PBS At The Secondary Level Why Bother or

PBS At The Secondary Level “Why Bother? ” or How Mac. Neill Got the POWER

A. R. Mac. Neill • Opened in 2003 as newest secondary • Initially, Grades 7 and 8, District Incentive School and Daycare centre • One grade added each year, every year was a year of firsts (including new staff) • Currently a Gr 8 - 12 secondary • Neighbourhood-school-feel not established • School vision was to be something unique • Unique challenges required unique responses

How PBS got started • Former Vice Principal attended Making Connections 2008 • Attended session on “Preventing Problem Behaviours through a School-Wide Prevention Approach” • Brought PBS idea back to staff

Staff’s first look at PBS • District coach was invited to present a short powerpoint • Outlined what PBS is and the advantages of implementing it • Conducted a PBS School-Wide Survey with staff

Designing School-Wide Systems for Student Success Academic Systems Behavioral Systems Intensive, Individual Interventions • Individual Students • Assessment-based • High Intensity 1 -5% Targeted Group Interventions • Some students (at-risk) • High efficiency • Rapid response Universal Interventions • All students • Preventive, proactive 5 -10% 80 -90% 1 -5% Intensive, Individual Interventions • Individual Students • Assessment-based • Intense, durable procedures 5 -10% Targeted Group Interventions • Some students (at-risk) • High efficiency • Rapid response 80 -90% Universal Interventions • All settings, all students • Preventive, proactive

Designing School-Wide Systems for Expected Student Behaviour Academic Systems Behavioral Systems Intensive, Individual Interventions 1 -5% Targeted Group Interventions Universal Interventions 5 -10% 80 -90% 1 -5% Intensive, Individual Interventions • Individual Students • Nothing seems to work • They’re doing it on purpose 15 -20% Targeted Group Interventions • Some students (at-risk) • I told them before, they keep doing it • I spend 80% of my time on 20% of the students • Wears me out 70 -80% Universal Interventions • Works for most of the kids • It’s what worked on me when I went to school

Yellow Zone 15 - 20% Kids in the Yellow Zone need clearer limits and often push to see what the limits are. If the limits aren’t clear, the number increases

Yellow Zone Green Zone If the Yellow Zone increases, they had to come from somewhere. It results in a smaller Green Zone

Green Zone 70 - 80% The Green Zone will continue to respond to correction in an appropriate way, It’s just that now there are less of them to model for the others

1 -5% Red Zone The numbers of students in the Red Zone don’t usually increase, but with a larger Yellow Zone, you are working harder on behaviour as if it did

Staff School Wide Survey • Responses to questions 1 through 5 were most significant. Staff wanted: • A small number of positively and clearly stated expectations • Problem behaviours defined and their consequences explained • Process to teach and reinforce expected student behaviours • Crucial to have 80% buy-in

Sir Charles Tupper ROARS • Principal and staff member from Tupper were invited by Pro-D committee to present at Mac. Neill • The overview of how SW-PBS has worked at Tupper gave Mac. Neill staff a context for how it could work for them • Staff were sold on the idea

What does Mac. Neill stand for? • The process to create a Matrix of School. Wide Expected Behaviours began • The first step was to select the values that represent Mac. Neill • A student/parent committee and a staff committee were formed to explore possibilities • Eventually, by the Spring of ’ 09, POWER was selected and a Matrix developed

Mac. Neill Code of Conduct Values: • • • P - Positive Attitude We participate enthusiastically O - Ownership We are Accountable for our actions W - We not Me We are safe, empathic and welcoming E - Excellence We strive to do our best R - Respect We care for self, each other and our environment

Mac. Neill Code of Conduct Locations: • • • All Settings Classroom Halls/Lounge/Grounds Assemblies/Performances Off Campus

POWER kick off -Sept’ 09 • September Blitz committee • Mac. Neill POWER start-up package was developed • Three week POWER SURGE was outlined for staff and students

Sept /09 Pro-D • Staff Retreat in late Sept • Focus on making POWER part of the Mac. Neill school culture • Emphasis on the positives and having fun • Started with “What Is Working Well, So Far? ” • Teachable Moments (making connections with students) • Skits/Songs/etc

Designing School-Wide Systems for Student Success Academic Systems Behavioral Systems 1 -5% 5 -10% 80 -90%

