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PBIS World | A Complete Tier 1 Through Tier 3 Positive Behavior Interventions & Supports System

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PBIS World is in no way affiliated, associated, or connected with any other website, entity, organization, or federal, state, local, or other government agency, department, program, policy, organization, or initiative.

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Allows students in real time to discuss/draw/share something with the class. This has brought out many great discussions and can be used in transitions for students to build upon prior knowledge.

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I did something called science baseball. It was a fun way for students to do a competitive trivia game while feeling like they aren't learning.

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GoNoodle is the best! There are so many fun, interactive, movement videos for brain breaks. We do a few of them each day. Great for transitions too!

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Even doing a 30 second movement break like jumping jacks or just shaking out the wiggles

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This one is for the younger students but Jack Hartman has a bunch of fun videos to get the students moving but also involve counting, spelling, so much more!

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Finding the "happy medium" between making class fun and letting the students have fun but also having enough discipline that it doesn't become out of hand. Mastering this classroom management strategy would be the art of becoming an educator but I feel like very few teachers ever attain this.

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Sounds silly, but I have a whole section labeled teaching under my tiktok that gives so many great ideas for brain breaks. One I saw this week was called "SKUNK" and it sounded so fun!

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After recess and lunch, we do five minutes of mindfulness (watch a video, listen to something, sometimes my teacher reads from a book on mindfulness, etc) and this really helps students come back ready to learn, because otherwise they are typically pretty wound up

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Give students the same respect you expect them to give to you

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Our school uses Class Dojo where the students receive points. We can also communicate with families on student needs and behaviors through this platform.

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Great game to review vo
cab/structures/content in a way that is very kinetic/tactile! Just make sure to set clear expectations for your students and to establish effective safety protocol! Just ask me (Douglas Feyen) if you want more deets!

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On YouTube, there are this or that videos that you show your choice by doing some sort of movement. My students love it!!

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Having mutual respect for one another. Develop a relationship. A thing that has really helped me so far has been making jokes with students and allowing them to be themselves around me. It has helped for them to respect me and listen when I'm wanting them to.

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Our school celebrates the families through adult-centered fiestas. It is a fun way for the families to connect and enjoy one another.

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An excellent read to gain ideas for behavior management. I love the "What's Up" technique. https://livesinthebalance.org/

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One school district I worked in had restorative questions on the back or our teaching badges. I often flipped my badge over to talk over these situations with students:

What happened?

What were you thinking at the time?

What have you thought about since?

Who has been affected by what you have done? In what way?

What do you think you need to do to make things right?

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One aspect of teaching self regulation is self monitoring. Check In Check Out (CICO) sheets are often used for this type of a tier two behavior support. When students are not willing to carry around a sheet, digital versions of CICO sheets can be used. Special education teachers at my school often ask each teacher to fill in a google sheet chart with a specific color showing how the student is behaving. This is called a "rainbow chart." Documentation, consistent school-wide behavior expectations and parent communication is incredibly important to manage behavior.

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Teachers are experiencing a greater number of disruptive behaviors in the classroom. More than ever before, teachers need easy-to-use behavior management systems to ensure students are demonstrating positive behaviors.

Students demonstrating expected and unexpected behavior is not a new concept. Now, however, there is the unique layer of students being more isolated that has led to less social interaction for students since March 2020. As a result, districts, schools, and classrooms are dealing with the constant challenge of behavior tracking and finding a system to meet the unique needs of the 25+ students.

Understanding Behavior Management

The focus on behavior management is a top priority for many educators and administration.

Several factors impact student behavior, including creating a strong behavior management system. A behavior management system includes:

Teachers and school administrations creating a list of expected and unexpected student and staff behaviors, displaying the list for reference, and reviewing behavior expectations consistently throughout the year

Teachers consistently praising expected behaviors, which increases the likelihood for the behavior to continue.

Teachers identifying how to consistently respond to disruptive behavior.

Administrators and teachers collaborating to establish a school wide behavior management system and behavior tracking template

Behavior Tracking in Google Forms

One resource to help monitor student behavior is Google Forms. As you're probably familiar, Google Forms is a free easy-to-use tool that can be shared with the educational team and parents.

Google Forms can be created for class-wide behavior tracking or individual student needs. Forms can be used to gather data when a student has a Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP) and/or an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) with behavior goals.

Google forms are customizable with several ways to respond to a question: multiple choice, checkboxes, dropdown, short answer or paragraph response, or linear scale. Questions can be marked as required and the form can be saved to a student's device to have multiple teachers use the same behavior tracking system (if the student rotates among many teachers during the day).

