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Implementing effective social skill instruction across the continuum of

SW-PBS supports

Tim Lewis, Ph.D.

University of Missouri

Lisa Powers, Ph.D.

Special School District of

St. Louis County

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Universal

• Matrix of school-wide expectations across settings– List of problems = replacements– “Scope and sequence” of social skills

• Simple lessons with activities

• Year long teaching schedule

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I am…. All Settings Classroom

Hallways Cafeteria Bathrooms Playground Assemblies

Safe •Keep bodies calm in line•Report any problems•Ask permission to leave any setting

Maintain personal space

WalkStay to the right on stairsBanisters are for hands

•Walk•Push in chairs•Place trash in trash can

Wash hands with soap and waterKeep water in the sinkOne person per stall

Use equipment for intended purposeWood chips are for the groundParticipate in school approved games onlyStay in approved areas

•Walk•Enter and exit gym in an orderly manner

Respect-ful

•Treat others the way you want to be treated•Be an active listener•Follow adult direction(s)•Use polite language•Help keep the school orderly

Be honestTake care of yourself

Walk quietly so others can continue learning

Eat only your foodUse a peaceful voice

Allow for privacy of othersClean up after self

Keep body to self•Line up at first signal •Invite others who want to join in•Enter and exit building peacefully•Share materials•Use polite language

Be an active listenerApplaud appropriately to show appreciation

A Learner •Be an active participant•Give full effort•Be a team player•Do your job

•Be a risk taker•Be prepared•Make good choices

Return to class promptly

•Use proper manners•Leave when adult excuses

•Follow bathroom procedures•Return to class promptly

•Be a problem solver•Learn new games and activities

•Raise your hand to share•Keep comments and questions on topic

Benton

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Small Group

• Students displaying social skill challenges as primary concern

• Set of skills targeting common concerns

• Set of clear generalisation strategies for classroom teachers to implement

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Individual

• Social skill deficits / performance problem

• Guided by functional behavioral assessment

• Replacement “social skill” meets need

• Environment supports use of new skill– High rates of reinforcement– New skill accesses previous function of problem

behavior

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Definition- Social Competence

“Social competence represents an evaluative term based on judgments (given certain criteria) that a person has performed a task adequately. These judgments may be based on opinions of significant others (e.g., parents, teachers), comparisons to explicit criteria (e.g., number of social tasks correctly performed in relation to some criterion), or comparisons to some normative sample.” (Gresham, 1986, p. 146)

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Definition -Social Skills

Social skills are defined as "those behaviors which, within a given situation, predict important social outcomes" (Gresham, 1986, p. 5).

a) social skills are simply one facet of an overall construct of social competence – if taught in isolation you will never reach the larger objective of improved social functioning, b) they are linked to the environment in which they occur, and c) targeted skills should reflect the larger school set of behavioral expectations

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Assessment: Student Identification (Data, System)

Emphasize the use of existing data / assessment sources such as ODR, visits to discipline room, teacher referral, number of “buddy room” visits

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Assessment: Skill Selection(Data)

• Teacher Ratings• Ratings by others• Direct Observation

Must address the importance of discussing cultural, language, and other factors that impact perceptions of “appropriate” social skills

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Lesson Components(Practices)

• rule for when to use the skill• set of useful skill variations

– teach the rule (TELL)– demonstrate the skill (SHOW)– students practice the skill (PRACTICE)– review and test the skill (PRACTICE)– assign homework (PRACTICE)

Teaching social skills follows the same format as teaching academic skills

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Promoting Maintenance and Generalization

Strategies To Use During Training (practices)

• Use naturally occurring examples within role plays

• Use naturally occurring reinforcers

• Use language of school-wide PBS system

• Pinpoint activities students likely to engage

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Promoting Maintenance and Generalization

Strategies To Use During Training (practices)

• Train in the targeted setting• During training, include peers the target

student(s) likely to encounter in the problem setting

• Use a number of trainers or other adults during training

• Continue training for a sufficient amount of time

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Promoting Maintenance and Generalization

Strategies to Use Within the Target Setting (system, policy)

• Prompt students to display skill (Pre-Corrects)

• Reinforce displays of skills in generalized settings using language of school-wide PBS system

• Enlist a variety of others to prompt and reinforce skills in generalized settings

• Individual contracts and behavior change plans

• Group contingencies

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Top 10 Lessons Learned Developing Targeted Groups:

Social Skills Clubs

Lisa Powers, Ph.D.Michele Kelk, Ph.D.

