Dr. Ross Greene

Lots of helpful topics covered today including adjusting the model for kids with language difficulties, drilling for information, wording unsolved problems, and more!

On the first Monday of every month at 3:30 pm Eastern time, from September through May, Dr. Ross Greene and four principals from schools in the U.S. and Canada cover a wide range of topics related to behaviorally challenging students and school discipline in general and Dr. Greene's Collaborative & Proactive Solutions (CPS) model in particular.  You can call into the program to get your questions answered or submit them via email here.  And, if you can't listen live, all the programs are archived in the Listening Library on the Lives in the Balance website or through i-Tunes.

Well, we finally had our first program of the school year, and our primary focal point -- led by our newest co-host, Heidi O'Leary, Special Education Director in Topsham, Maine -- was on how to write a CPS-flavored IEP, driven by the Assessment of Lagging Skills and Unsolved Problems (ALSUP). This is big...

Applied behavior analysis (ABA) is very commonly applied for behaviorally challenging kids in schools these days...but is ABA compatible with CPS? Are we just talking different languages?

Lots of territory covered on today's program, including a discussion about school values...but at the end of the program we discussed whether reward programs work for anyone in the building. We thought not...

Kids with trauma histories may need Plan B even more than most, as it's where their concerns are heard and addressed and they begin to feel that they can influence outcomes. Of course, all kids need to feel that way.

Pardon the repetition, but crisis prevention is far superior to crisis management, and there are lots of things about Collaborative & Proactive Solutions that make crisis prevention more feasible.

If a student is highly volatile, unstable, reactive, and unsafe, there are a few things to bear in mind: (1) s/he didn't get that way overnight; (2) there must be many expectations the student is having difficulty meeting; (3) reducing those expectations -- Plan C -- is a very good way to get things stabilized; and (4) even if takes a lot of time and energy to stabilize that student, it's a lot less time and energy than that student is consuming when s/he's unstable. 

What happens when class size, systemic issues, and the overwhelming needs of students outstrip a teacher's capacity to respond adaptively? It can't be good...

If your school is implementing PBIS, you may be wondering which "tier" is the best fit for Collaborative & Proactive Solutions. The truth is, CPS is relevant to all three tiers. If that's the case, how important are the tiers?

Our first program of the new school year was recorded live at Waterville (Maine) Junior High School, which had massive numbers of disipline referrals, detentions, and suspensions during the 2015-2016 school year. This year, led by principal Carole Gilley and assistant principal Doug Frame, they'll be implementing Collaborative & Proactive Solutions, with the goal of dramatically reducing those numbers. On this program, they received some guidance from school leaders who've been there and done that.

On the last program of the school year, we were able to respond to some callers and some emailers...including one teacher who's very frustrated by her school system's approach to students' challenging behaviors and is having difficulty changing the system on her own.  

"I'm bored" could mean many different things, all of which await discovery in the Empathy step of Plan B.  What are the odds that "I'm not motivated" is the student's concern? Slim and none.

Many schools have mission statements, but not an explicit description of values. Many schools have delineated values but don't pay attention to them. But values are what should guide every decision and intervention, so it's a good idea to know what they are.

On today's program, our panel responded to an email from an anguished teacher who was looking for some guidance on what went wrong with one of her students and his parents.

As always, we covered lots of territory on today's program...including how CPS can help students who are in fight or flight mode and how to help kids who have very tough lives outside of school.

Goodness, there sure are a lot of ways to stray from the CPS model...and we heard about a lot of them on this program!

Those adult-imposed consequences that are so popular in schools these days...do we really need 'em? You can probably guess the answer...

What happens when parents and teachers skip concerns and jump straight to solutions? Probably nothing good.  

On this final program of the school year, one of our principals told us about a student whose behavioral challenges have been making life very difficult...for himself and her.  How best to get things on track?

Our principals weighed in on this question...and lots of others.

Schools abide by a least restrictive environment standard in placing kids in classroom settings...shouldn't schools also adhere to a least toxic response standard in helping students with behavioral challenges?

