Tier 1: Universal PBS – Processes and procedures intended for all students and staff, in all settings and across campus. This is intended to impact approximately 80% of your students and staff.

Classroom - Processes and procedures that reflect school-wide expectations for student behavior coupled with pre-planned strategies applied within classroom settings. Depending upon the data, classroom applications can be viewed as either a Tier 1 or Tier 2 intervention (do all teachers need support or just a few?)

Universal Behavior Expectations

The primary prevention of Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) consists of rules, routines, and physical arrangements that are developed and taught by school staff to prevent initial occurrences of behavior the school would like to target for change. For example, a school team may determine that disrespect for self, others, and property is a set of behaviors they would like to target for change. They may choose the positive reframing of that behavior and make that one of their behavioral expectations. Respect Yourself, Others, and Property would be one of their behavioral expectations. Research indicates that 3-5 behavioral expectations that are positively stated, easy to remember, and significant to the climate are best. At the end of the year, a researcher should be able to walk into the school and ask ten random students to name the behavioral expectations and 80% or better of the students should be able to tell the researcher what they are and give examples of what they look like in action.

The building leadership team would then decide how they were going to teach these behaviors to the students. Some schools choose to have stations and rotate all the children through various locations where the adults act out the appropriate behaviors relevant to each area. Some schools choose to show a non-example first and then the appropriate example last. After adults model the appropriate behavior, students emulate the new behavior before they rotate to the next learning station. Adults give feedback to the students on their performance during the training, to alleviate any misrules they may begin.

School-Wide & Classroom Behavior Matrices

What we know from research in the science of behavior is that by directly teaching our behavioral expectations and acknowledging student use of those expectations with high rates of specific positive feedback, the majority (80%) of the students will follow the rules.

Each school has a school-wide matrix which outlines their 3-5 behavior expectations and procedures for following the expectations.

Classroom matrices are based on the school’s 3-5 expectations and common routines that happen within the school day for all students and staff. The classroom matrix is being used to increase student understanding of school-wide expectations in the classroom. It is often shared with the principal so reteaching of expectations can happen every time a student is removed from class for problem behavior. The classroom matrix is shared with families to increase home/school partnering.

Universal Acknowledgement System

Most Wausau School District schools use a ticket system to acknowledge students demonstrating positive behaviors. Each staff member has tickets to give out to the students whenever they see positive behaviors taking place throughout the school. The tickets have varying uses in our schools. For example, they can be used in school stores as well as entered into a school-wide drawing. Each school is unique in their acknowledgement system structure.

The purpose of an acknowledgement system is to:

• Foster a welcoming and positive climate
• Builds a sense of community
• Focuses staff and student attention on desired behaviors
• Increases the likelihood that desired behaviors will be increased.
• Reduce the time spent correcting student misbehavior

Data Collection System

Wausau School District uses the School Wide Information System (SWIS) Program for data collection. SWIS is a web-based software system used for for gathering, entering, summarizing, reporting and using behavior tracking form (BTF) referral information. Data is used to develop safe and effective educational environments as well as provide appropriate interventions for students in need.

Behavior Flow Chart

Behavioral errors are corrected proactively. When students violate behavioral expectations, clear procedures are needed for providing information to them that their behavior was unacceptable, and preventing that unacceptable behavior from resulting in inadvertent rewards. Students, teachers, and administrators all should be able to predict what will occur when behavioral errors are identified. Behavior Tracking Forms (BTF) are sometimes used to refer incidents or chronic disruptions to the administration. BTFs are also a primary data source for school teams when looking to make modifications to the system and/or determine students who may be in need of further interventions. The Behavior Flowchart is used to help teachers distinguish major from minor behavioral incidents as well as determine if a behavior is managed within the classroom or referred to administration.

Behavior Lessons/Cool Tools

Behavior lessons/cool tools are developed by school teams to serve as a coaching tool to help staff teach and reinforce the behavioral expectations in the different areas of the school building.

Tier 2 is designed to provide intensive or targeted interventions to support students who are not responding to Tier 1.

