An Educator's Guide to Schoolwide Positive Behavioral Inteventions and Supports. Jason E. Harlacher
which in turn allows educators to make a summary statement. A summary statement defines the problem and indicates what, where, who, when, why, and how often the behavior is occurring (O’Neill, Horner, Albin, Sprague, & Storey, 1997; University of Oregon, 2011). This information also further quantifies the problem and provides parameters for a goal.
Developing a summary statement for the behavior involves moving from a general problem statement to a precise problem statement (Newton, Horner, 2009; University of Oregon, 2011). Precise problem statements are critical because they allow teams to develop efficient and targeted solutions (University of Oregon, 2011). While a general problem statement alerts someone that there’s a problem, it is vague and nondescript. With a precise problem statement, detailed information about the problem is included. In essence, going from a general problem statement to a precise problem statement is going from step 1 to step 2 of the PSM (see table 1.5).
Table 1.5: General Versus Precise Problem Statements
| General | Precise |
| Noise in the hallway | In the last month, there have been fifteen office referrals for inappropriate language or disrespect in the hallway. The problem typically occurs during the transitions to and from lunch, and the majority of referrals are fifth graders. The most common function of behavior is peer attention. |
| High rate of ODRs | We have had twice as many ODRs during the month of October as we had in the month of September. The majority of ODRs are happening in the classroom and on the playground across grade levels. Noncompliance is the most common problem behavior in the classroom and it typically results in work avoidance; physical aggression is the most common problem behavior on the playground and results in peer attention or obtaining items. |
| Student disruption very high | There have been twenty instances of minor disruption occurring during the last fifteen minutes of our classes across grade levels before lunchtime in the last four weeks. Peer attention maintains the disruption. |
| Kids so mean; tease and bully each other | Three students have received ten referrals this month for bullying others. They are sending mean text messages and spreading rumors about other students to get peer attention. |
| Twice as many referrals in January compared to December | The doubling in referrals from December to January has occurred in all grades for being late to class. The motivation is peer attention, as they talk to each other in between classes. |
It’s important that educators ensure precise problem statements by confirming that they include information on the five Ws and one H. Missing any one of those pieces of information can result in a less than precise solution (University of Oregon, 2011). For example, if a general problem statement indicates noise in the hallway, a school team may enlist an intensive solution for the problem (for example, all educators reteach expectations to students). However, if the precise problem statement for noise in the hallway indicates that the issue occurs only after lunch and involves a handful of students, then the solution is more targeted and less intensive (educators only reteach expectations to a handful of students). Once educators develop a precise problem statement, they can proceed to the next step of the PSM to identify a solution.
Plan Identification and Implementation
Step 3 is Plan Identification and Implementation, during which educators answer the question, What can be done to solve the problem? This step includes identifying a goal and designing a plan (which can also be viewed as solution) to reach that goal.
The plan is designed to be comprehensive, is based on principles of behaviorism, and includes these six components.
1. Prevention: What changes to the context can educators make to avoid the problem?
2. Teaching: What replacement behaviors will educators teach?
3. Recognition or reinforcement: How can teachers provide rewards for the desired behavior?
4. Extinction: How can teachers prevent the undesired behavior from being rewarded?
5. Consequences: What are efficient punishment strategies for the undesired behavior (if data indicate the need for punishment strategies)?
6. Evaluation of implementation and impact: How will teachers measure fidelity and impact (Newton, Horner, et al., 2009)?
Creating a comprehensive solution ensures that there are strategies to prevent the behavior, strategies to teach new replacement behaviors, strategies to reinforce the new behavior and prevent the old behavior from occurring, and strategies to monitor the implementation (that is, fidelity) and impact of the solution. Once teachers develop and implement a solution or plan, the team actively monitors and evaluates the plan during the next step of the PSM.
Plan Evaluation
In step 4, Plan Evaluation, educators answer the question, Did it work? by monitoring the plan’s implementation and impact (Newton, Horner, 2009). During this stage, educators examine the data and make decisions regarding continued use of the plan. If fidelity of implementation is good, educators can then make decisions about continuing, fading out, intensifying, or altering the current plan. If the fidelity is not good, then educators can have discussions about how to improve fidelity, and they continue the plan before they make decisions about its impact.
The PSM provides an organizing framework for educators to identify and solve problems. The four steps allow school teams and individual educators to (1) initially identify a problem, (2) understand the context and reasons the problem is occurring, (3) develop a plan to solve the problem, and (4) monitor the impact and implementation of that plan for the problem (Newton, Horner, et al., 2009; Shinn, 2008a). Table 1.6 illustrates the steps of the PSM.
Table 1.6: PSM Steps
| Step of the PSM | Example |
| 1. Problem Identification | There have been fifteen office referrals (observed level) for inappropriate language or disrespect in the hallway in the last month, and there should be no more than two during that time (expected level). |
| 2. Problem Analysis | A majority of fifth graders are being loud and saying inappropriate or disrespectful things to each other during the transitions to and from lunch each week in order to obtain peer attention. |
| 3. Plan Identification and Implementation | The plan will include: (1) prevention of the problem behavior by reteaching “being respectful” and then asking teachers to stand in hallway and use active supervision to prompt students; (2) teaching the desired behavior by reteaching “being respectful” and teaching students to say hello to each by waving, giving a high five, or saying hello appropriately; (3) recognition or reinforcement of the desired behavior by providing students PBIS tickets for appropriate behavior and saying hello appropriately; (4) extinction of the problem behavior by prompting students to perform an appropriate way of saying hello to each other when loud or inappropriate; (5) using consequences by having students stop and wait until hallways are clear before they can proceed if they display the problem behavior; and (6) evaluation of implementation and impact by tracking impact by examining referrals and tracking implementation by counting the number of teachers who use active supervision during transition times. |
| 4. Plan Evaluation |
Meet in one week to examine data on implementation (for example, rating of |