BEHAVIOR INTERVENTION

Tiered Behavior Intervention

Jill Gallant
UNE EDU 723
Module 7
August 11, 2016

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Behavior is a way our students to communicate with us. Therefore, behavior

management is a significant and essential factor of teaching. Having a good repertoire of
management strategies is vital for a teacher to support their students and to teach
effectively and efficiently. Caroline Guardino and Elizabeth Fullerton (2010) outline that
these management strategies need to be proactive, preventative, and are relatively easy
to implement, and which provide minimal disruption to the classroom. Of course,
however, veteran teachers realize that this can sometimes be a tall order and there are
inevitably students who challenge their repertoire of techniques.
In any given classroom there are a variety of needs, not just academic, but
behavioral as well. A majority of the students in a class will respond to what is known as
Tier One behavioral support. This group of students is about 80% of an average
classrooms population (Univ. of Louisville). This level of behavioral intervention is
comprised of established routines, physical layout of the classroom, and clearly
communicated expectations (U.S. Office of Special Ed., 2015). This may look like
games or body movements to improve memory, involving music to make learning or
transitions more fun and concise, repetition or mimicking of directions or expectations, or
many, many other ideas.
Some of the ways in which I have implemented Tier One interventions are: one,
two, three, eyes on me, syllable tapping on fingers and arms, reflection sheets, offering
body breaks and walks, allowing students to stand or move to a more appropriate location
in the classroom and assigning classroom jobs (PBIS, 2016). Specifically, the reflection

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sheets we utilized in my classroom were a one on one activity following a behavioral

issue. This was done one on one because the kindergarten students often need support
with not only the writing but also talking through the problem and brainstorming ways to
resolve the issue and alternative ideas if the issue arises again. This is a school wide
system for Tier One behavioral supports, although they can be modified to fit for Tier
Two. The biggest challenge with this routine is addressing the issue in a timely manner.
Discipline needs to be done as soon as possible after the behavior to ensure the student
makes a connection. This can be difficult given a teachers demands and other necessary
tasks.
These interventions, although things that most early educators are quite familiar
with, are not met without challenges. As is the nature of the RtI triangle, there are
students who will not respond to many of these techniques. One student may dislike a
certain strategy and respond with off-task or disruptive behavior. This same student may
respond well to a different strategy, making it challenging to find a good fit for the
majority of the classroom. Because there is a seemingly endless supply of Tier One
resources, it can be daunting to find the ones that the most students in the class respond
positively to. It is when a student does not respond to within various types of Tier One
strategies each implemented for several weeks, that they progress to Tier Two.
The Tier Two interventions are estimated by the University of Louisville to be
effective for about 15% of the students who were not supported by Tier One behavior
interventions. These supports are designed for students who need more specific
feedback, structure and expectations. This may include frequent and specific reminders

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of expectations, specific praise for effort, and planned, intentional ignoring or redirecting
off task or disruptive behavior (U.S. Office of Special Ed., 2015).
One method of providing intervention for Tier Two behavior is completing a daily
behavior form. This provides the student with opportunities to connect with teachers and
family members about their expectations as well as take ownership of their work and
accountability for their actions, positive or negative. I used a similar method with a
student who presented with major outbursts of violence, negative self-talk, inflexibility,
defiance and verbal abuse to teachers and peers. This student was unable to complete
classroom assignments or work cooperatively with peers. After a deeper look, we found
that some of these items were a result of anxiety and weak executive functioning skills.
We began a home communication sheet, which included nine highlights of his day, three
things he could try harder on the next day or had difficulty with, and any other
information that needed to be communicated to the family. This sheet would also
occasionally require him to write apology notes or have a discussion about the day with
his parents, but always required a parents signature and needed to be returned on the next
school day. Not only was this a great way to document some aspects of his day, it created
a communication and unity between school and home.
After reviewing PBISs (2016) outline of a behavior form and CICO (check in,
check out), I realized where our behavior plan with this student was lacking. The daily
form should have looked more like CICO. Choosing the correct level of intervention,
given the tier, is a challenge. We only required him to turn in his sheet each day. I think,
despite time constraints and not wanting to create a feeling of segregation, the student

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benefits more if this sheet were discussed at the beginning of the school day and brought
full circle. He was involving school with his home life after school, but we could have
strengthened our connections with what his familys daily goals were for him at school.
Perhaps, though, this student moves to the top of the RtI triangle, in Tier 3.
Tier Three is estimated to work successfully for 5% of the students in the top
portion of the triangle (Univ. of Louisville). These are the students who did not
positively respond to the first two tiers and who need very specific and individualized
interventions to work with chronic or severe behavioral issues (Curators of the Univ. of
Missouri, 2016). This level of behavior intervention requires data collection to determine
the function and frequency of the behaviors in order to provide appropriate strategies.
This data collection is done through the use of a FBA (Functional Behavior Assessment),
which then guides teachers to apply interventions appropriate to the cause of the behavior
through antecedents and consequences (Buck, Polloway, Kirkpatrick & Patton, J., 2000).
This tier may also include methods such as structured time outs, transitioning before or
after the majority of students, as well as some modified Tier Two strategies such as
detention or in-school suspension (PBIS, 2016).
As in the case of the student mentioned above, the first two tiers were not
sufficient. We collected data on this students outbursts for several weeks. The threats,
inappropriate communications with peers, teachers and administration, negative self-talk
and work avoidance continued. From this point, we suggested the family communicate
with their physician, who connected them with a family therapist, and we also

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coordinated with the schools adjustment counselor to provide one on one opportunities
to work with this student on coping, problem solving and social skills.
One obvious challenge with this approach is a family who does not respect the
school or district. If the family is not on the same page as the school, a suggestion to
seek medical advice or counseling may not be well received. Another challenge is, once
a recommendation of this kind is made, staying on the same page as an outside medical
or mental health professional. Either way, open lines of communication and a good
rapport are important for something like this type of intervention.
In my past experience, I find classroom management and behavior interventions
to be one of the most dynamic pieces of teaching. There is always a new challenge and
so many strategies to apply to try support growth and learning. It can be a big job to
effectively motivate and discipline a group of young minds! It has become obvious,
however, that there are several experts and resources available to support teachers in
implementing appropriate and effective behavior interventions.

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7
References

Buck, G., Polloway, E., Kirkpatrick, M., & Patton, J. (2009). Developing Behavioral
Intervention Plans: A Sequential Approach. WETA ldonline. Retrieved from
https://elearn.une.edu/bbcswebdav/pid-1327679-dt-content-rid9992843_1/courses/90522-201701-EDU-723-B1/FBA.pdf
Curators of the University of Missouri. (2016). Missouri Schoolwide Positive
Behavior Support. Retrieved from http://pbismissouri.org
Guardino, C. & Fullerton, E. (2010). Changing Behaviors by Changing the Classroom
Environment. TEACHING Exceptional Children, 40(6) 8-13.
Retrieved from https://elearn.une.edu/bbcswebdav/pid-1327679-dt-content-rid9992819_1/courses/90522-201701-EDU-723-B1/changing%20behaviors.pdf
PBIS World.com (2016). Website. Retrieved from http://www.pbisworld.com
University of Louisville. (n.d.). Academic and Behavioral Response to Intervention:
Facilitating Sustainable Prevention Systems. Retrieved from
http://louisville.edu/education/abri/practical-application.html