Schools are responsible to teach academics and social behavior skills. We teach all students our academic curriculum to address grade level expectations. We teach all students to be safe, respectful, responsible learners in the classroom, hallways, playground and all other settings. We know these Tier 1 universal, that we teach, practice and recognize every day help create a predictable and positive learning environment. However, some students do not respond to our quality Tier 1 universal academic and behavioral instruction. Students who need additional support may display behaviors externally or of equal concern, are students who internalize the stress of school and home. The goal is to provide support to these students to meet their needs, to keep them in class learning and to avoid escalation to more intensive services.

The following is a list of Tier 2 Interventions that may be implemented by schools:

Check-In/ Check-Out (CICO)

CICO is the initial intervention at the Tier 2 level. When CICO is implemented, the student checks in briefly with a designated adult (aka. “greeter”) who is a member of the school staff each morning and afternoon. The check-in process lasts no more than two to three minutes.

The adult begins the student’s day with a positive interaction, providing the student with verbal reminders about what is expected of them. The adult can also determine if a student is not ready for class and have the student remain with them for further assistance and guidance. Each student in the program receives a Daily Progress Report (DPR) that is used to track their behavior throughout the school day according to the expectations.

The teachers mark each section of the DPR with the student’s level of success at meeting the expectations for every class period. It is recommended that the teachers only write positive feedback while verbally providing corrective feedback. At the end of the school day, the student goes to their designated adult for check-out. The adult will provide feedback and encouragement to the student. The day’s points are added up and a student takes a copy home for a parent/guardian to sign. The points are also entered onto the SWIS software system by the CICO data entry person.

Individualized CICO

Individualized CICO involves adjusting one or more particular elements of the CICO framework for a specific student. Usually CICO should be the same for every student, you do not want to individualize for every student.

One could individualize the following aspects of CICO:

• Morning greeting time (student is always late)
• Morning Greeter adult (student does not get along with usual morning greeter)
• Add a check-in at a specific time (have student check in right after lunch as they usually struggle after lunch)
• Have teacher carry DPR (student usually loses the DPR)
• Others

Social Academic Instructional Group (SAIG)

Social Academic Instructional Group, also known as a SAIG, is a Tier 2 intervention that is intended to help all students be successful and to be at their best academically, socially, and behaviorally. Social Academic Instructional Groups are an important part of the PBIS System in our schools. The groups vary on duration and subject matter based upon individual student needs. Students are placed into this intervention based on data and/or teacher or parent referral. The groups meet for 20-30 minutes, 1-3 times per week, for 4-8 weeks; during a time that will not deter a child’s academic learning. The student(s) will meet with a school staff facilitator for direct teaching of prosocial, problem-solving or academic-behavior skills. SAIGs are often used in conjunction with a Daily Progress Report (DPR) to assist students in managing and monitoring their own choices during the school day. The Daily Progress Reports will support them while they work hard to follow the school-wide expectations.

Mentoring

Mentoring is a structured and trusting relationship that brings young people together with caring individuals who offer guidance, support and encouragement aimed at developing the competence and character of the mentee. A mentor is an adult at school who, along with parents, provides a young person with support, counsel, friendship, reinforcement and constructive example. Mentors are good listeners, people who care, people who want to help young people bring out strengths that are already there.

Mentoring is about one person helping another to achieve something. It is about giving help and support in a non-threatening way, in a manner that the recipient will appreciate and value and that will empower them to move forward with confidence towards what they want to achieve. Mentoring is also concerned with creating an informal environment in which one person can feel encouraged to discuss their needs and circumstances openly and in confidence with another person who is in a position to be of positive help to them.

Brief Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA/BIP)

Functional behavioral assessment (FBA) is generally considered a problem-solving process for addressing student problem behavior. It relies on a variety of techniques and strategies to identify the purposes of specific behavior and to help teams select interventions to directly address the problem behavior. Functional behavioral assessment should be integrated, as appropriate, throughout the process of developing, reviewing, and, if necessary, revising a student’s IEP or behavior plan.

