Title: BEST Institute 2012
Course:
EDSP 295 CRN 94650
Credits: 3.0 (meeting times and independent course work to equal 45 hours for
3-credits)
Fee: Approx. $563
Instructor: Cassandra Townshend, MSW
Meeting Dates, Times and Locations:
March 12-14, 8:30- 3:30 (VTPBiS Universal or
Targeted Training)
Lake Morey Resort, Fairlee, VT
OR
June 25-28, 8:00-5:00 (BEST Summer Institute)
Killington Grand Resort, Killington, VT
The
remaining student-designed practicum projects and course assignments represent
the remaining course time and will occur at the student’s school
Course Description:
Everyone taking this course needs to register for
and attend as part of a school team one of the VTPBiS trainings in March OR the
BEST Summer Institute. Both the VTPBiS
Trainings in March as well as the BEST Summer Institute will have teams of
educators sharing and learning strategies for improving positive strategies and
supports for students in their classrooms, schools and communities. Coursework
and assignments start at the trainings and continue through the Fall of 2012 when back in your classroom or school.
*Attendees of the BEST Summer Institute who plan to take this course
do not need to focus on PBIS.
Goals:
Students
will:
1.
Register and
attend the VTPBiS Training in March or BEST Summer Institute as part of a
school team
2.
Meet with
your school team during Team Time each day to develop school action plan
3.
Attend all
related Training/Institute activities
4.
Read &
review a book(s) of your choice related to your Training Topic or Institute
Strand
5.
Develop a
personal action-plan for a project to be implemented when back at your school.
6.
Implement
your project and write a reflective/summary including actual examples of work
Learning Outcomes:
Students will:
1.
Gain
knowledge about using positive methods for meeting the needs of students with
emotional and behavioral challenges.
2.
Develop and
improve competencies working with youth with emotional and behavioral
challenges and all students.
3.
Gain
knowledge and skills specific to the strands and workshops they choose.
4.
Apply their
knowledge and skills with their individual projects and their school action plans
in the 2012-2013 school year.
General Course Information
Course Policies/Expectations:
Respect & Dignity of All Persons
People with disabilities (especially those with
severe and multiple disabilities) have historically been subjected to
segregation and discrimination in virtually all aspects of community life
(e.g., education, housing, work, recreation). Like many other minority groups
of people, many stereotypes and unwarranted assumptions exist about individuals
with disabilities that are reflected in terminology and other language that
often serves to perpetuate these unhelpful stereotypes and limit opportunities
for these individuals. Our use of language is a powerful mitigating factor in
coloring our experiences and perceptions. Therefore, students expected to be
especially mindful that all class interactions and homework assignments are
expected to reflect respectful and dignified language when referring to people
with disabilities. In part, this means using "people first" language
(see listed web sites) and avoiding antiquated terminology.
www.disabilityisnatural.com/peoplefirstlanguage.htm
www.asha.org/about/publications/journal-abstracts/submissions/person_first.htm
www.wvddc.org/people_first.html
Confidentiality
Many members of the class are practicing
professionals and/or otherwise are personally acquainted with people who have
disabilities, their families, and service providers. Undoubtedly, in the course
of practicum projects, assignments, or other class communication, students will
share their personal experiences related to class content. Therefore, it is
vital that all such communications respect the confidentiality of those
individuals with disabilities, their families, and service providers. This
means that in sharing with the instructor or class members do not use the names of individuals or other identifying
information. If such identifying information is inadvertently disclosed, you
are obliged to keep that information confidential.
Homework Assignments
Spelling, grammar, and professional presentation
matter! Remember to put your name and date on all homework submissions. All assignments must be computer generated (please, no handwritten submissions). Unless
otherwise noted in the directions for a specific assignment, all written work
should be double-spaced in an easily-readable,
12-point font (e.g., Times, Palatino, Helvetica).
