Developing a Classroom Management Plan Using a Tiered … · Developing a Classroom Management Plan Using a Tiered Approach Randi, a special education teacher, has worked iti an inclusive

Behavior Interventions

Developing a ClassroomManagement Plan Using

a Tiered Approach

Randi, a special education teacher, hasworked iti an inclusive sixth gradeclassroom with Colleen, a general edu-cation teacher, since August. Althoughthe class has been running fairlysmoothly, it is September and somebehavior issues have arisen. "Ransi-tions betweert lessons have been takinglotiger, general tioise level duringgroup work is up, and students havebeen teasitig peers or making negativecomments during group discussions. Inaddition, a small group of students isnot completing assigntnents on time.The two students who have individual-ized education program (lEP) goalsdirectly related to behavior are alsoexperiencitig difficulties. One studenthas shut down and refuses to do work,and the other student has been get-ting into fights during lutich break.Although Colleen and Randi had rulesand consequences in place at the startof the year, they have decided theytieed to develop a comprehensive class-room management plan.

8 COUNCIL FOR EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN

Kristin L. Sayeski and Monica R. Brown

Every year teachers plan for the man-agement of students' behavior withintheir classrooms. Preparation mayinclude developing a set of class rules,specifying procedures for daily tasks,or developing a consequence hierarchy(e.g., first infraction = X consequence,second infraction = Y consequence,etc.). Effective classroom managementis essential for teaching, and it is notsurprising to any teacher to find thatmanagement issues are frequently citedamong reasons for leaving the field(Browers & Tomic, 2000; IngersoU &Smith, 2003). Poor classroom manage-ment results in lost instructional time,feelings of inadequacy, and stress. Inaddition, special educators often havethe responsibility of behavior changeas a primary goal of instruction. Inthese situations, teachers move beyondthe need to "manage" behavior andmust address challenging behaviorshead on to identify ways to transformthe maladaptive behavior into some-thing appropriate and effective forstudents.

In this article, we present aresponse-to-intervention (RTI) frame-

work that both special and generaleducation teachers can use in evaluat-ing existing class structures and devel-oping comprehensive classroom man-agement plans for the purpose of man-aging challenging behaviors. (See box,"What Is RTI All About?") We apphedthe concept of a three-tiered model ofsupport at the classroom level for indi-vidual (or team) teachers. Ultimately,this three-tier support structure wouldbe a part of a schoolwide PBS model,but for many teachers or teams whoare still addressing behaviors at aclassroom level instead of schoolwidethe RTI model provides an excellentstructure to think about behavioralinterventions. Special educators whoteach in self-contained, resource, orcollaborative classrooms can use theguidelines to create comprehensiveclassroom management plans. Theframework provided includes evi-dence-based practices that teacherscan apply at each tier of support. Theplan incorporates guiding questionsthat direct teachers in selecting thosepractices that will best meet their con-text (i.e., grade level) and student

population (i.e., students with andwithout disabilities, students at risk forschool failure, students whose first lan-guage is not English).

Three-Tiered Modelof Classroom BehcivioralSupports

Before teachers can begin to implementa multileveled approach to classroombehavioral support, they should iden-tify and evaluate existing classroomstructures. This process provides abasis for determining where additionalsupports are needed. Specific, guidingquestions include the following;

• What is the core, behavioral cur-riculutn provided? How are behav-ioral expectations communicated tostudents through existing practices?

• What interventions or additionalbehavioral supports are in place? Ifstudents demonstrate challengingbehaviors, what are the responsesto these behaviors?

• What individualized, intensivebehavioral supports are used for themost challenging of classroom

TEACHING EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN | SEPT/OCT 2011 9

What Is RTI All About?

The term response to intervention (RTI) applies to educational approachesthat embrace multilevel prevention and intervention systems (NationalCenter on Response to Intervention, 2010). RTI includes the use of assess-ment data, progress monitoring, and evidence-based practices to identify stu-dents in need of support, monitor their progress as they receive targetedinterventions, and adjust levels or type of interventions depending upon stu-dents' responsiveness. The RTI framework allows general and special educa-tors alike a process for addressing students' needs across a range of levels.

