February 2013 PBIS Front Page Newsletter

Upcoming Statewide Events              High School Forum 

Meet with other implementing high school teams, network around best practices, and share strategies at all three tiers.  Team activities will include:  problem solving around roadblocks, what works, what doesn't, and other issues specific to high school implementation. 

Join us at one of two upcoming scheduled forums:

February 21, 2013, Normal or March 15, 2013, Naperville 

Middle School Forum

Save the date! A Middle School Forum will be held April 9, 2013, in the Naperville area. Participants will have valuable opportunities to network with other middle schools in an effort to learn best practices of implementing schoolwide positive behavior support with this unique population. Watch the Illinois PBIS website for registration details.

Bullying Prevention

The Association for Positive Behavior Support (APBS) is sponsoring a webinar on Bullying Prevention-PBIS, featuring Rob Horner, Co-Director, National PBIS Center, on February 20, 2013, from 3:30 to 5:00pm.  Many of you are in the process of scaling up your district's implementation of bullying prevention, and this webinar may be a good refresher, and/or resource for your school leaders and coaches.  For details and to register online by February 14, 2013, click here.

Tier 2/Tier 3 Readiness Webinar

If your district or building is considering extending implementation beyond simple secondary interventions, please join the Illinois PBIS Network in the upcoming webinar to learn more about Tier 2/Tier 3 readiness.  This free webinar is being held on February 28, 2013, from 8:00 to 9:30am.  Please click here to register.

Data Action Planning 

SWIS Reminder

If your SWIS schools are not in session due to snow, suggest they adjust enrollment days in the month affected so that accurate data analysis is possible. Also prompt schools to include ethnicity breakdowns in their SWIS accounts.

Using BoQ and BAT Data

Encourage teams completing the Benchmarks of Quality (BoQ) and the Benchmarks of Advanced Tiers (BAT) to use the data outcomes for action planning. Prioritize next steps and move to the Multi-tiered Action Plan (MAP) for reference and goal setting during team meetings. Pose questions to your teams to encourage deeper analysis and understanding of the data results.

Evaluation Tools The Self-Assessment Survey (SAS) is an annual assessment used by schools to identify the staff perception of the status and priority for improvement of effective behavior support systems including: Schoolwide, Classroom, Non-Classroom, and Individual Student Systems.  Results of the SAS are effective in identifying the staff priorities for your teams' 2013-2014 Action Plan.

The SAS is accessed at www.pbisassessment.org using your school's six digit code.  Prior to taking the survey, clarify questions and vocabulary used on the SAS so all staff in the building understand the survey and its purpose.

Tier 2/Tier 3 Coaching Tips

Universal Screening for Behavior

Universal screening for behavior allows schools to quickly identify youth who may need additional support. Schools can prepare for universal screening by acquiring district support, selecting an appropriate tool, and planning to ensure access to interventions for students identified as in need. An established Tier 2 intervention that can be quickly delivered to identified youth (i.e. Check-in Check-out) is an important readiness criteria. Resources to assist schools as they prepare to install universal screening are available at www.pbisillinois.org/curriculum/universalscreening. Universal screening should be implemented in October every year, so now is the time to begin planning for this important feature of a multi-tiered system of support. 

Monthly Challenge For February's Monthly Challenge, coordinate completing the Self-Assessment Survey (SAS) together as an entire staff, including certified and non-certified personnel.  Book computer lab time, talk to administrators about when the survey can be completed (possibly during a staff meeting), and take the survey ahead of time to be sure the technology is working properly.  Once the SAS has been completed, the universal team should identify three areas of strength to celebrate and action plan for three areas of improvement.  Share these six items with the staff and record on your annual Multi-tiered Action Plan (MAP).

Classroom Management 

Did you know... that increasing the number of behavior-specific praise statements has been associated with an increase in on-task behavior (Sutherland, Wehby, & Copeland, 2000)?  Click here for a 'how to' guide on increasing the rate of positive responses in your school setting. 

Curriculum/Innovation Updates 

Bullying Prevention Webpage Updates

Click here to visit the new Bullying Prevention page on the Illinois PBIS Network website!  The webpage includes resources, presentations, artifacts, research, and information regarding this important topic. 

School Family Community Partnerships (SFCP)  

Hosting a Family/Community Representative Network Meeting is a great way for districts to increase family and community membership on school and district teams. The Illinois PBIS Network is seeking districts to host a Network meeting this school-year. Four districts have already hosted and several others are planning now. The next meeting is March 13, 2013, in Bloomingdale - click here for more details. External Coaches should contact Technical Assistance Coordinators to find out how to host!

Be sure to check out the new Partnerships Tab on the Illinois PBIS Network website for more on Family/Community Representative Network Meetings and other ways to engage families.  We need your help as we expand this page!  Please send examples to your Technical Assistance Coordinator of successful partnerships, resources your district has created for families, and tools for schools.

High School Corner  

Student voice is a critical component for implementation at a high school level.  Consider surveying your students to receive feedback on your school culture as well as ideas they have for improving support provided.  Click here to find an example of surveying students on the Illinois PBIS Network website. 

Administrator Tip of the Month 

Ask your administrator to schedule time now at an upcoming school boardmeeting for an opportunity to share PBIS achievements and future plans.

In the News  

Following the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School, there has been renewed public debate over the appropriate measures and practices to ensure school safety.  The Illinois PBIS Network would like to share the following two resources with school officials.  We encourage you to also share these response papers with your school leaders, teams, and community. We hope this information assists you in advancement of a positive school culture, including an interconnectedness among all individuals. We look forward to our continued partnership toward our shared mission to improve the school climate, safety, and outcomes for all students in Illinois.

• • Cornell, D. G., et al. (2012). A Call for More Effective Prevention of Violence. Retrieved from:  http://curry.virginia.edu/articles/sandyhookshooting  (Dec. 19 2012). 

  • Advancement Project, Alliance for Educational Justice, Dignity in Schools Campaign, & NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (2013, January). Police in schools are not the answer to the Newtown shooting. Retrieved from: http://www.advancementproject.org/resources/entry/police-in-schools-are-not-the-answer-to-the-newtown-shooting.