Strategies for Reluctant Learners

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Strategies forReluctant Learners

• Heather Peshak George, Ph.D.
• Carie English, Ph.D.
• University of South Florida

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Topics

• Current research
• Readiness Tools
• Better preparing schools and districts
• Successful activities with reluctant to change or
  low performers
• Schools
• Faculty

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Recent Research on Implementation

• Reasons for Attrition
• Childs, K., Kimhan, C.K., Kincaid, D. (2007).
  Examining Reasons for Attrition from Implementing
  an Evidence Based Program in Floridas Schools,
  Fourth International Conference on Positive
  Behavior Support, Boston, MA.
• Barriers/Enablers
• Kincaid, D., Childs, K., Wallace, F, Blase, K.
  (2007). Identifying Barriers and Facilitators in
  Implementing School-wide Positive Behavior
  Support, Journal of Positive Behavior
  Interventions 9(3), 174-184.
• School-Wide Implementation Factors (SWIF)
• Cohen, Rachel (2006). Implementing School-wide
  Positive Behavior Support Influence of
  Socio-Cultural, Academic, Behavioral and
  Implementation of Process Variables. Unpublished
  doctoral dissertation, University of South
  Florida, Tampa, Florida.

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Attrition Results(Childs, Kimhan Kincaid, 2007)

• High rates of Turnover in schools
• Lack of Time
• Administrator
• Team
• Staff
• Lack of Commitment
• Administrator
• Team
• Staff

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Barriers(Kincaid, Childs, Wallace Blase, 2007)
High Implementing Schools
Low Implementing Schools
Philosophical shifts
Buy-in
Lack of implementation fidelity - demonstration
of outcomes
Turnover
Developing effective reward systems
Administrative support
Consistency of Implementation
Collaborating with district other schools
Teacher Resistance
Knowledge of next steps
Time
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Enablers(Kincaid, Childs, Wallace Blase, 2007)

• Support from State Project
• Training staff students in PBS
• Support from district, principal, coaches
• Buy-in (staff, students)
• A representative/cohesive/committed team
• Regular team meetings
• Funding
• Student input

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SWIF Which of these factors predict SWPBS
implementation? (Cohen, 2006)
Socio-cultural Factors SES
School size Ethnicity
Teacher student ratio Student stability
Teacher education w/ disability
Out-of-field teachers
Process Variables Administrative support Coachs
self-efficacy Effective team functioning
Behavioral Indicators students who received
an in-school suspension (ISS)
out-of-school suspension (OSS) office
discipline referral (ODR)

• Academic Indicator
• students
• below grade level in reading

In the year prior to beginning implementation
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SWIF Most Helpful Items(Cohen, 2006)
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SWIF Most Problematic Items(Cohen, 2006)
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How People Learn
Average retention rate
5
10
20
30
50
75
90
National Training Laboratories Bethel Maine
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Sources of Motivationfor Adult Learners
(Hieneman, 2007)

• Social relationships to make new friends, to
  meet a need for associations and friendships
• External expectations to comply with
  instructions from someone else to fulfill the
  expectations or recommendations of someone with
  formal authority
• Social welfare to improve ability to serve
  mankind, prepare for service to the community
• Personal advancement to achieve higher status in
  a job, secure professional advancement, and stay
  abreast of competitors.
• Escape/Stimulation to relieve boredom, provide a
  break in the routine of home or work
• Cognitive interest to learn for the sake of
  learning, seek knowledge for its own sake, and to
  satisfy an inquiring mind
• (From PRINCIPLES OF ADULT LEARNING By
  Stephen Lieb, Senior Technical Writer and
  Planner, Arizona Department of Health Services
  and part-time Instructor, South Mountain
  Community College from VISION, Fall 1991)

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Barriers AgainstParticipating in Learning
(Hieneman, 2007)

• lack of time, money, confidence,
• lack of interest
• lack of information about opportunities to learn
• scheduling problems, "red tape"
• problems with child care and transportation
• (From PRINCIPLES OF ADULT LEARNING By Stephen
  Lieb, Senior Technical Writer and Planner,
  Arizona Department of Health Services and
  part-time Instructor, South Mountain Community
  College from VISION, Fall 1991)

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Optimism Training(Hieneman, 2007)

• Situation Triggers to negative thinking
• Belief Unproductive thought patterns
• Consequences Results of negative thinking
• Disputation Accuracy/Usefulness of
  beliefs(Distraction Thought stopping)
• Substitution More productive self-talk
• Reorientation New overall perspectiveSeligman,
  M. E. P. (1998). Learned Optimism How to change
  your mind and your life. New York Pocket Books.

