Examples of Tier 2Interventions

Michigan Department of Education

School-wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports

Implementation Guide 2010

Modify procedures/increasesupervision in non-classroom settings

Data analysis may show high rates ofproblem behaviors in certain non-classroomsettings, such as in the cafeteria, at recess,or in hallways. Using the PBIS dictate,“work smarter, not harder,” the PBIS teammay evaluate the current procedures forall students that are in place in thoseenvironments, then identify some simplesolutions to change the conditions inthe environment that lead to frequentproblems.Some examples of this include:

  • Alter schedules. Examples:Schedule lunch after recess toreduce problems at recess and withtransitioning back to the classroom.Reduce wait times during transitions,and spend extra time teachingtransition procedures.
  • Rearrange traffic patterns.Examples: Provide visuals, and teachstudents to walk on the right side ofthe hall. Take steps to change high numbers of students converging inthe same space at the same time.
  • Provide active supervision. Effectivesupervision in non-classroom areasinvolves movement, scanning,positive contacts, positivereinforcement, and immediateconsequences for behavior. Findresources for active supervisiontechniques in: Sprague, J. & Golly,A. (2005). Best Behavior: BuildingPositive Behavior Support inSchools. Longmont, CO: Sopris WestEducational Services.

Increase classroom managementsupport

Data may indicate that certain classroomsor teachers have especially high rates ofbehavioral problems or office disciplinereferrals. This may suggest the needfor providing additional classroommanagement support in that environment.Check to see that the following essentialclassroom management strategies are inplace.

  • Classroom-wide positiveexpectations are taught andencouraged.
  • Classroom routines and cues aretaught.
  • A ratio of 4 positive to 1 correctiveadult-student interaction is practicedconsistently.
  • Active supervision occurs in theclassroom and during transitions.
  • Redirections for minor, infrequentbehavior errors are usedconsistently.
  • Frequent pre-corrections for chronicerrors are used.
  • There is effective academicinstruction and curriculum.
  • There is a continuum of appropriateconsequences enforced consistentlyand fairly.

Classroom management support can beprovided by a PBIS coach, support staff,administrators, or other teachers. Considerusing the following process:

  • Hold a meeting between the teacherand PBIS coach to discuss theobjective, concerns, and the processthat will be used.
  • Have the PBIS coach observe in theclassroom.
  • Hold a follow-up meeting toprovide constructive feedback andsuggestions.

Develop a plan for improvement(e.g., identify what changes will bemade, what resources are necessaryto make changes, and the timelinefor changes).

  • Provide support to the teacher asnecessary.
  • Hold a follow-up meeting to reviewresults and provide feedback.

Check in–Check out (CICO)

Check in–Check out is an individualized monitoring system that provides frequentpositive adult contacts, reminders to thestudent of the expectations, and feedbackon performance. Some students benefitgreatly from this type of support.

The basic daily cycle of CICO:

  1. Morning check in (get daily progressreport).
  2. Give form to each teacher orsupervisor prior to each period.
  3. End of day check out.
  4. Points tallied.
  5. Reward.
  6. Copy of daily progress form takenhome and signed.
  7. Return signed copy next morning.

Example:

8:35 a.m.–8:50 a.m. Morning Check-in

  • Holly gets off the bus, has breakfast,goes to class and then to CICO inMrs. Barker’s office.
  • If anyone else is with Mrs. Barker,Holly knows to take a seat in a chai just outside the office to wait herindividual turn.
  • Holly enters and receives a copy ofher check sheet for the day.
  • Each of Holly’s goals is reviewedevery morning with a reminder thatthe target is 80 percent or better.She is given encouragement andreminded to do her best.
  • Some questions vary with individualstudents. For example:
  • Did you have breakfast?
  • Did you get enough sleep?
  • Did you take your medicine?
  • Are you ready for the day, or doyou still need a little time?
  • Reminders are provided for problemsituations that may be encounteredwith staff or other students in theupcoming school day.
  • The student starts the day with apositive attitude.

3:30 p.m.–3:45 p.m. Afternoon Check-out

  • Holly leaves class and reports to Mrs.Barker’s office. She waits her turn.
  • At her turn, Holly’s daily pointsare totaled, and a percentage iscalculated.
  • Mrs. Barker and Holly discussher progress and acknowledgesuccesses.
  • If the score is 80 percent or better,Holly chooses a sticker or a pencil.
  • If Holly has 80 percent or betterdaily for a week, she chooses from her reward list.
  • Mrs. Barker sends Holly on her waywith encouragement and a positiveattitude.

