1. PROBLEM SOLVING
FOR SPECIFIC
SETTINGS

2. PBIS in Specific Setting: Steps for
Success
1. Identify expectations.
2. Assess the physical characteristics.
3. Establish routines and procedures.
4. Create teaching strategies based on
desired replacement behavior.
5. Ensure support systems for these
settings.
6. Use data to identify problems and
design solutions.

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4. Is there a problem?
 Typically, the largest number of problem
behaviors happen in the classrooms, as that is
where students spend the most amount of
time.
 What areas of an elementary school would be
the next most problematic?
 What areas of a secondary school?

5. 5
Sample School: Location

6. Sample School: Example
 Based on the data, the PBIS team noticed that
there were a high number of office referrals for
incidents occurring on the bus.
 The team dug deeper into the data. They
looked at the following:
 Time of day
 Problem behavior
 Students involved
 Others involved
 Administrator decision

7. Is there a problem?
Step 1: Select and define problem behaviors.
 List all problem behaviors and determine the
behavior to target.
 Operationally define the behavior:
 Measurable
 Observable
 Objective

8. Is there a problem?
Step 2: Collect Data
 To determine the function, you must collect
data about target behavior.
 Data should be collected in a reasonable time
frame
 Data can be collected through:
 indirect methods
 direct observation tools

9. Sample School: Example
The PBIS team found the following:
 Most ODRs on the bus were happening in the
afternoon.
 There were a wide variety of problem behaviors
on the bus, but a large number of ODRs for
aggression.
 The incidents of aggression came from a small
group of students on one bus.
 The same group of students were involved each
time.
 The students were suspended from the bus

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11. What is our hypothesis?
Step 3: Form a hypothesis about the problem
behavior.
 Use data to answer the “w” questions:
 Who is doing the problem behavior?
 When is the problem behavior happening?
 How is the problem behavior happening?
 What adults are present when the problem behavior
happens?
 Refine broad category into a specific hypothesis
statement.
 The goal of the hypothesis is to generate a precise
problem statement.

12. Sample School Example:
Precise Problem Statement
Total of 12 ODRs for aggression on the bus in
the last month; this number is more than last
year and shows an increasing trend for this
year; these incidents are occurring on the blue
bus in the afternoon, and the same students
are involved each time.

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14. Creating Effective Interventions:
Guidelines
 Connect directly to hypothesis by applying
interventions that are logically related to function.
 Focus on adult and environmental roles.
 Identify proactive strategies that prevent, rather than
suppress, undesirable behaviors.
 Provide strategies to teach desired skills.
 Teach replacement behaviors that serve a similar
function.
 Plan to help student generalize new behaviors to all
settings.

15. Discuss and Select a Solution:
Creating a Goal
15
 Prior to designing solution strategies, a clear
goal needs to be set that can be evaluated
using data.
 Goals can be measured in the following ways:
 Percent reduction
 Absolute reduction
 Satisfaction level
 The best practice is to use more than one
measure of evaluation.

16. Sample School: Goal Example
 Decrease number of ODRs for aggression on
the blue bus by 75% by the end of the quarter.
 Decrease number of ODRs on all buses by
half by the end of the school year.

17. Discuss and Select Solutions:
17
Design
Prevent:
 How can we modify the context in which the behavior occurs?
 Can we remove or alter the triggers for problem behavior?
Teach:
 Do we need to define the expected behaviors more clearly?
 Can we teach a replacement behavior that meets the same need?
 Do we need to provide additional demonstration and/or practice of the
desired behaviors?
Respond:
 In what ways can we immediately prompt the correct behavior?
 Does our system frequently reward the desired behavior ?
 Can we extinguish problems by withholding reinforcement of the problem
behavior?
 Can we develop meaningful consequences to correct the problem behavior
that provide a learning or practice component of the desired behavior?
 How will we effectively respond to behaviors that compromise safety while
ensuring the student’s dignity is maintained?

18. Discuss
and Select
Solutions:
TIPS
Worksheet
18

19. Sample School: Solutions
Examples
Prevent
•Assign seats on the blue bus-separating the identified students
•Adjust route as much as possible to ensure shortest length of
ride
Teach
•Reteach bus expectations to all students who ride the buses
•Provide social skills instruction to students with incidents of
aggression
•Provide each bus driver with a copy of SWE and PBIS on the
Bus pamphlet
Respond
•Provide each bus driver with PAWS tickets to distribute
•Set up bus competition-bus with the most PAWS tickets gets to
pick from a menu of prizes (popcicles, ice cream, etc.)

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22. Creating Effective
Interventions: Implementation
An effective plan includes :
 tools for assessing progress
 data collection schedule
 defined steps to goal
 roles and responsibilities
 plan for reinforcement
 methods for ensuring fidelity

23. Sample School:
Action Plan Example
Total of 12 1. Assign seats 1. AP Smith 1. 11/16/2009
on the blue bus
Decrease
ODRs for 2. Transportati 2. By end of
2. Adjust route as
aggression on on director November number of
much as
the bus in the possible 3. Principal 3. 11/16/2009 ODRs for
last month; this 3. Reteach bus and AP and 4. By end of
number is more expectations to bus drivers November aggression on
all students
than last year who ride the
4. Counselor 5. 11/16/2009 the blue bus by
and shows an buses 5. Jane R. 6. 11/16/2009
increasing trend 4. Provide social 6. Erica N. 7. By end of 75% by the end
for this year; skills instruction 7. Jenny H. November
to students with of the quarter.
these incidents incidents of
are occurring on aggression
the blue bus in 5. Provide each Decrease
the afternoon, bus driver with
a copy of SWE number of
and the same
and PBIS on
students are the Bus ODRs on all
involved each pamphlet
time. 6. Provide each buses by half by
bus driver with
PAWS tickets the end of the
7. Set up bus
competition-
school year.
display in cafe

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25. Creating Effective Interventions:
Evaluation
Steps for Evaluation
1. Determine if behavior has improved.
2. If yes, choose one of the following options:
 Modify criteria for mastery
 Choose another behavior to address
 End individualized plan
3. If not, choose one of the following options:
 Evaluate fidelity of implementation
 Re-evaluation function
 Find ways to adjust the plan

26. Creating Effective
Interventions: Generalization
 Practice plan in all applicable settings.
 Include a variety of adults when
developing the plan.
 Continue implementing plan for a
sufficient amount of time.
 Encourage use of replacement behavior
and all acceptable alternatives.