February 2015 - vol. 29 no. 3
Register now for the 2015 CCBD conference
Please register now for the 2015 CCBD International Conference on September 24-25 at the Georgia Tech Conference Center in downtown Atlanta, GA.
The theme of this year’s conference is “Supporting the Behavior of ALL Students” and Kathleen Lynne Lane will be the keynote speaker. We will feature strands on the following topics areas: Mental Health, Juvenile Justice, Multi-Tier Systems of Supports (MTSS), Common Core Across the Content Areas, Autism, Behavior Management Strategies, Law/Policy/Advocacy, Research, and Mentorship.
Our room block is filling up fast, so please register and book your hotel reservations now.
Thank you for submitting your proposals to the call for papers. Proposals are currently under peer review, and presenters will be notified of acceptance by March 30.
Please visit our website for more information: http://www.ccbd.net/conference.
CCBD Elections
http://www.ccbd.net/awardsnominations/current-competitions
NOTICE: A live voting ballot was placed on the CCBD website in error on February 20. Once we realized this error the ballot was removed several hours later. That ballot is null and void and no votes cast with that ballot were counted – so if you voted at that time you will need to vote again. We apologize for the confusion and we are confident that this will have no effect on the integrity or outcome of this election.
Voting for the 2015 Executive Committee and other Committees will open in February thru March. Current members will be receiving a link for voting soon. Please check your emails for the voting link.
President's Message
President's Message - Terry Scott
Multi-Tiered Systems of Support: A Framework for Evidence-Based Practice
Students with emotional and behavioral disorders present challenges to teachers and parents alike and perhaps the key focus of CCBD is to support effective interventions for these students. But there are so many possibilities it’s often difficult to know the best course of action. Occam’s razor presents a logic for simplicity. It states that when considering multiple hypotheses or options, the one with the fewest assumptions provides the most logical choice. For our purposes, hypotheses are interventions. When presented with a need for intervention (e.g., learning), the most logical choice is the one that that provides us the greatest likelihood for success – or the one we know has worked most in the past. Of course it is possible that the intervention will be insufficient and other interventions will need to be initiated – and we should be prepared to do so as indicated. It’s also possible that one or more of these other options may someday be proven to be more effective, taking over as the most logical choice. But given that we currently have more evidence for one than others, simple logic suggests we take that option. Multi-tiered systems of support such as positive behavior interventions and supports (PBIS) and response to intervention (RTI) are nice examples of how Occam’s razor can be applied to teaching.
Multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) provide a framework for providing intervention across all staff and students in the school. In general, PBIS is an MTSS that is applied to behavior and RTI is an MTSS that is applied to academics (typically reading and math). Across tiers, the MTSS focus in on the simplest effective strategies to improve the probability of student success. At the school-wide or primary tier intervention is largely based on effective teaching and the delivery of instruction. Whether it be academic or behavioral in nature the highest probability of success involves students knowing how and being encouraged to engage in successful behavior. But when we find that instruction has not been effective for some students, the focus turns to a second tier of intervention that involves additional instruction and some individualized strategies aimed mainly at small groups. After continuous assessment there will be a small group of students for whom nothing prior has been demonstrated to be effective, and these students will require more diagnostic assessment and highly individualized intervention plans.
In general, we wish to focus on those practices that provide the highest probability for success – or the greatest evidence. There are a lot of people out there claiming to do research and promoting their results on websites and fliers, often promoting and selling training and products. While this in itself does not mean that these people are not honest, it should be a red flag in terms of believability. For evidence to be trustworthy we should attend to the following:
The evidence is based on empirical evidence and direct outcome measures – not on theory or perceptions.
The evidence is published in a peer reviewed journal or other volume that has been approved by blind reviewers who carefully scrutinize the methods, analyses, and conclusions.
The authors of the study have no financial stake in the outcome of the study.
The evidence has been replicated by other researchers with similar results.
If the evidence is wildly different from the findings of other research on the same topic there are logical explains as to why the differences were noted.
Evidence that does not meet all of these indicators may still be valid, but there is a need to be very skeptical and to demand further information. After all, we owe it to our students to use only those interventions for which we have compelling evidence because another failure may become a last straw in terms of a prognosis for future success.