All class assignments are to be received by the
instructor no later than the date an assignment is due (as noted later in this
syllabus). Late work will be accepted only at the discretion of the instructor
and points may be deducted.
Attendance Expectations:
Students must attend ONE of the following Trainings:
1)
VTPBiS
Universal or Targeted Training in March
2)
The BEST Summer Institute in June (the strands
and workshops they signed up for)
Students must complete independent projects at their local schools in
the fall.
Religious Observance:
The official policy for excused absences for
religious holidays: Students have the
right to practice the religion of their choice.
Each semester students should submit in writing to their instructors by
the end of the second full week of classes their documented religious holiday
schedule for the semester. Faculty must
permit students who miss work for the purpose of religious observance to make
up this work.
Contributions
in Class:
Students are expected to actively participate in
their trainings/strands/workshops, and other Training/Institute related events.
In particular, students must attend the VTPBiS Training or the Institute with
their school team, and participate actively each day in the school team’s
action plan development. For the practicum activities that occur after the
VTPBiS Trainings and Summer Institute, students are expected to take an active
role in all contributions related to the course. Students must propose their
individual projects, incorporate feedback from the instructor, and implement
the project in their local schools.
Academic Honesty
& Professionalism:
All students are required to
be familiar with and adhere to the “Academic Honesty Policy Procedures” delineated
in the following website. http://www.uvm.edu/~uvmppg/ppg/student/acadintegrity.pdf ).
Accommodations:
Accommodations will be provided to eligible
students with disabilities. Please
obtain an accommodation letter from the ACCESS office and see one of the
instructors early in the course to discuss what accommodations will be
necessary. If you are unfamiliar with
ACCESS, visit their website at http://www.uvm.edu/access to learn more about the services they
provide. ACESS: A-170 Living Learning Center, University of
Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405. PH: 802-656-7753, TTY: call 711 (relay), Fax: 802-656-0739, Email: access@uvm.edu, Instant Messenger:
UVMaccess. General office
hours: 8:30am – 4:30pm Monday
through Friday. Call to make an
appointment.
Required and/or
recommended readings:
Required Readings
BEST
Summer Institute in June:
Students are to select and read ONE book of
their choosing based on the institute theme or their strand
attended. Please contact your instructor to determine if your book is
acceptable. See list of Recommended Readings at end of syllabus.
In addition, students are to read the selected
chapters, articles or literature indicated by their Strand presenter (on their
Strand Description Page on BEST web site) prior to attending the BEST Summer
Institute: http://uvm.edu/~cdci/best/institute.html
VTPBiS UNIVERSAL Training in March or June:
Students are to select and read ONE of the following books and
write a brief book review:
(1) Sugai, G., Horner, R.H., Algozzine, R., Barrett,
S., Lewis, T., Anderson, C., Bradley, R., Choi, J. H., Dunlap, G., Eber, L.,
George, H., Kincaid, D., McCart, A., Nelson, M., Newcomer, L., Putnam, R.,
Riffel, L., Rovins, M., Sailor, W., Simonsen, B. (2010). School-wide positive
behavior support: Implementers’ blueprint and self-assessment. Eugene, OR:
University of Oregon. http://www.pbis.org/pbis_resource_detail_page.aspx?Type=3&PBIS_ResourceID=216
(2) Dunlap, G., Lovannone, R., English, C., Kincaid,
D., Wilson, K., Christiansen, K., Strain, P., (2010). Prevent, teach, reinforce: The school-based model of individualized positive
behavior support. Baltimore, MD: Brookes
Publishing.
VTPBiS
TARGETED Training In March or June:
There are two required readings for this course:
(1) Crone, D. A. & Horner, R. H. (2003). Building
Positive Behavior Support Systems in Schools: Functional Behavioral Assessment. New York: Guilford Press.
(2) Crone, D. A., Horner, R. H., Hawken, L. S. (2004).
Responding to problem behavior in school:
The Behavior Education Program. New York: Guilford Press.
