Preventing Severe Problem Behavior:
Implementing a Behavior Education
Program Within a School-Wide System
of Behavior Support
Susan Barrett
www.pbismaryland.org
[email protected]
Acknowledgements
Rob
Horner, Leanne Hawken, Rob March
Fern Ridge Middle School
Clear Lake Elementary
Bohemia Elementary
Kennedy Middle School
Effective Behavior Support Team- University of
Oregon
This project was supported by Grant No. H324B000075, a Student Initiated Project,
funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs.
Opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the position of the U.S. Department
of Education and such endorsements should not be inferred.
Overview
 Behavioral
Support Challenges in Schools
 Overview
& Essential Features of Targeted
Interventions
 Targeted
Intervention Example: Behavior
Education Program (BEP)
 For
Whom is the BEP Appropriate?
 Using
FBA procedures to Enhance BEP
Effectiveness
 School
Readiness, Resources, & Team Process
 Research
Examining Effectiveness of BEP
Challenges
Doing
more with less
Educating
increasing numbers of
students who are more different than
similar from each other
Educating
students with severe
problem behavior
Response to Problem Behavior
Focus
on prevention
–Implement a continuum of
behavior support
Work
smarter, not harder
Teach,
monitor and reward
before punishment
Implementing a Continuum of
Behavior Support

80-85% of students will be supported by
preventative school-wide procedures & classroom
management plans

15-20% of students will need more support

IDEA 1997 - Increased focus on Functional
Behavioral Assessment (FBA) & Behavior Support
Planning (BSP)
– Implement FBA-BSP with students with disabilities at-risk
for change in placement
Continuum of Effective Behavior Support
1-5%
Intensive, Individual Interventions
•Individual Students
•Assessment-based
•Time & resource intensive
5-15 %
Targeted Group Interventions
•Some students (at-risk)
•Rapid response
•Similar procedures across students
80-85%
Universal Interventions
•All settings, all students
•Preventive, proactive
•Ex. School-Wide Behavior Support
Functional Behavioral Assessment &
Behavior Support Planning
 FBA-BSP
Research
– Dramatic reductions in problem behavior and
increases in prosocial behavior (e.g., Broussard & Northup
1997; Chandler, Dahlquist, Repp & Feltz, 1999; See Lane, Umbreit, & BeebeFrankenberger, 1999 for review)
 Full
FBA-BSP
– Includes interviews & observations
– Time intensive
 10-23
1998)
consultant time per student- (Schill, Kratochwill, & Elliott,
– More than is needed for some students
Behavior Support Challenges
 Resources
(time & money) in schools
are scarce
 Match level of support to level of
challenge
 Need an efficient and effective
intermediate level intervention
system that targets students at-risk
but not currently engaging in severe
problem behavior
The Response:
Targeted Interventions
 “Targets”
groups of students (>10) who:
 fail
to respond to school-wide and classroom
expectations
 are not currently engaging in dangerous or
extremely disruptive behavior
Efficient - Similar set of behavioral strategies are
used across a group of students needing similar
levels of support
 Effective – Decreasing problem behavior in
classroom, increasing academic engagement, &
decreasing office discipline referrals ( Crone, Horner, &

