POSITIVEBEHAVIORSUPPORTPLAN

PositiveBehaviorSupportPlan
KatherineReck
TowsonUniversity

POSITIVEBEHAVIORSUPPORTPLAN

BackgroundInformation
Billy(namechangedforprivacy)isafirstgradestudentinEllicottCity,Maryland.Heis
currentlysevenyearsoldandheattendedthesameschoolinkindergartenasinfirstgrade.Heis
currentlyenrolledinageneraleducationclassroomandreceivesnospecialeducationservices,
thereisno504andhedoesnothaveanyinterventionscurrentlyinplace.Thebehaviorthatwe
haveseenintheclassroomthisyearisconsistentwithbehaviorthathepresentedwithin
kindergarten.
DefinitionofSpecificBehavior
Thisstudenthasshownconsistentanddisruptivebehaviorsincehehasbeenenrolledat
NESasakindergartener.Thebehaviorwasoftenattributedtoimmaturityandparentdotingat
homebutisnowimpactinghisacademicperformanceintheclassroomandcausinghimtolose
friendsinhisclass.Billyexhibitsexplosiveyellingandsnapping,atbothpeersandteachers,
whenthereareperceivedslightsagainsthimorheisunhappywithaninteraction.Heyellsand
snapsatotherstudentswhentheyaccidentlytouchhim,sittooclosetohim,trytohelphimand
haveprettymuchanyinteractionwithhimthathedoesnotwantatthetime.Theseinteractions
usuallyhappen1020timesduringaonehourclassperiod,dependingontheday.Hewillraise
hisvoiceandsaythingslikestopit,ouch,getoff,no,hey!,Idontwanttoand
makeotherexclamationsatteachersandstudents.Thebehaviorisextremelydisruptivetothe
entireclassbecausetheyhappenfrequentlyandtheyeffectotherstudents.Theinteractions
requireteacherinterventioniftheyarewithastudent.Thestudentisnotabletodeescalatethe

POSITIVEBEHAVIORSUPPORTPLAN

situationonhisownandthesituationscanlastanywherefromafewsecondstoafewminutes,
dependingontheperceivedslightfromtheteacherorstudent.Thistimespentworkingwiththis
studentislostinstructionaltimeforteachersandworktimeforstudents.
LiteratureReview
WhileconsideringalloftheinformationthatIknowaboutthisstudent,Ihavedone
researchaboutdifferentmethodsandinterventionsthatareprevalentintheprofessional
communitywheninteractingwithstudentswhohavebehavioralissuesintheclassroom.The
firstarticleiscalledFocusingonTeacherStudentInteractionsEliminatestheNegativeImpactof
StudentsDisruptiveBehavioronTeacherPerceptions.Thisarticleexamineshowastudents
behavior,startingfromthebeginningoftheyear,cannegativelyimpacthowateacherviewsthat
studentandwillthenlowerexpectationsandprovokeundesirableinteractionsbetweenthem.
Thisarticlelooksathownegativeinteractionsandelevatedlevelsofbehavioralissuesinthe
classroomcancreateaconflictbetweentheteacherandthestudent.Inthestudy,agroupof
secondaryteachersweregiventrainingandinterventionstouseintheirclassrooms.They
attendedinservicemeetingsandweretrainedontheprinciplesofabehavioralmanagement
programMTPSandaskedtochooseaclassthattheythoughtwouldprovideachallengefor
theirnewskills.Bothstudentsandteacherstooksurveysatthebeginningoftheyearabouttheir
behaviorsintheclassroomandhowtheyviewedtheinteractionsthatwerehappeningwere
positiveornegative.Theteacherswhohadreceivedtrainingaboutkeepingpositivemindsets
wereallgiventhesamequestions.Thesamesurveysweregivenattheendoftheyearaswell
andthestudentswhowereidentifiedashavingdisruptivebehaviorsatthebeginningoftheyear
bytheteacherweretheleastsuccessfulbothintheeyesoftheteacherandthemselves.Inthe

POSITIVEBEHAVIORSUPPORTPLAN

classroomswithteacherswhohadbeentrained,theirworkonpositivemindinteractionsand
mindsetshadfewerstudentsthatwerestrugglingintheirbehaviorandfewerstudentswho
struggledacademically.Theanalysisconcludedthattheperceptionsoftheteacherleadtothe
studentsnotbeingassuccessfulintheclassroomacademicallyorbehaviorally.Thisconclusion
explainsthatteachersmustworktokeepthemselvespositivedespitethebehaviorthatstudents
presentintheclassroomiftheywishfortheirstudentstosucceedbothacademicallyand
behaviorally(Hafen,Ruzek,Gregory,Allen,&Mikami,2015).
ThesecondarticlethatIexaminedcamefromtheInterventionCentralwebsiteandis
entitledHowto:CalmtheAgitatedStudent:ToolsforEffectiveBehaviorManagement.This
articlewaswrittenforteacherstoaccesswhentheyhavingaclassorastudentwhoisexhibiting
verbalaggressionanddoesnotpresentphysicalorviolentbehaviors.Theskillsreviewedinthe
articlegiveeducatorsbasicinformationonhowtodeescalateastudentintheirclassroomwhois
exhibitingverbalaggressiontowardsothers.Thearticlesuggestscreatingasafeenvironmentfor
thestudent,limitingthenumberofadultsinvolvedintheincident,provideadequatepersonal
space,donotblockescaperoutes,showopen/acceptingbodylanguage,keepingverbal
interactionsrespectful,communicateusingsimple/directlanguage,coachthestudenttotake
responsibilityformoderatingbehavior,reassurethestudentandframeanoutcomegoal,identify
thestudentswantsandfeelingsandidentifypointsofagreementbetweenyouandthestudent
(Wright,2013).Alloftheseveryusefulideaswerekeptinmindwhilewewerecreating
interventionideasformystudent.
ThethirdarticleTheCoolCardIntervention:APositiveSupportStrategyforManaging
Angerwaschosenbecauseithighlightedtheuseofatoolintheclassroomwithstudentswho

