Welcome:

Welcome to the June issue of Intervention News that focuses on classroom management and its impact on instruction. In this issue, you will find a summary of a study that investigated the connection between classroom management and the time spent on instruction and in transitions. A school from Polk County is highlighted in the school profile, and two classroom management tips are provided. The PMRN Team and the Curriculum and Instruction Team at FCRR have provided some updates in the ‘What’s New’ section. We hope you find this information helpful as you begin the new school year.

Varying amounts of time dedicated to classroom management and the impact on instructional time and time spent in transitions

Two important findings emerged from a study conducted by Cameron, Connor and Morrison in 2005. They examined the effects of varying amounts of teacher time spent on organizational and classroom management tasks and the impact on the time spent in transitions and on instructional tasks. They observed 26 teachers in 44 first grade classrooms three times a year: fall, winter and spring. The observations lasted the entire school day and did not take place when there was a substitute teacher or on days when the students had a special area class such as music or art.

The first major finding from their observations was that the more time the teachers spent on ‘orient-organize’ tasks in the fall, the less time the children spent in transitions between activities in the spring. The authors define ‘orient-organize’ tasks as time dedicated to “giving students explicit information about the purposes, procedures, and organization of the classroom” (p. 64). Some examples of this type of activity are orienting the children to a new activity or preparing the children for the next day. Transitions consisted both of physical transitions to another part of the room or another part of the school and academic transitions in which the students were putting their books away or finding papers for the next activity.

A second finding of the study was that teachers who spent more time on organization instruction in the fall, coupled with less time on organization in the winter, had children spending more time in ‘child-managed’ activities in the spring. According to the authors, ‘child-managed’ tasks included independent activities or children working in pairs where the children were in charge of completing the task and maintaining attention to the task. The teacher was not involved in making sure the children completed the task.

Both of these findings as well as information from two previous studies (Emmer, Evertson, & Anderson, 1980; Bohn, Roehrig, & Pressley, 2004) indicate that the most effective time to implement procedures and instruction on organization in the classroom takes place at the beginning of the year. Cameron and her colleagues indicate a few reasons why the beginning of the year is so critical for management instruction. First, they point out that many children are new to a school environment, especially the younger children, and they are not familiar with the typical routines and procedures found in a classroom or school. Therefore, a kindergarten teacher will most likely need to spend more time on instructional and classroom routines than a fourth grade teacher because the older children have been in a school setting for five years and have internalized several typical academic routines. Second, there is typically more time to dedicate to organizational tasks at the beginning of the year because teachers are establishing the academic abilities of their students and have not begun the full academic rotation of the schedule. Finally, it appears useful to establish the procedures early to set the tone for the remainder of the year and have an efficiently running classroom. If the procedures and expectations are set early in the year, the children learn what is expected of them and practice these routines daily, requiring less instruction and time dedicated to these tasks later in the year.

Another conclusion from previous studies that was highlighted by Cameron and her colleagues was the importance of training for teachers in classroom management techniques. White, Smith, and Cunningham (1988) and Woolfolk and Woolfolk (1986) both found support that those teachers who received training or coaching in classroom management received higher ratings on observation scales for time management. The idea of professional development in the area of classroom management is one that is often overlooked in both undergraduate programs as well as workshops offered through school districts. It is important that we support and educate teachers not only in what to teach, but techniques for managing time and behavior to allow the teaching to occur.

“Classrooms that provide an organized, consistent learning environment in which assignments and expectations are clear from the beginning of the school year, and in which transitions are minimal and smooth provide greater opportunities for student learning and independence” (Cameron, Connor, & Morrison, 2005, p. 81).

Discussion Questions

1. Identify the procedures and expectations that are important to you as a teacher and indicate how you directly teach these to your children and at what point(s) in the year you focus on this instruction? What are you doing well and what would you like to improve?



2. Using the BET observation in the instructional tip section, set up a schedule with teams of teachers, reading coach, and principal to observe small group instruction and determine the amount of time dedicated to instruction. Based on the results of these observations, determine which areas need improvement or more instruction on procedures and routines – behavior or environment.



3. Think about professional development that is offered in your school in relation to classroom management techniques. What are the teachers’ needs in this area?

References

Bohn, C. M., Roehrig, A. D., & Pressley, M. (2004). The first days of school in the classrooms of two more effective and four less effective primary-grades teachers. The Elementary School Journal, 104 (4), 269-287.

Cameron, C. E., Connor, C. M., & Morrison, F. J. (2005). Effects of variation in teacher organization on classroom functioning. Journal of School Psychology,43, 61-85.

Emmer, E. T., Evertson, C. M., & Anderson, L. M. (1980). Effective classroom management at the beginning of the school year. The Elementary School Journal, 80(5), 219-231.

Johnson, D. D., Rice, M. P., Edgington, W. D., & Williams, P. (2005). For the uninitiated: How to succeed in classroom management. Kappa Delta Pi Record, 42(1), 28-32.

