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Universal

Classroom

Supports

Melissa Logan

Special Education Director, Clayton

Kate Pavlisin

Instructional Coach, Clayton

Access today’s presentation here:

https://bit.ly/38Rj0Og

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Welcome

Like Me!

Process:

Each time you hear a statement that pertains to you:

  • Stand up!
  • Look around

and make a

connection.

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OUTCOMES

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Understand the importance of Universal Classroom Supports for the learning of all students.

Describe the six universal critical components for successful classrooms, universal instructional practices, and systems that support learning.

Reflect and plan how to grow the current use of Universal Classroom Supports in your environment.

By the end of this session, participants will:

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RESEARCH BEHIND THE PRACTICE

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Universal Classroom Supports, was positively reviewed as a research-based practice in 2015 by the US Office of Special Education Programs. They released a brief that summarized the research on evidence-based, proactive and responsive classroom strategies called, “Supporting and Responding to Behavior: Evidence-based Classroom Strategies for Teachers.”

Research-based practices by Hattie/Marzano/Lemov, as referenced by the Missouri Educator Evaluation System.

High Leverage Practices for Inclusive Classrooms (2nd ed.), as reviewed as a research-based practice by the HLP writing team of the Council for Exceptional Children and CEEDAR Center.

HLP 4: Use Multiple Sources of Information to Develop a Comprehensive Understanding of a Student’s Strengths and Needs

HLP 7: Establish a Consistent, Organized, and Respectful Learning Environment

HLP 8: Provide Positive and Constructive Feedback to Guide Students’ Learning and Behavior

HLP 17: Use Flexible Groupings

HLP 18: Use Strategies to Promote Active Student Engagement

HLP 22: Provide Positive and Constructive Feedback to Guide Students’ Learning and Behavior

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Agenda

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  • Welcome and Outcomes
  • Tier 1: Universal Classroom Supports Overview
  • Critical 6 Classroom Components
  • Instructional Strategies and Systems
  • Review and Commit

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Framing Our Thinking

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Levels of Support

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Intensive

Intervention

and Support

Targeted

Intervention

and Support

Universal/Core

Instruction

and Support

3 Tiers of Support

Tier 1 addresses high-quality, schoolwide academic, social, emotional and behavioral programming and supports designed to meet the needs of all students.

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Tier 1 - Universal Classroom Supports

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Universal Classroom Supports

academic and behavioral practices in the classroom provided at a core level to effectively address the needs of all students

establish the foundation for delivering regular, proactive support to all students

especially effective for students with disabilities

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Why Universal Classroom Supports

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Improves social, emotional, behavioral and academic outcomes.

Establishes regular, proactive support to increase learning.

Promotes a positive school climate, safe learning environment, and trusting & respectful

student-teacher relationships.

Achieves positive outcomes for all students, including those with

various abilities and from diverse backgrounds.

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Universals and Cultural Responsive Classroom

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Culturally responsiveness should be entwined in all areas of Universal Classroom Supports (Tier 1)

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Activate

and

Engage

Use this Universal Classroom Supports note taking tool to gather your ideas throughout this session.

Process:

“Stop and Jot” your thoughts.

Reflection Question: How will the use of Universal Classroom Supports in all classes impact your building goals?

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Adapted from Simonsen, Freeman, Goodman, et al. (2015). Support and responding to behavior: Evidence-based classroom strategies for teachers, U.S. Office of Special Education.

CRITICAL SIX

Effectively design the physical environment of the classroom.

Develop & teach predictable classroom routines.

Universal

Classroom Supports

Post, define, & teach

positive classroom

expectations and rules.

Provide high rates of varied opportunities to respond.

Use prompts and active supervision.

Acknowledge and

respond to behavior.

Communication Systems

Data / Learning Outcomes

Student Choice

Differentiation

Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

Inclusion, Respect & Accessibility

Lesson Planning

F O U N D A T I O N S

P R A C T I C E S

INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES

SYSTEMS

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The Critical 6 Classroom Components

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Adapted from Simonsen, Freeman, Goodman, et al. (2015). Support and responding to behavior: Evidence-based

classroom strategies for teachers, U.S. Office of Special Education.

CRITICAL SIX

Effectively design the physical environment of the classroom.

Develop & teach predictable classroom routines.

Post, define, & teach

positive classroom

expectations and rules.

Provide high rates of varied opportunities to respond.

Use prompts and active supervision.

Acknowledge and

respond to behavior.

F O U N D A T I O N S

P R A C T I C E S

Critical 6: Foundations and Practices

Universal Classroom Supports

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Component

Why is this good for all students?

  • The physical design is a way to help meet the needs of all learners and supports the flow of teaching.

  • Teachers can prevent many instances of problem behavior and minimize disruptions by strategically planning the arrangement of the physical environment.

  • Arranging the classroom environment to deliver instruction promotes learning.

Effectively design the Physical Environment of the classroom.