Students are to read both books provided at
targeted training and choose one to write a brief book review.
Continue to revisit the BEST web site for new
additions (What’s New), updates and changes.
|
Date |
Reading Activity |
|
March 12 – August 27 |
Choose a book related to your Training/Institute
theme or your strand. Read the book(s) and complete a book review by August 27. |
|
August 27 – December 6 |
Use the book you read plus list of recommended
and supplemental readings to support rationale and implementation of
individual project. |
Electronic
Submissions/Internet Use:
Assignments 2, 3, & 4 must be
computer generated (please, no
handwritten submissions) and emailed to your grading instructor by the date
they are due. Submitted files must be either compatible with Microsoft Word or
sent in Portable Document Format (PDF). You should receive a reply via email
that your assignment was received. If you do not receive a response that means
it was not received. It is your responsibility to make sure that your
assignment arrives (it's not enough that it was sent -- at times things go
wrong in cyberspace). So please retain electronic copies of all of your
submitted work for the semester until you receive your final grade.
Students will be required to check their UVM
e-mail periodically for communications about this course. Instructions on how
to use and setup your UVM accounts can be found at the Continuing Education
website for educators: http://learn.uvm.edu/contract_courses/teacher.php
It
is your responsibility to make sure you have given the instructor your correct
email
Student Evaluation/Assessment
Grading:
Assignments have been numerically
weighted, and total score of 100 points is possible. Per UVM graduate policy,
any grade below a C- is considered failing. Further, students taking this
course as part of the graduate concentration must maintain an average grade of
B in all concentration coursework (and no less than a B- in any one class) to
remain in the program.
|
A+ |
100-97 |
B+ |
87-89 |
C+ |
77-79 |
F |
below 70 |
|
A |
94-96 |
B |
84-86 |
C |
74-76 |
|
|
|
A- |
90-93 |
B- |
80-83 |
C- |
70-73 |
|
|
Description of
Class Assignments:
There are four assignments
for this course.
(1)
Attend
ONE of the following:
(a)
VTPBiS
Universal or Targeted Training in March
·
Attend the
Training and participate in team time. Complete Attendance Sheet and turn in to
registration desk on the last day of training.
(b)
The BEST Summer Institute in June
·
Attend the morning keynotes, one, 4-day strand, one Wed. workshop, and
team time each day. Complete Attendance Sheet and turn in to registration desk
on Thursday, June 28th by 1:30pm.
(2)
Book
Review (due August 27)
Select one book
related to the VTPBiS Universal or Targeted Training or the BEST Summer
Institute theme and/or your strand to read for your book review. Write a brief
review (3-4 double spaced pages) focusing on (a) why you chose the book based
on your professional development goals, (b) strengths & limitations of the
book, and (c) how specifically the book applies to your school project for this
course, and your school overall. You will also need to report in your project
summary (see below) how you used your book to inform your project.
(3)
School
Project Proposal Action Plan (due August 27)
Following the
VTPBiS Universal or Targeted Trainings or the BEST Institute, you will complete
an independent school practicum project. This can be connected to your school
team’s action plan, but your project must reflect your independent work. Similarly,
your project proposal and summary (see below) should focus on the work you
accomplished. The first step for this project is Assignment #4: to propose what
your school project will be by completing the School Project Proposal Action Plan (last 2 pages of syllabus). You
will need to completely and thoughtfully respond to all questions on the form
to receive full credit. After turning in your proposal you will receive
feedback from your scoring instructor that you should incorporate into your
project.
(4)
School Project Summary (due December 6)
After receiving feedback on your action plan, you will implement your
school project during the Fall of 2012. After you
complete your project, you need to write a brief summary of the project (3-4
double spaced pages). Your summary should address all components of the action
plan: (a) Description & rationale, (b) Goals & objectives, (c)
Procedure & resources, (d) Timeline & sustainability, (e) Evaluation,
and (f) Reflections about what you learned and obstacles addressed. You should
also report how the book you chose for the book review was used for the project
and
include attachments with examples of your project, lessons, plans, activities,
presentation outlines, and pictures as appropriate. Edit your work for
spelling, punctuation, and grammar prior to sending.