POSITIVEBEHAVIORSUPPORTPLAN

hadverysimilarbehaviortothestudenthighlightedinthisintervention.Therearetwomale
studentshighlightedinthestudywhoattendaschoolthatusesaPBISasaschoolwide
behavioralinterventiontool.Despitethat,thesestudentswereexhibitingverbalaggressionto
gainattention,escapetasksandgainpeerattention.FBAswerecompletedforbothstudentsand
abehavioralspecialistwasbroughtintogiveassistancetotheteachersinvolved.They
suggestedusingatoolcalledacoolcardwhichgavestudentstoolstoutilizewhenthey
becameangryorfeltasthoughanoutburstwasimminent.Theyweregiveninstructionsonhow
tousethecardandtheygainedpointsandsmileyfacesforusingitcorrectlyintheirclassrooms.
Simplereminderswereissuedwhentheusewasincorrectortherewasanoutburst.Afterthe
cardhadbeeninplaceforamonth,bothstudentswereabletoachieveperfectscoresforeight
straitdaysintheclassroomwiththeinterventioninplace.Theselfmonitoringbehaviorswere
soeffectivethatthestudentswereevenabletohaveslowremovalofthetoolwithcontinued
success(Anderson,Fisher,Marchant,Young,&Smith,2006).
ThefourtharticlethatwasreviewediscalledStepbyStep:TeachingStudentstoSelf
Monitor.Thisarticle,publishedbytheCEC,highlightstechniquesthateducatorscanuseinthe
classroomtohelpstudentsdevelopbetterselfmonitoringskillsthathelpinregulatingtheirown
behaviorratherthantheteacheralwayshavingtomonitorallbehavior.Thearticledescribesthe
typesofselfmanagementinterventions:a)selfmonitoringb)goalsettingc)selfevaluationd)
selfinstructionande)strategyinstructionwhicharedesignedtomeettheneedsofstudentsinall
agegroups,behavioralandacademicabilities.Toimplementselfmonitoringintheclassroom
thearticleoutlines8stepsthatshouldbeused:1)Identifythetargetbehavior2)Operationally
definethetargetbehavior3)Collectbaselinedata4)Determineifitisanappropriatebehaviorto

POSITIVEBEHAVIORSUPPORTPLAN

remediate5)Designproceduresandallmaterials6)Teachthestudenthowtoselfmonitor7)
Monitorstudentsprogressand8)Fadeuseofintervention(s).Therearealsomanyexamplesof
howtheeducatorcanusemethodsintheclassroomtoteachthoseselfmonitoringskillstogain
independenceandtracktheirownsuccesses(Rafferty,2010).
ThefinalarticlethatIreviewediscalledEffectiveTeachersforStudentswith
Emotional/BehavioralDisorders:ActiveIngredientsLeadingtoPositiveTeacherandStudent
Outcomes.ThisarticleisfromajournalcalledBeyondBehaviorthatIhaveusedseveraltimes
before.ThisarticleusesaspecificteacherandastudentnamedScottywhohasadiagnosesof
emotionally/behaviorallydisturbed.Theauthorschroniclehowstudent/teacherinteractions
affecttherelationshipsthatareformedandhowthoserelationshipsaffecttheatmosphereofthe
entireclassroom.ThemainideaofthearticleisthatstudentswhohavebeendiagnosedasE/BD
aremorelikelyanduniquelyinfluencedbyteacherstudentinteractions.Eventhoughthisarticle
emphasizesinteractionsamongteachersandstudentsthereisalotofdiscussionaboutbeingable
toprovideeffectiveteachingleadingtopositiveoutcomeswithteachers.Makingsurethat
teachersaregiventhepropersupportintheirinstructionalpractice.Ifteachersareableto
becomemoreproficientintheirgeneralteachingpracticesandusethemoreeffective
instructionalpracticespossible,thenthebehaviorsthatthestudentsexhibitwouldimprove
overall.
BaselineDataCollection
Thisstudentgoestoadifferentrelatedartsclasseachdayfromthehourof2:003:00
p.m.Hisclassscheduleisasfollows:Mondaytechnology,TuesdayP.E.,Wednesdaymusic,
ThursdayartandFridayP.E.andlibrary.Alloftheseclassesare60minutesexceptforthe

