bloomsburg university of pennsylvania · activities (aaa) (). aat supports the recovery of those...

Bloomsburg Universityof Pennsylvania

T E A C H E R E X C E L L E N C E I N P O S I T I V E B E H AV I O R S U P P O RT | Q U A RT E R LY N E W S | M C D O W E L L @ B LO O M U. E D US E P T E M B E R 2 0 18

One essential aspect of Positive Behavior Support in the classroom is establishing positively stated performance expectations. This is typically developed with students by creating a behavior matrix that is used to operationally define 3-5 positively stated expectations across key situations (or contexts). This approach has been expanded recently in the field to reflect a broader range of desired student behaviors, including social skills, emotional regulation, problem- solving, and coping strategies, which are selected based on student need (Barrett, Eber, & Weist, 2013).

Classroom teachers are encouraged to develop a plan for teaching targeted social emotional learning skills in context of the behavioral curriculum (behavior expectations matrix). In schools implementing the Positive Behavior Intervention and Support (PBIS) framework, this process includes adding behaviors associated with social- emotional learning to the teaching matrix which helps all staff connect to the prioritized social-emotional competencies by providing increased opportunities for students to practice across content areas and settings. Using the teaching matrix is a way to prompt use of common language to support student use of newly acquired skills. It is important for the teaching matrix not to be just a set of positively stated rules to post around the school, but rather a living document that guides instruction and is informed by data to identify

replacement skills to address common error patterns. For these skills to be used on a regular basis, all staff will need to model, teach, re-teach, prompt, and acknowledge student use of these skills across settings…and very specifically in the classroom. Hence, it will be necessary to embed social-emotional competencies not only in the systems for teaching (i.e., expectations, matrix, lesson plans), but also in the systems for acknowledgement and responding instructionally to errors. Additionally, embedding the social-emotional skills into the teaching matrix facilitates progress monitoring of student acquisition and use of specific skills. (continues on back page)

Teacher Spotlight: Embedding Social Emotional Learning within your Behavioral Expectations in the Classroom

Behavioral ExpectationsIncorporate Social Emotional Learning Competencies

Expectation Arrival at school Individual work Lunch Group activities Changing activities

Be ready Go immediately to your classroom after arriving at school.Bring your homework with you to class.Be in your seat when the morning bell rings.

Have your materials open and on top of your desk.Follow directions the first time.Get to work right away.

Have a lunch plan.Choose quiet or social lunch area.Invite friends to join if you elect social lunch.

Be focused on the group work to be completed.Have your materials with you and opened to assigned page.Organize your group and get to work quickly (within 1 minute).

Be aware of the daily schedule.Listen for directions from Mrs. Lee.Be flexible in case the schedule changes.

Be responsible Be on time to school and class.Listen when Mrs. Lee speaks; one person speaks at a time.Complete your homework.Use indoor voices when speaking.

Follow directions on tests and assignments.Organize and get to work promptly.Make a good effort on all work.Speak only at appropriate times.

Use my breathing technique to feel calm.Tune in to and listen to my personal signals.Use indoor voices when speaking.

Focus on your work.One person speaks at a time using indoor voice.Ask for help as needed.Finish on time.Share with others while keeping your hands and feet to yourself.

Stop and put things away when Mrs. Lee says to do so.Know what materials you need for next class/activity.Keep your hands and feet to yourself.Use indoor voices when speaking.

Be respectful Say “hi” to friends before homeroom starts.Keep hands and feet to yourself.Listen when Mrs. Lee speaks; one person speaks at a time.Follow directions the first time.

Get to work and work quietly.Use only your materials.Ask for help by raising your hand.Make a good effort.

Invite those sitting alone to join.Offer to share as appropriate. Act in a manner that acknowledges others feelings and preferences.

Encourage others to work cooperatively.Keep hands and feet to yourself.It is okay to disagree, but do it without being disagreeable.

