F.I.R.S.T
Why FIRST?
FIRST speaks to our College values: be living witnesses of our Catholic story; be self-aware, confident and compassionate; take an active and positive place in the world; have an enduring curiosity and love of learning; know that we are stewards of our world.
FIRST strengthens the students’ relationships with themselves, teachers, peers and families and provides a welcoming atmosphere which promotes a safe and supportive learning environment and fosters curiosity.
As a Catholic community our view is to educate the whole person. This holistic approach not only focuses on the academics, but promotes social emotional wellbeing throughout the entire school community. The community values all individuals, and the FIRST approach promotes this, not merely through acceptance but targeted teaching, which focuses on the strength of the individual.
School Wide Positive Behaviour Support (SWPBS)
Implementation Project Plan
Context
SWPBS is a framework that establishes systems and practice for teaching social and behavioural skills which in turn enhance learning and teaching. Schools have a responsibility to provide education in safe, positive and predictable environments. Establishing a positive, proactive and preventative set of school wide behavioural expectations is a necessary first step enabling schools to achieve their goals and responsibilities. SWPBS is an organisational framework, not a specific “program”, “model”, “approach”, “tool”, or “specific curriculum”, rather a compilation of research validated effective practices, interventions and systems.
SWPBS provides a framework for:
- Improving social behaviour climate of schools
- Supporting the impact of academic instruction on achievement
- Increasing proactive, positive, preventative management while decreasing reactive management
- Integrating academic and behavioural supports
- Improving services for all students, including students at risk and students with identified disabilities or diverse learning needs
Purpose
This document outlines the SWPBS framework implementation process. It is a three tiered framework based on a model of prevention and intervention which is designed to meet unique behavioural needs of all students.
Tier 1: Universal Prevention (All)
Tier 1 supports provide the foundation for learning and expected behaviour for all students. It supports all students. For most students (80-85%) this level of support provides what they need to be successful at school and discourages behaviour of concern.
Tier 2: Targeted Prevention (Some)
This tier provides secondary, high efficiency, rapid response, targeted interventions supporting groups of students, and some individually (10-15%), who are at risk and need some extra support.
Tier 3: Intensive, Individualised Prevention (Few)
Tier 3 are tertiary supports which are intensive and individualised for a small number of students (1-5%) are usually assessment based, durable and often involve the development of behaviour support plans.
The three tiered framework takes on average three to five years to fully implement, and during that time a Behaviour Support Team (BST) is established which will ensure the durability and the sustainability of the systems and practice embedded across the school.
Pre-implementation
The SWPBS pre-implementation phase is two-fold and the first is the most critical aspect of the whole enterprise.
Leadership commitment and support
Leadership (especially the Principal) commitment to the SWPBS implementation is of paramount importance. The role of leadership is to support the work of the implementation team by promoting the work at every opportunity (staff meetings, parent gatherings, student assemblies); and furthermore, to provide the necessary resources and administrative assistance the team may require during implementation.
Establishment of an Implementation Team
The implementation team is best served by a representation of staff from across a range of faculties and year levels (teaching and non-teaching staff), and at least one leadership executive member. A critical factor in ensuring the success of the implementation is the efficient and effective function of the team. This in turn ensures the fidelity of the implementation.
Three Key Documents
During the implementation there are three key documents which are the basis for the effective function of the SWPBS implementation team:
- Meetings Record
- Implementation Fidelity Checklist (IFC)
- Implementation Action Plan (IAP)
Meetings record keeps track of the work and emerging issues; the IFC is the implementation roadmap by which progress can be evaluated and measured; and the IAP is the document which guides and records the work.
Tier 1 Implementation
There are six key components of the SWPBS Tier 1 Implementation:
Common Philosophy and Purpose
This component involves the introduction of the basic principles and philosophy of SWPBS, and an overview of the essential components of the implementation. It entails the school emphasising in its key documents both academic and social behavioural outcomes for all students, and that there is a documented and accessible positive philosophy on student behaviour.
Define School Expected Behaviour
This component is the establishment of three levels of expected behaviour:
- Establish 3-5 school wide expectations (developed by whole school community) which apply to all school settings and are expected of all members of the school community (adults being the models and mentors for students);
- Define a set of specific behaviours expected in the different settings across the school (such as classrooms; yard; gatherings; on line; wider community) commonly referred to as the ‘matrix’;
- Develop a set of routines (such as ‘entering the classroom’; ‘leaving the classroom’) which usually contain 3-5 steps/actions that comprise the expected routine.
Explicitly Teach the Expected Behaviours
The teaching of the expected behaviour is often referred to as the “social curriculum” and can be integrated into existing curriculum (particularly areas such as SEL {Social Emotional Learning}, relevant extra-curricula activity, house and year level assemblies, class meetings, pastoral meetings and the like, and can be taught by all educators, unlike specialised areas such as some SEL topics which often require certain expertise. The central premise of SWPBS is that expected behaviour must be explicitly taught – if the student does not know how to behave – you teach the behaviour you want.
Encouraging Expected Behaviour
Once the behaviour is taught, then the students need to be ‘caught’ doing the expected behaviour. The expected behaviour needs to be encouraged, acknowledged and affirmed applying evidence-based practices. This component comprises a range of practices involving areas such as relationship building; the art and power of recognition; application of two-part praise; positive focus rather than primarily negative and or reactionary; environmental factors; active supervision; effective pedagogical strategies such as ‘Opportunity to Respond (OTR); school wide incentive systems; and a menu of encouraging strategies.
Discouraging Behaviour of Concern
When behaviour of concern (BOC) occurs the response needs to be based on evidence-based practices. This component involves the understanding that BOC is a social or behavioural error which requires correcting. This becomes a reteaching moment. This component involves the application of error correction technique; a menu of strategies and responses designed to prevent and discourage BOC; a BOC flowchart that clarifies how staff seek support and consultation; and the implementation of consequences which are instructional and based on supporting students to make better choices and succeed at school.
Data System and Ongoing Monitoring
This component is concerned with establishing a data system which can produce regular (minimum monthly) reports presented to staff in a quantifiable, summarised, graphical format. The central focus of the data is concerned with what is termed ‘the Big Five’; (1) frequency; (2) what; (3) who; (4) when and (5) where. The data system is used to monitor behaviour as a basis for decision-making and problem-solving. As Tier 1 implementation is fully embedded and Tier 2 and Tier 3 supports fully integrated into a whole school system then the ongoing work of sustaining the system and practice will be taken up by the Behaviour Support Team (BST) on an ongoing basis.
Implementation Timeline Overview
- Pre-implementation
- Leadership & Team Establishment
Roles and Functions
Year 1 (3-6 months)
Implementation
Tier 1
Components
1: Philosophy & Purpose
6: Data System
2: School Expectations
begin concurrently
Once Component 2 is in place,
Component
3: Explicit Teaching begins
Followed by
Components
4: Encouraging Expected Behaviour &
5: Discouraging Behaviour of Concern
(4&5 can be undertaken concurrently)
Year 1 – Year 3 or 4
Implementation
Tier 2 & Tier 3
Integration
Behaviour Support Team (BST) formed
BST replaces Implementation Team as Tiers 1, 2 & 3 fully embedded
Year 3 – Year 5
(Tiers 1, 2 & 3 fully embedded)
Post Implementation
Ongoing maintenance & sustainability of systems & practice
BST ongoing responsibility
with executive leadership support
Year 5> ongoing