Acknowledgement Systems

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Acknowledgement Systems

• Lorie Spanjers
• Alliance Trainer, AEA 8
• Carol Bauer
• PBS Trainers, AEA 8

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Outcomes for this Session

• Understand the rationale for developing a
  school-wide acknowledgement system
• Identify guidelines for developing an effective
  school-wide acknowledgement system
• Understand factors that cause staff members to
  balk at use of positive rewards/reinforcers
• Identify ways to encourage the use of positive
  rewards/reinforcers in classrooms schools

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Evidence-based features of SW-PBS

• Prevention
• Define and teach positive social expectations
• Acknowledge positive behavior
• Arrange consistent consequences for problem
  behavior
• On-going collection and use of data for
  decision-making
• Continuum of intensive, individual interventions
• Administrative leadership Team-based
  implementation (systems that support effective
  practices)

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Tertiary Prevention Specialized
Individualized Systems for Students with
High-Risk Behavior
CONTINUUM OF SCHOOL-WIDE INSTRUCTIONAL
POSITIVE BEHAVIOR SUPPORT
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Secondary Prevention Specialized Group Systems
for Students with At-Risk Behavior
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Primary Prevention School-/Classroom- Wide
Systems for All Students, Staff, Settings
80 of Students
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School-wide Acknowledgement Systems Rationale

• Focuses staff and student attention on desired
  behaviors
• Increases the likelihood that desired behaviors
  will be repeated
• Fosters a positive school climate
• Reduces the need for time consuming disciplinary
  measures, increasing student time on-task

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Social academic behaviors/skills are learned
and taught in the same manner.

• New behaviors are taught by explanation,
  modeling, practice, feedback
• New behaviors become durable with practice
  feedback
• Behaviors become useful when effective relevant
• Correct behaviors are taught strengthened to
  replace error behaviors

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School-wide Acknowledgement Systems Guidelines

• Keep it simple
• The system should be for all students
• Make sure that rewards reflect the interests of
  the students (ask them!)
• Students should be eligible to earn rewards
  throughout the day contingent upon appropriate
  behavior
• Increase reinforcement before difficult times
• Deliver reinforcement unpredictably (you never
  know when you will get a surprise!) but
  consistently
• Refrain from using the loss of rewards as a
  strategy for motivating desired behaviorsearned
  kept

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School-wide Acknowledgement Systems Guidelines

• Provide staff with opportunities to recognize
  students in common areas who are not in their
  classes
• Encourage staff to reinforce students and
  students to earn the rewards
• Share data with staff
• Teach principles of reinforcement

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Principles of Reinforcement Why Use Positive
Reinforcement?

• Effective and evidence-based
• Teaches new skills
• Punishment alone is ineffective
• Leads to long term/lasting change
• Motivates and engages youth, staff and families
• More positive environment

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Reinforcement Consequence events influence
likelihood of future behavior occurrences

• Behaviors that are followed by
• Pleasing/reinforcing events are more likely to
  occur in future
• Aversive/punishing events are less likely to
  occur in future
• Most people find common consequence outcomes,
  objects, events to be pleasing/reinforcing
• E.g., money, social contact, smiles, applause,
  recreation, escape or avoidance of tedious task,
  food, praise, academic/vocational success

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Reinforcement

• Most individuals find both external internal
  events to be pleasing/reinforcing
• E.g., positive self-statements, relief from
  discomfort, hunger satisfaction, tension release,
  etc.
• Some people require more (or less)
  externally-provided pleasing/reinforcing events
  to maintain their efforts

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Reinforcers are acquired, take many forms, are
individually effective

• Most social tangible objects events are
  initially neutral but become reinforcing/rewarding
  by being associated with other already
  reinforcing/rewarding objects events
• Reinforcers can be any object or event
• What is reinforcing/rewarding/pleasing is
  affected by learning history, culture, community,
  etc.

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Activity

• Individually, look over the handout for Activity
  One at the back of your packet.
• Identify personal reinforcers for the activities
  listed.
• Share with members of your group.

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Formal frequent use of positive
rewards/reinforcers for appropriate student
behavior contributes to development of
environments that are described as positive,
caring, safe, facilitating, etc.
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Incentives
You were seen Exhibiting Dexter PRIDE This
entitles you to a Leave 5 minutes early for
breakfast pass. ____________________________ Giv
en by ____________________________
You have exhibited exemplary Dexter PRIDE This
entitles you to a Free Car Wash. See Mr. Gomez
to set up an appointment _________________________
___ Given by ____________________________
Dexter High School Dexter, NM
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Incentives
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(No Transcript)
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(No Transcript)
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observer's initials
Student's Name__________
This student was noticed being (mark all that
apply)
Parent's Signature _______________
Date______
C
a
r
e
s
accountable
safe
considerate
respectful
enthusiastic
White Mt. Intermediate Ruidoso, NM
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Rewards and Prizes
Weekly drawings- Parent Council donates popcorn
to be given to a winning student from each class.
Teachers have option of having additional
weekly drawings.
Monthly drawing for a winner from each class to
attend pizza party with the principal.
Each 9 weeks a drawing for 2 winning students
(one per grade level) to take his or her family
to dinner at a local restaurant.
White Mt. Intermediate Ruidoso, NM
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P.A.W.S. Rewards Program

• 2 tickets
• candy treat
• first in line for lunch
• 10 tickets
• 15 min. computer time
• lunch with an adult
• video for the weekend
• earn back Wolverine letter
• 50 tickets (whole class)
• popcorn party
• extra 30 minute recess
• 30 minute video

was caught following the P.A.W.S. guidelines. P
Please listen A Always be prepared W
Work/act responsibly S Show respect Caught
by
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School Example