Students’ identities are represented in the classroom.

Culturally Responsive Classroom

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What does it look like in practice?

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Clearly defined learning spaces where learning goals and strategies are visually posted.

Orderly & clear of clutter.

All materials are easily accessible for all students.

Arranged in ways that easily allow for students to work in pairs, triads and/or groups.

Opportunities for movement & clear path for mobility.

Design Supports Learning Outcomes

Additional look-fors:

Appropriate lighting

Age-appropriate furniture and materials

Accessible technology

Calming corners or spaces

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What does it look like in practice?

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Readily available culturally relevant materials including books, pictures, visuals, etc.

The classroom or space represents the children and youth who are being served.

● ● ●

The classroom or space should include multicultural materials and student work displayed.

Diverse representations of culture and abilities through:

Materials

Props

Posters

Songs

Languages

(on visuals)

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Why is this good for all students?

  • Establishing classroom routines and procedures increases structure and predictability for students.

  • When clear routines are in place and consistently used, students are more likely to be engaged with learning and less likely to demonstrate problem behavior.

  • Instructional time and student learning is enhanced by teachers’ developing basic classroom routines and procedures.

Component

Develop and teach predictable Routines.

Builds a strong classroom culture.

Culturally Responsive Classroom

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What does it look like in practice?

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Arrival & Dismissal

Transitions

Accessing Help

Turning in Work

After completing work

Making up missed work

Establish routines and procedure

Provides structure and predictability.

Makes abstract time concepts, such as “later”, “next”, or “last”, more concrete.

Helps students transition from one activity to the next.

Class Schedule

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What does it look like in practice?

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Attention Signals

Hand Signals

paired with

verbal

Timers

Light Changes

Music turning

on and/or off

Variety of attention signals are consistently used during transitions and to regain attention of the group across multiple environments and settings.

Call and

Response

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Component

Why is this good for all students?

  • Having clear, identified classroom expectations and rules sets the stage for students to be successful and facilitates opportunities for teachers to have positive interactions rather than corrective exchanges with students.

  • A dependable system of rules and expectations provides structure for students and helps them to know what to do and what is expected.

  • Teaching rules and expectations to students at the beginning of the year and enforcing them consistently across time increases student academic achievement and task engagement.

Post, design, and teach classroom expectations and rules.

Students’ culture, values and voice are linked to expectations.

Culturally Responsive Classroom

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What does it look like in practice?

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Specific, Observable & Measurable

Student Input /

Collaboration

Positively Stated

Posted & Referenced

(in a way students understand)

Classroom

Rules / Expectations

If your building has established school wide expectations, classroom rules can be aligned to promote consistency across all settings.

Define, post and teach 3-5 positive classroom expectations.

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Component

Why is this good for all students?

  • Increased rates of opportunities to respond supports student on-task behavior while decreasing disruptive behavior.

  • Teachers' use of varied opportunities to respond improves academic and learning outcomes.

  • One of the most powerful ways to engage students is to let them take charge of their own learning.

Provide high rates of varied opportunities to respond.

Students see themselves in the learning.

Culturally Responsive Classroom

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What does it look like in practice?

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Opportunities to respond optimize time for instruction and increases learning.

● ● ●

Opportunities to respond can be individual, choral, gestural, written, or verbal.

A variety of groupings used at different times as determined by student skills, prior knowledge and/or interest.

● ● ●

Individual

Pairs

Small group (same or mixed ability)

Whole-class

Technology integrated into instruction to promote student engagement.

● ● ●

Digital citizenship should been taught and reviewed frequently.

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Component

Why is this good for all students?

  • Prompts and active supervision set students up for success.

  • Active supervision creates frequent opportunities to monitor students for success or provide the needed prompting.

  • Opportunities for interaction and building relationships are facilitated through prompts and active supervision.

Use prompts and active supervision.

Build strong relationships.

Culturally Responsive Classroom

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What does it look like in practice?

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Preventative

Take place before the behavior response occurs

Understandable

The prompt must be understood by the student

Specific & Explicit

Describe the expected

behavior (and link to the appropropriate expectation)

Observable

The student must distinguish when the prompt is present

Verbal & Non-Verbal Prompts

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What does it look like in practice?

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Scanning

visual sweep of entire space

Moving

continuous movement; proximity

Interactive

verbal communication in a respectful manner, any pre-corrections, noncontingent attention, specific verbal feedback

Active Supervision

Reinforce the Behavior (Individual)

Recognizing someone for demonstrating a specific behavior.

● ● ●

Reinforce the Behavior (Group)

All students have the opportunity to meet the same expectation and earn the same reward; works well when targeting a specific group behavior.

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Component

Why is this good for all students?

  • Contingent praise is associated with increases in a variety of behavioral and academic skills.

  • Error corrections that are direct, immediate, and end with the student displaying the correct response are highly effective in decreasing undesired behaviors and increasing future success rates.