The underlying assumption of RTI is that when teachers apply effectiveinstructional practices, the majority of students will make satisfactory gains,whereas some other students will require additional levels of support (Fuchs& Fuchs, 2006). Applying this concept to classroom behavior, the applicationof effective behavioral supports in a classroom (e.g., high expectations,engaging instruction, clearly identified routines and procedures) shouldenable fhe majority of students to behave within classroom norms. Studentswho do not respond to preventative, proactive behavioral supports willrequire additional levels of support. This is the concept underlying School-Wide Positive Behavioral Supports (SWPBS). Sugai and Horner (2009) sug-gested that RTI is a broad conceptualization of tiered support, whereasSWPBS is a specific, research-based application of the concept. Parallelsbetween the concepts of RTI and Positive Behavior Support (PBS) have beenidentified in the literature (e.g., Sandomierski, Kincaid, & Algozzine, 2007).Both RTI and PBS models account for three levels of support, including threetiers of support:

• Tier 1 or universal support for all students with a focus on prevention.

• Tier 2 or targeted group support that includes evidence-based practicesand monitoring.

• Tier 3 or individualized support based on individualized assessment

processes.

behaviors? For those few studentswho demonstrate chronic, challeng-ing behaviors, what consistentstrategies are used across all classesand teachers?

These questions reflect the three tiers:

Tier 1 : Preventative ClassroomManagement

Tier 2: First-Line Interventions

Tier 3: Intensive, IndividualizedInterventions

See Figure 1 for an overview of a"Comprehensive Classroom Manage-ment Plan: Three Tiered Model ofSupport Checklist."

After reviewing the three guiding ques-tions, Randi and Colleen decide thatthe standard classroom rules need to beupdated to reflect specific concernsregarding respect for peers and pre-

paredness for class. In addition, theyrealize that they have no way to recog-nize or reward those students who aredoing well. They want to work on theoverall classroom environment—shiftthe focus from nagging to bragging-tut they areti't sure where to begiti.

behavior. Researchers have revealedthat the more transparent and clearteachers are about their behavioralexpectations, the more successful stu-dents are in meeting those expecta-tions (Evertson, Emmer, & Worsham,2006; Zirpoli, 2008). Specific strategiesthat are effective in promoting desiredbehavior include the following:

1. High teacher expectations (Mar-zano, 2010; McKown & Weinstein,2008).

2. Stimulating instruction with highlevels of student engagement (Em-mer & Stough, 2001; Sutherland &Wehby, 2001).

3. Clearly communicated rules andnorms (Kerr & Nelson, 2006; Sprick& Daniels, 2010; Tanol, Johnson,McComas, & Cote, 2010).

4. Established routines and procedures(Evertson et al., 2006).

5. Positive teacher-student rapport(Marzano, 2003).

6. Efficient use of classroom time (Lee,2006).

To develop or evaluate a current corecurriculum of behavioral supports,teachers can begin by evaluating their(a) instructional practices, (b) rulesand procedures, and (c) overall class-room climate. (See box, "Six EffectiveBehavior Supports.")

Instructional Practices. Students whoare occupied in instruction are lesslikely to have behavior problems(Greenwood, Horton, & Utley, 2002;Sutherland & Oswald, 2005; Sutheriand& Wehby, 2001). Teachers can create

The more transparent and clear teachers are ahout

their hehavioral expectations, the more successful

students are in meeting those expectations.

Tier 1 : Preventative ClassroomManagement

What does a high-quality core curricu-lum in behavioral support look like?Anything a teacher does that establish-es behavioral expectations in a class-room creates the core curriculum of

highly engaging instruction by provid-ing frequent opportunities for studentsto respond. Research has shown thatpractices such as the use of responsecards (Randolf, 2007), choral respond-ing (Hayon, Mancil, & Van Loan, 2009;Kretlow, Wood, & Cooke, 2011), andpeer tutoring (Kamps et al., 2008;


Figure 1. Comprehensive Ciassroom Management Pian: Three-Tiered Modei ef Support Checiciist

Teacher(s) Name(s):

Classroom:

School Year:

Tier 1: PreventativeGuiding Question

What is the core, behavioral curriculum provided? (i.e.through existing practices?)

Tier 1 Strategies: Select the tools that are either in place or

Q High Student Engagement• Response Cards• Choral RespondingQ Peer Tlitoring• Organized Classroom• Clear Communication (e.g., visual displays of

instruction, step-by-step procedures)• Ample Background Knowledge and Skill Instruction

Provided

Classroom Management

How are behavioral expectations communicated to students

can be

Q

•

•••

put in place to address this tier of support.