POSITIVEBEHAVIORSUPPORTPLAN

Fridayclasseswhichareseparatedinto30and40minuteblocksrespectively.Thisstudents
behaviorbecamesodisruptivethatmeasurableobservationswererequestedbyhisteacherduring
therelatedartsblocksoftime.Shewasnotintheroomduringtheseclassesandwantedtoknow
ifhisbehaviorwasconsistentthroughouttheday.Achartwascreatedtogatherdataabouthow
manytimesthestudentexhibitedyellingorsnappingatastudentorateacherandhowmany
timeshelefttheroomonhisownorwasaskedtoleavebyateachertotakeabreak.Asample
ofthedatacollectionssheetsareincludedintheappendixA.Thestudentwasobservedbythe
sameteacherforthefirstthreedaysandthenapartnerteacherforthefollowingtwoandthenthe
firstteacheragainonthesixthday.Theobservationsweretakeneverydayforsixschooldays
andthebehaviorwasrecordedduringthehourof2:003:00p.m.Sincethebehaviorswere
happeningsofrequently,thechartwasbrokenupintotenminuteblocksoftimewherethedata
couldberecorded.Thiswouldallowteacherstodisseminatetheinformationintowhenthe
behaviorsweremostfrequentandwhentheywerenotasnumerous.Therewerethreespecific
behaviorsthatwerelookedforduringtheobservationsbutitwasmadeclearthattheyellingand
snappingthatheexhibitedweretheprimaryreasonsforthecollectionandleavingtheclassroom
andnegativepeerinteractionsweresecondarytohisprimarybehavior.
Therewereseveralteacherinterviewsthatwereconductedbefore,duringandafterallof
theobservationaldatawascollectedandtheyprovidedusefulinformation.Ifirstbeganathis
cumulativerecordsthatIgotfromthefrontofficeoftheschool.Intheserecords,Iwasableto
seeacopyofhiskindergartenreadinessassessment,hiscompletekindergartenreportcardanda
copyofanyandallrecordsthathavefollowedhimsincehebeganschoolinHowardCounty
PublicSchoolsin2013.Itindicatedthathelivesathome,inamonthtomonthapartmentwhere

POSITIVEBEHAVIORSUPPORTPLAN

heliveswithbothofhisparentsandayoungersibling.Heattendedaprekindergartenprogram
inHCPSSbutnotathiscurrentschoolasNESdoesnotofferaprekprogramtoanystudents.
Theprekreportcardshowedsomeconcernforhisbehaviorsintheclassroombuttherewasno
indicationthatanyinterventionshadbeenimplementedtoaidhisprogress.Therewasalsono
concernexpressedabouthisacademicperformanceinprek.Iwasalsoabletoseeacopyofhis
kindergartenreportcardandtheplacesthathisteachermarkedhimasneedsimprovementon
hisbehavior.AsperNESpolicy,thekindergartenreportcardismainlyusedtocommunicate
academiclevelsorperformancetoparentsandguardians.Iftherearemajorconcernsabouta
certainstudentsbehavior,theadministrationencouragesteacherstoexpressthesetoparents
verballywhilekeepinganopendialoguewithstudents.Hiskindergartenteacher,Mrs.W,
sharedthathisbehaviorconcernswerecommunicatedtoparentsateachmeetingpointand
severalopportunitiesduringhisfirstyearatNES.Shesaidthathispersonalrelationshipswith
otherstudentsdeclinedastheyearprogressedandbytheendoftheyear,moststudentssteered
clearofhimintheclassroomandatrecess.Therewasanattemptedbehaviorchartintervention
duringthemiddleofthekindergartenyearbutitwasineffectiveandheshowednoprogress
whileusingit.Mrs.Wsharedthatheseemedindifferenttotheoutcomesofeachday,whether
theywerepositiveornegative.Theclassbehaviormanagementplanofgreen,yellowandred
appleswasnotamotivatorforhimandheshowednodrivetotomoveupordowntheapples,
dependingonhisbehavior.Mrs.Walsosharedthathisparentsseemedtothinkthatthiswasnot
arealissue,evenwhenitwasbroughtforthbytheadministrationtowardtheendofthe
kindergartenyear.Theyhadameetingandtheparentsthoughtthatitwasjustanissueof
maturityandhewouldgrowoutofiteventually.Eventhoughtheconcernsweresharedbythe

