Overview
Program-wide implementation of the Pyramid Model refers to a systemic effort within a program for Pyramid Model implementation fidelity. In program-wide implementation, a leadership team guides the implementation process and develops the support and infrastructure needed to ensure that implementation of the Pyramid Model can occur within the classrooms, community settings and homes where services are provided to children and their families. The Leadership Team, with representation from program administrators, practitioners and coaches, is focused on the ongoing process of supporting the implementation of the Pyramid Model and using data-informed decision-making to guide implementation efforts and monitor outcomes.
Program-wide implementation might also be called Program-Wide Positive Behavior Intervention and Support (PW-PBIS), Early Childhood Positive Behavior Support (EC-PBS) or a Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) to address social, emotional, and behavioral needs.
The program-wide implementation model ensures that programs are attending to both the implementation of evidence-based practices and the development of the infrastructure to support the sustainable implementation of those practices. Programs that have used the Pyramid Model framework have experienced the following:
- Reductions in child behaviors perceived as challenging
- Increases in children’s social skills
- Increased satisfaction of program staff and families
- Elimination of suspension and expulsion
- Increases in teachers competence and confidence in the support of children
- Positive changes in classroom and program climate
- Sustained implementation of the Pyramid Model
Key Components
Implementing the Pyramid Model Program-wide uses a Benchmark of Quality that explores 8 key components.
Leadership Team
The leadership team meets monthly and guides the implementation of the program-wide approach. The team consists of a program administrator, representation from the teaching staff, an individual who can provide coaching and support to teachers, the individual who serves as a behavior specialist (some individuals might fill more than one of these roles), and a family member. The team ensures that a system is developed to provide individualized behavior supports to children with challenges, professional development and support to teachers, a plan for family engagement, and uses data to make decisions as they guide implementation.
Staff Buy-In
All staff become involved in the model (e.g., cook, teaching assistant, and teachers) and must agree that they are willing to participate. The leadership team monitors and supports staff buy-in on an ongoing basis.
Family Engagement
A variety of mechanisms are used to establish partnerships with families in the implementation of the model by establishing collaborative partnerships with families, sharing information, providing families with information and support in guiding children’s development of social and emotional skills, and collaboratively teaming to support individual children.
Program-Wide Expectations
The adoption of program-wide expectations provides a shared focus and shared language for describing behavior expectations to children, staff, and families. Program-wide expectations are posted in the program and classrooms and are provided to families. Staff acknowledge engagement in the expectations by providing developmentally appropriate feedback and reinforcement to children.
Classroom Implementation of the Pyramid Model
Teachers are individually assessed using a fidelity observation tool and then action planning occurs to identify goals for supporting teachers in reaching fidelity criteria.
Staff Professional Development and Support Plans
All staff must have the training and coaching/support needed to effectively implement the Pyramid practices. The leadership team also develops strategies to provide ongoing support to staff as they implement the model.
Behavior Support Procedures
The leadership team develops policies and procedures for providing support to staff to address challenging behavior. This includes providing a mechanism for support in crisis situations, developing a problem solving process for children with emerging challenges, and providing a system for identifying children who need a behavior support plan developed through a team driven process.
Data-Based Decision-Making
Data-based decision-making is a pivotal component of the program-wide approach. The team will gather and review data on implementation and outcomes using tools provided by the Center.
Benchmarks of Quality Resources
Early Childhood Program-Wide PBS Benchmarks of Quality v. 3.0
Family Child Care Home (FCCH) Program-Wide PBS Benchmarks of Quality
Pyramid Model Early Intervention (Part C) Benchmarks of Quality v. 1.0
Getting Started
What is Involved in the Program-Wide Implementation Process?
- Staff in the program receive training on the Pyramid Model and coaching for implementation within their classrooms
- The Leadership team will attend a multiple day training on program‐wide implementation to develop their implementation plan
- A coach receives training on the use of Practice-Based Coaching and how to support staff as they begin Pyramid Model implementation
- A behavior specialist receives training on how to guide the individualized, intensive intervention process
- The majority of staff (80%) agree that they want to be a part of program-wide implementation, although the program might begin their efforts in a few classrooms initially
- The program collects ongoing data on program implementation and outcomes, coaching implementation and outcomes, and child implementation and outcomes
Program-wide Leadership Launch – Classroom-based
The Program-wide Leadership training launches participants into actively beginning to implement the Pyramid Model Framework across all facets of their program. Participants in this training score each critical element of the Early Childhood Benchmarks of Quality, learn more about that critical element, then work together to identify possible next steps for their program. As a result of this session each leadership team will leave with a completed Benchmarks of Quality and an implementation plan. This session serves as the “launching” point to installing the Pyramid Model Program-Wide in an early childhood setting.
Program-wide Leadership Launch – Early Intervention
This launch is a working meeting for implementation site leadership teams who will be active in guiding implementation within a site or program. Content includes critical elements of program-wide implementation, implementation strategies, leadership team responsibilities, staff support, professional development considerations, coaching practitioners, systems and procedures to support children with challenging behavior, family engagement, and data-based decision-making. Leadership teams will leave with an implementation plan.
Program-wide Leadership Launch – Family Child Care
Coming soon!
Program-wide Implementation launch is just the beginning of the implementation journey. To help guide your program in what trainings are essential to support the implementation of the Pyramid Model, we have mapped out a recommended sequence of topics for programs. Other desired or targeted topics can be completed in addition to these recommended events.
Topics listed here can be found with more detail in the Professional Development section.
Self-Paced Courses
To help programs and teams explore the implementation process and support on-going implementation, PMC has created a couple self-paced online courses to walk through the details.
Implementation Exploration and Readiness
Interested in exploring Pyramid Model Implementation? The purpose of this course is to help you gain an understanding of the Pyramid Model program-wide implementation process, and to give you the information you need to determine if this is the right time for you to commit to implementing this framework. These modules can be completed on your own or together with your leadership team.
In this course, we’ll:
- Review some of the concerns that may have led you to consider implementing the Pyramid Model in your program.
- Explore the Pyramid Model and how it has helped other programs address these concerns.
- And get familiar with the Benchmarks of Quality. This is the data source and guide of the Program-wide journey.
By the end of this course, you’ll see how providing this evidence-based, systematic implementation of the Pyramid Model benefits both your staff and the children and families you serve.
Program-wide Pyramid Model Implementation
This course is designed to support your Pyramid Model Leadership Team in implementing the Pyramid Model Program-wide. This course will guide your leadership team through the 7 Critical Elements of the Early Childhood Program-Wide PBS Benchmarks of Quality (BoQ). In each module you will complete a section of the BoQ, learn more about what that Critical Element entails and then create a plan to implement. The Critical Elements that are included in this course are Establishing a Leadership Team, Staff Buy In, Family Engagement, Program Wide Expectations, Professional Development and Staff Support Plan, Procedures for Responding to Challenging Behavior and Monitoring Implementation and Outcomes. By the end of this ePyramid course you will have completed the Early Childhood Benchmarks of Quality and built an Implementation Plan. This course is also a great resource to support new members joining an existing leadership team.
This course acts like our other ePyramid courses and tracks a user’s progress through the content. To view the course, you will need to add the course to your shopping cart and either add the course to your existing account or go through the steps to set up an account. The course is FREE!