Established Routines and ProceduresHigh ElxpectationsTeacher Modeling of Positive BehaviorsPositive Student-Teacher RapportPositively Stated RulesFrequent Academic Assessment (e.g., curriculum-based assessments)

Tier 2: First-Line InterventionsGuiding Question

What interventions or additional behavioral supports are in place? (i.e.. What is the response if students demonstratechallenging behaviors?)


3 Changes to Academic Instruction (e.g., tutoringprogram, literacy lab, review supports)

• Positive Reinforcement System• Token Economy• Behavior Contracts (e.g.. Daily Behavior Report Card,

weekly contracts)G Remedial Intervention or Tlitodng Support

can be

•

•

•


Contingency System (e.g., loss of privileges, time out.behavior contracts, group contingency)Surface Management Techniques (e.g., plannedignoring, signal interference, proximity, tensiondecontamination through humor, hurdle help, directappeal, antiseptic bounce, rewards)Home-School Note System

Tier 3: Intensive, Individualized InterventionsGuiding Question

What individualized, intensive behavioral supports are(i.e.. For those few students who demonstrate chronic.


• Functional Behavioral Assessments (FBAs)/BehaviorIntervention Plans (BIPs)

3 Self-Monitoring Strategies• Daily Student EvaluationU Social Skills Instruction

drawn on for the most challenging of classroom behaviors?challenging behaviors, what strategies are used?)

can be

•

Q

aQ


Support Groups (e.g., anger management, grief, studyskills)Goal Setting/MonitoringCrisis Management or Safety PlanFunctional Assessment Checklist for Teachers


Sutherland & Snyder, 2007) increasestudent engagement. These instruction-al strategies increase practice opportu-nities and provide immediate academicfeedback for students. Visual supportscan also encourage student engage-ment. Graphic organizers, flow charts,and temporal sequence charts (e.g.,first do this, then do that) serve to clar-ify teacher direction and expectations.Students who know what is expectedof them are more likely to follow direc-tions and less likely to be off task or toask for clarification from the teacher ortheir peers.

To ensure that the instruction pro-vided meets students' academic levels,many teachers use formative assess-ments, such as curriculum-basedassessments, to conduct pretests andregular assessments of students'progress throughout a unit of study.Teachers who track student perform-ance over time can see if students aremaking gains. Failure to make gainssuggests a mismatch between instruc-tion and student need. Certainly,behavioral concerns can interfere witha student's ability to learn, but teach-ers should rule out the possibility thatthe instruction is too challenging, tooeasy, or is being delivered in such away as to present difficulties for astudent.

Rules and Procedures. Well-designedand clearly communicated rules andprocedures set the stage for effectivestudent behavior. When creating rules,teachers can apply the concept ofbehavioral pairs (Kauffman, Mostert,Trent, & PuUen, 2006). To identify abehavioral pair, the teacher first definesthe behavior of concern that the stu-dent is presenting. Then, the teacheridentifies an incompatible, desiredbehavior that the student can learn asa replacement behavior. The identifica-tion of behavioral pairs allows teachersto focus on the positive, desired behav-iors they need to teach or reinforce.

A classroom's practiced andrehearsed daily procedures create thebackbone of effective classroom man-agement. Common routines and proce-dures include: arrival/entering theclassroom, attendance, submittingclasswork and homework, transitions

between classroom activities, missedclasses, bathroom breaks, participatingin class discussions, and cooperativelearning groups. Teachers who fre-quently and consistently employ thesetypes of routines are teaching and rein-forcing their behavioral expectations.Teachers can provide refresher lessonsperiodically to remind students of spe-cific expectations and to add newnuances to established routines.

Classroom Climate. In Marzano andMarzano's (2003) meta-analysis ofmore than 100 studies, they found thatteachers who had positive relationshipswith their students had 31 % fewer dis-cipline problems and rule violationsover the course of the year than teach-ers who did not. Research consistentlydemonstrates that students show aclear preference for strong teacherguidance over permissive classroomenvironments (Wubbels & Brekelmans,2005).

Teachers establish expectationsthrough the rules and procedures, asdiscussed previously, but also by com-municating explicit learning goals.Students should know what is expect-ed of them and how they will beassessed.