Scoring
Rubrics:
The following rubrics show the expectations for
each assignment.
|
(1)
Attendance |
Max Points |
Due: |
|
Attend All Training Days |
15 |
March or June |
|
Turn in Attendance Sheet |
5 |
Submit on the last day of training |
|
Total Possible Points |
20 |
|
|
(2)
Book Review should include |
Max Points |
Due: August 27 One
point deducted for every day late. Full
points will be awarded for each section based on the completeness of
thoughts, ideas, and clarity (quality, grammar, spelling, & legibility). |
|
Connection of book to your professional development goals. |
3 |
|
|
Strengths of book |
2 |
|
|
Limitations of book |
2 |
|
|
How book applies to your project or school |
3 |
|
|
Total Possible Points |
10 |
|
(3) School Project Proposal Action Plan |
Max Points |
Due: August 27 One
point deducted for every day late. Full
points will be awarded for each section based on the completeness of
thoughts, ideas, and clarity (quality, grammar, spelling, & legibility). |
|
Description & rationale |
5 |
|
|
Goals & objectives |
5 |
|
|
Procedure & resources |
5 |
|
|
Timeline & sustainability |
5 |
|
|
Evaluation |
5 |
|
|
Reflection |
5 |
|
|
Total Possible Points |
30 |
|
(4)
School Project Summary |
Max Points |
Due: December 6 One
point deducted for every day
late. Full
points will be awarded for each area based on the completeness of thoughts,
ideas, and clarity (quality, grammar, spelling, & legibility). |
|
Description & rationale |
6 |
|
|
Goals & objectives |
6 |
|
|
Procedure & resources |
6 |
|
|
Timeline & sustainability |
6 |
|
|
Evaluation |
6 |
|
|
Reflection |
6 |
|
|
Connection
to book |
4 |
|
|
Total Possible Points |
40 |
Percentage
Contribution of Each Assignment:
|
Assignment |
Date Due |
Percentage of Grade |
|
(1)
Attend
VTPBiS Universal or Targeted Training in March OR Attend BEST Summer Institute |
March 12-14 June 25-28 |
20 |
|
(2)
Book Review
|
August 27 |
10 |
|
(3)
School
Project Proposal Action Plan |
August 27 |
30 |
|
(4)
School Project Summary |
December 6 |
40 |
Instructional
Sequence:
|
Dates |
Instructional Sequence |
|
March 12 – June 28, 2012 |
Attend ONE Training/Institute |
|
June 28 – August 27 |
No meetings. Work independently to complete Assignments 3 & 4.
Contact instructor with any questions. |
|
August 27 – December 6 |
After receiving feedback on Proposal Action Plan, implement School
Project at your school. Complete summary and turn in by December 6. |
Recommended Readings:
Alberto, P. A. & Troutman, A. C. (2008). Applied
Behavior Analysis for Teachers (8th ed). New York: Prentice Hall.
Bambara,
L. M. & Kern, L. (2005). Individualized Supports for Students with Problem
Behaviors: Designing Positive Behavior Plans. New York: Guilford Press.
Barrett, S., Algozzine, R., Putnam, R.,
Massanari, C., & Nelson, M. (2005). School-wide positive
behavior support: Implementers’ blueprint and self- assessment. Eugene, OR:
University of Oregon. Available from http://www.pbis.org
Bender, W.N., & Shores, C., (2007). Response to
Intervention: A Practical Guide for Every Teacher. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin
Press
Brendtro, L. K., Brokenleg, M. & Van
Bockern, S. (2002). Reclaiming youth at risk: Our hope for the
future. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree.