Are there students who are simply unmotivated to do well, or is it always more complicated than that? Is motivation the engine or the caboose?  Alas, this was a very interesting discussion...

Susan described a new student with some interesting and unexpected points of view...and the discussion started rolling from there... 

Dr. Greene and the principals focused on a variety of topics, but probably the biggest: the importance of shifting away from focusing on behaviors (and modifying them) and toward  the problems giving rise to those behaviors (and solving them). 

It's that time of year again...the students are back, and the problems that were unsolved at the end of last school year are probably still unsolved now (except in British Columbia, where school hasn't started yet due to mitigating circumstances). Today's program focused on assumptions about why students have difficulty meeting expectations, and whether we should start by assuming that they really can meet those expectations or immediately leap into solving problems collaboratively to find out why they're not.  An omen of programs to come...

Our guest on today's program was Tim Graves, Superintendent of Schools and Programs in the Near North District School Board in Ontario, Canada.  He has some interesting ideas about the characteristics of schools that successfully implement the CPS model (and those that struggle), and those ideas sparked a very interesting discussion among our group of principals.

The Educators Panel shared their thoughts on an article that recently appeared in the Christian Science Monitor (click here) in which recommendations for improving school discipline from the Discipline Disparities Collaborative were described. And they had some thoughts on a bunch of other things too!

On this month's program, the Educators Panel tackled the question of how to ensure that CPS outlives a principal's tenure in the building...and then got an update from (and had some guidance for) Mallett School in Farmington, Maine, one of the schools implementing CPS building-wide.

What's crystal clear is that the CPS model is really helpful for behaviorally challenging (and other) students. But, among the various resounding messages from today's program, it's also clear that educators get a lot out of it too.

Our group of educators has grown to four -- Susan, a school principal from Surrey, British Columbia has joined the Educators Panel -- and not only did they have guidance for schools just getting started with the CPS model...they also had their own New Year's Resolutions for moving the ball forward in their buildings.

Dr. Greene and Educators Panel answered some email questions from listeners this week who are in the beginning stages of implemention. Topics included the patchwork of behavioral techniques, how to convince colleagues to change their lenses and the pros and cons of having a principal involved in the core group (which both panelists are heavily in favor of).

The Educators Panel are joined today by Ryan Quinn, principal of Kennebunk Elementary school, a school that is currently in the early stages of implementing the CPS model. Ryan discusses how the implementation process is going thus far, adding that by using the model as part of the spectrum of interventions used at the school has already captured all of the kids that weren’t being understood and helped before. The Educators reflect on their respective experiences and offer advice on many aspects of implementation, such as how to move forward once a core group has been established, handling staff members who are nervous about implementing a new method of discipline, the importance of communication with parents regarding Plan B, and how the CPS philosophy reflects a shifting paradigm among current research and best practice in education. 

How do we do a better job of understanding and helping students with social, emotional, and behavioral challenges in our schools...while simultaneously feeling like we're "holding kids accountable"...while attending to the diverse needs of other students...while trying to make sure they all do well on high-stakes testing?  Not by simply increasing detentions, suspensions, and expulsions or referring behaviorally challenging kids into the judicial system!  In this program, Dr. Ross Greene -- author of The Explosive Child and Lost at School, and originator of the Collaborative Problem Solving (CPS) approach -- helps you view challenging behavior in a more compassionate, accurate, productive manner and intervene more effectively. If you want to learn more about his model, have questions about how to get the ball rolling on using the model in your building or classroom, or are having difficulty using the model with a particular student, this is your opportunity to get your questions answered and listen to how other educators are overcoming obstacles and aplying the model.  You can join in live -- the program airs every Monday at 3:00 pm Eastern time -- or listen to archives of past programs.

On today's program, Dr. Greene was joined by Lisa, a high school special education teacher who's been leading the charge for Collaborative & Proactive Solutions in her school. Lisa told us about how she got the ball rolling in her building, how the core group was formed, and the challenges that lie ahead.