Kate Bell, Ph.D. Special School District of St. Louis County

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Pre-requisites

• Establishing the System for Targeted Group (Social Skills)– Who will coordinate – Set goal – Involve parents/students/staff – Decide on a name – Team in place to review student data bi-monthly– Use existing structures/interventions currently in the

school

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#10. School-wide systems firmly in place• Allows for efficient allocation of resources

• Increases implementation by all staff/faculty

• Student is “set-up” for success

• Applied across all school settings

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#9. Develop a Student Selection/Screening Process

• Develop an efficient referral system– Risk factors– Universal screening procedures – Discipline referrals– Teacher/parent/student nomination – Instructional time lost– Academic deficits

• Skill deficit• Performance deficit• Perception deficit • Function of behavior

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#8. Identify and Implement Empirically Validated Curriculum/Materials

• Bully Proofing your School • Cool Tools: An Active Approach to Social Responsibility • First Steps to Success • Good Talking Words• Second Step Violence-Prevention Curricula • Stop and Think• Skillstreaming• The Social Skills Curriculum • The Tough Kid Social Skills • The Walker Social Skills Curriculum: The Accepts

Program

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Free Curriculum

• http://pbiscompendium.ssd.k12.mo.us/– Electronic curriculum– 84 social skills lessons– Lesson design– Age appropriate activities– Role play rating sheets– Age appropriate homework sheets– Assessment surveys– Progress reports

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Social Skill Areas

• Cooperation Skills

• Assertion Skills

• Friendship Skills

• Empathy Skills

• Self-Control Skills

• School & Classroom Skills

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#7. Train and Support Social Skills Instructor(s)

• Instructor fluency• Professional development

– Model social skills instruction – Use a Direct Instruction Model format – Provide practice with feedback during training session – On-site coaching supporting participants

implementation of social skills– Integrity of Implementation Checklist

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#6. Plan for Group Management and Group Membership

• Group membership – Activities/Ice Breakers

• Behavior management• Teach group expectations

– Group rules– Role play rules

• Reinforcement procedures• Consider size of group

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#5. Implement an Effective Instructional Model

• Advance Organizer– Attention – Rationale ~ Rule for when to use the skill– Goal/Expectation – Review

• Teach ~ Teach the rule/skill steps• Modeling ~ Demonstrate the skill• Role Play ~ Students practice the skill• Post Organizer

– Review and test– Preview – Cue Use ~ Assign homework

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#4. Plan for Generalization

Communication, Communication, Communication– Coordinate classroom lessons connected to targeted group

social skills – Public posting, skill and skill steps

• School-wide• Classrooms

– Monday Memo: Skill of the Week– Discuss Skill of the Week during staff meetings – Reinforcement tickets weekly, skill connected to school-wide expectations

(include skill steps)– Frequent feedback to staff/student connected to reinforcement tickets– School-wide video – Visual cues or prompts for students posted in student folder

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#3 Evaluate Academic and Behavior Outcomes

• Grades

• DIBELS/CBM

• Attendance

• SSRS

• ODR

• Surveys (Parents, Teachers, Students)

• Integrity of Implementation Checklist

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STUDENTS RECEIVING A "BEHAVIOR PLAN"

EIGHT OR MORE REFERRALS

1999/2000 vs. 2000/2001

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

20

A* B C D E F* G H I J * K L M N O P

STUDENT NAME

NUM

BER

OF

REFE

RRA

LS

REFERRALS 99-00 REFERRALS 00-01

AVERAGE PERCENT DECLINE IN REFERRALS

50%%

* STUDENT LEFT SCHOOL DISTRICT BEFORE THE END OF THE ACADEMIC YEAR

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Social Skills Group - Comparision Between Years

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

Student 1 Student 2 Student 3 Student4*

Student 5 Student 6 Student7**

Student 1 Student 2 Student 3 Student4*

Student 5 Student 6 Student7**

01- 02 02- 03

Referrals Days Suspended

*Student 4 dropped from group after J anuary - Student choice**Student 7 - 2 Referrals 1st semester while in group. Parent did not sign for group to continue until 3-11-03. 6 of the referrals while out of group.

AverageDecrease

49%

Average

Decrease

63%

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Classroom Teacher Survey

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Would you recommend your schoolimplement this program again next year?

Would you recommend this program(Social Skills Club) to a friend or

colleague?

Students who participated in the SocialSkills Club were observed using some of

the skills taught in the club.

The students who participated in theSocial Skills Club showed improvements

in the classroom.

The students who participated in theSocial Skills Club demonstrated more

prosocial behavior.

The students identified for participating inthe Social Skills Club engaged in problembehavior before participating in the club.

Percent Agreement

Very Much Somewhat Neutral A Little Not at All

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Parent Survey

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Would you want your child toparticipate in the Social Skills Club

next year?

Did you see any changes in yourchild’s behavior at home since

participating in the Social Skills Club?

Did you see your child use any of theskills taught in the Social Skills Club

at home?

Did your child show improvement inschool while participating in the

Social Skills Club?

Did your child enjoy the Social SkillsClub?

Percent Agreement

Very Much Somewhat Neutral A Little Not at All

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Student Survey

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Per

cen

t A

gree

men

t

Very Much Somewhat Neutral A Little Not at All

Was the Social Skills Club helpful for you?

Did your classroom teacher help you with the skills taught in the club?

Would you recommend your school offer the Social Skills Club again next year?

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“It taught me more how to become a better person and pull my grades up and now I am never in the office.” 3rd grade student

“What I like best about the program are the skills that were taught. If I could practice these skills a little more it would be helpful.” 5th grade student

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#2 Share Success with Staff/Community/School Board

Celebrate!

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# 1 Use Research to Guide the Development and Restructuring of Social Skills Groups

• A Big Thanks to PBIS.org – Research is Trustworthy, User Friendly, &

Assessable – Is School-wide Positive Behavior Support an

Evidence-based Practice?

• Peer Reviewed Journals