PBIS October 2013 Coaches Front Page Newsletter

Evaluation  SWIS 5.0 is here!  Schools have access to a newly designed data-base to effectively track student behavior for intervention at all tiers. Improved data entry and report generation for more efficient data-based decision making are just a couple of the enhancements made to this highly responsive system. Take a few minutes to view the helpful SWIS tutorial videos so that you can make the most informed decisions around what's happening in your schools. There are two upcoming SWIS 5.0 Update webinar trainings on October 4, 2013, and October 7, 2013. For more information and to register, please click here.

Team Implementation Checklist (TIC)

Schools starting PBIS should use the TIC as a progress monitoring tool to guide early implementation activities at least three times per year (October, January, and March). Schools typically use the TIC until the Benchmarks of Quality (BoQ) score is at 70% or higher. The BoQ is an annual assessment tool indicating fidelity of Tier 1 foundations. In addition, if a school falls below fidelity or has major changes in a building (i.e. administration changes, coaching changes), they should begin using the TIC again to help reestablish Tier 1 foundations.

Phases of Implementation (PoI)

The National PBIS Center has developed a new PBIS Implementation Inventory tool that will replace the Illinois Phases of Implementation (PoI) tool.  Based, in part, on the Illinois PoI process, the Implementation Inventory provides information across all three tiers of implementation for action planning. The tool measures family involvement, authentic engagement of families, and percentages of students being successful in academics and behaviors at all three tiers. With fewer items, a scoring rubric, and less required documentation, the Inventory will guide action planning while saving teams and coaches time. Anticipated completion of the tool is still November. Please watch your email, more details will be provided soon.

Monthly Challenge Team norms are a set of rules developed by a group's consensus, and are designed to establish a safe, ordered, and productive context for their work. Agreed upon norms help the team plan and hold effective, focused meetings. All teams (building-based and district leadership teams) should establish norms. If your team has yet to establish these agreed upon expectations or the make-up of your team has changed, strive to create your team norms by the end of first quarter. Record this action step on your Multi-Tiered Action Plan (MAP) if it still needs to be completed. For resources on creating team norms, click here.

Coaching Focus 

Staff Acknowledgment is an important component to your implementation process. Keep your staff engaged by regularly sharing data and recognizing their participation in universal practices. The end of the first quarter is a great time to acknowledge staff efforts. Create an action step regarding staff acknowledgement and include it on your MAP.

District-based Coaches Network Meetings are underway! The September Meeting covered how to use your BoQ results to create action steps for your MAP. Have you created an action step based on your BoQ data yet? Use thePowerPoint from the September Meeting to guide your work.

For more information on District-based and Building-based coaching, Network Meetings, Front Page Newsletters, and all things coaching related, please visit the Coaches webpage on the Illinois PBIS Network website. 

Tier 2/Tier 3 Coaching 

The topic of "at-risk" was covered at the September District-based Coaches Network Meetings. Now is the time to consider the sensitivity of your data decision rules for identifying students needing Tier 2 supports. Teams should be identifying the majority of students in need of higher-level interventions prior to Halloween to ensure students receive support early. Simple Tier 2 interventions such as Check-in Check-out (CICO) and Social-Academic Instructional Groups (SAIG) should be supporting at least 5 to 10% of your student population. If your Tier 2/Tier 3 Tracking Tool is not showing 5%-10%, the team should consider revisiting data decision rules for Tier 2 interventions to ensure early identification and intervention.

Classroom Management 

Class-wide expectations should be posted, explicitly and systematically taught to students, frequently reviewed, and monitored by the teacher using active supervision to be effective. Click here for a resource on the practice of Active Supervision to get you started.

School Family Community Partnerships (SFCP)  

Hosting a Family/Community Partner Network Meeting is a great way to increase family and community membership on school and district teams. These meetings are currently being scheduled by districts for the coming year and dates/locations will be posted online when finalized. To find a full schedule of these events, click here. Is your district interested in hosting one of these events? If so, contact SFCP@pbisillinois.org for more details on how to host one in your district!

Be sure to check out the new Partnerships webpage on the Illinois PBIS Network website for more on Family/Community Partner Network Meetings and other ways to engage families. Please help expand our knowledge by sending examples of successful partnerships, family resources, and tools toSFCP@pbisillinois.org.

High School Corner  

High School Coaches Networking Meetings - Monthly Virtual Chats

Beginning October 15, 2013, the Illinois PBIS Network will be hosting 90-minute monthly networking opportunities for high school teams via webinars. Each Monthly Virtual Chat will focus on a different topic and will allow time for more specific networking of smaller groups. Please visit the High School Coaches Network Meetingswebpage for more information and to register.

Administrator Tip of the Month 

Family voice and participation are critical factors in creating a successful Tier 1 behavior support system that is responsive to a community's needs. Ask your administrator to invite family members to participate on the building-based teams at your schools to ensure the Tier 1 systems, expectations, and acknowledgements are relevant and meaningful to the families and community at large.

Upcoming Events 

National Leadership Forum

Register now for the two-day 2013 National PBIS Leadership Forum that will be held on October 10-11, 2013, at a new venue - the second level of theDonald E. Stephens Convention Center inRosemont, Illinois. This forum is organized for state, district, or regional leadership teams adopting and implementing schoolwide PBIS. 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. Clickhere for more information.

Mark your calendar for the annual Illinois PBIS Network Winter Leadership Conference to be held at the Regency Conference Center in O'Fallon, IL onJanuary 23-24, 2014. Exemplars from across the state will share a range of experiences across all tiers of PBIS implementation, including Early Childhood, District Leadership, Coaching, High School, Tier 1, Tier 2, Tier 3, and School/Family/Community Partnerships. Administrators' Academies will also be available. This conference is an excellent opportunity to learn information from implementers in the field. Watch for the opportunity to register atwww.pbisillinois.org.