A functional behavioral assessment looks beyond the behavior itself. The focus when conducting a functional behavioral assessment is on identifying significant, pupil-specific social, affective, cognitive, and/or environmental factors associated with the occurrence (and nonoccurrence) of specific behaviors. This broader perspective offers a better understanding of the function or purpose behind student behavior. Behavioral intervention plans based on an understanding of "why" a student misbehaves are extremely useful in addressing a wide range of problem behaviors.

There are two types of Tier 3 behavioral interventions, either a Complex Functional Behavioral Assessment/Behavior Intervention Plan (FBA/BIP) or Educational Wraparound (WRAP).  These interventions are very intense and individualized. The number of students receiving Tier 3 should represent no more than one to five percent of the total student population. If there are more than five percent of the total student population receiving Tier 3 interventions, than a review of the fidelity of implementation of Tier 1 and Tier 2 systems should take place.

Students may be identified for Tier 3 either by failure to respond to any of the Tier 1 and Tier 2 behavioral interventions and supports or may be referred to Tier 3 by teacher, parent or self. It is important to note that referrals to Tier 3 do not constitute automatic initiation of a Tier 3 intervention.

For each intervention, either FBA/BIP or WRAP/RENEW, an individualized team specific to the student, the student’s needs, and the family is developed. This team may include the following individuals:

• School Psychologist
• School Social Worker
• Teachers
• Administrator
• Counselor
• Additional staff who interact with student receiving the intervention
• Community Members (therapist, mentor, parole officer, etc.)
• Parent(s) and/or other family members

The Tier 3 Team uses Progress Monitoring data such as a Behavior Tracking Form (BTF), Daily Progress Report (DPR), Out-of-School Suspensions (OSS), In-School Suspensions (ISS), direct observation data and student attendance. The progress monitoring data will be reviewed as determined by the team.

• Family Centered Wrap Around
• Functional Behavioral Assessment/Behavior Intervention Plans (FBA/BIP)

Reading comprehension refers to the ability to understand and make meaning of written text and includes a multifaceted set of skills. Reading comprehension is influenced by oral language development including new vocabulary acquisition, listening comprehension, working memory, application of comprehension monitoring strategies and understanding of text structure including titles, paragraphing, illustrations and other details. Reading comprehension is significantly affected by basic reading skills.

Reading fluency refers to the ability to read words accurately, using age appropriate chunking strategies and a repertoire of “sight” words, and with appropriate phrasing and expression (prosody). Reading fluency facilitates reading comprehension.

Reading comprehension refers to the ability to understand and make meaning of written text and includes a multifaceted set of skills. Reading comprehension is influenced by oral language development including new vocabulary acquisition, listening comprehension, working memory, application of comprehension monitoring strategies and understanding of text structure including titles, paragraphing, illustrations and other details. Reading comprehension is significantly affected by basic reading skills.

Mathematical calculation is the knowledge and retrieval of mathematical facts and the application of procedural knowledge in computation.

Mathematical problem solving is the ability to use decision-making skills to apply mathematical concepts and understandings to real world situations. It is the functional combination of computation knowledge and application knowledge, and involves the use of mathematical computation skills and fluency, language, reasoning, reading, and visual-spatial skills in solving problems. Essentially, it is applying mathematical knowledge at the conceptual level.

Written expression is the communication of ideas, thoughts, and feelings and involves two separate components: composition, or the generation of ideas; and the written production of handwriting and spelling. Required skills include using oral language, thought, grammar, text fluency, sentence construction and planning, and execution of the writing process. Spelling difficulties alone cannot be considered to represent a specific learning disability in written expression.

Oral expression is the ability to convey wants, needs, thoughts, and ideas in a meaningful way using appropriate syntactic, pragmatic, semantic and phonological language structures. It relates to a student’s ability to express ideas, explain thinking, retell stories, categorize, and compare and contrast concepts or ideas, make references and problem solve verbally. 

Listening comprehension refers to the understanding of the implications and explicit meanings of words and sentences of spoken language. This includes following directions, comprehending questions, and listening and comprehending in order to learn (auditory attention, auditory memory and auditory perception). Listening comprehension also includes the ability to make connections to previous learning.