Working Example: Fern Ridge Middle School (FRMS) Rural Grades 6-8 ≈ 550 Students High rates of problem behavior Request for assistance - Horner, 1999;

Working Example: Fern Ridge Middle School (FRMS)

• Rural

• Grades 6-8

• ≈ 550 Students

• High rates of problem behavior

• Request for assistance - Horner, 1999; Taylor-Greene et al., 1997

Status of School-wide Discipline: 1994-95

• Enrollment = 530

• 2628 Office Discipline Referrals (ODRs)

• Distribution– 304 (57%) at least 1 ODR

– 136 (26%) at least 5 ODRs

– 34 (6%) at least 20 ODRs

– 1 with 87 ODRs

• Students with >20 ODRs had 1376 ODRs (52%)

Office Discipline Referral =

• Three behavioral events– Student behavior

– Staff response

– Office response

• Underestimation of actual behavioral events

0

100

200

300

400

500

Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May

Months

Office Referrals by Month1994-1995

0

5

10

15

20

25

Sep Nov Jan Mar May

Months

Office Referrals/School Day by Month1994-1995

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

Behaviors

Office Referrals by Behavior1994-1995

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

Classroom Bus

Location

Office Referrals by Location1994-1995

250

300

350

400

450

500

550

600

Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri

Day of Week

Office Referrals by Day of Week1994-1995

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

Male Female

Gender

Office Referrals by Gender1994-1995

0

20

40

60

80

100

1 7 13 19 25 31 37 43 49 55 61 67 73 79

No. of Referrals

Office Referrals by Student1994-1995

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

Sep Nov Jan Mar May

Month

Top 6% Office Referral/Day by Month1994-1995

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

Sep Nov Jan Mar May

Month

94% Office Referral/Day by Month1994-1995

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

1 5 9 13 17 21 25 29 33 37 41 45 49

Teachers

Office Referrals by Teacher1994-1995

FRMS School-wide Action Plan

1. Define Expected Behavior

• Be respectful

• Be responsible

• Be there/be ready

• Follow directions

• Hands/feet to self- Taylor-Greene et al., 1997

2. Teach Expected Behaviors in Target Contexts• Provide context-specific instruction:

– Hallways, classrooms, gym, cafeteria, commons, bus loading

• Teach:– Positive and non-examples– Practice– Precorrections

3. Acknowledge Expected Behavior

• Give tangible rewards/acknowledgements– High 5s

• Provide social recognition

4. Correct/Punish Inappropriate Behavior

• Issue office discipline referrals, detention, verbal reprimands

• Restate expected behavior

5. Precorrect for Expected Behavior

• Review expected behavior, especially before problem context

6. Arrange for Consistent Implementation

• Strive for “Full” faculty participation

• Establish efficient system of development and implementation

• Provide reinforcers/acknowledgements for teachers

7. Provide Booster Procedures During Targeted Times of Year

• Vary rewards

• Vary class and individual rewards

• Include students in process

8. Provide Alternative Option for Students with Chronic Problem Behavior

• Do not expect school- wide effort to influence behavior of 1-7% of students

0

5

10

15

20

25

Sep Nov Jan Mar May

Months

Office Referrals/School Day by Month1994-1995, 1995-1996

0

5

10

15

20

25 A

vera

ge R

efe

rrals

per

Day

SeptOctNovDecJanFebMarAprMayJune

Months

FRMS Ref/Day/Month94-95;95-96;96-97;97-98;98-99

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000 Tota

l O

ffic

e D

iscip

line R

efe

rrals

94-95 95-96 96-97 97-98 98-99Academic Years

FRMS Total Office Discipline Referrals

0

100

200

300

400

500 R

efe

rrals

per

100 S

tudents

94-95 95-96 96-97 97-98 98-99Academic Years

FRMS Office Referrals per 100 Students