White, K., Smith, D. R., & Cunningham, T. (1988). Rating teacher performance: The North Carolina Teaching Performance Appraisal Instrument. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 48(4), 1067-1074.

Woolfolk, A.E., & Woolfolk, R. L. (1986). Time management: An experimental investigation. Journal of School Psychology, 24(3), 267-275.M

School Profile: Kathleen Elementary - Finding success with school and classroom management

Effective management of student behavior at the school and classroom level is very important because it has an impact on the amount and quality of instruction that can occur during the school day. For new teachers as well as experienced teachers, the behavior management routines they need to incorporate each year are dependent on the needs of their students. Planning and implementing effective procedures for management of student behavior is a priority for Karen Kemp, who has been principal at Kathleen Elementary in Polk County for the past 12 years. Kathleen Elementary School is home to 567 students in kindergarten through fifth grade. They are a Title I school with 72% of their students qualifying for free and reduced lunch, 7 % with limited English proficiency, and 39% minority students.

At Kathleen Elementary, behavior management is a school-wide effort. Principal Kemp explains that there is a ‘family’ atmosphere at the school in which children come first. Common respect is shown to all children and in return the children show respect to the teachers and staff. For the past two years, the school has been implementing Positive Behavior Support (PBS) to improve student behavior in all grades. This program emphasizes focusing on positive reinforcement and setting clear expectations rather than focusing on punishments for negative behaviors. It has three main rules – take care of yourself, take care of others and take care of the school and materials. This program also provides clever acronyms that teachers can use to help students remember their classroom rules (e.g. CLASS - Come to class prepared, Listen to others, Always follow directions, Stay on task, Solve problems peacefully).

The PBS system at Kathleen Elementary utilizes a red ticket system with monthly incentive ‘reward days’ such as karaoke and beach day that take place at the school. All staff members are able to pass out these red tickets to the children at any location in the school. The children earn tickets for following the procedures or showing respect to others, which in turn allows them to participate in the activity of the month. The teachers have clipboards with their students name on them that they carry with them and then hand off to the art teacher, music teacher, lunchroom paraprofessionals, and other teachers who work with their students so the students know the expectations exist throughout the school in all settings, not just in the classroom. The students also see many visuals around the school as well as in their classrooms that support the positive attitudes and behaviors that are expected. All students in the school have an agenda which they take home and a parent must sign their agenda notebook each night. Most teachers will comment in the agenda on a daily basis and try to write at least two positive comments each week. All of the rules and expectations at the school level are introduced at the start of school and emphasized throughout the year.

Expectations and Routines

Joy Montgomery, a kindergarten teacher at Kathleen Elementary, echoed the belief that you need to start early in the school year, “Behavior has to be in place before the learning can start.” She uses the acronym WORK in her classroom (Work quietly, Obey directions, Raise your hand, and Keep your hands, feet, and objects to yourself). She has divided her day into seven periods or settings, and uses a star incentive program in her classroom that is separate from the red tickets. The children earn stars by following the rules of the classroom (WORK) throughout the time designated for each period of the school day.

Mrs. Montgomery stresses the importance of establishing routines at the beginning of the year by modeling, giving the children examples and non-examples of appropriate and inappropriate behaviors in each of the settings the children will be in throughout their day (e.g. lunch room, classroom, restroom, and hallway). For the first two weeks of the school year, Mrs. Montgomery focuses on expectations and setting the procedures. This time frame may be extended depending on the level of need of the children in the class. It is also an ongoing part of Mrs. Montgomery’s classroom, revisiting the procedures and routines weekly or daily as needed.

Mrs. Carlson and Mrs. Caruthers team (co) teach in third grade at Kathleen Elementary. The acronym used in their classroom is LEARN (Listen when others are talking, Enter classroom ready to work, Always follow directions, Remain on task, and Negotiate and solve problems peacefully). As part of their daily routine, the children come in quietly and get started on their morning work. This is the time that the two teachers go around and interact with each child individually learning about any problems they may have had with last night’s homework or receiving any notes from home. They then start with whole group instruction. For almost the entire first month of school, the primary form of grouping and instruction is whole group. They work on expectations and procedures as a group and slowly work up to having independent centers. Each center is modeled with how to use the materials and how the center works. In their classroom, the children can earn points on a daily basis that they can use to purchase things at the school store and the table teams can earn ‘popcorn points’ daily for working cooperatively. When the popcorn chart is filled for that table team, they receive a popcorn party, helping the children to work together toward a common goal.