News from RSM: Regional Services and Membership
News from RSM: Regional Services and Membership - Lonna Moline
Getting ready for the CEC conference in San Diego! Stop by the CCBD table. Hope to see you there.
I would also like to introduce Soo Ahn. She is the new Regional coordinator for Region 7: RC – Soo Ahn [email protected]
Here is what is happening around the regions:
REGION 4:
CO CCBD sponsored Greg Benner at the annual CEC conference this year. Also we are gearing up for our Affective Needs conference in October. Our keynote speaker will be Jeff Sprague and we are really excited for it! Check out Colorado-CCBD.org for more info!
REGION 5:
News from Kentucky CCBD
Kentucky ccbd will be holding their summer conference at the Kentucky International convention Center in Louisville, Kentucky on June 17 and June18, 2015. For further information contact Patty Whitney at [email protected] or Donna Meers at [email protected]
The Ohio CCBD summer behavior institute will be held on june 25 and June 26 at the University of Toledo at the dept of Health and Human Services. Activities will be on Thursday from 9 am-5 pm and Friday from 8 am -3 pm. For more information contact Suzi Leone at [email protected]
Cost is $75 dollars for cec members and $130 for non members.
Illinois CCBD had a successful winter drive on Feb 6-7, 2015, in Lisle, Illinois and also had a leadership retreat after the conference. The Illinois CCBD summer institute will be held August 7 at the Northfield Inn. For further information contact Michael Edwards at [email protected]
REGION 8: We are very proud of the CCBD energy in Region 8 this year! Thank you Linda Phillips for all your hard work!!
Below are President names and email addresses. Get in touch if you want to get to know folks in your state and if you want to be active in your state’s subdivision.
Alabama Nicole Swoszowski, [email protected]
Florida Ken Campbell, [email protected]
Georgia Kraig Howell, [email protected]
Mississippi Sabrina Singleton, [email protected]
North Carolina Cayce McCamish, [email protected]
South Carolina Judith Ramsey, [email protected]
Tennessee James Fox, [email protected]
OPPORTUNITY
We continue to look for a Regional Coordinator for Regions 6. Please contact me if you or someone you know would be interested in becoming more involved.
Region 6: New York, Vermont, Connecticut, New England-not active (CT, DE, MA, ME, NH, RI).
I hope to hear from people who are ready to increase their engagement with CCBD. [email protected]
Enjoy the season!
Lonna Moline
Flurry of Activity as New Congress Begins
Flurry of Activity as New Congress Begins
Myrna Mandlawitz, CCBD Legislative Consultant
The two hot topics in Congress of most interest to education professionals are the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA, currently known as No Child Left Behind) and the budget for Fiscal Year 2016 (FY 2016). The ESEA reauthorization is eight years overdue, and the new majority is moving rapidly to get bills passed. The House will be considering its bill – basically the same one passed in the last Congress – in the Education and Workforce Committee on February 11 and expects to move it to the House floor the following week. The House version is a partisan bill, whereas the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee is working to develop bipartisan legislation. The Senate Committee is aiming for committee consideration in late February. Whether or not this process will be concluded this year is anyone's guess.
The process of producing a budget for FY 2016 (Oct. 1, 2015 – Sept. 30, 2016) began with the release of the president's budget proposal on February 2. The budget proposal provides $37 billion above the sequestration cap for non-defense discretionary programs, including education, health, and social services. Since sequestration was passed into law in 2011, it will literally require an "act of Congress" to increase spending in the way the president has recommended.
The president's budget proposal includes increases in IDEA State grants (Part B), the preschool program, and the Part C program for infants and toddlers. Part B would receive an increase of 1.52 percent, preschool an increase of 14.1 percent, and Part C an additional 14.8 percent. The Administration is proposing appropriations language in the preschool program to expand access to coordinated early intervening services to children ages 3 through 5. In addition, given that the requested level for Part C is above the statutory $460 million trigger, the Department would be able to make State Incentive Grants to States to promote and facilitate the implementation of policies allowing parents to keep their child in early intervention services until they are eligible to enter elementary school.
