Good systems not only track incidents, but also patterns of triggers and antecedents, writes Ed Whittaker.
Special schools log pupil incidents in more detail than mainstream schools. This was traditionally done via detailed printed sheets or in bound and numbered books, which results in the school being rich in data but poor in useful information, because extracting useful information from pages of handwritten accounts is a time-consuming and tedious process. Many incident recording systems will allow easy entry of data, but getting it out again in a usable form is not always as easy, so look for a system that combines powerful analysis tools with ease of use. Can behaviour leads and school managers interrogate and search the data easily themselves at any time, or do they have to wait for office staff to print out reports for them? One of the key advantages of a good data management system is its ability to allow access to live information. Make sure that any proposed system will allow you to easily identify pupils with high numbers of incidents, and that it gives a breakdown of behaviour type, antecedents, triggers and effective calming strategies as an absolute minimum. It should also be able to identify hot spots by location, activity or time of day, plot trend graphs, and provide a readily searchable database.
The starting point for procuring a suitable monitoring system is to consider carefully what data you want to collect. Schools working with an ABC (antecedent, behaviour, consequence) model will also want to record what happened immediately before the event and what happened afterwards. However, this can be just the tip of the iceberg—schools may wish to expand the setting events to include other factors such as pupil mood or nature of the environment (noisy, calm, hot). Many will record the use of any de-escalation or calming strategies used during an incident. Such data can be useful for informing individual pupil strategy planning. Schools using positive handling will need to record the details of any physical intervention. Make a list of all the information that you would like to collect. A good system will collect at least most of the data that you need.
A key consideration to be addressed early on is how the software will be delivered and what are the longer-term maintenance and cost implications. Software systems can be installed on individual machines or on a central server in school. However, most providers now offer their software in the Cloud, via the Software as a Service (SaaS) model. SaaS solutions can be accessed from anywhere and there is nothing to install or maintain in school. This solution is well suited to small schools with limited IT support. Remember to check the procedure for updates and bug fixes and ask whether there are any upgrade costs involved. If possible, speak to an existing user to ask about their experiences.
Look for a system that is both customisable and flexible enough to monitor all the details that are important to you. The system should be flexible and customisable enough to be able to accommodate your existing language, workflow and routines, as well as offering the opportunity to develop new and innovative ways of working. Is the proposed solution fitting your needs, or are you being required to fit the needs of the system? You should consider changing your established way of working only if the proposed solution has the potential to provide something better. What happens if you change your intervention techniques from MAPA or SKIPr to Team Teach, for example? What if your new intake of pupils has a different set of needs? How easily and to what extent can the system be modified to match the school’s changing needs? Always check whether any additional cost is involved in making changes to the system.
Implementing the right software system should make recording and monitoring of pupil incidents easier and not more difficult for the staff. If the new system does not save time or effort over the existing system, if it’s ‘clunky’ or difficult to use, then busy teaching staff will be resistant to it, so make sure whatever system you choose is fast, efficient and robust.
Ed Whittaker
Ed Whittaker is director of Schools Data Services Ltd.
Website: irisadapt.com
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LinkedIn: Edward Whittaker