Be thoughtful of others.Keep hands and feet to yourself.Use indoor voices.When moving in room and hallway, always walk on the right side.

The Three Bees (Elementary School Example)

McDowell InstItute: teacher excellence In PosItIve BehavIor suPPort n Quarterly news

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The McDowell Institute is once again offering its student and faculty fellowships. The student and faculty fellowship applications are located at http://www.bloomu.edu/mcdowell. Application deadline is Wednesday, Dec. 12 at 4 p.m.

Student Fellowships: Undergraduate students who have been officially admitted into teacher candidacy (by completion of the admission, monitoring, and exit packet) as well as graduate students who have successfully completed six credits of graduate study in their program within the College of Education may make application. Undergraduate students enrolled in programs of study related to social-emotional-behavioral wellness of youth (e.g., social work, criminal justice, and nursing) who will be of junior class standing by having completed 60 credits by the start of Spring 2019 may also make an application. Graduate students who have successfully completed six credits of graduate study in similarly related programs by the start of spring 2019 may also apply.

Awarding of a fellowship is based on the nature of the application in terms of 1) quality of the student proposal, 2) clarity and relevance of expressed interest and alignment with Positive Behavior Support and associated evidence-based practices to address non-academic barriers to learning, and 3) recommendation of faculty. Students awarded a fellowship receive the following benefits:

• Individualized access to faculty for the purposes of mentoring along with increased access to professional resources to support their development of strategies for implementing positive behavior support in school, home, or community settings.

• Mentorship opportunities with field-based professional educators with expertise in Positive Behavior Support (e.g., PBIS implementation sites brokered through PaTTAN across the Commonwealth).

• Complimentary student membership in the Association for Positive Behavior Support. You can explore information regarding this international organization at www.apbs.org.

• Financial support to participate in the annual PA PBS Implementers Forum in Hershey. Student Fellows will be encouraged to provide a poster or oral presentations at this state level conference.

• Expanded/enhanced professional development opportunities as designed with faculty and assigned mentors. This professional development may include opportunities for additional field experiences, conference attendance, and professional networking with leaders in the field of Positive Behavior Support.

• Participation in the McDowell Fellowship Speakers Series in tandem with other sponsored events.

• Certificate of completion of the fellowship to build your professional portfolio.

Faculty Fellowships: The McDowell Faculty Fellowship Program will provide up to a maximum of three fellowships in 2019. A maximum of two faculty members from within the College of Education will be awarded Fellowships along with one faculty member from either the College of Liberal Arts, the College of Science Technology or the College of Business. These fellowships provide opportunities to enhance faculty professional growth through scholarly endeavors, including research and field-based application of Positive Behavior Support (e.g., Positive Behavior Intervention and Support) and related evidence-based approaches to address the social, emotional and behavioral wellness of students in PK-12 educational settings and/or college students.

This program is intended to support faculty who are interested in conducting research in Positive Behavior Support or developing projects/initiatives that place an emphasis on evidence-based approaches to enhance social, emotional and behavioral wellness.

All permanent campus faculty members are eligible to apply for these fellowships. Faculty awarded a McDowell Fellowship will receive access up to a maximum of $1,000 to be used for 1) professional development and related expenses associated with their approved fellowship, and/or 2) funding to support the implementation of their project. Further, ongoing guidance and support will be available through the McDowell Institute to assist the McDowell Faculty Fellow in achieving desired outcomes. The prospective range of activities to be supported through this fellowship during the 2019 calendar year include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Initiating and/or conducting original research in Positive Behavior Support and/or associated effective practices to enhance social, emotional and behavioral wellness to address nonacademic barriers to learning,

• Designing professional development and training activities in Positive Behavior Support and/or associated evidence-based practices to enhance social, emotional and behavioral wellness to address non-academic barriers to learning,

• Enhancing curricular and methodological aspects of courses instructed by the faculty member to further reflect Positive Behavior Support and/ or associated evidence-based practices to enhance social, emotional and behavioral wellness to address non-academic barriers to learning,

• Developing resources and related dissemination platforms/venues in Positive Behavior Support and/or associated evidence-based practices to enhance social, emotional and behavioral wellness to address non-academic barriers to learning for student and faculty use.

