WORKING SMARTER Problem Solving

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WORKING SMARTERProblem Solving Decision
Making
F

• George Sugai
• OSEP Center on PBIS
• www.pbis.org
• May 9, 2006

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Purpose

• Provide guidelines for improving efficiency
  effectiveness of decision making problem
  solving.

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Examples

• I dont have time. My plate is full.
• Whos going to do that?
• We talk, talk, talk,but no action.
• Why are we doin this again?
• Ill go along, but I know it wont last.

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Example 1

• School leadership team has participated in
  initial SWPBS training and developed an action
  plan which the team is ready to present to the
  faculty. The school administrator, however, has
  missed a number of the training events, and is
  questioning whether the staff is ready to vote
  on the proposed action plan. He has proposed
  delaying the presentation of the action plan for
  another 2 months. Team members are disappointed
  in the Principals position, and see this turn of
  events as a major set-back.

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Example 2

• The school board of a school district is
  concerned that the first year implementation of
  SWPBS is not taking a firm enough stance against
  discipline problems, and has asked the district
  leadership team to get tougher with those kids
  and their families! One school board member
  comments that these kids should know better,
  and that a clear message needs to be sent that
  those behaviors wont be tolerated!

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Example 3

• Coaching supports have been established to
  facilitate team implementation in a school
  district. However, 5 of the 15 coaches have not
  attended coaches meetings, failed to submit
  monthly progress checklists, and not made monthly
  contact with their school team leaders. School
  teams have complained to the PBS coordinator
  about a lack of support.

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The Challenge

• Multiple initiatives
• Fragmented/overlapping services activities
• Ineffective/inefficient practices
• Poorly developed implemented support systems
• Incomplete agreement/implementation
• Inefficient approach to decision making
• Unpredictable/inefficient non-data based
• Inadequate number of minutes

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Roadblock Activity
Attention Please
1 Minute

• Work in groups of 2-3.
• Identify 2-3 challenges that inhibit schools
  ability to adopt /or sustain EBS related
  systems/practices.

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Response Work Smarter

• Do lessbetter
• Do it once
• Invest in clear outcomes
• Invest in a sure thing
• Be strategic about problem solving

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Overriding 3-Step Process

• Set collective goal
• Track progress toward goal with data
• Use data to assess adjust efforts to improve
  outcomes

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General Steps Guidelines for Problem Solving
Decision Making
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Supporting Social Competence Academic
Achievement
4 PBS Elements
OUTCOMES
Supporting Decision Making
DATA
Supporting Staff Behavior
SYSTEMS
PRACTICES
Supporting Student Behavior
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Applications

• Developing action plans
• Selecting practices
• Addressing implementation roadblocks
• Developing policies
• Conducting problem solving meetings

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Process Goals/Outcomes

• Create predictable routines
• Maintain focus on goal/purpose/outcome
• Use minutes more efficiently
• Improve impact or outcomes

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1. Clearly define problem

• What evidence do you have to confirm problem?
• Have you dealt with this problem before?
• What did you learn?
• Who is affected by the problem?
• Does everyone agree that problem is high priority?

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2. Specify objective/outcome to be achieved

• What do you want to achieve?
• Who is affected by achievement of outcome?
• Does everyone agree that outcome is appropriate
  for problem?
• Is outcome achievable?

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3. Specify measurable indicator to monitor
progress toward objective/ outcome

• What will you measure to know if youve achieved
  your objective?
• How do you know when you are successful?
• When, where, who, when will indicator be
  measured?

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4. Select research validated practices to achieve
objective/outcome

• What evidence exists to suggest that this
  practice will work?
• For your students? For you?
• Within the time frame available?
• Is this practice appropriate for your students?

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5. Assess implementation requirements

• What is required to implement practice?
• Skills? Time? Materials? Resources? Personnel?
• Does everyone agree to use practice?
• What modifications are needed to fit practice to
  your context increase impact?
• Can practice be integrated into on-going
  initiatives/efforts?

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6. Develop action plan

• How will practice be implemented?
• What? When? Who? Where? For how long?
• What can be done to ensure accurate consistent
  implementation?