Google Forms Behavior Tracking Template

Access the behavior tracking form template →
This particular form was used for a student in 7th grade. At the end of class when a behavior incident occurred, teachers would complete the form with the student. The student and teacher would discuss the responses which provided real-time feedback.

All teachers within the educational team had access to the response page and could see if the student had a challenging class earlier in the day, which might impact their behavior in their current class.

The Google Form organizes the responses in charts/graph format that can be included in weekly updates to the educational team, parents, and students, as well as within goal updates if the student has an IEP.

Here's an example of a behavior tracking pie chart based on one of the questions in the Google form:

Behavior Tracking in Google Sheets

Educational teams also have the option to view the Google Form responses on a Google Sheet document. The spreadsheet can be shared with the educational team, parents, and students. Notifications can be added to receive real-time or daily reports of the behavior tracking sheet. These updates can be tied to weekly student incentives at both school and home.
To set up notifications:

1. Select "Tools" Tab

2. Select "Notification Rules"

3. Identify your preference: "Notify me when any changes are made or a user submits a form"

4. Identify your preference: "Notify me with email- daily digest or email- right away"

Google Sheets Behavior Tracking Template

google forms behavior template
Access the behavior tracking sheet template →
Successful Behavior Management with Google Tools

There are several factors to increase the likelihood of success with behavior tracking sheets:

1. Include the student(s) in the process by having open discussions. Ask student(s) to reflect on their daily behavior, how often are they displaying expected and unexpected behavior.

2. Create the behavior tracking form with the student, have them choose a motivational image to include on the form, and/or change the color to be one of their favorites.

3. Include a classroom rewards or incentive system for them to work towards, ask student(s) to identify what motivates them or what do they want to work to earn.

4. Set weekly and long-term goals to ensure student(s) have a timeline for what to work towards.

5. Share consistent updates with the educational team to increase completion of the form throughout the school day

Why Focus on Behavior Tracking

Educators and administration have many goals to focus on each year. Reduction in office referrals and correcting misbehavior is possible when administrators collaborate with educators to establish a robust behavior management system that follows PBIS best practices.

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How to Use Google Forms and Sheets for Behavior Tracking

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Teachers are experiencing a greater number of disruptive behaviors in the classroom. More than ever before, teachers need easy-to-use behavior management systems to ensure students are demonstrating positive behaviors. Students demonstrating expected and unexpected behavior is not a new concept.

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Many resume templates can be found on Etsy and Canva! I never thought of searching there.

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Book recommendation if you are interested in educational leadership

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DPI Teacher Induction & Mentoring Guidebook

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DPI Teacher Induction & Mentoring Guidebook

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Think Kids - Collaborative Problem Solving

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Think Kids - Collaborative Problem Solving

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Sold a Story: How Teaching Kids to Read Went So Wrong

There's an idea about how children learn to read that's held sway in schools for more than a generation - even though it was proven wrong by cognitive scientists decades ago. Teaching methods based on this idea can make it harder for children to learn how to read. In this podcast, host Emily Hanford investigates the influential authors who promote this idea and the company that sells their work. It's an exposé of how educators came to believe in something that isn't true and are now reckoning with the consequences - children harmed, money wasted, an education system upended.

Sixty years ago, Marie Clay developed a way to teach reading she said would help kids who were falling behind. They'd catch up and never need help again. Today, her program remains popular and her theory about how people read is at the root of a lot of reading instruction in schools. But Marie Clay was wrong.
Sold a Story is an independent investigative journalism project from American Public Media. We rely on your donations to support this kind of rigorous reporting.
The controversial educational publishing company has sold instructional materials and professional resources in almost every state, earning at least $1.6 billion over a decade. Explore a map of school districts.

More states are now requiring districts to adopt curriculum that adheres to the science of reading. Look up the policy in your state.

At least 15 states have passed laws about how schools teach reading since the Sold a Story podcast was released in 2022, but there is pushback.

Here's a reading list put together by Emily Hanford.

This discussion guide, created by a teacher, invites educators, parents, community members and kids to have a conversation about the podcast.

Emails and voice messages poured in from people who listened to Sold a Story.

We'll let you know when we release new episodes of the podcast. Enter your address below.

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Sold a Story: How Teaching Kids to Read Went So Wrong

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There's an idea about how children learn to read that's held sway in schools for more than a generation - even though it was proven wrong by cognitive scientists decades ago. Teaching methods based on this idea can make it harder for children to learn how to read.