Faculty and Student Fellowships Available January 2019


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October marks five years since Maureen Hill from BU’s Department of Equity and Accommodations began a successful partnership with the Susquehanna Trail Dog Training Center and a community of certified therapy dogs and their handlers. The therapy dogs, certified through the Alliance of Therapy Dogs (ATD; www.therapydogs.com) have been making regular visits over the past few years to provide emotional support for BU students. Efforts have been initiated recently to further build on this legacy and increase frequency and access to the benefits of pets on campus through the McDowell Institute in collaboration with BU Health and Wellness.

Over the past decade, research has focused heavily on the benefits of animal-assisted modalities. These include Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT), Animal Assisted Education (AAE) and Animal Assisted Activities (AAA) (www.AVMA.org). AAT supports the recovery of those with physical challenges and those recovering from illness, like a stroke, or those with developmental and intellectual disabilities. The therapies can have a positive effect on behavior and increase focus. AAE is often used in the classroom to reach an educational outcome, i.e. “Reading with Buddy the Beagle.” AAA, also known as “Pet Therapy” at many institutions such as schools and hospitals, has been shown to decrease stress, anxiety, fatigue, and pain. In the case of college students, these activities and events also increase relaxation, improve knowledge and awareness of helpful campus resources, encourage socialization and decrease feelings of homesickness.

In preparation for the fall 2018 semester, the McDowell Institute and BU Health and Wellness have scheduled “Stress Less with Pets & Meet the Husky PAWS” events on the last Thursday of each month, from 10 a.m. to 12 noon in the Warren Student Services Center (Aug. 30, Sept. 27, Oct. 25, and Nov. 29). Certified pets and their owner/handlers will join the Husky PAWS (Peer Assisted Wellness Services) and BU Health and Wellness student peer health educators to provide a stress free space for students to visit with the dogs, pick up a “Stress Less Kit,” and learn about available resources on campus to help with stress management. Students will also continue to learn other stress management techniques, pick up resource information, become acquainted with the Husky PAWS, and other health and wellness events.

This approach should result in BU students having regular exposure to a popular and effective form of stress management. The long-term goal is to expand the “Stress Less with Pets” initiative to a weekly event throughout the academic year.

Be a Healthy Husky!

“Pawsitive” impact of Pet Therapy sets the Stage for Stress Less with Pets

BU Health & Wellness Intern Julia Peters enjoys relaxing with one of the pets at the 2017 Mental Health Awareness Fair organized by the McDowell Institute.

Stress Less With Pets Schedule Fall 2018Thursday

Aug. 30 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Sept. 27 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Oct. 25 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Nov. 29 10 a.m.-12 p.m.

Schools are building capacity to address the social, emotional and behavioral needs of students across the U.S. There is evidence that research-based school mental health services achieve positive results when used to address a range of emotional and behavioral problems in students (Barrett, Eber, & Weist, 2013). When students with disabilities are eligible for special education and related services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), mental health services are required if such services are needed to provide students with a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE). That is if the student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP) team determines that s/he needs mental health services to receive FAPE, a school district is required to provide these services (Yell, Smith, Katsiyannis, & Losinski, 2018).

Historically, in many schools, there has been the perception that mental health needs and special education were distinctly separate or unrelated. However, this inaccurate perspective is being clarified as a result of legal proceedings. In reviewing the results of recent court decisions, school districts are specifically required to: 1) identify students with mental health-related disabilities as possibly needing special education services (also known as “child find”), 2) find students with mental health-related disabilities eligible for special education, and 3) provide mental health services to students in special education who need such services. The hallmark of special education, and subsequently the IDEA, is individualized decision-making through teaming processes. Educational teams involved in special education decision-making processes are required to meet these requirements. If school district

personnel suspect that a student with mental health-related problems may be a student with disabilities, the student should be referred for a special education evaluation. Additionally, when students with disabilities need mental health services those needs must be addressed within the student’s IEP. A school’s failure to sufficiently meet these requirements may be a failure to provide FAPE and therefore be a violation of the IDEA.

