School-wide Positive Behavioral Supports

School-wide Positive Behavioral Supports are instrumental to a well-run school. “Because approximately 20% of children in the U.S. have significant emotional and behavioral difficulties, and most of these children do not receive mental health services, utilizing RtI to better serve children at risk for emotional and behavioral disorders presents an extremely important option for school psychologists” (Froiland, 2011, p. 35). Being able to claim that you have such a system in place, backed by evidence that it works, shows that you are part of a school that is a well-oiled machine. Machines, however, don’t run with only one gear. It takes many pieces for a machine to function, and a school is no different. Having a specialized problem-solving team made up of teachers, administrators, psychologists, and counselors, who meet regularly, can be the difference between having a chaotic and messy environment or a stable and nurturing place where students thrive.

Most school districts have the resources to address student behavior needs and are comprised of different professionals, including psychologists, counselors, behavior specialists, administrators, social workers, nurses, and teachers. The teacher, properly trained, can be an asset to the team only if they have the right foundation in the behavioral and mental health field and have the support of the others. “There is a growing appreciation of the need to teach and help the development of the whole person as opposed to merely focusing on academic achievement and test scores” (Slade & Griffith, 2013, p. 24). If a school does not have access to these types of professionals, in the worst case possible, they can train themselves by utilizing current research and studies on the effectiveness of behavior management and the focus on the whole child. Since we, the teachers, are with he children the majority of the day, it only makes sense that we are trained and involved with their social and emotional well-being.

When approaching a behavior issue, it is important to use a data-based problem-solving approach. “Problem-solving involves the application fo the scientific method through clear problem identification, in-depth problem analysis, intervention development, ongoing measurement of students’ intervention response, and refinement of the intervention based on data” (Froiland, 2011, p. 36). This may take more time, but the overall result is worth the wait. It might actually take more time and energy to ignore or dismiss the problematic behavior as opposed to dealing with it in a data-based collective manner. Having an organized approach helps to ensure that the proper interventions are identified. For example, “behavioral RtI emphasizes a continuum of services that can be provided to students by school counselors and integrated into comprehensive school counseling programs” (Ziomek-Daigle, Goodman-Scott, Cavin, & Donohue, 2016, p. 222). Overall, the RtI system makes the approach to behavior consistent and organized, thereby creating an environment that helps those involved to follow through and stay on top of the problem and its anticipated improvement.

 

References

Froiland, J. M. (2011). Response to interventions as a vehicle for powerful mental health interventions in the schools. Contemporary School Psychology, 15, 35-42.

Slade, S., & Griffith, D. (2013). A whole child approach to student success. KEDI Journal of Educational Policy, 2103 Special Issue, 21-35.

Ziomek-Daigle, J., Goodman-Scott, E., Cavin, J., & Donohue, P. (2016). Integrating a multi-tiered system of supports with comprehensive school counseling programs. The Professional Counselor, 6(3), 220-232.