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These resources for English Language Learners (ELLs) from Colorín Colorado are age-specific and are organized by grade. Some resources may be adaptable for younger or older students.

Each section contains a variety of resources, including articles, videos, webcasts, tip sheets, and recommended websites.

What You'll Find in This Section

This section focuses on the early education of young English language learners (ELLs). Resources include a webcast, classroom strategies, parent tips, research and policy recommendations, and recommended books and websites.

These resources offer grade-specific ideas for teaching and supporting English language learners (ELLs) in early and upper elementary school. Ideas include tips for classroom teachers as well as ESL teachers.

This section focuses on the early education of young English language learners (ELLs). Resources include a webcast, classroom strategies, parent tips, research and policy recommendations, and recommended books and websites.

These resources offer grade-specific ideas for teaching and supporting English language learners (ELLs) in early and upper elementary school. Ideas include tips for classroom teachers as well as ESL teachers.

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These resources for English Language Learners (ELLs) from Colorín Colorado are age-specific and are organized by grade. Some resources may be adaptable for younger or older students. Each section contains a variety of resources, including articles, videos, webcasts, tip sheets, and recommended websites. This section focuses on the early education of young English language learners (ELLs).

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Storyline Online - celebrities reading their favorite picture books

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Storyline Online - celebrities reading their favorite picture books

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If managed well, these teams can help teachers innovate in the classroom and improve student outcomes.

Bob Daemmrich / Alamy Stock Photo

Many teachers work to guide students to take academic risks that will help them learn. Can schools apply that idea to teacher learning as well?

The answer may be found in the collaboration achieved in professional learning communities (PLCs). PLCs-which harness "an ongoing process in which educators work collaboratively in recurring cycles of collective inquiry and action research to achieve better results for the students they serve"-are a common and proven practice to promote teacher collaboration that increases student achievement.

However, it is possible to fall into collaborative work that stifles innovation. This can happen, for example, if PLCs focus too heavily on common assessments and a common understanding of what students are learning, leading to common everything-students getting the same lesson plan in each class. I've heard administrators use the term "common experience" when setting expectations for teaching and learning. That strikes me as going too far.

Although this is grounded in wanting to ensure student success through consistency, it can stifle innovation, and one of the purposes of a PLC is to try out new strategies. The PLC is designed for teacher learning, and thus the team must balance risk taking and teacher autonomy with shared expectations for student learning. It's important that teachers in a team have that clear understanding of purpose so that everyone feels safe to take risks.

A learning team constantly engages in a cycle of learning: analyzing data, setting goals, and learning individually and collaboratively, as well as implementing and adjusting practices to meet the needs of all learners. This process allows teachers to try new teaching practices and discover what's working and what isn't.

Determining Common Learning and Assessments

In PLCs, the fundamental questions teachers explore are: "What do we want students to learn?" and "How will we know if they have learned it?" These questions are foundational to any PLC, as they require teachers to come to a common understanding of the learning as well as common assessments that check for understanding.

PLC make this happen by prioritizing standards using specific criteria and then unpacking those standards, analyzing the nouns and verbs in the standards to understand which skills and concepts students will need to learn in order to be successful. Teachers identify what is hard to teach and what is hard to learn in the standards so that they can anticipate interventions and extensions.

It's important to note that parts of this process call for tight alignment between teachers and don't allow for the creativity and autonomy teachers may be used to. In order to achieve success for students, we do need some common practices. However, by agreeing as a team on what should be tightly aligned, we can set the stage for teacher autonomy and exploration of the art of teaching and instructional practice.

Making Space for Innovation

A PLC is constantly trying out new strategies to improve student learning, so individuals within the team must be given space to innovate. This is where the PLC should be only loosely aligned.

Teachers can never know what teaching works best for their students unless they are given the freedom to try out new strategies. PLCs can make this happen by having teachers collect evidence from common assessments and using data protocols to determine which strategies were most effective.

Ensuring That Teams Work Effectively

Sam Kaner coined the term Groan Zone to describe the space between a problem being posed and a solution being reached, and he described the divergent and convergent thinking that occurs there. Sometimes teachers in a PLC are afraid to engage in conflict or explore different ideas, worrying that even productive conflict signals that one is "not a team player." Conversely, teachers may feel pressured to get work done and feel they don't have time to spend in conflict.

But productive conflict can allow us to build better ideas and stronger teams, and PLCs should embrace productive conflict and create a space for it in order to innovate. PLCs can make this happen with clear norms as well as protocols to ensure that all voices are heard and that it is safe to engage in this conflict. It's also helpful to make sure the projected outcome of a meeting is clear: Are we "generating ideas" or "making a decision"? This clarity can make space for open conversation.