POSITIVEBEHAVIORSUPPORTPLAN

teachersandadministration,theparentsdidnotwanttomoveforwardwithanyfurther
interventionsorplansbeforetheendofthekindergartenyear.Atthebeginningoffirstgrade,he
wasplacedinanewclasswithMrs.S.ashisteacher.Shehasbeenoutontwoextended
personalleaveabsencesforhealthreasonsduringthe20152016schoolyear.WhenIwasable
tointerviewher,shesharedverysimilarexperiencesasMrs.W,hiskindergartenteacher.The
outburstswereveryemotionallychargedandhehadmanyperceivedslightsthatwereassimple
asachildtouchinghimbyaccidentonthecarpetwhiletheywerereceivingwholegroup
instruction.Shewasequallyconcernedwithhisdevelopingrelationshipswithpeers,asthey
seemedtobedwindlingastheyearprogresses.Thisyear,though,therearenowacademic
concernsthathavebeenraisedonbehalfofhisfirstgradereadingandmathteachers.Heisnot
developinghisreadingskills(decodingandcomprehension)asheshouldbe.Allofthese
concernsarecurrentlybeinginvestigatedandtherearemoredetailedtestingnumbersbeing
developedtoseeifheisinneedofanyacademicinterventionsbeyondwhatheisalready
receiving.Heiscurrentlyplacedinasmallermathclasswithstudentswhoneedaslowerpace
inmathinstructionandisinareadinggroupwithotherstudentswhoarelistedasbelowgrade
leveloratriskfordroppingbelowgradeleveliftheirprogressstallsorfallsbehind.Noneof
theseinterventionsarelistedonanIEPora504forthisstudentbuthavebeenimplementedby
histeachersinhisbestacademicinterest.Asforhisbehaviorintheclassroom,itisconsistent
witheverythingthathasbeenreiteratedbyotherstaffmemberssinceheenteredNES.His
yellingandemotionaloutburstsarecausedbyperceivedslightsagainststaffmembersandpeers.
Mostofthetime,theteachersareaskinghimtodosomethingthatheisnotwillingtodoandhe
willrespondbysnappingatthemandsaying,butIdontwantto,oryoucantmakeme.

POSITIVEBEHAVIORSUPPORTPLAN

10

Therehaveevenbeenissuesonthebuswiththestudentbeingangryaboutsharingaseator
havingsomeoneinhisspace.Hispersonalrelationshipswithotherstudentsintheclassare
sufferingandmostoftheotherchildrenavoidhimwhenevertheycan.Therearesomewhostill
trytobefriendhimandwillplaywithhimatrecessbutitisusuallyshortlivedbeforeheyellsat
someoneandthegameisended.Alloftheseconcernshavebeensharedwithhisparentsandthe
guidancecounselorattheschoolwhohasinvitedhimtoparticipateinalunchbunchgroupwith
studentswhostrugglewithintrapersonalskillsandsocialinteractions.Thisgroupmeetsoncea
weekandeatslunchtogetherwhiletheytalkaboutexperiencesandskillsthatwillbeusefulto
themwhenintheclassroom.Thissmallgroupseemstomakethestudenthappybutthe
informationthatisshared,israrelycarriedoverintohisdailyinteractions.SinceIamarelated
artsteacherandonlyhavethechancetoseethisstudentonceaweekfor60minutes,Iwasalso
interestedinhearinghowtheotherrelatedartsteachersexperiencedtheirtimethattheyspend
teachingthisstudent.AsIwasabletomeetwiththem,theyallseemedtoexpressidentical
concernstothoseoftheclassroommathandreadingteachersfrombothkindergartenandfirst
grade.Eachoftheteachersexperiencedsimilarbehaviorandattitudestowardthemandthe
studentsintheclasseswheretheyteachthestudent.Theysharedinformationabouthowthey
felthewasdisruptivetothemainfeeloftheclassandtheotherstudentsseemedafraidofhim,
evenwhentheywereattemptingtobekindorhelphim.Muchoftheirtimewasspenddiffusing
situationswherehewasyellingatanotherstudentorhavingconversationswithhimabouthow
hehasspokentoastaffmemberwhowastryingtointeractwithhim.Theyfeltasthoughthere
hasbeenalotofwastedtimespentintheirclassroomandthattheremaining27studentsinthe
classweremissingloadsofinformationandskillsthattheyhaveattemptedtoteach.Asa

POSITIVEBEHAVIORSUPPORTPLAN

11

technologyteacher,thestudentsspendasignificantamountoftimeinmyclassroomworking
independentlyontheirowncomputersandreceivingdirectinstructionfromtheteacher.Iwas
curiousastohowthisstudentsbehavioreffectedclasseslikeP.E.,wherethestudentsare
interactingconstantlyandpersonalspaceisoftenacommodity.Mr.G,theP.E.teachersaidthat
onmostdayshehastoremovethestudentfromthemaininstructiongroupandhavehimsit
awayfromotherstudentsashegivesdirectionsandthenallowshimtorejoinwhenthedirection
partisoverandthestudentsbegintomove.Anotherconcernacrossthegroupofteacherswas
liningupandcomingintotheclassrooms.Duringthetimethatthestudentsspendinline,this
studentoftenhasverynegativeinteractionswithpeersandwhenstaffintervenes,hebecomes
moreemotionalandwillyellatthemaswell.Thistimeisespeciallycriticalwhentheclass
walksacrossthebuildingtogettotheartroomorthemusicroom.Otherclassesarecloserand
leavelesstimeforanyinteractionatall.Aftergettingallofthisinformation,Iwasreadyto
analyzethedatawhileconsideringalloftheinformationthatIhadlearnedfromteachersinthe
building.Thedatashowedthatthestudentwasyellingorsnappingatstaffandstudentsan
averageof22timesper60minuterelatedartsblock.Mostoftheseincidentstookplacewhile
studentsweregettingdirectinstructionfromteachersorwhenthestudentswereworking
together.Ifthereweretimeswhenthestudentswereworkinginacollectivegroup,thenumber
ofoutburstsspiked.Negativeinteractionsthatstemmedfromtheyellingandsnappingwerethe
highestwhenthestudentswerereceivingdirectinstructioninalargegroupfromtheteacher.
Someteachersdealtwiththestudentsbehaviorbyhavinghimtakeabreakandleavingtheroom
totakeashortwalkorgetadrinkatanearbywaterfountain.Otherswereworriedthatthe
studentwoulduseitasanescapetoolandkeptthestudentintheclassbutremovedhimfromthe

POSITIVEBEHAVIORSUPPORTPLAN

12

immediatevicinityoftherestoftheclass.SincetherewasnoformalprotocolprovidedbyaBIP
orotherplan,eachteacherhasdealtwiththeconcernsasbesttheycanintheirownrooms.