Hawken, in press; Hawken & Horner, in press; March & Horner, 2002)
Things to Consider First…
 Establishment
of a Universal System
(School-Wide) Does Not Guarantee
Individual Teachers are
Implementing with High Integrity
 Students Who Appear “At-Risk” May
Benefit More When Teacher Improves
Skills in Behavior Management Then
Participate in Targeted Interventions
Is It Really Resistance For
Intervention?
Before Implementing a Secondary
Intervention, You Must Ask:
Is the Student Receiving an
Adequate “DOSE” of the
Universal Intervention?
Components often overlooked:
 Positive
Parent Contact
 Random Reinforcement Strategies
 Positive Public Posting
 Continuous Behavioral Feedback for
Students
 Data on Positive Reinforcement
 Other Enhancements…
Tracking the Positive
 Analysis
of number of positive
behavior tickets to discipline tickets
to insure maintenance of at least 4:1
ratio
 Analysis of number of positive
behavior tickets by group (e.g., atrisk & high risk groups)
 Analysis of number of positive
behavior tickets by teacher
Keep a Positive Ratio
1000
900
800
700
600
500
400
300
200
100
0
Tiger Bucks
ODRs
Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar Apr
Example of a Targeted Intervention
Behavior
Education Program
(BEP)
Behavior Education Program (BEP)
Features:
 Students
identified and receive support
within a week
 Check-in and check-out daily with an adult
at school
 Regular feedback and reinforcement from
teachers
 Family component
 Daily performance data used to evaluate
progress
Student Recommended for BEP
BEP Implemented
BEP Coordinator
Summarizes Data
For Decision Making
Morning
Check-in
Parent
Feedback
Regular Teacher
Feedback
Weekly BEP Meeting
to Assess Student
Progress
Afternoon
Check-out
Revise
Program
Exit
Program
Daily Progress Report
1/5
Goals
2/6
3/7
HR
4/8
Be respectful
2
1
0 2
1
0
2
1
0
2
1
0
2
1
0
Be responsible
2
1
0 2
1
0
2
1
0
2
1
0
2
1
0
Keep Hand &
Feet to Self
2
1
0 2
1
0
2
1
0
2
1
0
2
1
0
Follow Directions 2
1
0 2
1
0
2
1
0
2
1
0
2
1
0
Be There –
Be Ready
1
0 2
1
0
2
1
0
2
1
0
2
1
0
TOTAL POINTS
2
BEP Process (cont.)
 Weekly
or Bi-weekly Principal
Recognition
– BEP coupon with graph attached
 Data
shared with all staff at least
quarterly
 9-Week graph sent to parents
Point Sheet
Name:
Date:
Morning Work
Reading
Math
Afternoon
3
2
1
3
2
1
3
2
1
3
2
1
Say nice things or
no things to other
people.
3
2
1
3
2
1
3
2
1
3
2
1
Follow adult directs
the first time.
3
2
1
3
2
1
3
2
1
3
2
1
Keep my hands,
feet, body and
objects to myself.
Goal met?
POINT SHEET
Name:__________________
Date:______________
= 2 points
= 1 point
= 0 points
GOALS
Keep my hands,
feet, body, and
objects to myself.
Say nice things or
no things to other
people.
Follow adult
directions the first
time.
Morning
Reading
Points
received________________
Points
possible________________
Daily goal reached? YES NO
Math
Afternoon
Critical Features of BEP
Intervention is continuously available
 Rapid access to intervention (72 hr)
 Very low effort by teachers
 Positive System of Support

– Students agree to participate
Implemented by all staff/faculty in a school
 Flexible intervention based on assessment

– Functional Assessment

Adequate resources allocated (admin, team)
– weekly meeting, plus 10 hours a week

Continuous monitoring for decision-making
Why does the BEP work?

Improved structure
 Prompts
throughout the day for correct behavior
 System for linking student with at least one adult

Increase in contingent feedback
 Feedback
occurs more often and is tied to student
behavior
 Inappropriate behavior is less likely to be rewarded

Elevated reward for appropriate behavior
 Adult
and peer attention
Linking school and home support
 Organized to morph into a self-management
system

Designing Daily Progress Reports
 Determine
behavioral expectations
– School-wide expectations
– Academic vs. behavioral expectations
 Expectations
stated positively
 Range of scores vs. dichotomous scoring
– Rating scales should be age appropriate
 Teacher
friendly
– circling versus writing & place for teacher initials
– consistent expectations versus individual expectations
 Data
easy to summarize and determine if goal
is met
KENNEDY CARD
Name _____________________________________________________
Material
s
To Class
Worked
and Let
Others
Work
Follow
Directions
the First
Time
Teacher
2
1
No
2
1
No
2
1
No
Assignments:
2
1
No
2
1
No
2
1
No
Assignments:
2
1
No
2
1
No
2
1
No
Assignments:
2
1
No
2
1
No
2
1
No
Assignments:
2
1
No
2
1
No
2
1
No
Assignments:
2
1
No
2
1
No
2
1
No
Assignments:
Wow,
Wow,
Wow,
Wow,
Wow,
Wow,
= _____
36
Goal =
Parent
BEP Check-in/Check-Out Record
Date:__________________
BEP Coordinator:_________________
Check-In
Check-Out
Student Name
Paper Pencil Notebook BEP
parent
copy
Jason
√
Leanne
Juan
√
Kiran
√
Alexa
√
Jacey
√
√
√
√
√
√
√
√
90
85
√
√
√
BEP Score
60
100
√
√
95
√
√
90
Tracking Student BEP Progress
(number = % of total daily points)
Date
Jason Leanne
Juan
Kiran
Alexa
1/16/03
85
95
100
80
65
1/17/03
100
100
100
75
77
1/18/03
77
0
100
85
63
1/19/03
45
75
95
92
85
1/20/03
88
89
77
89
90
1/23/03
79
0
100
95
95
1/24/03
95
67
85
100
78
o f P o in ts
Daily Data Used for Decision Making
Ryan's BEP Performance
2000-2001
P e rc e n ta g e
100
80
60
40
20
0
03/07
03/08
03/09
03/12
Date
03/13
03/14
P e r c e n ta g e o f P o in ts
Daily Data Used for Decision Making
Rachelle's BEP Performance
2000-2001
100
80
60
40
20
02/05
02/08
02/13
Date
02/20
02/23
Frequently Asked Questions
Regarding BEP Implementation
What if the student does not check-in in the
morning?
 What if the student is not checking-out in the
afternoon?
 What if a student is consistently not checking in
and/or checking out?
 What if the student loses his/her BEP Card?
 What if the student is consistently participating in
the BEP and his/her behavior gets worse?

