1st Edition
Cultivating Behavioral Change in K–12 Students Team-Based Intervention and Support Strategies
Cultivating Behavioral Change in K-12 Students provides in-service educators with a long-term, team-based approach to enhancing their interventions and supports for struggling students. Given the clear visibility of trauma, crisis, and clinical challenges among children today, it is more important than ever that school professionals have the tools to create a more consistent culture of care at their schools. This book is driven by tried-and-true strategies refined across the three decades of implementation of the Behavior Intervention Support Team (BIST) Model. Comprehensive and compassionate, these evidence-based practices target the sustainable transformation of young learners’ behavior and help to shift the mindsets of the adults working with them. Principals, administrators, mental health practitioners, and teacher-leaders will be better prepared and motivated to collaborate toward student behavioral change, foster productive relationships with children and families, encourage learners to hone skills specific to behavior management, and more.
1. “I can’t help all of these kids.” Of course you can! 2. Now What? 3. BIST Logistics 4. “Our Kids” Community 5. Increasing Partnerships with Families 6. Enhancing our Vision, Growing our Impact 7. Capacity: Increasing Ownership
Biography
Marty Huitt is Director of the Behavior Intervention Support Team (BIST) at Cornerstones of Care, a trauma-informed behavioral healthcare nonprofit that partners with communities to improve the safety and health of children and families in Kansas, Missouri, and beyond. A former teacher, Marty has led the BIST team since 2003 and has worked with schools across the Midwest to create sustainable change for children.
Gail Tolbert, a former principal and teacher, is an educational consultant who specializes in school improvement. She has worked with the BIST team since 2013.
“The BIST philosophy has greatly impacted how our school, as a whole, operates on a daily basis. Staff are confident in viewing behavior as a missing skill, and our students benefit most of all as they are being approached with grace and accountability. Students are provided with tools to best help them learn and cope with their emotions and behaviors, while at the same time, the learning environment is protected. The BIST philosophy improves staff collaboration and cohesiveness as everyone has a role and responsibility for ensuring a positive and safe learning environment for all.”
Greg Fairchild, Principal of Banner Elementary School, IL
“BIST has been a game changer for our district. It has changed the way we think about student misbehavior, which we now view as a missing skill, not as a failure on the teacher's part. The foundation of BIST, grace and accountability, should be the foundation of every school across the nation! BIST has provided our teachers, staff, and administrators with practical strategies and steps to use with students when classroom management tools are not sustaining change.”
Heather Hatman, Mental Health/Wellness Support Specialist at Mountain Home Public Schools, AR
“As a principal, the BIST philosophy gave me a deep understanding of the practices needed to empower teachers to implement clear behavioral expectations, thus minimizing interruptions to teaching and learning. Teachers consistently addressed hurtful and disruptive behavior and taught positive replacement skills, coaching students to self-manage their feelings and actions. This positive, proactive approach increased student confidence and success in the classroom community and beyond.”
Cindy Schwaninger, Elementary Principal (Retired) of Lincoln Public Schools, NE
“BIST has made a tremendous impact on our school culture. The BIST practices and common language among students, teachers, and staff provide the foundation for continuous growth and ownership of behaviors. After utilizing BIST to transform a large urban high school, we brought it to our rural school unit district to implement as part of our continuous culture shift. BIST is not a program but a piece of our overall foundation of Pride and Excellence.”
Brett M. Elliott, Superintendent of Stark County CUSD #100, IL
“Young people need consistent support from adults in their lives. BIST is a proven solution that equips adults with the knowledge and skills needed to support young people in any setting, whether that be in a school, foster home, or in the community. Whether you’re a parent, teacher, or school principal, Marty Huitt and Gail Tolbert will not only motivate you, but provide you with practical and usable skills to support young people in being healthy, safe, and successful in all aspects of their lives. Marty’s humor, especially, is only matched by her spirit, care, and knowledge. She brings all of this together with her decades of teaching and training to inspire educators and other caregivers to be their best in supporting young people from classrooms to living rooms across the United States.”
Ryan R. Dowis, Executive Director of Family Focused Treatment Association, NJ
“Over the past sixteen years, with the implementation of the BIST philosophy, I have seen schools increase their consistency of care for students in order to create greater levels of success for both children and adults. When schools embrace BIST, I see many teachers rediscover their passion for teaching."
Judith Soltys, BIST Consultant, Kansas City, MO