Brooks, A., Todd, A. W., Tofflemoyer, S.,
& Horner, R. H. (2003). Use of functional
assessment and a self-management system to increase academic engagement and
work completion. Journal of Positive
Behavior Intervention , 5, 144-152.
Crone, D. A. & Horner, R. H.
(2003). Building Positive Behavior Support Systems in
Schools: Functional Behavioral Assessment. New York: Guilford Press.
Crone, D. A., Horner, R. H.,
Hawken, L. S. (2004). Responding to problem behavior in school: The
Behavior Education Program. New York: Guilford Press.
Davis, S. (2007). Schools Where Everyone
Belongs: Practical Strategies for Reducing Bullying. Champaign, IL: Research
Press.
Davis, S. & Davis, J. (2005) Empowering
Bystanders in Bullying Prevention. Champaign, IL: Research Press.
Dennis, K. & Lourie, I. S. (2006). Everything is normal
until proven otherwise : A book about wraparound
services. Washington, DC: CWLA Press.
Dunlap, G., Lovannone, R., English, C., Kincaid,
D., Wilson, K., Christiansen, K., Strain, P., (2010). Prevent, teach, reinforce: The school-based model of individualized positive
behavior support. Baltimore, MD: Brookes
Publishing.
Dweck, Carol (2009). Mind Set. Guildan Media Corp
Fox Eades, J. M. (2008). Celebrating Strengths:
Building Strengths-based Schools. Coventry, UK: CAPP Press.
Greene, R. W. (2005). The Explosive Child: A
New Approach for Understanding and Parenting Easily Frustrated, Chronically
Inflexible Children. New York: HarperCollins
Horner, R. & Sugai, S.
(2007). Is school-wide positive behavior support
an evidence-based practice? A research summary. Retrieved
from OSEP Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports: http://www.pbis.org/researchLiterature.htm
Lucyshyn, J. M., Dunlap, G., Albin, R. W.
(Eds.) (2002). Families and Positive Behavior Support: Addressing Problem
Behaviors in Family Contexts. Baltimore: Brookes Publishing Company.
Marzano, R., Marzano, J. & Pickering D.J. (2003) Classroom Management That
Works: Research-Based Strategies for Every Teacher. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD)
McNulty, Ray.(2009) It’s Not Us Against Them —
Creating the Schools We Need, published in 2009 by the
International Center.
Mellard, D.F., & Johnson, E. (2008). RTI: A
practitioners Guide to Implementing Response to Intervention. Thousand Oaks,
CA: Corwin Press.
Ratey, J. (2008). Spark: The Revolutionary New
Science of Exercise and the Brain. New York: Little, Brown and Company.
Sailor, W., Dunlap, G., Sugai, G., &
Horner, R. (Eds.) (2008). Handbook of Positive Behavior
Support. New York: Springer.
Snell, M. E. & Janey R. (2005).
Collaborative teaming: Teachers’ guide to inclusive practices. Baltimore, MD:
Brookes Publishing Co.
Many other practical readings may be found online at
OSEP Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports: http://www.pbis.org
School Project Proposal Action
Plan
Student Name: _______________________ Project title:
_________________________ Date:
_____________________
|
q What is the
project? q Where is your
project located? q How does project
meet the needs of your school? What is the research or theoretical rationale? |
Goals &
Objectives q What are the
short, mid, and long-term goals for this project? q What are the
specific objectives? |
Procedure &
Resources q What are the
steps/activities required to meet your goals/objectives? q What resources
and people will be necessary to complete (and evaluate) your project? |
|
|
|
|
|
Timeline &
Sustainability q What are the
expected completion dates for all identified activities? q What steps will
be taken to ensure the project continues (explain if not applicable)? |
Evaluation q What are the
short, mid, and long-term outcomes of this project (should connect to goals)? q How will success of project be measured? |
Reflections
& comments q What are your
thoughts, questions, or concerns about this project? q What obstacles
do you anticipate? q What do you hope
to learn from this experience? |
|
|
|
|