5/14/12 North Advance Tiers Cohort Conf Call Minutes

Post date: May 17, 2012 2:18:7 PM

Advanced Tiers Training

May 14, 2012

 

Dan, Hinsdale South

Lisa, Fenton High School

Yari, Hancock High School

Molly/Laurie, Waukegan High School

 

Sarah, PBIS

Lynda, PBIS

Ami, PBIS

Jill, PBIS

 

·         Fenton - Overall Day of Training on May 10th was beneficial for Fenton High School as new teachers, who had not  gone to the initial trainings were brought up to date and got to problem solve with Ardeen and Ali.

 

·         Hancock – Over the summer wish to create manual introducing staff to PBIS initiatives, manual for the parents, and develop lesson plans for the upcoming year, modify check-in check-out, which has not been successful for all students…wish to call them Eagles Excel…have visited other schools and have incorporated what they have developed into our systems. 

ü  Check-in Check-out has been individualized and not set-up for group, mix of mentorship as well as ci/co, outreach to parents, and numerous “check-ins” throughout the day.

ü  Individuals in ci/co have been those students who have been failing classes – need to focus on those students who are at risk, rather beyond risk.  Would like to have someone at meetings from the Network that could be at these meetings?  Please get the dates for these meetings and provide them to Ami.  Huntley has a manual for staff/parents and it is on their website that Waukegan is using.  Fenton does not have a manual; however, we have a “cliff notes” on how teachers can acknowledge students.

·         Waukegan – Currently working on manuals for staff/parents, as well as trainings for staff et al., revamping current lesson plans, creating a staff matrix, working on a “walk-through” tool to see if our systems are in place.  Looking to integrate several sources, including Randy Sprick and incorporating safety.

 

·         Fenton – Attempted to roll-out a staff matrix last year, but caused concerns with the staff, regarding being told how they “should” behave in relation to their position.  Fenton warned about how the staff reacted to the staff matrix that was created by students.  Waukegan is working on the staff matrix, perhaps with the input of staff and/or students.  Perhaps create a matrix with input from the entire staff…perhaps staff focus group. 

 

·         Hinsdale South – Their matrix has attempted to incorporate both staff and students.  Is having a staff matrix necessary or productive, would this be the responsibility of the PBIS team or more administrative?  Should the focus be on how staff needs to incorporate PBIS into their classroom or expectations that staff should follow?  Some staff matrices focus on specific locations where teachers meet, staff meeting rooms, lunchrooms, etc. and this has been productive.  What about the staff matrix delineates it from the universal matrix?  Getting compliance through a matrix is a new concept.  We are focusing on ways we can encourage staff to use PBIS initiatives, such as using acknowledgements, reinforcing behaviors, etc.  This could be incorporated into a matrix, but not necessarily. 

 

·         Waukegan – The staff matrix is not the most important piece, but rather maintaining a venue that allows conversation about school culture for both students and teachers.  Conversations about the matrix help to focus the school culture.  Having this conversation may lead into the development of a matrix. 

 

·         Hinsdale South – Rolling out Check-in/Check-out this summer.  Development of training modules for teachers and new teachers, systems of data capture, while currently developing SAIG curriculum, which may incorporate skill streaming rather than behavior lesson plans.  Support from PBIS may include reinforcement from our TAC.  What does the future for the Advanced Tiers cohort look like for next year?  Ami suggested that SAIG, including pro-social and academic behaviors skills may be best taught in the classroom as part of the universal program.   This is difficult to bring into the Universal systems.  Teaching after kick-off does not incorporate these behaviors currently, but rather four boosters per year.  These overall behavioral skills may need to be taught to all students, rather than in small group settings.  SAIGs are based on re-teaching what students have already learned.  How are schools currently teaching those skills that need to be universally presented?   Fenton has currently focused on academic skills in SAIG, however, the basic skill is already on the matrix. 

 

·         Fenton – Need to schedule next year is what needs to be taught while reviewing the data.  The tricky part is: How are we going to incorporate this?  We may be able to incorporate it into the SEL lessons that will be scheduled for each month.  But, difficult to insert into the classroom.  For example, this is a skill that is going to be related to respect and…  Sarah – have schools look at the data and develop the lesson around what is currently occurring at the school.  There was also some teaching around perception data.  Scheduling is a concern at the high school level.  Is this part of our school improvement goals at the district, state, or school?  This is a conversation that we can help support please let us know.

 

·         Fenton – currently working on Day 1 kick-off and expectations, which we need to have done during June, we are corresponding with the middle schools to review ci/co requirement.  We would like to be able to run things by them. 

 

Plans for August for each school:

 

·         Fenton – pilot with incoming freshmen ci/co Positive Connections, a list of mentor available trained to the process.  We have developed a ci/co room with five facilitators.  Six weeks into it, after reviewing data, if students are not meeting the criteria for success we will add on an additional layer of intervention, which will be suggested by the student’s facilitator for ci/co.

 

·         Hancock – Going to redo ci/co initiative as well as making sure that a lot of our parents understand the process as well as the students.  Hopefully workshops and parent manual will assist in addressing these concerns.  Our triangle is upside down to some extent.  Focus on how we can make interventions successful for students and families – freshmen will be in the building during summer, so we will start with them.

 

·         Hinsdale South – Start enrolling students in mid-November for ci/co

 

·         Waukegan – Working on updating and changing our ci/co criteria, complete a lot of professional development with staff.

 

·         Ami – Is there anything on your list that you would like to connect with each other?

ü  Can we share sign-in to Google docs on the website?  Jill reported that she will look into how to make Google docs available.

ü  Scheduling is now under advisement – PBIS is planning to have trainings on FBA/BIP training for two days and a two day training for RENEW.  FBA/BIP training would be at the beginning of the schools year, in early fall.  RENEW training would be in the early part of the second semester ideally.  Copies of FBA-BIP may wish to be submitted for review, focusing on how to improve documentation.

ü  Please send Ami dates that would not work for your school for the upcoming school year (2012-2013) and she will attempt to develop a schedule that addresses your needs.

ü  How will the availability of our TACs be affected?  Even with the changes, TACs will continue to be available.  High Schools are a high priority.

ü  If you need support over the summer, please let Ami know.