When you have thirty students in a classroom, there are bound to be small interruptions throughout the week. However, when a student repetitively acts out, classroom management becomes an even more difficult task. They’ll distract their peers and take away from your teaching time.
According to the National Science Teaching Association, 1.3 to 3.8 million grade school students in the United States have a behavioral disorder. Teachers across the country need to know how best to assist these students, so they don’t fall behind academically.
As soon as you know that your student has a behavioral disorder, observe them to determine what tier to place them in. Then, create a behavior intervention plan. If you’ve never taught tier 2 or 3 students, though, you might not know how best to approach this assessment.
Here’s our guide on how to help your young scholar improve their conduct and, therefore, their academics.
What Are the Multi-tiered Systems of Support?
To understand how you can better help tier 2 and 3 students, you must first understand the Multi-tiered Systems of Support (MSS). It is an organized instructional framework that utilizes research, analytics, and the collaboration of academic staff to identify and assist students with learning and/or behavioral disabilities.
People often use the term interchangeably with Response to Intervention (RTI). Every state creates its own guidelines as to how they implement the system into their public schools.
What Are the Tiers?
MSS breaks down into three tiers, which increase in the assistance required as the number increases. Most of the students in tier 1 are expected to reach learning standards, whereas that percentage drastically decreases in tiers 2 and 3.
Therefore, tier 2 students get broken off into smaller groups, where they’ll be less disruptive, and teachers can work more closely with them to address their needs. In tier 3, students receive more one-on-one instructional time because they are at higher risk of falling behind in their coursework.
How to Create a Behavior Intervention Plan for Tier 2 and 3 Students
Teachers should tailor the Behavior Intervention Plan specifically to the student, as not everyone succeeds under the same learning techniques. Dr. Kim Killu at the University of Michigan states that the BIP should be “a multifaceted process that…[seeks] to develop positive instructional or behavioral strategies and supports to address more appropriate and functional skills.” With Insights to Behavior, you can create a BIP in less than an hour, and you will see long-lasting and transformational effects when you implement one.
1. Conduct a Functional Behavior Assessment
Due to the individualized nature of the BIP, you first want to evaluate your student. Use the functional behavior assessment (FBA). It will give you a well-rounded understanding of the child’s behavioral patterns and how their environment influences their actions.
Scott and Cooper emphasize that you must conduct multiple observations of the student. Doing so will help you identify their most repetitive behaviors and how they alter depending on changes in the environment. Furthermore, it will help you understand why the student is misbehaving, and it makes the next step easier to tackle.
2. Define Behavioral Problems
Hold a meeting with the student’s teachers, parents, and any other school staff members who see them regularly. You want a better sense of how school life affects the child’s home life and vice versa. Furthermore, having everyone in one room makes for easier communication.
When you are defining the student’s behavioral problems, refrain from using general terms. State the specific actions the student takes when they’ve become upset. It will make it easier to determine what kind of practices will work best for the student.
3. Collect and Analyze Data
While a child’s grades indicate whether they need academic assistance, they don’t give you the full scope of how much or what kind of assistance they need. Ongoing data collection is critical to individualizing and modifying each child’s ABA-based Behavior Intervention Plan to help them thrive in day-to-day life. According to Lane et al., the data you need to collect comes in three categories: integrity data, student outcome data, and social validity data.
The combination of the three will allow you to analyze information about the practices put in place. Then, you can see how well the student reacts to them and if the authoritative figures in the student’s life are finding them helpful. When you understand how all these factors work together, you can adjust the student’s plan if they do not meet the desired outcome.
4. Implement Evidence-Based Practices for Better Behavior Management
The practices that you implement should cater specifically to the child’s needs and their tier. Psychologists recommend using positive reinforcement. It is more effective at encouraging desired behaviors and increasing the likelihood that the student will repeat them.
An example of evidence-based practices for Tier 2 students is behavior contracts. You and the student can work on this together. Discuss conduct expectations in the classroom and the reward(s) the student will receive if they meet this expectation.
One option for Tier 3 students is implementing regular breaks into their routine. Seven hours is a long time for any child to sit. But for students with behavioral issues, it can be even more difficult.
Breaks have proven to increase productivity and prevent negative emotions from arising throughout the day. Asking the student to sit through x amount of time of instruction in exchange for a short break might be the boost they need to increase their focus.
5. Be Consistent and Take Notes
Whatever type of practices you’ve decided to use to help manage the student’s conduct, you must be consistent about using them. That means all adult figures involved in creating the plan must enforce them, including parents.
If you’ve decided to use a reward system using stickers, the student must receive one every time they behave well. Doing so will make the action more effective and provide structure for the student.
Learn More About Classroom Management
Be as specific as possible when creating a behavior intervention plan. It will ensure that you implement the best possible practices for your students who need them.
Of course, there’s so much more to learn about behavior management. Insights to Behavior offers a monthly course school officials can utilize to learn more about classroom management.
Additionally, sometimes it can be hard to keep track of behavior plans for numerous students. Our software allows you to keep them all in one place and efficiently evaluate the analytics. Sign up for a free online demo today.
