Research has consistently shown that the amount of time that instruction is provided is highly correlated with student achievement (Brophy, 1988; Fisher, Berliner, Filby, Marliave, Cahen, Dishaw, 1980).
Students must be in class to receive instruction. When a student is sitting in an administrator's office or in the RR (or placed in another classroom with a packet of work but no access to their teacher/or a teacher who is instructing her/him) that student is not receiving instruction. No instruction, no learning. And although we want to keep all of the students in the classroom learning (and that's the reason we have to remove a disruptive student) we must remember that all students in grades 3-6 will take the PASS test (MAP tests). All students, whether they spent everyday with their classroom teacher or missed days (hours out of the room eventually add up to days) outside of the classroom, will receive a score. Scores are tied to a teacher and to our school.
Instruction matters.
So how can we get more instruction to take place?
Our first thought can no longer be to remove the students (those who look like, act like they do not want to learn). Every student matters. That's why we have to look within the classrooms and help our teachers grow the green students.
I would like to thank the team of Super Stars who planned and presented on PBIS: Mrs. Arthurs, Mrs. Holloway, Mrs. Houser and Ms. Lambert . Thank you for taking the time to work on the system and for bringing (to our meeting) the tools all teachers will need to get up and going.
We are a PBIS school.
As a PBIS school we are expected to build a strong primary (green) system before moving forward to the secondary and tertiary systems.
Now that everyone will have the same information (those who missed the meeting will have to attend a make-up session) we can move forward in getting 80% (or more) of our students green and then grow our green.
In my first year as an AP, Kathy Lewis and I revamped the PBIS system at OES.
We had one simple expectation: everyone had to do the point system with fidelity.
I know the point system is new to some of you but the concept of PBIS should definitely be familiar to most, especially those who have been at Memminger for a few years. And although the level system was truly working for some of the teachers we did see and hear about teachers not using it consistently, moving students down levels or allowing the level received in one block of time (special area) to be the only level a student could earn that day.
Having a classroom management system that aligns with points will benefit your students, and really that's why we are all here...for our students.
The moment it is no longer about the students then we have lost our way.
Yes taking points will take up time (time well spent).
Yes you may not want to carry around your clipboard.
Yes you may not want to reward students every Friday.
But the system works...
The system works if you work the system!
Many of you have commented on JSE...they use points and use the system with fidelity.
A few weeks ago our superintendent visited OES. As she walked the halls and visited classrooms she complimented the principal on the point system and how it was consistent from room to room. The principal shared that it was my work with PBIS that transformed the classroom management of the school.
A few days later the superintendent and I were in a meeting together and she came over to me and said how she loved the point system I put into place at OES and asked, "Are you doing the same at Memminger too?"
After many conversations about PBIS and what works and what doesn't work we are now starting the point system.
I will say this...it works when everyone uses points with fidelity. That's the key. We have to have a common language throughout our building, common expectations (for students and adults) and we have to follow-through.
One or two teachers doing their own thing will hamper the school-wide system.
At TCT we will do a follow-up (the rolling out of the points school-wide). I am expecting all teachers and staff members to support the point-system by doing the point system each and every day.
Will your students magically transform over night? Probably not. But being consistent and changing your teacher-talk so it's 5:1 (positive:negative) will change your classroom.
It's worked at other schools and it will work here.
Dr. N
No comments:
Post a Comment