Legal Snapshot: Mental Health Services and Special Education


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According to the Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality (2015), approximately one in five children have or will experience a severe mental disorder. Nearly one in three students in Pennsylvania reported symptoms of depression with a little more than one in five students reporting that they felt so sad or hopeless every day for two weeks or more that they stopped doing some of their usual activities (Pennsylvania Youth Survey, 2017).

Given the degree of presence of behavioral health concerns in our schools, it is clear that all educators…not just special education teachers…are charged with providing effective instruction to students with, or at risk of developing behavioral health concerns. As challenging as this may appear, the good news is that increasingly school systems are partnering with local community-based behavioral health providers to provide an increasing array of mental health services and supports in schools. This encouraging trend in school-based behavioral health has the potential to improve academic as well as social, emotional and behavioral outcomes for students.

Effectively aligning or integrating mental health services (or other forms of support from other child-serving systems) requires thoughtful planning, communication and problem-solving on the part of all parties (e.g., educators in partnership mental health service providers). Further, and as the old saying of “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” suggests, there are proactive steps classroom teachers and school administrators should consider when preparing to have staff from other child-serving agencies provide services within the typical school day with students. The following highlights essential proactive actions for teachers to carry out when integrating staff from other child-serving systems in the classroom.

Convene Organizing Meeting PRIOR to the Start of School Whatever you do…start with convening a meeting between you and all staff that will be present on a regular, daily basis in your classroom. Ideally, have the meeting face-to-face in the classroom. However, if this is not feasible, a virtual meeting can suffice. Additionally, invite those that have direct administrative responsibility for all staff in your classroom. Be sure to communicate this need with your Building Principal as soon as feasible to increase efficiency in convening this initial meeting in a timely manner.

Secure Necessary Documentation BEFORE Holding the Initial Organizing Meeting

Talk with your School Administrator or their designee to create a listing/resource map of the various staff that will be working in your classroom. Discuss with your building administration the nature of services to be provided by all of those staff. Based on this discussion, be sure to clarify what aspects of confidential information about particular students’ needs to be shared with which staff, and in turn, secure appropriate release of information so that the information may be shared.

Top 5 Things Teachers should do When inTegraTing sTaff from oTher

child-servings sysTems in Their classroom

Nearly 1 in 3 students in Pennsylvania reported

symptoms of depressions


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Establish Clear Understanding of Roles to Guide Daily Work with the Students

While the reason as to why staff from another child-serving system may be in your classroom (e.g., Therapeutic Staff Support) may be different as compared to volunteers or district staff (e.g., para-professionals), the general message should be the same…all services and supports must be provided in a coordinated manner with your approach to classroom operations including classroom management. Talk specifically about your classroom management system (emphasizing prevention through reinforcement of desired behavior but also describing procedures for redirecting inappropriate behavior). Be sure to explicitly talk through relevant aspects of individualized therapy/intervention plans so that all staff in the room are on the same page to enhance consistency and achieving desired outcomes.

Establish Clear Protocol for Communication with Students as well as Parent(s) / Legal Guardians

During the organizing meeting talk through how all staff are expected to respectfully interact with all students and staff in the classroom and school-building (connecting these expectations to your approach to preventive classroom management and social/emotional learning of students). Further, explicitly talk about this same approach being used when interacting with parent(s)/legal guardians and clarify what types of information are to come directly from you as the teacher as compared to any other required, confidential communications provided by others with parents/legal guardians. Also, be sure to establish documentation procedures that align with individualized plans as relevant (e.g., IEP).

