Response to Intervention - Behavior
Fast Track for MCAS RTI-B Procedures
Positive Behavior Support from the Technical Assistance Center on Social Emotional Intervention for Young Children
The Process of PBS Website
Response to Intervention for Emotional and Behavior Concerns
Tier 1 (Minor Offenses)
This Tier is building-based requiring building and classroom level behavior management plans and strategies. All classroom teachers should be trained in Crisis Prevention Intervention (CPI) skills through personal safety techniques. If each building has a CPI Response Team, certain individuals will be trained in non-violent physical restraint used only as a last resort. Additionally, there should be strategies, as discussed above in minor offenses, as follows:
Clearly define and post the behavioral expectations;
Implement procedures for all class routines—entering the room, handing in assignments, sharpening the pencil, welcoming a guest (Teach like a Champion);
Teach and Role-Play the behavioral expectations, classroom procedures, use of materials, etc. Demonstrate what the expected behavior “looks like” (positive example) as well as what it “does not look like;”
Pre-Correct--prior to directing students to perform a task, provide a description of what the expected behavior will look like. “In two minutes we will break for lunch. I expect everyone to put their materials away, push in all chairs, and quietly line up for lunch.”
Cue/Prompt/Remind--Provide a pre-arranged/previously taught cue to remind specific students to engage in appropriate behavior.
Acknowledge students who are appropriately demonstrating the expected behavior.
Specifically explain how the behavior did not meet the stated/taught expectation. “It is disrespectful to other students when you ___.”
Provide a warning--Respect is one of our school rules. All students are expected to talk respectfully to all adults and students at ( ) school. This is an official warning.
Check for student understanding of behavioral expectations--“Please summarize for me what we have discussed so I am sure there is no confusion” (written or verbal).
Evaluate the students skill repertoire--Determine if the student is capable of demonstrating the behavioral expectation(s). Make sure to evaluate both behavior and academic domains.
Demonstrate the FUNCTION of the misbehavior. All misbehaviors serve a purpose (function). Determine what the student is gaining or avoiding by engaging in the misbehavior.
Provide a structured choice--clearly offer a choice between two alternatives and state the consequences for each. “You can work quietly on your assignment now and leave with the class or work with me during lunch.”
Evaluate ENVIRONMENTAL factors within the classroom which may be contributing to the misbehavior: Space, Time, Materials, and Interactions with peers or adults.
Collaborate with colleagues to identify behavior patterns and trends (class to class, year to year, etc.).
Use a variety of consequences--Positive reinforcement. Remember, punishment is the least effective consequence for students with anti-social behaviors.
Set Limits--keep it simple, reasonable, and enforceable.
Evaluate the effectiveness of consequences. Ineffective consequences must be analyzes and modified. Seek assistance for out-of-box ideas.
Document all Interventions with minor offenses.
Involve a problem-solving team (grade level, RTI-A and/or B team, family, Section 504, IEP, etc.).
· Provide “Universal Screening” for Child Find and establish pro-active counselor groups, mental health referrals, health (nurse), and cross over for academic/behavior/emotional (triple risk) identification of needs.
· There needs to be a set of common skills (social/emotional curriculum) that drives a set of common skills to be demonstrated by students.
· Comprehensive social skills instructional programs need to be taught in all classrooms, such as: self-control, stress-management, responsible decision-making, social problem-solving, and communication skills
· A motivator inventory for all students would be beneficial.
· Continually “Check and Connect” with students (see list above of strategies;
· Recognition system (rewards) for social skills are needed for all classrooms;
Skills focused on (Article 7):
(A) An inability to learn that cannot be explained by intellectual, sensory, or health factors. (For this point, interventions that are academically oriented are also believed to be implemented alongside emotional/social interventions.
(B) An inability to build or maintain satisfactory interpersonal relationships with peers and teachers. (For this point, skills are based on social skills, adult/peer relationships, conflict resolution, anti-bullying; safe social networking)
(C) Inappropriate types of behavior or feelings under normal circumstances. (For this point, skills are focused on anger management; inhibiting/blurting out inappropriate comments; making amends rather than seeking revenge). (Non-violent crisis prevention physical restraint is recommended only as a last resort.
(D) A general pervasive mood of anxiety, unhappiness or depression. (For this point, skills are focused on identifying emotions and how to cope with stress at an internalizing level; how to manage stress when working with an unliked peer; how to manage stress when taking a test/quiz.)
