Pyramid of Behavior Interventions: Seven Keys to a Positive Learning Environment, July/2011

Students thrive when educators commit to proactively meeting their behavioral as well as academic needs. This book will help teachers and school leaders transform the research on behavior, response to intervention, and professional learning communities into practical strategies they can use to create a school culture and classroom climates in which learning is primed to occur.

1. Explore specific strategies with real-life examples and current research.
2. Implement behavior matrix that identifies specific settings, expected behaviors, and application strategies.
3. Build data-driven dialogue within collaborative teams.
4. Support schoolwide efforts with a detailed five-step approach.

About The Authors:
Tom Hierck has been an educator since 1983 in a career that has spanned all grade levels and many roles in public education. His experiences as a teacher, administrator, district leader, department of education project leader, and executive director have provided a unique context for his education philosophy.

Tom is a compelling presenter, infusing his message of hope with strategies culled from the real world. He understands that educators face unprecedented challenges and knows which strategies will best serve learning communities. Tom has presented to schools and districts across North America with a message of celebration for educators seeking to make a difference in the lives of students. His dynamic presentations explore the importance of positive learning environments and the role of assessment to improve student learning. His belief that “every student is a success story waiting to be told” has led him to work with teachers and administrators to create positive school cultures and build effective relationships that facilitate learning for all students.

Charlie Coleman is principal of Cowichan Secondary School in Duncan, British Columbia, where he is leading the staff to build a results-oriented professional learning community. He has been a principal at the elementary, middle, and secondary levels in ethnically and socioeconomically diverse communities. Charlie is former principal of Quamichan Middle School and Khowhemun Elementary schools, and he has also been involved with the Ministry of Education School Improvement Project in a variety of middle and high school settings. He is a certified staff developer who combines his experience and expertise with an engaging sense of humor in his workshops and presentations.

As former principal of Khowhemun Elementary School in the same district, Charlie brought students and staff through challenges familiar to many socioeconomically disadvantaged communities. Four years after he became principal, the percent of all Khowhemun students who met or exceeded expected scores in math and reading (based on the British Columbia Performance Standards) increased significantly. At Quamichan Middle School, Charlie’s PLC team increased reading scores significantly (as measured by the District Reading Test) and significantly improved the transition rates for the vulnerable Aboriginal population.

Charlie’s accomplishments earned him the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development Outstanding Young Educator Award. He has also received Canada’s Outstanding Principal Award from The Learning Partnership, and Khowhemun Elementary was named a Top 40 School in Canada by Today’s Parent Magazine. He has published several articles in the United States and Canada and has served on numerous educational committees and teams.

A firm believer in servant leadership, Charlie uses his knowledge and energy to help other educators achieve great results. In addition, his experience working with urban and Native Canadian (Aboriginal) students translates into practical strategies for helping eliminate achievement gaps in diverse school communities.

Chris Weber, EdD, is a consultant and administrative coach for Chicago Public Schools and the Oakland (California) Unified School District. He delivers trainings and presentations on Pyramid Response to Intervention. This tiered approach to RTI is centered on Professional Learning Community at Work™ concepts and strategies to ensure every student receives the time and support necessary to succeed. Dr. Weber also delivers workshops and presentations that provide the tools educators need to build and sustain PLCs.

As principal of R.H. Dana Elementary School in the Capistrano Unified School District (CUSD) in California, Dr. Weber was the leader of a highly effective professional learning community. Together with his staff, he lifted the school to remarkable levels of success. Designated Schoolwide Title I, with over 60 percent of all students English learners and Latino and over 75 percent socioeconomically disadvantaged, R.H. Dana consistently exceeded adequate yearly progress (AYP) goals. The school’s gains over four years were among the top 1 percent in the state, and it was the first school in the decades-long history of the CUSD to win the State of California’s Title I Academic Achievement Award. Under Dr. Weber’s leadership, R.H. Dana earned the first California Distinguished School Award in the school’s 42-year history. After the percentage of students meeting AYP in English and math tripled in four years, the school was named a National Blue Ribbon School. Dr. Weber credits these achievements to the daily practice of key principles: focusing on student engagement, maximizing instructional time, reallocating resources, and developing systematic student support programs based on RTI.

Dr. Weber has taught grades K–12 and served as a site administrator for elementary and secondary schools. He was director of instruction for the Garden Grove Unified School District in California, which was the 2004 winner of the prestigious Broad Prize for Urban Education. During this time, all groups of students in the district’s 47 K–6 schools achieved double-digit AYP gains in mathematics and English language arts.

He earned a master’s degree from California State University, San Marcos, and a doctorate of education from the University of California (Irvine and Los Angeles). He is a graduate of the United States Air Force Academy and a former US Air Force pilot.

He earned a master’s degree in education administration and leadership studies and a bachelor’s degree in secondary curriculum from the University of Victoria.