It is clear the House will propose a budget within the sequestration cap, and mostly likely the Senate will follow suit. Each chamber must produce a budget resolution that lays out spending priorities for the coming year. The only binding part of a budget resolution is the top line amount that will be available for the Appropriations (spending) committees to divide among the 12 appropriations subcommittees to fund discretionary programs and activities. If that number is kept within the budget caps, spending for critical programs – including education – will continue to decrease until FY 2021. Education advocates will be working to ensure a sensible allocation that maintains and increases funding for education programs.
Beyond Behavior - School Subscriptions Now Available!
Dear CCBD Member or Colleague,
The Council for Children with Behavioral Disorders is offering new subscription pricing for public, private, and charter schools serving preK-12th grade children and youth. Institutional prices for a subscription are normally $200.00, but because our mission is to improve the lives of students with Behavior Disorders, their families, and their teachers, we are offering a school subscription price of just $29.95.
Beyond Behavior is a magazine style journal produced three times a year with articles about evidence-based practices and practical strategies for classroom management, behavior management, targeted programs, and individualized interventions. Each issue provides practical, state of the art techniques for teaching and working with children with behavior challenges.
As a member you already receive Beyond Behavior. We are asking you to suggest to a principal, teacher, or special education director to purchase a subscription for your school or a school near you. It is easy to do so. Just forward this message to someone you know or click on the secure link to make a purchase. Consider gifting your school or a colleague with a subscription.
http://www.ccbd.net/publications/beyondbehavior
RIP Dr. James M. Crowner
RIP Dr. James M. Crowner, CCBD Founding Member
James M. Crowner died at age 91 on February 16, 2015 at Nyack Hospital in Nyack, New York. He was one of the pioneers of the field of teaching teachers of emotionally disturbed children and a longtime faculty member at Southern Illinois University. In 1962 he helped found the Council for Children with Behavioral Disorders. He submitted the first record of the board for CCBD and was as the 4th president of the organization in 1964. We all stand on the shoulders of people like Dr. Crowner who dedicated his professional life to serving students with emotional and behavioral disorders. His contributions are not forgotten.
The Janus Project: A Conversation with Norris Haring
The Janus Project: Capturing Conversations From Leaders in the Field
A Conversation with Norris Haring
Teagarden, J., Zabel, R., & Kaff, M.
Kansas State University
The Janus Oral History Project takes its name from the Roman god, Janus, whose two faces looked both to the past and the future. Sponsored by the Midwest Symposium for Leadership in Behavior Disorders, The Janus Project collects and disseminates the perspectives of leaders in the field about the past, present, and future of educating children with behavioral and learning challenges.
The Janus Project staff asks participants about the people and events that have influenced their careers and the larger field, for their views about the current and future state of the field, and to share their advice for persons entering the field. Over the past eight years, approximately 60 conversations have been collected in video form and are available on the MSLBD website at the following URL:
http://www.mslbd.org/stories_and_information_interviews_with_profession…
Norris Haring is Professor Emeritus and Founding Director of E.E.U. Center on Human Development and Disability at the University of Washington. Over the course of his long and distinguished career, Dr. Haring has had a significant influence on the field of special education. He is credited with pioneering approaches for teaching physically challenged children become self-sufficient and successful. He is internationally recognized for drawing attention to careful study and measurement of educational interventions, and he has offered evidence about how educational approaches affect behavior. In addition, Norris and his wife Dorothy have established an ongoing legacy to support future research and practice through their endowment of The Norris and Dorothy Haring Center for Applied Research and Training in Education at the University of Washington.
The following are excerpts from a 2012 conversation with Dr. Haring in his Seattle area home.
* * * * *
JANUS: Looking back, what do you think has had the greatest positive impact on the field?
Haring: Well, we would have to recognize the importance of legislation. You hate to be driven by the legislation or legislatures but even so starting with “Education for All Handicapped Children Act,” then legislation for partial inclusion in the same school in resource rooms, that was a step, and finally full inclusion.
Measurement, in terms of progress that you’re making in the schools, in your teaching setting, is still not where it should be and we need to go a little bit further, but it certainly is increasing and that is important. We have a brilliant future tightening our own measurements in education. I think that single subject designs are the answer. As we become more refined, as we become more interested in making trend lines to show what we are actually teaching, I think we’re on the way to achieving that. These are the bright spots.
JANUS: What has had the greatest negative influence?
