PBIS June 2013 Front Page Newsletter

Upcoming Statewide Events 

External Coaches Forum

In just a few days on June 4-5, 2013, External Coaches (ECs) will once again come together at Northern Illinois University in Naperville, Illinois. Day 1 of the forum will focus on coaching for capacity building including sessions on coaching classroom management, coaching in differentiated settings, and more.  Day 2 will provide hands-on experience using Educational Environment (EE) data and a model for Tier 3 technical assistance and coaching. Click here to register.

Summer Leadership Conference

Register Now!  The 2013 Summer Leadership Conference will be held July 31- August 1, 2013, at a new location, the Tinley Park Convention Center in Tinley Park, Illinois.  PBIS leaders and implementers will share information on a wide range of topics including classroom management, bullying prevention, braiding integrated initiatives, and many more.  Keynote presenters will include Dorothy Espelage of the University of Illinois on bullying prevention and a student-led RENEW Tier 3 Intervention Panel.

National Leadership Forum

The two-day 2013 National PBIS Leadership Forum will be held on October 10-11, 2013, at a new venue - the 2nd level of the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Illinois. This forum is organized for state, district, or regional leadership teams adopting and implementing school-wide PBIS.  Participants may include leadership team members, implementing coaches and coordinators, district and school-based behavior specialists (e.g., school counselors, school psychologists, special educators, and coaches), school-wide PBIS trainers, program evaluators, school and district administrators, or district and state policy makers and leaders. Participants should register as a team. This forum is not recommended for school/building-level implementers unless they are part of a district leadership team.

Sessions have been developed for all levels of implementation and have been organized into 10 specialized strands. Click here for more information.

Universal Screening 

Universal screening is a critical feature of the RtI framework and provides a proactive approach to identifying students who may be at risk.  The Illinois PBIS Network universal screening model will be covered at the September Coaches Networking Meetings.  There will also be webinar opportunities available in the fall. To learn more now and keep current with new information, please visit theUniversal Screening page on the Illinois PBIS Network website.

Evaluation Tools  Schools wishing to be recognized for their PBIS efforts have submitted appropriate Recognition Applications. These applications will be reviewed during the summer months and schools that have earned recognition will be announced at our 2013 Summer Leadership Conference on July 31, 2013. Congratulations on your hard work to create multi-tiered systems of support!

Tier 2/Tier 3 Coaching

District leadership teams can benefit from using the District and Building Readiness Checklists in preparation for Tier 2 and Tier 3 implementation next school year.  These checklists and corresponding recorded webinar guide action planning to ensure commitments are in place to sustain Tier 2/Tier 3 implementation.  Immediately following training, schools will be offered on-going distal and in-person technical assistance on FBA/BIP, Wraparound, and RENEW. Please check the training calendar in August for Tier 2/Tier 3 training opportunities in your area. 

Monthly Challenge Register yourself and teams for the 2013 Summer Leadership Conference! 

Classroom Management 

Effective classroom management practices to put into place for the beginning of each school year include designing the layout of the classroom, developing predictable routines, posting/ teaching/reviewing/providing feedback on expectations and active supervision. Please check the training calendar in August for classroom management training opportunities in your area. 

School Family Community Partnerships (SFCP)  

FREE Summer Leadership Conference registration for two (2) Family & Community Partners! Two family and community team partners per district will have their registration fees waived and participate for free! Districts can then send an additional two (2) family and community members who can register at a 50% reduced rate.  Now is a great time to reach out to family and community representatives in preparation for the 2013-14 school year.  Check out information on the 2013 Summer Leadership Conference to find the SFCP strand designed for these important team members.

High School Corner  

As the school year wraps up, a review of the research is also being completed, which demonstrates that school climate matters in the success of high school students (Thapa, Cohen, Guffy, & Higgins-D'Alessandro, 2013).  As you plan for the 2013-14 school year, we hope you will listen to a recent webinar by Sandy Washburn, the Indiana Statewide PBIS Director.  In the webinar, Sandy presents on building the momentum of schoolwide PBIS by creating a multi-level component plan of support.

Administrator Tip of the Month 

Calendars are being set for next year.  Encourage administrators to schedule regular PBIS meetings now and include information in staff meetings as a standing agenda item.