HypothesisofFunctionalIntention
Basedonthedatacollected,thefunctionofthebehaviorthatthisstudentexhibitsisto
gainattentionfrompeersandstaff(whetherpositiveornegative).Ihavecometothisconclusion
afterconsultingwiththeschoolcounselor,classroomteachersandspecialeducatorsinthe
building.Afterreviewingdatafromtheobservations,consideringparentalinput,considering
teacher/counselorinputandtakingalookatthebehaviorchartsthatwereusedwiththestudent
forthefirstquarteroffirstgrade,itwasdeterminedthathewasusingthisbehaviortogain
attentionfrompeersandteacherstoshowhisdispleasureoremotiontowardacertainsituation.
Thetimesthatthestudentexhibitedthisdisruptivebehaviorthemostwaswhenhewas
interactingwithpeersandteachersmostfrequently.Thistimeshowedthebehaviorabout70%
moreofthetimethenwhenthestudentwasworkingindependentlyorinaverysmallgroup.

ReplacementBehavior
Tobeabletoreplacethenegativeattentionseekingbehaviorwithapositiveone,wehad
tomakeadecisionaboutwhatthatnewreplacementbehaviorwouldbe.Thestudenthad
previouslytakenpartisusingachartthatprovidedhimwithtangiblerewardssuchasstickers,
treasures,stuffedanimalsandStarWarstoys.Thesetangiblerewardsandtoyshadnotproven
tobeapositiveinfluenceanddidnotshowanyconsistentorsignificantimprovementinthe
negativebehaviors.Therewereoftentimeswhentherewardswerebeingreceivedathome,even

POSITIVEBEHAVIORSUPPORTPLAN

13

whentheywerenotearnedthroughpositivebehavioratschool.Totryanotherapproach,asa
team,itwasdecidedthatthestudentwouldbenefitmorefrompositivepraiseandverbal
reinforcementratherthanreceivingatangibleprizewhenhewasexhibitingthecorrectbehavior
andinteractingwellwithhispeersandschoolstaff.Thestudentshouldbeusingacalmvoice
andrestrainttoexpresshimselfwhenheisinasituationwhereisfeelsasthoughheisbeing
treatedunfairlyorhefeelsslightedbyapeer.Thisreplacementbehaviorwillbetaughttothe
studentthroughtheuseofcounselingwiththeschoolcounselorandrepetitionbyhishomeroom
teacherandreiteratedbytheteachersthathevisitseachdayforhisrelatedarts.Thereplacement
behaviorwillbetaughttothestudentbeforethesupportplanisputintoplaceandwillbe
practicedwithhimfortheweekpriortotheplanbeginning.Beforethisplan,thefocusforthis
studentwouldbeforhimtotryandlearnwhatitmeanstobeagoodfriendandhowtobeagood
friendbutforthisnewplan,therewouldasimplerfocusoflearningtocontrolthevolumeofhis
reactionsthathehadtohispeersandadultsthatheworkswith.Thisskillwouldbetaughtto
himthroughroleplaying,practiceandexample.Hewillbegivensituationsandworkwithpeers
andteachersinsmallgroupstolearnhowtorespondinapropervolumewhenheisspeakingto
anyone,regardlessofwhatthesituationisorhowheisfeelingaboutwhatishappening.The
studentalreadymeetswithafriendshipgrouponceaweekandthiswouldbeatimewhenthis
skillisaddressedandpracticed.Therewillalsobecalmingstrategiesthatarereviewedwiththe
studentsothatifhedoesbecomeagitated,hewillhavesomecopingstrategiesthathecanuseto
helphimrelaxandbeabletousethecorrecttoneandvolumeofvoice.Therewillbeacool
downticketthatteacherswillhaveandbeabletousewiththestudent.Ontheticket,willbe
threestrategiesthathecanusetohelphimselfrelaxandbeabletomoreeffectivelycommunicate

POSITIVEBEHAVIORSUPPORTPLAN

14

withpeersandteachers.Thecooldownticketwillhave1)breathinginandout2)counting
backwardsfrom10to1and3)Imagineyourselfinacalmplace,asstrategiesthathecanuse.
Thisticketwillbeprintedincolorandlaminatedsothatitwillbeavailablewheneverhemay
needit.ThevisualoftheticketcanbeseeninAppendixBofthiswriteup.Theteachercan
choosetohanditoutorhecanholdontoitwhileheisreceivingdirectinstructionandworking
ingroupswithpeers.

