Leadership Team

The role of the Missouri Schoolwide PBS Leadership Team is to provide technical assistance, long-range planning and policy development for the state Positive Behavior Support initiative. The Leadership Team is responsible for the development and facilitation of an action plan to promote the following outcomes:

  • Cooperation across state/regional initiatives to work on improving State Performance Plan (SPP) indicators (including cooperative efforts aligning RTI and PBS across academic/behavioral goals)
  • Development and maintenance of website to improve access to information about SW-PBS for Missouri schools and districts.
  • Establish a network of highly trained PBS Consultants to provide technical assistance through the Regional Professional Development Centers.
  • A standardized data collection system and measures across demographic/academic/behavioral indicators to evaluate implementation efforts
  • A series of standardized training modules for administrators, teachers, support staff and school boards related to SW-PBS
  • Promote the adoption and implementation of evidence based behavior and academic instructional practices across schoolwide, classroom and individual student systems.
  • Reduce the use of reactive disciplinary measures in schools
  • Increase the capacity of schools to to prevent, eliminate and/or overcome the obstacles that may prevent an individual with disabilities from learning and full and active participation in the school environment.

The 2009-2012 MO SW-PBS Action Plan includes eleven primary goals:

  1. Continue Development & Revision of Standardizing Training Curriculum for State, District & School Teams
  2. Continue Development of a  3-year Training Plan for MO SW-PBS Consultants
  3. Review Infrastructure for School & District Coaches Support
  4. Review State Evaluation / Data Collection Plan and Complete Development of State Data Profile
  5. Continue Active Communication with State Leadership Team & Advisory Group
  6. Intensify Collaboration and Integration with other Missouri State Initiatives
  7. Revise Incentives / Recognitions for Schools to implement and Share Data for 2010-2011
  8. Upgrade MO SW-PBS Web Site & Dissemination Activities
  9. Review and Revise Tier 2 Training and Technical Assistance Planning
  10. Develop Tier 3 Training and Technical Assistance Planning
  11. Determine System  for Capacity Exploration and Annual Progress Review

Leadership Team Meeting Dates

All meetings will be held in 311 Townsend Hall @ 1:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted:

Upcoming Meeting(s):

August none

September 13, 3:00 PM

October 15

November 19

December 15

January 21

February 18

March 18

April 15

May 20

Dr. Timothy Lewis

Dr. Lewis has been involved in special education for more than 20 years. He has taught students with emotional and behavioral disorders at high schools, at elementary schools and in self-contained psychiatric settings. He is currently the associate dean of the special education department at the University of Missouri-Columbia. He also directs the MU Center for School-wide Positive Behavior Support, the Center for Prevention of School Violence, and several federally funded training and research projects related to social behavior development among children and youth with disabilities and those at-risk. For more than 12 years, he has worked with school teams around the world in developing school-wide systems of behavioral support. His specialty areas include behavior disorders, developmental disabilities, applied behavior analysis, social skill instruction, positive behavior supports, and early intervention.

303 Townsend Hall
University of Missouri
Columbia, MO 65211
lewistj@missouri.edu

Dr. Mary Richter

Dr. Richter is the Missouri state coordinator for SW-PBS. She coordinates the activities and training for the regional consultants, and works closely with the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and the Missouri University Center for PBS to facilitate the growth and purposeful implementation of SW-PBS in Missouri. She is dually certified in general and special education, as well as administration, and has served in each of these capacities throughout her career. She also serves as an adjunct professor for the University of Missouri.

Dr. Richter has provided training to districts and states in the U.S. and has participated in a number of research projects associated with PBS. She looks forward to working with all stakeholders in Missouri and with partners throughout the U.S. to further the implementation and sustainability of SW-PBS.

303 Townsend Hall
University of Missouri-Columbia
Columbia, MO 65211
millerrichterm@missouri.edu

Megan Freeman

Division of Special Education Effective Practices
Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
PO Box 480
Jefferson City, MO 65102
Megan.Freeman@dese.mo.gov