Haring: Well, the other side of the coin is not doing what you know you should be doing. That’s the most troubling. If we don’t do what we know that’s better than what we’re doing. I’d say one of the things that we should know better is not giving all teachers more experience working with kids with disabilities. They have no experience, they may take an introductory course, and you really don’t learn anything in an introductory course. The whole idea of expecting a regular classroom teacher to take a child without any of the skills that you were expecting, including the social skills, and teach without any experience whatsoever: That’s unfair and, I think, a serious mistake.
JANUS: Where do you see this field going in the future?
Haring: Well, this Norris and Dorothy Haring Center is the most optimistic set of conditions that I see currently. The Center is named after Dorothy and I, which is a great honor. One of the problems that we’ve had is to get by on our own rather than with a lot of federal help. The Haring Center consists of a professional preparation unit, in terms of research about being ready to teach. The other unit is more focused on individual children. We’re concentrating right now on autism and what it means and how to get there early. One of the areas is the measurement of how much of what’s coming in is being used intellectually or cognitively. So, we have what I call an individual measurement system of the potential of problems. As we get into the whole area of autism, some of the classification is causing almost an epidemic in its rate of growth. We really need to get more refinement. Is it really autism or is it something that’s similar to or related to autism?
I’m equally pleased because in the other unit is a $40 million grant for training Head Start teachers throughout the nation. We’re getting some nice training programs here for infancy and we’re seeing the importance of starting even before Head Start, at least in the training and the education that’s necessary for professionals. I’m excited about that.
JANUS: What advice do you have to those just entering the field - practitioners going into classrooms or higher education?
Haring: It would be an error to respond to that unless you can identify the trends and staying focused and utilizing the strengths that you have in carefully focused areas. Get ahead of the parade if you can and be one of the producers of the fundamentals of where we should go. I think we’ve had success in better measurement and more responsiveness to the measures. I would advise people entering the field to follow the trends, stay focused, and don’t expect probability to take care of you.
* * * * *
The authors thank Dr. Haring for his pioneering and future contributions to the field of special education and for sharing his experiences and perspectives with us. The complete transcript of this conversation has been published in Intervention in School and Clinic (Teagarden, Zabel, & Kaff, 2013) and the video recording of the interview can be viewed at the following URL: https://archive.org/details/Haring
Future issues of Behavior Today will feature excerpts from Janus Project conversations with other leaders in the field, including Frank Gresham, Steve Forness, and Mary Margaret Kerr.
Teagarden, J., Zabel, R., & Kaff, M. (2013). Charting Changes: A Conversation with Norris Haring. Intervention in School and Clinic, 49, 121-126.
ACADEMICS IN ACTION: Think-Pair-Share
ACADEMICS IN ACTION
A column by Jennifer Christensen, Eastern Kentucky University
Academics in Action is a regular feature of Behavior Today designed to highlight academic strategies for students with EBD in classroom or home settings. If you have a great idea you’d like to share please contact our columnist at [email protected]
Think-Pair-Share
What Is Think-Pair-Share?
Think-Pair-Share, developed in 1981 by Frank Lyman and his colleagues in Maryland, is a cooperative discussion strategy. The strategy is designed to differentiate instruction by providing students time and structure for thinking on a given topic, allowing them to formulate individual ideas and share these ideas with a peer, and then share these ideas with the larger group. The name of the strategy describes the student action expected in each stage. Each component is equally important in the process and should not be shortchanged. In Stage 1, the teacher poses a question, a prompt, or a problem and provides the students with time to think about the issue individually. In Stage 2, the students work together in pairs to resolve or respond to or address the issue posed. In Stage 3, the students share their ideas with the whole group.
How Should I Use Think-Pair-Share?
Think-Pair-Share is easy to use within a planned lesson, but is also an easy strategy to use for those “teachable moments”, as it structures the discussion. We know that students learn content, in part, by being able to talk about it. Using this strategy, students follow a process that limits off-task thinking and off-task behavior. Accountability is built in to this process through reporting to a partner, and then partners reporting to the larger group. Once the students are taught the process of this strategy, implementation becomes seamless.