PositiveBehaviorSupports
Forthisstudent,therearespecificpositivebehaviorsupportsthatwillbeputintoplacein
ordertosurethatthestudentwillemitthereplacementbehaviorratherthantheinappropriate
one.First,theteacherwillmonitortheproximitythatthestudentwillhavetothemandtoother
studentsintheclassfortheentiretyofthehour.Themorechangeforphysicalinteractionthat
thestudentisgiven,thegreaterthechancethathewillbecomeagitatedandlashoutverbally.In
technologyclass,thestudentwillsitinarowwherehedoesnothaveanyoneseatedoneither
sideofhimandIwillbeabletoeasilyhaveaccesstohimtogivefeedbackwhileheisworking
independently.Forotherteacherswithalternatesetupsintheirroom,andotherequipment,the
seatingproximitywilllookdifferently.Theteachershouldbeabletocommunicatewiththe
studentopenlyifitispossiblewiththesetupintheirroom.Thisseatingwillnotbepresentedto
thestudentasapunishmentbutratheratooltohelphimbestfunctionpositivelyinthe
classroom.Thesecondbehaviorsupportforthestudentwillbepositivephrasingusedbythe
teachers.Eventhoughwearenotabletocontrolthewaythatotherchildrenspeaktothestudent,
feedbackfromteacherswillalwaysbephrasedinthemostpositivewaypossible.Ifthereare

POSITIVEBEHAVIORSUPPORTPLAN

15

teachersthatareunsureofhowthiswouldlookorsound,theguidancecounselorandIwillbe
abletohelpthemlearnthemostpositiveandeffectivewaystocommunicatewiththechild.For
someoftheteachers,thiswillbeachangebutmostofthestaffalreadyworksveryhardto
connectwithstudentsinthemostpositivewaypossible.Thethirdpositivebehaviorsupportthat
istobeputintoplaceishavingaplannedresponsemethodforthestudentwhenthenegative
behaviorisexhibited.Thissupportwillcomeintheformofthecooldownticketthatbothhe
andtheteacherwillhaveaccessto.Onthecardaremethodsthatthestudentcanusetocalm
himselfdownandreturntoasituationwithamorelevelhead.Thecardcanbeusedinseveral
differentways.Itcanbegiventothestudentifthereisanoutburstandhewillbeinstructedto
removehimselffromthesituationtocalmdown.Itcanalsobeheldbythestudentifheis
enteringasituationthatisknowntobeahighstressoneforhim.Theteachercansimplyhandit
tothestudentwithoutanycommunicationatall,perhapsduringdirect,wholegroupinstruction
andthestudentwillunderstandtheimplicationofwhatheneedstodoorshow.Nomatterthe
mannerinwhichtheteacherandstudentchoosetousethecard,itspurposewillbetoremind
himofwaystocalmhimselfdownwhenhebecomesoverlyemotionalorislashingoutat
studentsorteachers.Allthreeofthesepositivebehavioralsupportswillgivethisstudentthe
bestchanceatbeingabletoutilizebasicskillsandbettercommunicatewithbothstaffand
studentsintheclassroominapositiveway.

DataCollectionandVisualRepresentation
Thedatathatwascollectedwastakeneverydayfor15straitschooldays.Alloftherelatedarts
teachersgathereddataonthesheetsthatwereprovidedtothemfrommeandIwasabletoclean

POSITIVEBEHAVIORSUPPORTPLAN

16

upthesheetsandcreatealogofallofthe15daysfrom6differentteachers.Ihavethestudentin
myclassonMondays,sothatdatawastakenbyme.Thedatawascollectedeachdayfrom2:00
p.m.to3:00p.m.andIbrokeupthecollectionintoarrivalintotheclassroom,thentwothirty
minuteblocksandthenlineup/leavingtheroomattheendoftheclass.Iseparatedthearrivalto
classandthelineuptimesbecausethosearetimesthatmanyteachershaveseenanescalationin
thisstudentsbehavior.AlloftherecordingsheetscanbeviewedinAppendixBatthe
conclusionofthereport.
Belowisachartthatshowstheinstancesofyellingthatoccurredoverthethreeweeks
thatdatawastaken.

Yelling Outbursts

10

8
7
6

6
5

4
3

3
2

2
1

POSITIVEBEHAVIORSUPPORTPLAN

17

Thesecondchartshowsthedatacollectedaboutthenumberofoutbursts(blueline)as
wellasthenumberoftimesthattheteacherintheclassroomprovidedpositivepraisetothe
student(orangeline).

Chart Title

Yelling

Teacher Praise Instinces

DataSummaryandInterpretation
Theimplementationofthepositivebehaviorsupportsprovedtobeveryeffectivewith
thisstudentaswellasimpactingtheabilityofallstudentsandteacherstofunctioninthe
classroom.Fromthedatathatwastakenatthebeginningoftheobservationperiod,thestudent
showedthisdisruptivebehaviorsofrequentlythatmostteacherswereatacompletelossabout
howtohandletheoutbursts.Theinterventions:cooldownticket,positivereinforcementand
teacherproximitywereallimplementedfortheentire15dayperiodafterthestudentwastrained
onhowtousethecooldowncardandtheteachersweregiveninstructionsabouthowthe