(E) A tendency to develop physical symptoms or fears associated with personal or school problems. (At Tier 1, it is important to rule out health as a medical condition, and the nurse should be involved to gather information from a health history/ physical/ or facilitate a medical evaluation.
(ii) Psychosis- The psychologists recommend that reports of psychosis be escalated to the attention of mental health providers immediately (along with the building base crisis team, behavior specialist, principal). Similarly- suicidal/homicidal actions with and without ideation should also be escalated to the attention of mental health providers immediately along with the building base crisis team, behavior specialist, and principal.
Behaviors of concern are likely summarized by the Mild Behavior problems. Basic behavior plans are implemented where teachers reteach skills and provide additional short term practice and individuals receive positive reinforcement (i.e., sticker chart on desk, notes home, calls home- whatever positive reinforcers were determined by the student).
Tier 2 (Chronic Minor Offenses and Non-Safety Major Offenses)
Consult with school psychologist, behavior specialist, ongoing with individual mental health provider. (Continue with academic achievement interventions if warranted.)
Major offenses (violent and non-violent) warrant Tier 2 interventions.
Regular review of Office Discipline Referral/ EAPs patterns will find “externalizing” students
Draft goals that are similar to IEP goals in that they are observable, measureable outcomes of interventions. Tailor interventions to these goals, develop plans to implement the goals by the classroom teacher, develop plans to implement goals by the counselor- additional targeted small group or individual skills sessions; have goals be similarly focused with mental health for continuity of programming. The school psychologist, counselor, and behavior specialist need to observe students in multiple setting to see how fidelity of plan is implemented and to take data on response to program interventions. School psychologists and behavior specialists need to work with counselors who will write goals (counselors write goals and generate data reports measuring frequency, duration, intensity, across settings, and level of support). Use the Teacher’s Encyclopedia for Behavior Management by Spears.
· Beginning of ongoing accommodations in the general education setting: referencing the Behavior Encyclopedia interventions.
· Skills training from Tier 1 (A-D) are now individualized and students have small group or individual skill training.
· Complete a Functional Behavior Analysis (FBA) focusing on precipitating, functional, and environmental factors and a Social Developmental History and Medical History.
· Behavior based screeners are completed by parents and staff.
· Alternative discipline is created and stronger reward systems are offered.
· Issues beyond the Tier 1 A-D topics, (acute and chronic problems) are supported by counselors and mental health providers (when demands exceed coping skills for students: for example, a house fire, witness domestic violence, a CPS call/involvement, family incarceration, job loss, victim of bullying)
· Comprehensive documentation of who received Tier 2 supports and what those supports were is written and copied to the principal, general education teacher, counselor, behavior specialist, school counselor, and others pertinent for continuity of care if the student moves or if behaviors repeat.
Tier 3 (Chronic Minor and Major Non-Safety and Safety Offenses)
FBA is reviewed and ongoing/ newly acquired data from Tier 2 is reviewed. Behavior Specialist conducts systematic observations, determines frequencies of targeted behaviors and develops a more intensified Behavior Support Plan. Goals for more discrete and supports are intensified. Data plotting, fidelity checks by behavior team/school psychologist/counselor/principal, and bi-weekly meetings are held to progress monitor interventions.
School staff (Guidance Counselor) notifies the parents of the increased intensity and are told their child is receiving Tier 3 interventions and is at risk for special education. Permission is asked to complete assessments (BASC, Connors, Depression Scales, and Autism rating scales) to measure intensity, duration, and severity. Multiple raters are asked to complete scales to see if problems are across settings.
If evidence is suggesting there are behaviors A-D that are to a marked degree, over an extended time, intense, and across settings, the team will make a Special Education Referral for consideration in a program for Emotional Disabilities, possibly outside of the child’s neighborhood school.
Before meeting for a Case Conference Committee is held with the parents, a peer review with an ED teacher, special education director, principal of the potential receiving school, school psychologists and appropriate behavior specialist, along with counselor and general education teacher will occur to: review data, consider the results of the data as an integrated team; determine recommendations for IEP implementation; determine potential program and location. A Behavior Support Plan must be in place before the CCC and classroom goals draft. Transportation will be alerted. All final determination of eligibility and services will occur at the CCC.