• Tickets given out by all staff to students found
  meeting school-wide expectations
• When a student is observed following the
  school-wide expectation, circle it on the buck
  and acknowledge the student for the appropriate
  behavior observed
• Write the students name on the buck
• Sign and date the buck in order to prevent theft
• Only BLUE BUCKS are given by substitute teachers
  and are worth two points
• Bucks should not be taken away from students once
  they are earned

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Prizes for Weekly Drawings
1st in line for lunch (gets to leave class 2
minutes early) Free pop Snack from vending
machine Open Campus for you and a friend for
lunch (with parent signatures) Free entry to a
home sporting event Preferred parking for a
week Cougar Traits t-shirt Cougar Traits
Lanyard Free homework assignment (not on a major
project or test) Free piece of pizza from Caseys
(donated ½) Free video rental (donated by local
store) Free gas from Caseys (we purchased in
2.00 coupons) Percentage off a haircut or product
at local salons (donated) 
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Sample Secondary Rewards

• Business Donations for Monthly Raffle
• 10 minutes early to lunch
• Duffle Bags with School Logo
• Hamburger Cook Out with Karaoke
• Every Year a One Day Workshop designated to
  improve student character Life Skills

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Webster City Middle School
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How Low Can You Go?Webster City High School
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Additional School Examples

• A, B, C dances each grading period
• School bucks to use in a school store on a
  regular basis (weekly)
• Caught Being Good certificates
• Weekly lottery drawings
• Positive parent telephone contacts
• Positive office referrals
• Coupons (homework, tardy, athletic event ticket)

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Cougar Traits in the Community
Student Name __________________________________
Displayed the Cougar Trait of
RespectResponsibilityCaringCitizenship(Circle
the trait you observed)Signature
_____________________________________________If
you would like to write on the back the details
of what you observed feel free! Thank you for
supporting our youth.
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To build staff moral we began recognizing the
positive things we were seeing among the adults
in our building.
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Staff Examples
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Team Action Planning Acknowledgement System
Use Activity Two Handout to review or generate
ideas for your teams Acknowledgement System
action plan. Consider

• What is your acknowledgement system?
• How frequently does it occur?
• Are you using verbal reinforcement?
• Is it consistent?
• Is it visible (do all staff, students, family
  know what it is and how it works)?
• Is it accessible to all?

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Why do educators rebel at use of positive
acknowledgements (misrules)?

• Use of extrinsic rewards will inhibit development
  of intrinsic motivation.
• Students dont need rewards acknowledgements to
  do whats right.
• A strong, aversive natural consequence will get
  the message across.
• Give them time, maturity will kick in.
• If they cant do it on their own, they shouldnt
  be in this course.

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Why do educators rebel (continued)

• Any students who need me to tell them whats
  right and wrong arent going to make it my class.
• I teach biology. I dont and shouldnt have to
  teach respect and responsibility.
• Its obvious to me, just look at her family.
• When I was his age, I had to do it all on my
  own.no breaks privileges in my class.

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Are Rewards Dangerous?

• our research team has conducted a series of
  reviews and analysis of (the reward) literature
  our conclusion is that there is no inherent
  negative property of reward. Our analyses
  indicate that the argument against the use of
  rewards is an overgeneralization based on a
  narrow set of circumstances. Judy Cameron, 2002
• programs that show increased intrinsic
  motivation are those programs that incorporate
  the elements of good, comprehensive behavioral
  intervention
• Akin-Little, Little, Eckert, Lovett, 2004
• The undermining effect of extrinsic reward on
  intrinsic motivation remains unproven Steven
  Reiss, 2005

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What the Worlds Greatest Managers Do
Differently -- Buckingham Coffman 2002,
Gallup Interviews with 1 million workers, 80,000
managers, in 40 companies.

• Create working environments where employees
• Know what is expected
• Have the materials and equipment to do the job
  correctly
• Receive recognition each week for good work
• Have a supervisor who cares, and pays attention
• Receive encouragement to contribute and improve
• Can identify a person at work who is a best
  friend
• Feel the mission of the organization makes them
  feel like their jobs are important
• See the people around them committed to doing a
  good job
• Feel like they are learning new things (getting
  better)
• Have the opportunity to do their job well

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Create learning environments where students

• Know what is expected
• Have the materials and equipment to do the job
  correctly
• Receive recognition each week for good work
• Have a teacher who cares, and pays attention
• Receive encouragement to contribute and improve
• Can identify a person at school who is a best
  friend
• Feel the mission of the school makes them feel
  like their jobs are important
• See the people around them committed to doing a
  good job
• Feel like they are learning new things (getting
  better)
• Have the opportunity to do their job well

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Team Activity

• Working as a team, take turns asking and
  answering the questions on the Activity Three
  handout (i.e., one team member reads a question
  and another answers it- then switch roles!)
• Keep a quick pace. After reading and answering a
  question, members can respond with a short
  statement if desired. Remember to keep responses
  brief and keep moving!
• When you have finished, take 5 minutes as a group
  and discuss your responses to the information
  presented.

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School-wide Acknowledgement Systems Challenges

• Remaining focused on the positive
• Providing meaningful rewards
• Maintaining consistency with all staff
• Tracking your reward system
• Keeping it interesting exciting
• Remembering that what reinforces one student will
  not necessarily work for others

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School-wide Acknowledgement Systems Solutions

• Keep ratios of reinforcement to correction high
  (51 minimum)
• Gather input from students
• Train staff on use of rewards and review often
• Develop data-based system for monitoring and
  documenting appropriate behaviors
• Use reward menus so students can gain preferred
  options