Teachable Moments • Small group brainstorming to examine each value of P-O-W-E-R in All Settings and Halls/Lounge/Grounds • “How do we as adults demonstrate the value ____ in these settings? ” • “How can we positively reinforce students when we see them doing the right thing? ” • “How can we effectively correct students when they are not meeting expectations? ”

What about the kids? • Decided to collect some data from the students • Advisory classes had students complete surveys • Format was a map of the school

What we asked • “Where do you see POWER-ful behaviours happening? ” • “Where do you see disrespect to others? ” • “Where do you see disrespect to the facility? ” • “What else should we know? ”

• Survey needed to focus on common areas • Avoid perception of looking at an individual’s teaching space • Included lounge, halls, stairwells, washrooms and changerooms

Staff response to Surveys • Increased seating availability in central lounge • Increased supervision in halls and stairwells • Challenge to staff - daily 5 min walk

Data, So What? Gave staff cause to celebrate their successes • Looked at data to answer two specific questions: 1) What is one thing we need to continue to do, or do more of? 2) What is one thing we need to pay more attention to and use as information to tweak the process? •

Designing School-Wide Systems for Student Success Academic Systems Behavioral Systems 1 -5% 5 -10% 80 -90%

Year One - POWER ON • • • Student Agendas Monthly Staff meeting Updates POWER Cards TOWER of POWER - Weekly Draws POWER Door Contest POWER Cards Design Contest POWER Teacher Group Contest POWER Student Reps POWER Rallies

Staff perspectives • Provides consistent expectations of student behaviour across settings so students (and staff) clearly know what is acceptable • Gives students and teachers a common language to talk about POWERful behaviour (and not-so-POWERful behaviour) • Assists teachers in reviewing expectations prior to fieldtrips, assemblies, etc. to set students up for success

Staff perspective • Helps students internalize POWERful behaviour which increases self-regulation and peerregulation of appropriate, positive behaviour • ‘Forces’ teachers to recognize and reward positive behaviours (not just focus on the negative ones) • Offers teachers a framework for integrating POWER into classroom activities (e. g. reflecting on and writing/drawing about/acting out POWERful behaviour - what it looks like, sounds like, feels like in the classroom) which furthers the development of social responsibility

The Impact of POWER • Massive swing in school tone - Respectful behaviour • Suspensions down + Office Referrals down • Vandalism down • Lates & tardiness in the halls down • Swearing down • Use of common language allows staff to ‘step up’ • Students have bought into the system • Students know POWER • Shown in Student Satisfaction Surveys

Student Satisfaction Survey • The following question was inserted into the yearly Satisfaction Survey: • “In your opinion, in what ways has POWER made a difference at Mac. Neill? ”

Survey says… “… Has POWER Made A Difference…” Gr 12 Gr 11 Gr 10 Gr 9 Gr 8 Negative 27% 27% 25% 9% Neutral 14% 13% 11% 10% 13% Positive 59% 60% Pos+Neut 73% 62% 73% 65% 78% 91%

Some student comments: • We have learned to develop a positive attitude to help solve problems easily. Our POWER has made Mac. Neill a better school with a better environment • POWER made rules & behaviour easier to remember • People are definitely more positive & more responsible with their actions • It has helped students of all ages understand what the expectations of your attitude should be in & out of school grounds. POWER has taught students how to be respectful to the different people around them & how to respect the environment and school/community grounds

Some student comments: • POWER…it encourages students to think of their actions prior to doing something. It motivates them to provide better actions due to the power cards • POWER has made a difference at Mac. Neill, has changed the culture to be more accepting • People are now behaving in a way that Mac. Neill is now a welcoming place. Everyone is being more respectful to each other & there is less problems in the school • POWER has made a real difference in Mac. Neill compared to previous years…people have more visible changes in their behaviour regarding attitude, responsibility & enthusiasm • POWER seems to have brought us closer together

Where are we now? Current Phase - Year 2 • Keeping the energy up • Addressing the ‘Elementary Concern’ • Grade Assemblies/Pep Rally/Teacher Involvement • Being Consistent - Building on Success • Staff Retreat - ‘A POWER-FULL YEAR’ • Student Reps - a changing of the guard

Contact Us Mike Charlton, Vice Principal, Mac. Neill Secondary mcharlton@sd 38. bc. ca Larry Antrim, Coordinator for Counselling and Social Responsibility lantrim@sd 38. bc. ca