make data-based decisions. If needed, adjust your intervention to improve student progress.
Learn about all of the curriculum options available to you (many of which are free) and how to plan a scope and sequence.
Observation Form - Be Good People (Updated 2/20/23).pdfThe primary curriculum being used (e.g., Harmony, School-Connect) may include its own fidelity check tool, but if that's not the case, this tool from Be Good People includes instructional features that are generally applicable. It will likely fit most curriculums and provide valuable fidelity data.
