Office Discipline Referrals

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Office Discipline Referrals

• Paula Baumann

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Defining Office Managed Behaviors

• The first task for a school staff is to specify
  which behaviors are handled in the learning
  environment and which behaviors are directed to
  an office intervener.

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Assumption School-wide systems are in place.

• School is establishing and teaching expectations.
• Staff builds positive relationships with students
  and families.
• Instruction is appropriate and students can be
  successful academically.
• Environments are predictable, orderly, and calm.
• Staff are visible and provide ongoing feedback to
  students about behavior.

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Out of instructional control

• Classroom managed
• Behavior that responds to a teaching
  intervention.
• Behavior that is not highly disruptive.
• Behavior that can be ignored, dealt with as part
  of an ongoing plan, or managed with staff on hand.

• Office Managed
• Behavior that is serious or an infraction of
  board policy or state law (weapons, assault,
  contraband, harassment)
• Escalation of misbehavior, not responsive to
  intervention, disruptive.
• Chronic, repetitive misbehavior that is resistant
  to change and has become disruptive.

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Teachers role in an ODR-

• Avoid escalating behavior
• Maintain a modulated voice, keep hands away from
  student, do not use threats, avoid power
  struggles.

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Teachers role prior to ODR-

• Give specific objective instructions to stop
  inappropriate behavior, Youre swearing, you
  need to be quiet..
• Reinforce any approximations of desired behavior.
• Offer empathy. I know its difficult to accept
  feedback Give the student opportunity to
  regain control.
• If student does not respond, inform him/her that
  continued inappropriate behavior will result in
  an office referral.

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Teachers role in an ODR-

• Once the teacher has requested an ODR, the
  teacher should not continue to discuss the
  content of the issue or attempt a corrective
  teaching intervention.
• The teacher completes an ODR form.
• The teacher is calm and maintains safety.
• The teacher describes the behavior in objective
  terms (circumstances, frequency, severity, words
  said, when, what, who without judgmental
  descriptors.)

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The intervention.

• System is in place for staff assistance at any
  time.
• The intervener is calm, does not rush
  intervention, and creates plan for the child to
  return to the learning environment.
• Child has opportunity to discuss his/her
  perspective.

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The intervention

• Child is held accountable for work and time
  missed.
• The intervention is documented.
• Consequences are reasonable, respectful, and
  relevant. Consider restitution, restorative
  justice, and communication with family.
• Remember that consequences are not sufficient to
  change behavior in the long term.
• It is not fair to up the punisher without
  considering teaching and prevention.

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Child returns to learning environment.

• The teacher accepts the child back into the
  learning environment.
• The teacher uses a high rate of positives for
  this child as they return and are successful.

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Know the cycle of acting out.

• Cycle Calm, triggers, agitation, acceleration,
  peak, de-escalation, and recovery.
• Knowing the triggers and signs of agitation can
  prevent peak behavior.

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Office Referral Forms

• Include
• Time
• Location
• Others involved
• Problem behavior
• Possible Motivation (obtain or avoid peer or
  adult attention, tasks or items)

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ODR Data

• A team meets regularly and uses up-to-date data
  to determine appropriate responses (school-wide,
  targeted, or individual) for behavior issues.

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Individual plans

• When a child receives two or more office
  discipline referrals, the school team may look at
  the function of his or her behavior.
• A function based individual behavior plan will
  address setting events, antecedents, teaching
  skills, and use of consequences to decrease
  inappropriate behavior and increase appropriate
  behavior.