For more information on Check in–Checkout:

Crone, D.A., Horner, R., & Hawkins, L.S.(2007). Responding to problem behavior inschools: the Behavior Education Program.New York, NY: The Guilford Press

Targeted instruction in social skills andreplacement behaviors

If the data indicates that certain types ofbehavior problems are especially frequent,targeted instruction with a small groupof students on specific replacementbehaviors may be appropriate. The specificreplacement behaviors identified arefrequently from the behavior expectationsmatrix, such as hands to self, respectcultural differences, and use appropriatelanguage. Targeted social skills instructiontypically involves identifying a small groupof students who need extra practice inthe skill. It may involve providing theinstruction in the particular location whereit is usually a problem. School supportstaff may work with classroom teachers toprovide this additional level of instruction. Social skills are taught like academiclessons. The components of a social skillslesson include:

  • Define the behavior expectation.
  • Provide a rationale.
  • Teach the critical discrimination:
  • Demonstrate appropriate behavior.
  • Demonstrate unacceptablebehavior.
  • Practice telling the difference withmultiple examples.
  • If there is a “signal,” teach the signal(when the appropriate behaviorshould occur).
  • Have everyone practice theappropriate behavior.
  • Acknowledge students fordemonstrating appropriate behavior.

School-based Mentors

Mentoring is a structured and trustingrelationship that brings a student togetherwith a caring adult who offers guidance, support, and encouragement aimed atdeveloping the competence and characterof the student.

What is a mentor?A mentor is a trusted and dependableperson who listens, supports, and guidesa student on a consistent basis over aspecified period of time. To the youngperson, mentoring means having a trustedperson who cares about them and listensto them; a role model they can look up toand someone who will help them achievetheir dreams. The mentor is the one whoinitiates the flow of the relationship andinvites the student to share and explorethrough open communication. A mentorhelps the student find out where theywant to go and helps them find positiveand effective ways to get there in a nonjudgmentaland empathetic manner. Thementor is not intended to become thestudent’s best friend.

What characteristics does a goodmentor have?

  • Listens actively, showing a genuineinterest.
  • Encourages and demonstratesconfidence in the student.
  • Exhibits patience and kindness.
  • Accepts a different point of view.
  • Shares interests, knowledge, andexperience including successes andfailures.
  • Admits not knowing everything.
  • Creates a positive relationship.
  • Expresses humor.

What types of mentoring work?

  • One on one with an adult (themost common, traditional type of
  • mentoring).
  • Peer mentoring (such as high schoolstudents mentoring elementary ormiddle school students).
  • A school-based mentor should planto meet with the student at leastonce per week for about 15 minutes.

For resources on mentoring, visit:

Simple behavior plan—function based

A behavior support plan (BSP) may bedeveloped for a student after conductinga simple functional behavior assessment(FBA). Behavior support plans mayinvolve a single intervention or changeto a student’s program. For example, ifthe FBA found a very specific trigger toa student’s problem behavior, then theintervention may simply change thatsituation. This could involve giving thestudent more assistance with certain tasks,breaking tasks or assignments down intomore manageable chunks, increasing thefrequency of breaks or rewards, providingincreased supervision in a specific setting,pairing the student with a buddy, allowingmore time to complete certain activities, or providing a more immediate consequencefor a problem behavior.The development of a BSP usually involvessome collaboration among team membersbut not intensive data collection andplanning typical of a Tier 3 intervention.

Contracts

A behavior contract is a simplearrangement that ties student behaviorto a long-term reward or incentive. Thecontract will:

  • Name the behavior to be performed.
  • Specify the extent that the behavioris to be performed daily.
  • Identify when the reward is to begiven to the student.
  • Indicate the number of days that thestudent will need to meet the dailybehavior standard.

The contract is written and signedby the teacher and student with thepossible additional signatures of a schooladministrator or parent. The writtencontract is a motivational tool in which theschool staff person has agreed to providea reward when the student completes thedescribed behavior. Typically contractsare written in a positive tone to increaseexpected behavior.

Sample Contract

The following is an agreement between ______and ______.

The student will ______and the teacher will ______.

The following conditions apply:

1.______

2.______

3.______

This contract is void if the student fails to achieve the goal.

The contract will be reviewed on ______.

Student Signature/date:______

Teacher Signature/date:______

How does a contract get written?