Establish Clear Protocol for Problem-solving Predictably, there will be situations that arise with students in the classroom that will require problem solving. It is important to position all problem-solving processes within the context of your teaming structures in place in your classroom and school (e.g., child –study teaming, Individualized Educational Program (IEP), Student Assistance Program (SAP). In the chance that there is not a visual depicting the various teaming structures that are in place, create such a flow chart in concert with your school administrator along with other relevant staff (e.g., guidance staff).


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Suicide Prevention Training Onand Off Campus Fall 2018

Youth Mental health First Aid (YMHFA)

The Institute will provide extensive YMHFA training in local schools (Milton Area and Selinsgrove Area School Districts) as well as with all fall 2018 BU student teachers within the College of Education that will be entering placements across numerous school systems. Further, YMHFA training is also being provided through collaboration at fourteen other institutions of higher education that operate educator preparatory programs in the Commonwealth. This training will impact hundreds of aspiring educators and the thousands of PK-12 students that they will instruct as they enter their professional careers.

The McDowell Institute will be providing an array of evidence-based suicide prevention “gatekeeper” trainings on and off campus this fall 2018. This training is aligned to increase mental health literacy in PK-12 schools and on college campuses to support social, emotional and behavioral wellness in support of student, faculty and staff retention.

Question-Persuade-Refer (QPR)

QPR training, as well, is a high-priority this fall semester. Training will be provided through the Institute across local school systems impacting hundreds of teachers and paraprofessionals. Further, QPR training is targeted for bus drivers, cafeteria workers and office staff in many schools. Beyond local school impact, the Institute will be partnering with Student Affairs to provide this important training to all residence life staff (e.g., Community Assistants and Graduate Hall Directors) in concert with Learning Community Mentors, BU Orientation Workshop Leaders and Greek Executive Boards. This training should directly impact hundreds of student leaders across campus.

Kognito

The Institute will continue to support access for the BU community to Kognito modules. One of these modules will continue to be utilized by all education majors enrolled in EDFOUND 291. The second module (At-risk for College and University Faculty and Staff) was rolled out in spring 2018 and access will continue throughout the 2018-19 academic year. Over 100 faculty and staff have completed this particular module to date. Faculty or staff interested in completing this 45-minute virtual module are encouraged to contact Danielle Empson ( [email protected] ) at the McDowell Institute.


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Additional McDowell Institute Initiatives Fall 2018

COE Movie NightLast academic year marked the launch of Movie Night for education majors at Bloomsburg University. BU education majors were provided the opportunity to view award-winning movies that have immediate relevance in our schools. This fall the McDowell Institute is pleased to continue this tradition by showing “Resilience” on Sunday, Nov. 11 from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. in the Kehr Union Buildling Ballroom One. The event is open to the BU community. Popcorn will be served.

Random Acts of Kindness

The McDowell Institute began a campus-wide initiative promoting Random Acts of Kindness (RAKs) in fall 2017 and spring 2018. It is likely that you either experienced or provided a random act of kindness through this initiative. To facilitate the process 2000 small RAK encouragement cards were distributed across locations on campus. Also, a variety of specified RAKs were highlighted on

the McDowell Institute interactive bulletin board outside of Navy Hall 214. Based on the popularity of this initiative and the positive impact it had across campus, the McDowell Institute will repeat this endeavor in October 2018. Join in the fun of experiencing the power of providing a random act of kindness towards others on campus!

Mental Health Awareness Day

The McDowell Institute will again be partnering with BU Health and Wellness and student organizations on campus to promote mental health literacy and awareness this fall. It’s the fourth year of this initiative and plans for this fall are even better than last year. Mental health awareness events will occur on the Academic Quad on Oct. 18 starting at 10 a.m. and will run throughout the day. Stress less with pets will be on campus in support of the planned events outside Warren Student Services Center. Numerous fun activities from last year’s event will return including painting positivity rocks, a Reasons to Live photo booth and a butterfly tent. Additional wellness activities, as well, will be added to this year’s event. Be sure to stop by and join in the fun and help to increase mental health awareness across campus.

