Encouraging Positive Behaviors

Tiered Fidelity Inventory Item: 1.3 Behavioral Expectations

Tier 1 (Primary Prevention)

Tier 1 provides high quality instruction and behavioral supports for all students in general education. More than 80% of students will be successful in this tier. Classroom management and individual student behavior is based on expectations, responsibility, and proactive feedback.

If a student fails to learn at a level/ rate similar to his/her classmates, the teacher will:

• Change the type of instructional or behavioral strategy (intervention).
• Increase the intensity or level of the intervention (for example, adding small group instruction to whole group instruction).
• Increase the duration of the intervention (for example, increase small group instruction from 15 to 30 minutes).
• Increase the frequency of the intervention (for example, from twice per week to four times per week).

Conflict resolution education

Conflict resolution education attempts to instill problem-solving skills among the children in dispute. It involves allowing both parties to express their points of view, interests, and provide ways to find acceptable solutions. This can be instituted in classrooms, or as a program of peer mediation.

Resources for Conflict Resolution:

http://www.daysofdialogue.org/PeerMediation/

http://cncr.rutgers.edu/conflict-resolution-at-school-on-the-playground/

Acknowledgement System

Contingent attention or specific positive feedback is essential. With specific positive feedback you are recognizing attainment of specified performance criteria, effort, or successes at tasks that are difficult for the student. To ensure continued use, specific positive feedback is essential. General praise or commonly used phrases such as “good job,” though important for a pleasant classroom, are inadequate for building and sustaining desired behavior. Students need clear, specific feedback on their use of the schoolwide expectations and any other behaviors such as acts of kindness, compassion, helpfulness, and general positive citizenship that are extended reflections of your expectations. Effective specific positive feedback: 1) specifically describes the behavior, 2) provides reasons or rationales, and 3) can include a positive consequence.

Specifically Describe the Behavior

Students need to know explicitly what behavior they did that was correct and earned the acknowledgement of the teacher. Teachers readily do this when giving feedback about academic work. Teachers often use a rubric when reviewing academic work that helps specifically describe the desirable behavior displayed. Davis (2007) describes this as acting “like a video camera, helping students see their own positive behavior.” In effective praise we simply describe the behavior observed to make the feedback clear and specific. For example, “When I said it was time to begin your assignment, you cleared off your desk, got your materials out immediately, and began working quickly.” It is a videotape replay of exactly what the student did, couched in the words of your expectations. Do not add any references to past mistakes the student has made or wishes for future behavior. Simply describe exactly what you saw that you want the student to continue doing in the future. Additionally, be cautious in adding “I’m proud of you.” We want students doing the appropriate behavior because of the benefits to them rather than simply to please the teacher.

Provide a Rationale

Explain the reason why the behavior is important. Rationales or reasons teach the students the benefits of their behavior and the impact it has on them and others. This often includes stating the overarching schoolwide expectation (e.g., respect, caring, cooperation, etc.) and pointing out what the student might expect could happen if they use the appropriate behavior. “Getting started right away like that shows cooperation and will help you avoid having homework.”

Can include a tangible item or preferred activity. For many students, the specific positive feedback alone is sufficiently reinforcing to strengthen the behavior. However for some students, and when a behavior requires a great deal of effort, pairing the verbal feedback with tangible or activity reinforcement may be helpful. When using a tangible item or preferred activity it is imperative that you also use the complete verbal praise so that students are aware of exactly what they did that has resulted in earning the consequence. It is not the consequence that changes the behavior so much as the awareness of what is being reinforced; the consequence merely provides additional incentive. Note that adults do not “give,” instead students “earn.” Careful use of these terms helps students to take ownership for their behaviors and teaches the link between appropriate behavior and positive outcomes.

It is also important that specific positive feedback be given sincerely and appropriately for student’s age. This is especially important when working with older students. Staff need to find their own style to communicate sincere care and concern for the student. Use of a variety of phrases shows spontaneity and therefore credibility.

Finally there are some considerations for when and how to use specific positive feedback. Use specific positive feedback:

Contingently

Since students “earn” specific positive feedback and consequences, it is provided only when they have demonstrated the desired behavior.

Immediately

Specific positive feedback is best when it follows closely to the behavior so that students can connect what they did with the feedback they are receiving. The younger the student, the more important this is.

Frequently when trying to build a new behavior

When students are learning new skills, provide feedback on a continuous schedule. This means that every time the student displays the desired behavior, they receive specific positive feedback.