How is BEP Different Than Other
“Behavior Card” Interventions

A Targeted Intervention Implemented Within a
School-Wide System of Behavior Support
– Behavior Cards typically classroom interventions
 Implemented
in all settings, throughout the
school day
 All teachers and staff are trained
 Students identified proactively & receive
support quickly
 Team uses data for decision making to
determine progress
What’s in a Name?

Behavior Education Program
– Daily Progress Report

Kennedy Card Program
– Kennedy Card

Hello, Update, & Goodbye (HUG program)
– Hug Card

Check and Connect
*Caution with Using “Behavior Card” or
“Behavior Plan”
Activity:
Designing Daily Progress Reports (DPR) for
your school
 Questions
to think about:
– What will the behavioral expectations be
 Consistent
with school-wide expectations?
– Consistent across students or individualized?
– Expectations positively stated?
– Is the DPR teacher friendly?
– Age appropriate and include a range of
scores?
– Data easy to summarize?
For Whom is the BEP Appropriate?
APPROPRIATE
–
–
–
–
Low-level problem
behavior (not
severe)
3-7 referrals
Behavior occurs
across multiple
locations
Examples
• talking out
• minor disruption
• work completion
INAPPROPRIATE
– Serious or violent behaviors/
infractions
– Extreme chronic behavior
(8-10+ referrals)
– Require more individualized
support
• Functional Assessment
• Wrap Around Services
How to identify students for BEP
 Summarize
Office Discipline Referral data
– School-Wide Information System (SWIS)
www.swis.org/
– Discipline Tracker
 Develop
a referral process
– All staff trained on process
– Differentiate behavior handled in classroom vs.
office & Major vs. Minor rule infractions
 BEP
referral by teacher, staff, or parent
How to identify students for BEP
 Other
Data to Consider
– Absences & Tardies
– In school detentions (lunch-time or after
school)
– Time out / “Think Time”
Would Your School Benefit
From Implementing a BEP?
 How
many students does your school have in
the range of 3-7 referrals?
 If
> 7 students- BEP may be appropriate
 If
< 7 students- implement individualized
interventions
 The
BEP should be able to reasonably
maintain 7-20 students/year
N u m b e r o f R e fe rra ls p e r S tu d
Referrals per Student
20
15
10
5
0
Students
N u m b e r o f R e fe rra ls p e r S tu d e n t
Referrals per Student
10
8
6
4
2
0
Students
Implementing BEP with Individual Students
Effective School–Wide System in Place
Student not responding to school-wide
Expectations
Implement Basic BEP
•Increased structure, check-in, checkout
•Frequent feedback
•Connection with key adult
Implement Basic BEP
Is the Basic BEP
Is
Yes
Working?
•Continue with Basic
BEP
• Transition to selfmanagement
No
Conduct Brief Functional Assessment
•What is the problem behavior?
•Where does the problem behavior
occur/not occur?
•Why does the problem behavior keep
happening?
Using Functional
Behavioral Assessment Procedures to
Enhance BEP Effectiveness