The first stage, when students are instructed to THINK about the content, involves wait time. Students are given time to formulate their thoughts about the topic. The time varies—you want to give the students enough time to process the question and formulate their thoughts, but too much time can cause unwanted behavior. Setting a timer for one to three minutes, depending on the complexity of the question or content to be pondered, provides structure for the students, allows you as the teacher to be consistent, and gives enough time for students to process both the question and their responses. Of course, the time can be adjusted depending on the complexity of the issue. This is silent thinking time. This is important as it eliminates the problem of those very eager and forward students who tend to shout out the answers, and puts the onus on all students to come up with a response to share with a partner.
The second stage, when students are instructed to pair up and share their responses in order to come to a resolution, students get to discuss their thoughts in the private sanctuary of the pair. Through sharing and talking with their partners, students are encouraged to think together to come up with a response or resolution to share with the class. Students who hesitate to speak up in front of an entire group are given the opportunity to find and share their voice in a small pair. Also, through pairing, students learn of the similarities and differences between their thoughts and ideas and those of a partner. Students also discover that they rethink their responses in order to express them to someone else, and they also often elaborate on their answer or think of new ideas as the partners share. The time for this stage also varies, typically from three to five minutes, although this time can also be adjusted depending on the complexity of the issue.
The third stage is the expansion of the partner share into a whole-class discussion, once partners have had ample time to share their thoughts and have a discussion with each other. In this component, each partner group chooses who will present their thoughts, ideas, and questions to the rest of the class. After the class “share,” the teacher may choose to have pairs reconvene to talk about how their thinking may have changed as a result of the “share” component.
Why Should I Use Think-Pair-Share?
This learning strategy promotes classroom participation by encouraging a high degree of pupil response and engagement with the content and the process of working within groups. This strategy provides an opportunity for all students to share their thinking with at least one other student, increasing their sense of involvement in classroom learning. This strategy can be used for a wide variety of daily classroom activities such as concept reviews, discussion questions, partner reading, brainstorming, quiz reviews, topic development, etc. Think-Pair-Share helps students develop conceptual understanding of a topic, develop the ability to filter information and draw conclusions, and develop the ability to consider other points of view. Think-Pair-Share can also be used as an information assessment tool—as students discuss their ideas, the teacher can circulate and listen to the conversations taking place and respond accordingly.
APP REVIEW: Teacher’s Classroom BEHAVIOR PRO
APP REVIEW: Teacher’s Classroom BEHAVIOR PRO
Staci M. Zolkoski, University of North Texas
Teacher’s Classroom BEHAVIOR PRO
This app can be found on Google Play and only costs $0.99 and is a quick and easy way to track challenging behaviors (e.g., physical disruptions, talking) as well as positive behaviors. Teachers can record the behaviors of individual students, a group of students, or an entire class. Behaviors are recorded by tapping a button next to the student name or class. Daily logs show the name of the student, behavior, and time in which the behavior occurred. Logs can be saved and emailed.
Dear Ms. Kitty
My Student Calls Himself Lazy
Dear Ms. Kitty:
I am a special education teacher of secondary students with behavior disorders on a Native American reservation in Arizona. I have one student who has the cognitive ability to do his school work well; however, he easily gives up and refuses to complete his work. He keeps stating that he can’t do it, he doesn’t want to try, and even also comments that he is lazy. Reinforcements do not seem to be working with him. How can I motivate this student to do his work?
~ Helpless in Arizona
Dear Helpless in Arizona:
Thank you for reaching out. Honestly, you are struggling with a student’s behavior which we have all encountered as teachers at some point in our careers. First, I wanted to remind you that it is important to be a culturally competent educator. Meaning, make sure to research the Native American culture and how these students might value their academic schoolwork. Take some time to investigate other concepts associated to their culture, specifically associated to time orientation, relationships between teachers and students, and cultural norms related to exploring mental health issues such as depression and anxiety. These are all concepts that may help you better understand to your student’s challenging behaviors.
Next, it seems that you delineated the target or problematic behavior as the student refuses to complete his schoolwork. It is important that you collect data. After collecting data on the student refusing to complete his school work, your data analysis will depict behavior patterns related to the target behavior. For example, you may discover that there is a time of day which he refuses to work or find he refuses to complete his work during a specific subject hour. This data will be important if you and your individualized education plan (IEP) team decide to construct a functional behavior assessment and behavior intervention plan with this student.