Acknowledge and respond to behavior.

Students receive equitable treatment.

Culturally Responsive Classroom

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What does it look like in practice?

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4:1 Ratio

positive interactions to negative or corrective interactions

Feedback

sincere,

immediate,

and specific

Praise

understandable,

meaningful,

sincere, and specific to the behavior

Corrective

Feedback

brief description

of incorrect

behavior and

then offer what can be done differently

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Organize

and

Integrate

3-2-1

Process:

  • Respond to the questions below:

What are 3 big ideas from the Critical 6?

What are 2 examples you plan to look for?

What is 1 question you have?

  • Discuss one idea with a shoulder partner.
  • Share at your table.

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Instructional

Strategies �and

Systems

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Instructional Strategies and Systems

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Adapted from Simonsen, Freeman, Goodman, et al. (2015). Support and responding to behavior: Evidence-based classroom strategies for teachers, U.S. Office of Special Education.

Universal Classroom Supports

CRITICAL SIX

F O U N D A T I O N S

P R A C T I C E S

Universal Classroom Supports

INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES

Student choice

Differentiation

Universal Design for Learning

Inclusion, Respect & Accessibility

Lesson Planning

SYSTEMS

Communication Systems

Data / Learning Outcomes

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Incorporate Instructional Strategies into the learning process.

Why is this good for all students?

  • Flexibility in the ways students access material and showing what they know improves academic performance.

  • Students become independent, strategic learners.

  • Effective instructional strategies help students become actively involved in the learning process.

  • Instructional strategies also support students in reaching their learning objectives.

Instructional Strategies

A variety of instructional strategies that are flexible, inclusive, and accessible.

Culturally Responsive Classroom

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What does it look like in practice?

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Clearly defined learning spaces where learning goals are visually posted.

Orderly & clear of clutter

All materials are easily accessible for all students.

Opportunities for movement & clear path for mobility.

Student choice embedded into instruction.

Use Universal Design for Learning (UDL).

Instruction is skillfully differentiated for a variety of learners.

Daily, weekly, and yearly lesson planning in academics, social skills, functional and vocational skills.

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System

1

Methods, processes, & tools to support two-way communication.

Why is this good for all students?

  • Two-way communication: including information sharing, a feedback loop, and voice from stakeholders encourages a team-based approach for student support.

  • Builds relationships between all stakeholders: students, families, and staff.

Builds relationships with students and families.

Culturally Responsive Classroom

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System

2

A data-based system to monitor and assess student outcomes.

Why is this good for all students?

  • Ongoing data review informs outcome-based instruction focused on student need.

  • Gathering behavior and academic data allows teachers to improve instruction and in turn improve student learning.

Culturally Responsive Classroom

Use the data to drive decisions.

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Adapted from Simonsen, Freeman, Goodman, et al. (2015). Support and responding to behavior: Evidence-based classroom strategies for teachers, U.S. Office of Special Education.

CRITICAL SIX

Effectively design the physical environment of the classroom.

Develop & teach predictable classroom routines.

Universal

Classroom Supports

Post, define, & teach

positive classroom

expectations and rules.

Provide high rates of varied opportunities to respond.

Use prompts and active supervision.

Acknowledge and

respond to behavior.

Communication Systems

Data / Learning Outcomes

Student Choice

Differentiation

Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

Inclusion, Respect & Accessibility

Lesson Planning

F O U N D A T I O N S

P R A C T I C E S

INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES

SYSTEMS

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Organize

and

Integrate

Road Sign Synectic

Process:

Select a road sign (or come up with your own) and create a synectic.

“Universal Classroom Supports are like _________ because ...”

Share your connection at your table.

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Wrapping up:

Review, Next Steps

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SSD Supports for Universal Classroom Supports

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Professional Learning for all New Staff at New Teacher Orientation

Professional Learning refresher for staff as needed

Administrative

Universal Walkthroughs, Observations, Conversations

Support provided by Instructional Coaches

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RESOURCES AND SUPPORTS AVAILABLE

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SSD Instructional Coaches

and MTSS Facilitators

Missouri Schoolwide Positive Behavior Support Tier 1 Implementation Guide

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Reflect

and

Plan

Next Steps

Process:

On your note taking tool,

  • Rank where your building is for each section of Universal Classroom Supports.
  • Identify strengths and areas of growth.
  • Create possible action steps.

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OUTCOMES

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Understand the importance of Universal Classroom Supports for the learning of all students.

Describe the six universal critical components for successful classrooms, universal instructional practices, and systems that support learning.

Reflect and plan how to grow the current use of Universal Classroom Supports in your environment.

By the end of this session, participants will:

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Thanks!

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Contact Information

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Melissa Logan

Special Education Director, Clayton

mjlogan@ssdmo.org

(314) 378-6913

Kate Pavlisin

Instructional Coach, Clayton

khpavlisin@ssdmo.org

(636) 346-5283