POSITIVEBEHAVIORSUPPORTPLAN

18

interventionsweretobeutilizedintheirclassrooms.Asyoucanseeinthefirstgraph,the
numberoftimesthatthisstudentwashavingayellingoutburstintheclassroomwentfrom8
timesdownto1bytheendoftheinterventionrecordingperiod.Allteacherswerepleasedwith
hisprogressandcommentedabouthowmuchmoresmoothlytheirclasseswentwithoutsomany
interruptions.Someoftheteachersencouragedtheuseofthecooldowncardmorethanothers
buttherewasimplementationinall6ofthedifferentrelatedartsclassrooms.Therewerealso
someteacherswhofeltmorecomfortablewithlettingthestudenttakeabreakfromthe
classroomwhenhewasagitatedthanothers.Theissuethatwasmostapparentwiththese
interventionswasthateachteacherofthevariousrelatedartshadslightlydifferentexpectations
intheirclassrooms.Fortheartteacher,therewereaspectsofbehaviorthatwereemphasizedin
herclassroombuttheyweredifferentwhentheclassroomchangedtomusicandtechnology.
Thiswas,perhaps,themostdifficultaspectoftheinterventions.But,eventhoughthisunusual
circumstanceexistedforthisstudent,thechoseninterventionsworkedatreducingthenegative
behaviorthatwasdisruptingthisstudentslearningandthelearningofotherchildren.Even
thoughtherewasnosharpdeclineinthebehavior,thegradualreductionworkedwellforallof
theteachersandstudents.P.E.wasaplacewhereitwasmadeclearthathewasallowedto
removehimselffromthemaingroupifhefeltthathewasgoingtoyellorhewasfrustratedwith
someoneintheclass.Thegymisabiggerspacebutthereisalsomorecontactamongstudents
sincetheyaremovingfrequentlysotheteacherspokewithhimandmadetheexpectationsclear.
Theotheraspectoftheintervention,thepositivereinforcement,wasagreatsurprise.Therewas
sometrepidationamongstaffthattheywouldnotbeabletofindthingstobepositiveaboutwith
thisparticularstudentbutweworkedthroughtheissuesandfoundmanythingsthathedidwell.

POSITIVEBEHAVIORSUPPORTPLAN

19

Bytheendofthethreeweeks,alloftheteachersreportedthattheirpositivereinforcement
changedtheinteractionsthattheywerehavingwiththestudent.Theyfeltthatthestudentwas
moreresponsivetotheirdirectionsanditshowedinhisabilitytoproducetheassignmentsthat
weregiventohim.Thiswasalsoaidedbytheproximityofthestudentandtheteacher.When
theteacherwasclosertothestudent,theynoticedthathewashavinglessandlessnegative
interactionswithotherstudents.Themostcommontimethathestillhadoutburstswaswhena
studentbumpedintohimortheyattemptedtohelphimcompletehiswork.Themorepositive
reinforcementthattheteachersattemptedtousewiththestudent,thelessnegativeinteractions
thathehadwithallofthepeopleintheclassroom.

Reflection
Tocompletethisproject,thereweremanydifferentskillsthatIhadtofocusoninorder
togrowmyknowledgeandbettermyclassroommanagement.Asateacherofover500students,
IwasdifficultformetochoosejustoneofthemthatIwantedtofocustheenergyofthis
assignmenton.Therearemanystudentswhoshowaneedforbehaviorinterventions,whether
smallorlarge.Thisparticularstudentwaschosenbecausetheneedthatheshowedwasgreat
andtherewasaconsensusfrommanyteachersthathisbehaviorwasdisruptivetotheirteaching
andthelearningthatwasoccurringintheclassroom.Becauseofthesheervolumeofstudents
thatIteach,thepossibilityofbeingabletoobservetheirspecificbehaviors,determinethe
functionofthatbehaviorandthemimplementaplanisnotarealisticchoice.Sincethisstudent
showedsomuchneedandwasageneraldisruptiontotheclassroomsofrequently,hewasagood
choiceofsomeonethatwouldbenefitfromaspecificallytailoredintervention.Iwasableto

POSITIVEBEHAVIORSUPPORTPLAN

20

observethestudentinotherclassroomsbesidesmyowntoseeiftherewasanydifferencesthat
wouldbenotable.Whentheobservationswerecompleted,IwasabletoreflectonwhyIthought
thathewasexhibitingthebehaviorsthatwereoccurringsofrequently.Oftenasteachers,weare
socaughtupinthedailyroutinesoftheclassroomthatwedonotconsiderwhyastudentis
behavingthewaythattheyare.Thisisaveryimportantpointtounderstandwhentryingtowork
withastudent.Beingabletohaveanideaofwhytheyarebehavinginacertainwaycanchange
yourmindsetabouthowtogoaboutworkingthroughtheissue,whichcanalteryourdispositions
aswell.Veryoften,teachersbecomefrustratedwithstudentswhoshowrepetitiveanddisruptive
behaviorintheirclassroomsandyellingseemstobetheautomaticreactionformost.Ifound
myselfbeingmuchmorecalmandopentoworkingwiththestudentonceIwasabletoidentify
thespecificbehaviorandwhatwebelievedthefunctionofthatbehaviortobe.Thismethodfor
viewingbehaviorsalsochangedthecommunicationthatIhadwithseveralstudentswhoshow
disruptivebehaviors.Forthisspecificstudent,theplanthatwasputintoplacewaseffective
whilethedatawasbeingtakenandtheteacherswereseeingpositiveresults.Forthecontinued
successofthisplan,eachteachermustcontinuetoimplementthecalmingproceduresand
positivecommunicationwiththechild,includingpraisewhenheisexhibitingthedesired
behavior.Forthisstudent,beingateacherthatisattemptingtocommunicatewithhimandstates
thingsinapositivewaywasaveryeffectivetoolinhelpinghimtocalmdownandcontrolhis
shouting.Thecooldownticketwasalsoaveyusefultoolforthisyoungstudentwhowas
oftenveryemotionalandwasoftencaughtupinthataspectoftheinteractionswithpeersand
teachers.Tobeabletoallowthisstudentcontinuedgrowth,havingthoseticketsavailabletohim
inalloftheclassroomsthathelearnsin,wouldbeveryhelpful.IfIhadthechancetoalterthis