"It all starts with the Assessment of Lagging Skills and Unsolved Problems".  Identifying lagging skills ensures that adults have the right lenses on.  Identifying unsolved problems that are congruent with the four guidelines helps adults and kids know what problems they're trying to solve.  Both are indispensible.

On today's program, Dr. Greene provided feedback to a caller on the wording of the unsolved problems she'd written for a student on the Assessment of Lagging Skills and Unsolved Problems. That feedback might be helpful to you too!

The students are back, and so is the Educators Panel!  Our principals shared what they're doing at the beginning of this school year to further implementation of Dr. Greene's model (now called Collaborative & Proactive Solutions), with some exciting developments at Nina's school and some strategizing at Carol's new school. Tom had some difficulty avoiding the term "collaborative problem solving" (Dr. Greene is now legally prohibited from using that name to refer to his model), but made excellent progress on that during the program.    

On this program, we listened to an example of the Empathy step of Plan B recorded by the very brave staff at Anytown Elementary. Then we heard their self-assessment:  Nice job of engaging the student in the discussion and with reflective listening...but cut back on the amount the adults are talking and theorizing. 

Lots of ground was covered on this last Educators Panel of the current school year, including how to prove to kids and adults that we're taking challenging behavior seriously...and whether Plan B does the job. 

On this program, we listened to our first recording of a Plan B from the staff at Anytown Elementary...and, as with any first attempt at Plan B, some things went well and other things didn't.  But the ball is now rolling...

On this program, we listened to another recording of a meeting at Anytown Elementary in which the Assessment of Lagging Skills and Unsolved Problems was being used...and this one was really good! A sign that a little feedback can go a long way...

Our good friends at Anytown Elementary sent in a recording of a meeting in which they used the Assessment of Lagging Skills for one of their students. It was a great first try, but they made some of the same mistakes that many folks make early on in their use of the ALSUP.  Feedback was provided!

Well, the Educators Panel covered lots of ground today -- including why we're now breaking records for the diagnosis of ADHD in kids in the U.S. -- but we also discussed how to break free from from the "Tyranny of the Urgent" and actually take the time to think about school discipline and focus on the individual needs of behaviorally challenging students.  Good program!

The sheer number of behaviorally challenging students and unsolved problems can be quite overwhelming as a classroom teacher is just getting started on solving problems collaboratively.  So start small...the faster you try to go, the longer it's going to take...

On today's program, Dr. Greene interviewed Matt Carlson, Principal at Georgetown Central School, one of many schools in Maine learning how to implement Dr. Greene's model of solving problems collaboratively through project funded by the Maine Juvenile Justice Advisory Group.  Mr. Carlson's has some very useful insights for anyone determined to transform discipline practices in a school.

Dr. Greene responded to a variety of emailed questions on today's program, including several related to difficulties wording unsolved problems on the Assessment of Lagging Skills and Unsolved Problems.  Relevant (and hopefully helpful) guidance was provided!

If you're solving problems collaboratively with students, how will they know their behavior is unacceptable?  Is punishment the only way to get the job done? Is the Empathy step only for the "really challenging" students.  All this and more on today's Educators Panel.

If you're familiar with Dr. Greene's model, then you already know that understanding and helping behaviorally challenging students begins with the Assessment of Lagging Skills and Unsolved Problems.  On today's program, the staff at Anytown Elementary received some assistance in using this instrument.

You can get away with Plan A with students who have the emotion regulation skills to handle it, but why would you want to? And if you've used Plan A with behaviorally challenging students without setting them off, consider yourself lucky.

On today's Educators Panel, one of our panel members indicated that some of the staff in her school have lately been calling for a return to traditional discipline for students whose behavior problems have persisted despite the use of Plan B. Other Panel members helped her think through why Plan B may not have been achieving the desired outcomes with those students, and all signs pointed toward the need to be using Plan B proactively rather than emergently.