You mentioned that you have tried reinforcements and they do not seem to be working. Remember, a reinforcement only operates as a reinforcement when it increases the probability of the student exhibiting the desired behavior in the future. You may conduct a preference assessment with this student to delineate what he considers a reinforcement. I encourage you to revisit the preference assessment multiple times because the student’s preferences may change and you want to keep mixing up the reinforcements offered.
Best practice is to continue collecting data throughout the process. Finally, please revisit your classroom-wide positive behavioral interventions and supports framework and make revisions, if needed. Below are some resources which may help. Please contact Ms. Kitty via [email protected] for specific questions or concerns. Thank you for all you do for students with exceptionalities!
~ Ms. Kitty
Helpful resources for your students and classroom may include:
http://demo.westat.com/t2tweb/NativeAmerican/Home.asp
http://cecp.air.org/cultural/default.htm
Ms. Kitty has worked with children and youth with challenging behaviors for nearly 20 years. She educated students with behavior disorders in several different states and taught students from all grades, except 7th grade. Ms. Kitty has also earned her undergraduate, master’s, and doctorate degrees in special education, specifically emotional disabilities and behavior disorders. Please contact Ms. Kitty about any specific questions you have related to working with your students with challenging behaviors - [email protected]
WE DO MAKE THE DIFFERENCE!
WE DO MAKE THE DIFFERENCE!
By Bev Johns
This regular column focuses on the positive contributions that each of us make in our work with students with emotional and behavioral challenges. Each issue you can expect to find words of advice and encouragement in your role as a profession working with children with challenging behaviors. Bev Johns is a national expert in educating students with EBD, preparing successful professionals, and advocating for the rights of both.
There are a number of negative statements in the press about educators and sometimes those comments get us down and make us feel defeated. Policy makers need to understand the very valuable work that each and every one of us does.
We all got into the field of working with students with emotional/behavioral challenges because we knew the importance of being positive and building our students up rather than focusing on their negative behavior. At the same time, we need to build ourselves up and reflect on all the good things we do daily to make a positive difference in children and their families’ lives.
Across the time line of 1. evaluation 2. Individual Education Plan (IEP), 3. implementation of the IEP and 4. a student’s exit from the educational system, everything we do can make a positive difference.
Let’s look at the evaluation process and the difference that each of us makes for a student when we are learning as much as we can to assist the student. Through our observations, data collection, progress monitoring, and standardized testing, we play a critical role in determining the needs of the student. We are members of the multidisciplinary team and together we learn as much about the student as we can. The more evaluation data we have, the better we understand the services and the methods that will be beneficial to the student.
For an initial evaluation, we may be asked to observe the student within the classroom setting. We may be asked to assist with behavior rating scales. We take this role very seriously because we are part of the decision making process that will determine whether the student needs special education services.
Within the classroom, we are continually observing the student noting changes in behavior, doing academic assessments, progress monitoring, and keeping logs that might show patterns of behavior.
When students are due for updated evaluations, we provide reports, our observations, and academic and behavioral assessments.
Through the functional assessment team process, we are detectives. What exciting work! We are trying to figure out why the student behaves the way the student does. Our students come to us with a complex set of needs and behavior is not always what it seems. We have the privilege of being part of the team that is figuring out the multiple needs of the child. As evaluators, we learn to listen to what are students and their families are telling us. We go beyond the surface behavior to figure out the multiple reasons those behavior may be occurring. Our work as evaluators is never done. About the time we think we have figured out why the student is behaving in a specific way, the student comes up with another behavior and we have to keep being detectives.
Others may quickly assume a simple reason for the student’s behavior. We know better. We know that our students face many challenges and the behavior isn’t always what it seems.
We evaluate the academic needs of our students and define the relationship between our students’ academic skills and their behavior. We evaluate our students holistically. We look for telltale signs that the student may be abused or neglected.
We share what we have learned through the evaluation with our fellow team members and with the student and his or her family.
We evaluate thoroughly; not cutting corners on an evaluation. We know that the information will not only help us but will help others who are working with our students in the future.
If we do are job well, we are able to develop a plan that can make a positive difference when the IEP is developed. Our work as evaluators is serious business and we are fortunate to have the opportunity to serve in this role.