PLCs need strong facilitators in order to engage in conversations that promote learning, risk taking, and innovation. However, the facilitators or leaders of those teams may be torn between advocating for ideas and managing the complex process of moving the team forward. This can lead to situations where team members have a facilitator who is strongly advocating for an idea rather than allowing for all voices to be heard, and team members may not feel safe to speak up or take risks. If facilitators need to advocate, they should select someone else to facilitate, in order to continue to balance advocacy for new ideas against team consensus and integration.

I recommend clear decision-making process like the Gradients of Agreement structure, which allows for decision making that honors the Groan Zone and divergent thinking while still moving toward convergent thinking and consensus decision-making.

PLCs are the lifeblood of innovation and risk taking in school. When structured well, they can be teams that constantly learn together and work to discover what is best for students.

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If managed well, these teams can help teachers innovate in the classroom and improve student outcomes.

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Solution Tree recognizes the work of schools and districts that have significantly increased student achievement as a result of implementing the PLC at Work® process. Educational leadership in these schools and districts are invited to submit an application for their professional learning community to become a Model PLC at Work® school or district recognized for their commitment and fidelity to the three big ideas of Professional Learning Communities at Work:

1. Focus on learning

2. Collaborative culture and collective responsibility

3. Results orientation; Model PLC at Work® schools and districts serve as a testament to the effectiveness of the PLC at Work® process.

The concept of Model PLC at Work schools and districts was created and brought to life by the late Richard and Rebecca DuFour. Richard DuFour was the original architect of PLC at Work, along with his colleague Robert Eaker. In fact, Adlai Stevenson High School, where DuFour led as principal and superintendent, serves as the first exemplar of this globally recognized achievement. To achieve recognition as a Model PLC at Work school or district, you must:

Demonstrate a commitment to the PLC at Work® process

Provide evidence of three years of significant student achievement

Present clear evidence of improved student learning

Explain the culture, practices, and structures of your school or district and submit it for consideration to the PLC Review Committee using our online submission process

Update school or district information on the site every three years to show that your data continues to meet the criteria of the PLC at Work® process

Becoming a Model PLC at Work® School Guide
Why become a Model PLC at Work® School or District?

Celebrating success is a meaningful way to demonstrate what is essential, valued, and expected. It activates the mindset that goals are achievable and deserve to be recognized with high praise.

Becoming a Model PLC at Work School or District celebrates and validates the hard work and relentless determination it takes to ensure that all students learn. The data and evidence collected on student achievement quantify this success. Becoming a Model PLC at Work school or district is not an easy path but, for that reason, it is the distinction that sets those schools and districts apart.

The Process

Our Evidence of Effectiveness (EOE) Review Committee reviews every application. This group comprises certified PLC at Work associates who volunteer their time to review Model PLC at Work applications from schools and districts. Most members of the committee are still working educators and administrators at their schools or districts.
NOTE: Solution Tree associates must come from a Model PLC at Work school or district. This means that the EOE Review Committee members reviewing applications have done the work in leading their school or district to Model PLC at Work® status and are passionate about the process.
Applications submitted via our online submission process go directly to the EOE Review Committee. After your application has been reviewed, you will receive an approval letter, a feedback letter, or a request for additional information.

Whether or not you are ready to receive recognition as a Model PLC at Work, your school or district will receive valuable feedback on your current practices, as well as guidance on how to continue your PLC at Work journey. It is worthwhile to apply, whatever the outcome may be. We highly encourage you to seize this opportunity to reflect on where you are in your journey and share your success with us by applying to become a Model PLC at Work.

We highly encourage you to apply.
Apply here
Promising Practices School

We recognize that COVID-19 has been tough on educators, students, and the education system. You may be working to become a Model PLC at Work school but have not yet accumulated three years of data, or perhaps you are still in the developing stages of your journey. In that case, you may qualify to become a Promising Practices school.

This initial step to becoming a Model PLC at Work school means that you have strong evidence of having laid a solid foundation and can share at least one year of data showing your student population's growth in a defined area. We are happy to recognize this success through Promising Practices status and hope this will inspire you to continue your journey. After you have collected three years of evidence showing improved student achievement, you will then be welcome to apply to become a Model PLC at Work school.

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What is a Model PLC School? | All Things PLC | Powered by Solution Tree

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Solution Tree recognizes schools and districts that follow the PLC at Work® process and significantly increases student achievement by inviting them to apply to become a Model PLC school or district.

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