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7. Implement monitor

• Is adequate progress being made?
• Socially?
• Educationally?
• Can enhancements be made to improve
  effectiveness?
• What is required to sustain practice?
• What elements can be eliminated?

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8. Celebrate success.

• What successes?
• Student, school, family, community
• How will you celebrate?
• When? How? What?

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Trainer/Coaches Challenges
Attention Please
1 Minute

• Work in groups of 2-3 (10 min)
• Pick one of 3 examples (or define own)
• Propose 2-3 strategies to address challenge.
• Report to large group (1 min.)

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Example 1

• School leadership team has participated in
  initial SWPBS training and developed an initial
  action plan which the team is ready to present to
  the faculty. The school administrator, however,
  has missed a number of the training events, and
  is questioning whether the staff is ready to
  vote on the proposed action plan. He has proposed
  delaying the presentation of the action plan for
  another 2 months. Team members are disappointed
  in the Principals position, and see this turn of
  events as a major set-back.

25
Example 2

• The school board of a school district is
  concerned that the first year implementation of
  SWPBS is not taking a firm enough stance against
  discipline problems, and has asked the district
  leadership team to get tougher with those kids
  and their families! One school board member
  comments that these kids should know better,
  and that a clear message needs to be sent that
  those behaviors wont be tolerated!

26
Example 3

• Coaching supports have been established to
  facilitate team implementation in a school
  district. However, 5 of the 15 coaches have not
  attended coaches meetings, failed to submit
  monthly progress checklists, and not made monthly
  contact with their school team leaders. School
  teams have complained to the PBS coordinator
  about a lack of support.

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Scenario 1

• Our SWPBS Leadership Team cant figure out what
  to do with this situation. We have been
  implementing our school-wide interventions for
  the past 6 months with pretty good accuracy.
  However, when we reviewed our data last month, we
  noticed that two teachers are not following the
  agreed upon guidelines we developed for what rule
  violations should be sent to the office. Our
  administrator wants to discuss this problem at
  the faculty meeting however, our team doesnt
  think this plan would work. Do you agree with our
  administrator? If yes, why. If no, what would you
  recommend we do instead and why?

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Scenario 2

• Our leadership team has noticed a dramatic
  change in our behavior incidents. First, over the
  last three months, weve noticed that number of
  office discipline referrals from the 5 fourth
  grade teachers has decreased dramatically in the
  classroom, but increased by twofold in
  nonclassroom settings, especially, in the
  hallway. In contrast, over the same period of
  time, weve noticed an equally dramatic increase
  in problem behaviors by the 8th graders in the
  classroom. Please advise us on how we should
  address this situation.

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Scenario 3

• Our SWPBS Leadership Team cant figure out what
  to do with this situation. We have been
  implementing our school-wide interventions for
  the past 6 months with pretty good accuracy.
  However, when reviewed our data last month, we
  noticed that two teachers are not following the
  agreed upon guidelines we developed for what rule
  violations should be sent to the office. Our
  administrator wants to discuss this problem at
  the faculty meeting however, our team doesnt
  think this plan would work. Do you agree with our
  administrator? If yes, why? If no, what would
  you recommend we do instead and why?

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Big Ideas

• Always room for improvement
• Most organizations perform between 40-60 of
  their capacity (1996, p. 52)
• Improvement is associated with positive, short
  term feedback
• Do not accept long periods of training,
  restructuring, inactivity
• Still evolving is not reinforceable opportunity

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• Establish pilot projects with high probability
  for quick success meaningful impact
• Develop small of goals that is manageable
  achievable in short term
• Goal is to see regular frequent impact of your
  efforts
• Work smarternot more
• Be strategic about problem solving

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Response Work Smarter

• Do lessbetter
• Do it once
• Invest in clear outcomes
• Invest in a sure thing
• Be strategic about problem solving

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Suggested End of Year Action Planning Topics

• Evaluation of what worked this year
• Planning for end/start of school year
• SWPBS activities for 1st day/week of school
• Reporting back to staff/community
• Set-up/review of data
• Consideration of sec/tert practices systems
• Celebrating accomplishments/progress
• 12 month activity plan, including mtg
  professional development schedule
• RECONVENE AT 200 FOR 1 MIN TEAM REPORTS