McDowell Stickers

The McDowell Institute will continue its popular sticker program during the 2018-19 academic year. Any BU student attending a McDowell Institute sponsored event is invited to collect stickers. Collect four stickers and redeem them at the McDowell Institute located in Navy Hall 214 any time during the academic year. Prizes include gift cards to local eateries, phone chargers plus accessories, and other exciting awards.

(continued on back page)

® [email protected]

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania is committed to affirmative action by way of providing equal educational and employment opportunities for all persons without regard to race, religion, gender, age, national origin, sexual orientation, disability or veteran status.


Fall 2018 Important Dates at a Glance

Social-emotional competencies are a critical part of student academic and life success (Jones & Kahn, 2017). The described process of embedding social-emotional learning competencies within classroom behavioral expectations matrices should be employed regardless of the presence, or absence, of a formally adopted evidence-based Social Emotional Learning Curricula (e.g., Positive Action, Second Step, Life Skills). This process is important because simply adopting and providing training for a packaged social-emotional curriculum is unlikely to improve student competencies (Fixsen, Blase, & Fixsen, 2017).

Teacher Spotlight (continued from page one)

What is needed is to explicity teach social-emotional competencies within a framework such as PBIS that reflects teaming, technical assistance, and use of data to monitor implementation and outcomes. The implementation and instruction systems of PBIS is an ideal service delivery model for embedding social- emotional competencies into the school social skills curriculum.

(Adapted from Barrett, S., Eber, L., McIntosh, K., Perales, K., & Romer, N. (2018). Teaching Social-Emotional Competencies within a PBIS Framework. OSEP Technical Assistance Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports. www.pbis.org.)

STRESS LESS WITH PETSAug. 30 10 a.m.-12 p.m.Sept. 27 10 a.m.-12 p.m.Oct. 25 10 a.m.-12 p.m.Nov. 29 10 a.m.-12 p.m.

Mental Health Awareness Day

The McDowell Institute will again be partnering with BU Health and Wellness and student organizations on campus to promote mental health literacy and awareness this fall. It’s the fourth year of this initiative and plans are even better than last year. Mental health awareness events will occur on the Academic Quad on Oct. 18 starting at 10 a.m. and will run throughout the day.

Also, on the evening of Oct. 18, a presentation will be provided by Minding Your Mind at Kehr Union Building room 230 from 6 to 8 p.m. Kristen, a distinguised speaker with Minding Your Mind, will share her compelling, personal story about navigating mental health challenges.

As a child, Kristen experienced significant trauma, including her mother attempting and completing suicide. When she reached her preteen years, Kristen didn’t know how to manage what she was feeling and turned to alcohol, drugs, and self-harm to mask the pain that she desperately wanted to keep locked away. The alternative was facing the issues related to her childhood trauma, but she did not know how that was done. As a result she suffered with debilitating depression and anxiety that affected her in her everyday life. She continued these negative coping skills, including negative self-talk, which drove her down to a very dark place. Quickly, she arrived to a bottom she thought she would never leave.

After going to treatment, she learned how to replace her negative coping skills with positive ones and worked hard to incorporate those habits into her life. Kristen attended a recovery high school to finish her education and went on to college. She has many therapy experiences that have proven to be wildly successful, and attends support groups regularly to maintain her ongoing sobriety and abstinence from negative coping skills. Kristen, being a young person in recovery, proves it’s never too late or too early to get the help you need. She has spoken on panels and board meetings to educate others in an effective manner to help break the stigma around mental health and substance use disorder.

Additional McDowell Institute Initiatives Fall 2018 (continued)

MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS DAYOct. 18 10 a.m. (All Day)

RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESSMonth of October 2018

COE MOVIE NIGHT Nov. 11 6:30-8 p.m. (KUB Ballrooom 1)

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