  • Arrange an appointment to meetwith the student.
  • Discuss the behavior of concern andhow you are willing to work out adeal to help the student improve thebehavior.
  • Explain contracting and give somereal world examples of contracts(movie star contracts, sportscontracts, car leasing contracts).
  • Discuss and agree on the behavior tobe improved.
  • Discuss and agree on activities,privileges, or rewards for thebehavior improvement.
  • Discuss and agree on how muchof the behavior or how long thebehavior is to be performed beforethe student earns the reward (e.g.,three talk outs per day for the firstweek, two talk outs per day thesecond week, one or zero talk outsper day for the third week).
  • Agree on a system to monitor thebehavior daily.
  • Agree on how, when, and where theearned reward is to be presented.
  • Agree on a date to review andpossibly renegotiate the contract.
  • Write up the agreements andsign the document. Consider ifothers need to sign the contract[administration or parent(s) or awitness].
  • Shake hands and make statementsthat encourage success.

Simple home/school behavior plans

Some behavior problems that studentsexperience in school are exacerbated

by inconsistent expectations andconsequences between home and school.A major premise of school-wide PBISis that students do better when theyexperience consistent expectations fromadults. For some students a simple home/school behavior plan can provide the addedstructure necessary to create a commonexpectation around certain behaviors. Thestudent observes teachers and parents“getting on the same page.”Home/school behavior plans:

  • Should be approached in a positive,proactive, and collaborative mannerbetween school staff and parents.There should not be an attitude ofblame or condescension from theschool towards the parents. Theattitude should be one of partnershipand doing the best thing for the child by working cooperatively together asadults.
  • Should focus on creating consistentpositive expectations [e.g., whatlanguage is acceptable fromthe student and what is not (bespecific)]. Develop common adultlanguage when praising or correctingthe child and expect certain tasks tobe competed on a scheduled basis—such as homework at a set time.
  • A simple home/school behavior planmay include an agreement to docertain things in terms of providingassistance or supervision (e.g., extratutoring at school, enforced bedtimeat home).
  • Should be presented to the studentat a meeting with both schoolstaff and parent(s) present so asto reinforce to the student theconsistent expectations betweenhome and school.
  • Be written and reviewed in ameeting on a periodic basis.

Home/School Behavior Plan

The school and parent(s) agree to support each other, work together, and createconsistent expectations for ______(student’s name)______.

The reason we are developing this plan is because ______

has been having a problem with ___(behavior in school)______.

Positive behaviors to be increased:

Behaviors to be decreased:

The school agrees to:

Parent(s) agree to:

When will this plan be explained to the student?

Next meeting date to review progress:

School Staff Signatures:______

Parent(s)/Guardian(s) Signatures:______

Newcomers club

This is simply a process that ensures thatany new student to the school receivesan orientation to the school’s entire PBISprogram in a timely manner. Some schoolshave students buddy up with newcomers tohelp in the process. This can be extremelyimportant for schools with highly transientpopulations. Those for whom English is asecond language (students and parents)may need language accommodationsduring the orientation process.

Increased academic support

Most students with significant behavioraldifficulties also have academic problems.Response to Intervention (RtI) andPBIS processes should work in concertfor students. When conducting an FBAfor behavioral difficulty, it is essentialto consider related academic factorsand provide appropriate academicsupport as part of a Tier 2 intervention.Interventions could include modifiedinstruction, increased practice on basicskills, assistance with organization, peersupport, tutoring, or homework assistance.This often involves grouping students withsimilar needs and addressing this needthrough intervention.

Alternatives to suspension

Through an FBA, it may become clear thatout-of-school suspension is an ineffectiveconsequence for a student’s problembehavior. Many students who experiencemultiple suspensions come to find beingout of school a rewarding condition.The following are some alternatives to out-of-school suspension.

  • Create restitution options suchas work around the school orcommunity service.
  • Social restitution involves makingamends with a person who hasbeen offended or harmed. This mayinvolve a written apology.
  • Think sheets are a written formatfor the student to reflect on problembehavior and identify a plan tocorrect it in the future. Thinksheets can be adapted from theearly elementary to the secondarylevels. Think sheets can also be senthome if a student is suspended,completed jointly by the student andhis parents, and returned to schoolwhen the student returns.
  • Some schools create an out ofclassroom time-out option forbehaviors that are disruptive toteaching but don’t necessarily warrant out-of-school suspension.These options go by such namesas the break room, recovery room,safe room, responsibility room, orthe principal’s office. The criteria andprocedures for using such a roomshould be well defined but couldvary depending on the needs of thestudent. Options for what a studentmay do there include simply calmingdown, doing some work, taking atime out from any social interaction,or problem solving a situation.
  • A “buddy room” where students withlow intensity problem behavior go toanother classroom (away from theirclassroom peers) to complete theirschoolwork.

The Guide for Implementing the Balancedand Restorative Justice Model is availablefor download at .