POSITIVEBEHAVIORSUPPORTPLAN

21

positivebehaviorsupportplanatall,Iwouldhavelovedtohavehadmoreinputfromhisparents
andbeenabletoimplementsomeofthetoolsathomesothathecouldhaveaconsistentplanto
workthroughouttheday.Consistencyseemedtobeabigfactorinthedevelopmentofpositive
behaviorsinthisstudent.Alloftherelatedartsteachersandhisclassroomteachersusedthe
sametoolsinalloftheclassroomsandtheuniformityofexpectation,toolsandcommunication
skillsthatwereallusedcreatedadependablesystemforthisstudent.AnotheraspectthatI
wouldhavedonedifferentlywouldhavebeentohavefurthertrainingtimeforthestudenton
howtohavepositiveinteractionswithhispeers,notjusttoavoidhavingthenegativeones.We
wereabletogivehimtoolstoaidinthecalmingofhisbehaviorandhowtoremovehimselffrom
situationswherehefeltasthoughthenegativebehaviormayoccurbutwewerenotabletotake
thenextsteptofostertheskillstobuildpositiveinteractionsamongpeers.Theinteractionswith
teachersbecamemuchmorepositivewhentheyapproachedthesituationswithanewoutlookat
communicatedinapositiveway.Iwouldhavelikedtoincludeskillsforhimtolearnhowtodo
thesamethingwithhispeers.Unfortunately,atthecompletionofthisassignment,thestudent
thathadthebehaviorplancreatedonhisbehalftransferredtoanotherschooltocompletethe
currentschoolyear.Alloftheinformationthatwehaveonthestudentandthecurrent
interventionswillbesenttohisnewschoolforthemtoreadthroughandconsiderwhilelearning
moreabouthim.

POSITIVEBEHAVIORSUPPORTPLAN

AppendixA:Observations

22

POSITIVEBEHAVIORSUPPORTPLAN

23

POSITIVEBEHAVIORSUPPORTPLAN

24

POSITIVEBEHAVIORSUPPORTPLAN

25

POSITIVEBEHAVIORSUPPORTPLAN

26

POSITIVEBEHAVIORSUPPORTPLAN

27

POSITIVEBEHAVIORSUPPORTPLAN

28

POSITIVEBEHAVIORSUPPORTPLAN

AppendixB:CoolDownCard

29

POSITIVEBEHAVIORSUPPORTPLAN

AppendixC:BehaviorRecordSheets

30

POSITIVEBEHAVIORSUPPORTPLAN

31

POSITIVEBEHAVIORSUPPORTPLAN

32

POSITIVEBEHAVIORSUPPORTPLAN

33

POSITIVEBEHAVIORSUPPORTPLAN

34

POSITIVEBEHAVIORSUPPORTPLAN

35

POSITIVEBEHAVIORSUPPORTPLAN

36

POSITIVEBEHAVIORSUPPORTPLAN

37

POSITIVEBEHAVIORSUPPORTPLAN

38

POSITIVEBEHAVIORSUPPORTPLAN

39

Works Cited
Anderson, D. H., Fisher, A., Marchant, M., Young, K. R., & Smith, J. A. (2006,
Fall). The Cool Card Intervention: A Positive Support Strategy for
Managing Anger. Beyond Behavior.
Brady, K., Forton, M., & Porter , D. (2012, November 23). Responding to
Misbehavior. Responsive Classroom, 1-4.
Conroy, M. A., & Sutherland, K. S. (2012, Fall). Effective Teachers for Students
with Emotional/Behavioral Disorders: Active Ingredients Leading to
Positive Teacher and Student Outcomes. Beyond Behavior, 1-9.
Hafen, C. A., Ruzek, E. A., Gregory, A., Allen, J. P., & Mikami, A. Y. (2015).
Focusing on teacher-student interactions eliminates the negative
impact of students' disruptive behavior on teacher perceptions.
International Journal of Behavioral Development, 39(5), 426-431.
Rafferty, L. A. (2010). Step-By-Step: Teaching Students to Self-Monitor.
Teaching Exceptional Children, 43(2), 50-58.
Wright, J. (2013). How To: Calm the Agitated Student: Tools for Effective
Behavior Managment . Retrieved April 1, 2016, from Intervention
Central :
http://www.interventioncentral.org/behavior_calm_agitated_student