Examples of specific positive statements to students:

• “Maria, you stopped and took some time to think about your decision and then walked away from Sam. That wasn’t easy, but it can help to avoid an argument.”
• “Hey Tammy, thanks for throwing your trash away. That shows cooperation and respect for our school.”
• “Jack, thank you for getting your book out and getting started right away. We value our learning time here at school, and you will be more likely to get your work done here and avoid homework.”
• “Sue, you stayed calm when Jill got upset with you. You were responsible for your own actions and possibly avoided hurt feelings.”
• “I noticed you have been getting to class on time, Jose. That shows respect for your teachers and shows you are taking your classwork seriously.”
• “Jackson, you asked Fred to play the computer game with you. That shows caring, and when you include others they will be more likely to include you.”

Unpredictably or Intermittently to Maintain Behavior

Once the skill or behavior has been learned, you can shift to use of general praise and occasional use of specific positive feedback. This intermittent use of specific positive feedback helps to maintain the behavior. We must be careful not to omit all specific positive feedback as students may not sustain the skills that they have learned.

Davis (2007) writes: “When we focus our praise on positive actions, we support a sense of competence and autonomy that helps students develop real self-esteem.” Isn’t social competence and independence a goal of education?

Quarterly Acknowledgement: (PBIS Team Led)

At the end of the quarter, students with zero discipline referrals (for the entire quarter will be recognized with an additional acknowledgement (dance, extra recess, popcorn, etc. . .)

Tracking of Acknowledgment System

The acknowledgment system needs to be equitable to all students. To ensure this the systems must be tracked and used as a data point by the Tier I Team. Track the students who receive them, the staff handing them out, and what they are given for.

Resource: School-wide Acknowledgement Matrix Sample

Resource: School-wide Acknowledgement Template

Resource: Sentence Stems for delivering Acknowledgement

Classroom Systems

ClassDojo

What is ClassDojo

ClassDojo is a communication app for the classroom. It connects teachers, parents, and students who use it to share photos, videos, and messages through the school day. They use ClassDojo to work together as a team, share in the classroom experience, and bring big ideas to life in their classrooms and homes. Can be found at ClassDojo.com After signing up for an account and creating student logins. Be sure to communicate with parents that your class will be using ClassDojo. ClassDojo allows you to create specific behaviors a teacher wants to see within their class. These behaviors should be tied directly to the School-wide Learner Outcomes.

Classroom Acknowledgement: (Teacher Led)

This acknowledgement is based on students earning acknowledgement slips for demonstrating school-wide expectations. All staff will hand out to students who are “caught” following the expected behaviors. A student may not ask for an acknowledgement slips.

It is recommended every two weeks a different expectation will be focused on. The first of the two weeks of the school year will be teaching the expectations daily and recognizing frequently by handing out acknowledgement slips and giving verbal praise, stating exactly what the student is doing correctly.

Each teacher will decide a goal to reach and an incentive to work towards. Once that goal is reached, the class can have their incentive and a new goal will be set.

Incentive Ideas:

• Pajama Day
• Free Choice Time
• Extra gym time
• Lunch in the classroom
• Extra Recess Time
• Teach a Lesson Outside
• Popcorn and a Movie
• Game Time
• Dance to Music
• Hot Chocolate
• Computer Use
• Crazy Day
• Take a Walk
• Mentor/ Read to another Class
• Bring a Stuffed Animal for the Day

4:1 RATIO

An important point in building positive schoolwide and classroom environments is to ensure that appropriate behavior receives much more attention (at a higher ratio) than inappropriate behavior. In his literature review of teacher praise, Brophy (1981) showed the relative frequency of academic specific positive feedback was quite low, with an average of only 5 per hour and praise for good conduct occurring only once every 2-10 hours in early grades and tapering to non-existent after that. These findings of greater teacher attention given for appropriate academic behaviors rather than positive attention to appropriate social behavior, as well as findings of more attention for inappropriate rather than appropriate behavior were corroborated by a literature review and analysis by Beaman and Wheldall (2000).

Reavis, Jenson, Kukic & Morgan (1993) recommend a ratio of 4:1; four comments in response to desired student behavior to one response to student misbehavior. Interactions with students are considered positive if the student behavior was desired and the intention was to reinforce the behavior. Interactions are considered negative if the student behavior is undesired and the intention was to diminish problem behavior.

Benefits of Specific Positive Feedback

• Helps adults and students focus on positive social behaviors and actions.
• It is the most powerful behavior change tool teachers have in their repertoire.
• Increases the likelihood students will use the recognized behaviors and skills in the future.
• Decreases inappropriate behavior and therefore, reduces the need for correction. Enhances self-esteem and helps build internal locus of control (i.e., self-regulation)

Parent Recognition

Just as there is recognition of student and staff, parents and community members are often overlooked. This helps to reinforce the school wide expectations within the community of your school, and recognizes parents for their efforts in helping the school reach its goals.

Resource: Oak Manor Parent Recognition form