MSPA-West MA Workshop I: Tier 1 - School Wide Support Overview (Series: Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports and Social Emotional Learning Curricula in Schools)

Four Part Workshop Series: Integrating Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports and Social Emotional Learning Curricula in Schools

This is Workshop I of a four part series of workshops on Integrating Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) and Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Curricula in Schools. The series consists of Workshop I: Tier 1 - School Wide Support Overview; Workshop II: Tier 1 - Classroom Support; Workshop III: Tier 2 - Check In/Check Out/Small Group Supports; and Workshop IV: Tier 3 - Supporting Individual Students. This series can be attended as a four-part sequence or as stand-alone workshops. You can sign up for the whole series by September 22nd to obtain a discount. Series overview below.

Workshop I: Tier 1 - School Wide Support Overview 

For this first workshop, Dr. Sarah Fefer will provide an overview of PBIS and SEL, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of implementing each approach school-wide.  She will discuss methods to assess and enhance overall school climate across key contexts within schools (cafeteria, playground, hallways, classrooms, etc.).  Attendees will complete a measure of their current school wide practices that align with PBIS and SEL, and engage in action planning to generate strategies to build upon current school practices related to discipline and direct instruction around social-emotional and behavioral competence.  She will emphasize the importance of establishing clear systems (such as having teams to review school wide data regularly), practices (such as specific methods or curricula to teach students appropriate school behaviors), and data to monitor student behavior, school-wide implementation of PBIS/SEL, and overall school climate. 

Dr. Sarah Fefer, PhD, BCBA is an Assistant Professor in the UMASS Amherst School Psychology Program. She received her doctorate from the University of South Florida and is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. Her dissertation focused on a new assessment approach for adolescents with ADHD and she also specialized in creating Positive Behavior Support systems within secondary schools and families, as well as collaboration between home and school in providing Positive Behavior Supports to at-risk students. 

Series Overview

Drs. Sarah Fefer and Sara Whitcomb from the School Psychology program at UMass Amherst will be presenting a series of workshops related to integrating positive behavior interventions and supports (PBIS) and social emotional learning (SEL) in schools.  PBIS is a framework for promoting positive behavior and reducing problem behavior for all students in schools through environmental change.  SEL emphasizes promoting student competence by explicitly teaching skills related to self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship development, and responsible decision-making. Integrating these two practices into a comprehensive multi-tiered model of support can promote positive outcomes for all individuals within a school. The purpose of this series is to share specific systems, practices, and data that will allow participants to integrate PBIS and SEL to promote success for all students in their schools.  We will draw upon the strengths and limitations of each of these approaches and will provide specific case examples to exemplify ways in which PBIS and SEL can be used together. These workshops will be appropriate for teachers, adjustment/guidance counselors, nurses, administrators, and other support staff as well as school psychologists.  

IMPORTANT NOTE!

Purchase Orders are accepted but must be submitted prior to the workshop to complete registration and to be processed in a timely fashion. Please send your purchase order or check to MSPA-West, P.O. Box 259, Hadley, MA 01035. 

The Red Barn is handicap accessible and arrangements can be made to provide necessary accommodations. Please indicate any needs during the registration process. 

Each workshop is 3 hours long and a light dinner is served.

Continuing Education Policy

The Massachusetts School Psychologists Association is approved by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to offer contact hours.The DESE requires the completion of a pre-test, which is to be completed prior to the workshop start time.A post-test is also required and will be given at the end of the conference. Participants must attend theENTIRE CONFERENCEand satisfy state regulations in order toreceive 3 contact hours. Each participant is responsible for knowing and meeting the DESE licensure requirements.

CE HOURS:The Massachusetts School Psychologists Association is approved by the National Association of School Psychologists to sponsor continuing education (CE) for psychologists. In keeping with NASP requirements, these are awarded incontact hours only. CE hours will be awarded at the close of the conference.  MSPA maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

Anyone arriving more than 20 minutes late or leaving prior to the conclusion of the program will not receive continuing education credits. 

Please arrive a bit early so you can complete registration and a pre-test prior to 4 PM so we can start on time. 

We look forward to your participation in this exciting workshop and series.