Functional Behavioral Assessment
– A method of looking at environmental factors
that predict, support, or explain problem
behavior
– In essence, examining setting events,
antecedents, behaviors, and consequences
and using this information to determine the
function problem behavior serves (e.g.,
escape, adult or peer attention, etc.)
Why use FBA with the BEP?
 FBA
data support effective and efficient
behavior support planning, a major goal
of BEP (Carr et al., 1999; Didden et al., 1997)
 FBA
produces data on how BEP can:
– Prevent problem behavior
– Identify and teach alternative behaviors
– Reward appropriate behaviors
Building on Efficiency:
“Simple FBA”
 Full
FBAs:
– Record review, interviews, observations
– Specify problem behavior and contingencies
within routines for purpose of individualized
intervention design
 Simple
FBAs:
– Interviews
– Specify problem behavior, routines surrounding
problem behavior, and function of behavior for
purpose of selecting type of BEP
Matching BEP to Student Needs
 Basic
BEP: goals related to cooperative,
respectful behavior; reinforced through
daily positive adult contact (attentionrelated)
 BEP + Academic Support: goals,
prompts, and encouragement for
organizational and routine-following
behaviors or increase in academic support
 Escape BEP: goals related to cooperative,
respectful behavior: students reinforced
through chance to earn a break from
aversive activity or aversive social contact
Conduct Brief Functional Assessment
Is the behavior
maintained by escape
from social
interaction?
Escape Motivated BEP
•Reduce adult
interaction
•Use escape as a
reinforcer
Is the behavior
related to lack of
academic skills?
Is the behavior
severe, complex,
intensive?
BEP + Academic
Support
Intensive,
Individualized
Behavior Support
•Increase Academic
support
(e.g., Full FBA-BSP
Getting the BEP
Started In Your School
Is My School Ready to Implement a
BEP System?
(see BEP Self Assessment Questionnaire)
 School-wide
system of behavior support in
place
 Staff buy-in for implementation of the BEP
 Administrative support
– Time & money allocated
 No
major changes in school climate
– e.g. teacher strikes, administrative turnover,
major changes in funding
 BEP
implementation a top priority
How Do You Build Student and
Staff “buy-in” for the BEP?
 Give
BEP program a high profile in
your school
 Promote BEP as positive support not
punishment
 Collaboratively involve referring
teachers in BEP process
 Provide regular feedback to staff,
students, and families
Training Teachers on
BEP System
In-service on the “spirit” of program
– supportive, not punitive
– immediate feedback on behavior (type
of statements, what the ratings mean,
examples of feedback)
– follow-up forum to express concerns
– individual coaching
– boosters needed at least yearly
Training Students on
BEP System
 Meet
with parents and students
 Modeling
and Practice
 Accepting
Feedback
 Decision-Making
–Goal
Personnel: BEP Coordinator
 Take
care of BEP requests for assistance
 Lead morning check-in/ afternoon checkout
 Enter BEP data on spreadsheet – daily
 Organize and maintain records
 Create graphs for BEP meetings
 Gather supplemental information for BEP
meetings
 Prioritize BEP students for team meetings
Characteristics of an effective
BEP coordinator
 Flexibility
within job responsibility
(e.g., educational assistant, counselor,
behavior health aide)
 Positive
and enthusiastic
 Someone the students enjoy and
trust
 Organized and dependable
 Works at school every day
Personnel: BEP Team
 Attend
weekly or bi-weekly meetings
 Contribute to decision making for BEP
students
 Help conduct “Orientation to BEP”
meetings
 Gather supplemental information
 Contribute to student/staff
development workshops
 Contribute to feedback sessions
 Complete any assigned tasks from BEP
meeting
Working Smarter- Not Harder
Initiative,
Project,
Committee
BEP Team
Character
Education
Safety
Committee
School Spirit
Committee
Discipline
Committee
DARE
Committee
Attendance
Committee
Purpose
Outcome
Target
Group
Staff
Involved
Evaluating BEP Progress:
Sample Agenda Form
BEP Team Meeting Agenda
Date:____________
Note taker:___________
Team Members Present:___________________________
List of Priority Students:
1) Discuss Priority Students
2) Discuss New Referrals
3) Identify Students to Receive Additional
Reinforcer by Principal
4) Other BEP Issues or Students
Resources: Time and Money
 8-10
hours per week for BEP
coordinator
 BEP
forms on NCR paper
 School
supplies for BEP participants
 Reinforcements
for BEP participants
Research Articles
Hawken, L. S. & Horner R. H., (2003)
Implementing a Targeted Group Intervention
Within a School-Wide System of Behavior
Support. Journal of Behavioral Education
March, R. E. & Horner, R. H. (2002) Feasibility
and contributions of functional behavioral
assessment in schools. Journal of Emotional
and Behavioral Disorders, 10,158-70.