Small Group Instruction

During small group instruction, Mrs. Montgomery explains to her children that she may only be interrupted when it is an emergency which again is clearly explained and modeled for the children. In her classroom, an emergency is bruising, bleeding or being ill. The children learn how to ask their classmates at the same center in a whisper voice if they have a question or they can move to another center if they don’t get an answer. The center routines and expectations are modeled and practiced several times as a group before the children are expected to perform the activities independently. In kindergarten, the children can use the restroom in the classroom without asking during the center time to keep from interrupting the teacher, while in third grade the students have a signal (crossed fingers) that they hold up and one of the teachers will nod indicating that they may go to the bathroom with their partner. If the teacher does not see the student, they go and stand behind the teacher who is working with a small group, but they still hold up the signal without saying anything.

The third grade team reminds the children of the expectations each day before they start small groups. All teachers indicated that the center length and amount of centers available at the beginning of the year is much smaller and they build up to ‘full capacity’ at centers as the year progresses.

Words of Wisdom

Mrs. Montgomery said if she could pass on some advice it would be to focus on the positive rather than the negative and be consistent – all rules apply to everyone in the same manner in all settings. Mrs. Carlson and Mrs. Caruthers advised to set high expectations, remind your children of those expectations often, and establish a daily routine. With a daily routine, children know what they are expected to do and do not need to be re-taught on a regular basis. The teachers provide choices within the basic daily routine so the children remain engaged.

Results

The teachers’ success at establishing routines and procedures to minimize behavioral distractions during instruction was evident by the growth of student achievement across assessment periods. The children and teachers in these classrooms were able to focus their attention on teaching and learning because the management of the classroom and the school was well established. It may appear that establishing routines is too time consuming at the beginning of the year, but the research indicates that this initial effort allows for more time in small group instruction overall (See the Research Corner). Congratulations to the teachers and school community at Kathleen Elementary for creating a safe and orderly setting for the children to have the most optimal learning environment.

Instructional Tips

An observational tool described in the book Differentiated instruction: Grouping for success that will help teachers and principals understand how instructional time is being utilized is provided below. This tool divides a teacher’s tasks into three main areas: behavior, environment, and teaching (BET). A principal or fellow teacher can observe a teacher during her small group instruction for 20 minutes and determine how many minutes are spent handling behavior issues, environment issues, and how much time is used for instruction. Gibson and Hasbrouck recommend making checkmarks every 15 seconds, so that a detailed account of the way time is spent during the observation period can be obtained. At the end of the observation, total the number of marks and discuss the management of small group instruction.

Gibson, V. & Hasbrouck, J. (in press). Differentiated instruction: Grouping for success. New York: McGraw-Hill (available in July, 2007).

Transitions can be challenging for students and can consume valuable instructional time. It is important to have a clear procedure for transitioning between student center activities while the teacher is working with small skill groups. One example is to have a timer go off 5 minutes before the end of the center time, giving the children a warning that they need to start finishing up what they are working on and then a second timer to indicate movement to the next center. Teachers working with younger children may want to use a song that the children are familiar with and can even sing along with as they finish up. Younger children may also need more structure between centers. One kindergarten teacher played a song indicating the children needed to clean up their center and be seated on a rug in the center of the room by the end of the song (this is why it is important the children are familiar with the song). The teacher then explained the next activity, answered any questions, and dismissed the groups of students from the rug to the next center. Again, this level of scaffolding may only be needed with younger students or at the beginning of the year until the routine is learned.

What's New?

Curriculum and Instruction Team at FCRR

• The Teacher Resource Guides and DVDs that accompany the Student Center Activities for grades K-1 and 2-3 include practical information and allow teachers to view examples to implement and manage student centers in the classroom. Eight elements are highlighted to address managing the classroom: forming flexible groups based on assessment, identifying appropriate center activities, designing a management system, implementing a behavior management system, giving explicit center directions, organizing the classroom, managing transitions, and establishing accountability. The Teacher Resource Guides and DVDs can be located at http://www.fcrr.org/Curriculum/studentCenterActivities.htm.

PMRN Update

• PMRN Registration for SY07-08 is now open and will remain open until August 14. Please visit http://www.fcrr.org/pmrn/ for information on how to register your school. Please note that only Principals should complete and Submit the Registration Form.



• In previous years, the terms "All" and "Select" were used to indicate whether or not school rosters were to be updated by the FTE Surveys. For SY07-08, the terms "Updated" and "Not Updated" are used to indicate whether or not the FTE Surveys will add students to the school. At Reading First schools, grades K-3 are marked as "Updated" since all students are to be progress monitored.



• If a school is only recording the progress monitoring scores for a subset of students, the school should contact the District Reading Contact. The Reading Contact will notify the District IS Office in order to ensure that only the selected subset of students is uploaded at the beginning of the school year. The PMRN is not able to determine which students should and should not be enrolled for each school, and the application will enroll all students included in the district files and expect the students to be progress monitored.



• PMRN staff will provide several presentations at the 2007 Just Read, Florida! Leadership Conference. These presentations will cover the many updates to the PMRN for the 07-08 school year. Please refer to the FCRR Website at http://www.fcrr.org/pmrn/leadership2007.htm for the schedule of the PMRN presentations.

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