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Preliminary Results(Hieneman, 2007)

• Significant decreases in problem behavior for the
  children of all participants who complete the
  sessions
• No change in pessimism scores, regardless of
  condition
• Participants in the optimism condition are more
  likely to finish, and complete the sessions in
  less time

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Next Steps

• Examinations thus far have utilized participants
  who are to some extent still implementing the
  program in question.
• A population still implementing with low-fidelity
  may be characteristically different from those
  that fail to adopt all together.
• So what seems to be working?

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Readiness Tools
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District Readiness

• Overview DVD
• Overview presentations
• solicit interest
• build awareness
• District Readiness Checklist

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District Readiness Checklist

• District Coordinator identified
• Awareness presentation
• District Leadership Team identified
• Commit to meet at least annually
• Commit to attend training
• Complete district action planning
• PBS Coaches identified
• Funding secured
• District Strategic Plan
• Superintendent Letter of Support
• SWIS III awareness
• Permission to share data

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District Readiness Checklist
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District Readiness Checklist
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District Action Planning

• Current Status
• Strengths
• Leadership Team/Enroll
• Coordination
• Funding
• Visibility Political Support
• Training Capacity
• Coaching Capacity
• Demonstrations
• Evaluation

• Goals
• Three Years
• One Year
• Three Months
• First Steps

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School Readiness

• School Readiness Packet
• Letter to Administrator
• School Readiness Checklist
• School Commitment Form
• Initial Benchmarks of Quality
• New School Profile
• PBS in Todays Schools Frequently Asked
  Questions
• Coaches Responsibilities
• Suggestions for Funding Efforts
• Overview DVD
• Project Brochure
• Project Newsletter

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School Readiness Checklist

• Awareness presentation
• Majority interested
• Team formed
• Establish ongoing team meetings
• Pre-assessments completed
• Principal commitment and active participant
• School Improvement Plan
• Secured funding
• Identified District Coordinator
• Identified PBS Coach

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School Readiness Checklist
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Successful Activities
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Pre-Training Steps

• Administrator must express buy-in
• Identify volunteers for team
• May or may not have staff presentation
• Form team
• Team identifies areas to target in upcoming year
• Buy-in, specific setting, parent support
• Use data
• Formulate implementation plan

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Small Scale Implementation

• Have an implementation plan
• Team meetings
• Weekly, monthly rewards
• Least amount of work for faculty
• Focus on one setting or behavior
• Use data to determine starting point
• Small reward component

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Building Staff Buy-In

• Main focus of activities prior to training
• May take a year or longer to obtain 80
• Ensure involvement of all stakeholders
• Parents
• Students

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Gerald Adams Elementary School
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Getting, Keeping, and Maintaining Staff Buy-In

• Least amount of work for those not on team
• Big bang effectsmall focus with largest effect
• Share data and celebrate success
• Reward staff behavior
• Survey staff AND make changes based on survey
  results

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Student, Parent, Faculty Input

• What are the top behavior concerns on campus?
• What consequences should be used for problem
  behavior?
• What expectations and rules should the school
  focus on?
• What types of rewards should the school use?

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Student and Parent Involvement

• Key stakeholders
• Get input and make changes based on results
• Student buy-in will change faculty behavior
• Parental support will foster relationships
  between school, students, and faculty
• Greater support for administrative and faculty
  decisions

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Team Training

• Throughout year of pre-training, assist team to
• Use data
• Use the problem-solving process
• Behavior and academics
• Identify weak system components
• Learn and use principles of behavior

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Role of TA Provider

• Must build rapport with faculty
• Spend time on campus observing, listening to
  faculty concerns
• Allow faculty to feel as is their own
• Cannot come in and tell what to do
• Assist them in seeing problems and identifying
  solutions

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Post-Training

• Cannot withdraw assistance
• Will need greater support than other schools
• Present at team meetings
• Assistance in implementing, using data,
  problem-solving process
• Fade assistance out systematically

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FloridasPositive Behavior Support Project

• Contact
• Heather Peshak George, Ph.D.
• Co-PI Project Coordinator
• Phone [phone]
• Fax [phone]
• Email flpbs_at_fmhi.usf.edu
• Website http//flpbs.fmhi.usf.edu