A final way of communicating astrong teacher presence is to calmly,clearly, and consistently reinforce rulesor expectations. Yelling, elevatingpitch, moving too close to students,lecturing, displaying strong emotion,avoiding the offending student behav-ior, and back-talking (no, I didn't; yes,you did) all communicate teacher inse-curity. Positive classroom climate com-municates to students that the teacheris calm and confident in his or herability to respond to student needs—whether by reinforcing the rules, redi-recting misbehavior, or addressing anextreme situation. Simple strategiessuch as proximity, eye contact, or theincorporation of students' names orinterests during instruction can con-tribute to an overall positive classroomclimate.

Core behavioral supports can go along way in preventing misbehaviorand promoting desired classroomengagement. For many students, theatmosphere promoted by these types of

behavioral supports diminishes theneed for additional behavior manage-ment strategies. Yet, some students orgroups of students will require addi-fional supports. For these studentsmore explicit instruction in behavior isrequired.

In cotisideriiig their Tier I supports,Randi and Colleen decide to make theirinstruction more engaging and clear fortheir students. They decide to useresponse cards to increase stadetu par-ticipation as well as visuals to showthe steps groups need to follow duringresearch time. They also select oneclas.'swom procedure to rehearse andreview each day. Students will have theopportunity to role-play situations toensure that they know what is expectedof them. Finally, both teachers decideto work on making otie positive state-ment to all students.

Tier 2: First-Line Interventions

When challenging behaviors appear,similar to when students begin tostruggle with the standard curdculum,teachers should provide additional sup-ports. In the case of classroom behav-ioral supports, teachers can look to arange of intervention options that com-plement the standard core practices intheir classrooms. Specific strategies forteaching the behavioral curriculuminclude positive reinforcement systems,token economies, and rule checklists.Tier 2, or First-Line Interventions, canbe categorized as (a) surface manage-ment techniques and (b) reinforcementsystems.

Surface Management Techniques. In1952, Redi and Winemann first intro-duced the concept of "techniques forantiseptic manipulation of surfacebehaviors." Commonly referred to assurface management techniques, theseapproaches can be extremely effectivefor dealing with minor behavioralinfractions that arise in day-to-dayclassroom activities. Although the spe-cific terminology can be adjusted toreflect current lingo, surface manage-ment techniques are still used univer-sally in classrooms. Figure 2 providesan overview of standard surface man-agement techniques.


Figure 2 . Surface Management Techniques

PlannedIgnoring

SignalInterference

Proximity andTouch Control

Involvementin the InterestRelationship

HypodermicAffection

TensionDecontaminationThrough Humor

Hurdle Help

Interpretationas Interference

Regrouping

Restructuring

Direct Appeal

Limitation ofSpace and Tools

AntisepticBouncing

Permission andAuthoritativeVerboten ("No!")

Promisesand Rewards

If an attention-seeking behavior, such as pencil tapping, is ignored, the child may first increase theintensity of the tapping but may eventually stop due to lack of reinforcement.

Nonverbal signals, such as the ringing of wind chimes or flicker of the lights, and verbal signals,such as the reminder of the rules, can signal students to change their own behavior.

The presence of the teacher nearby can remind students to refocus, refrain, cind reengage.

Changing examples to reflect student interests or shifting the activity can reel students back intoclassroom discussions. Personal attention can also serve to reengage students (e.g.. "Ben, what didyou think of the story?").

For some students, the deliberate delivery of kindness or individualized attention can boost their senseof well-being and reduce their need to act out within the classroom. The term "hypodermic" impliesthat this sincere attention is more than skin deep! A student who is having a bad day can be disarmedby the genuine concern of a teacher.

Behavior management can quickly turn into a power struggle between teacher and student. One wayto defuse this is through the use of humor.

Providing instructional support rather than a reprimand or redirect can sometimes help this situation.Statements like "Let's look at the first problem together" or "Tell me where you are on this assignment"serve to shift the focus to the instruction and off of the behavior.

A student who is acting out or frustrated might not have a clear picture of the situation or attributeinappropriate motives to others. Clarifying statements, such as "She did this in response to youraction" serve as an "interpretation" of the event and can help the student develop a more rationaleview of a situation.

Simply moving the players around can be an effective strategy for addressing unwanted behaviors.Teachers should take care to remove emotion from this strategy since negative attention can bereinforcing to some students. A statement such as, "I am moving you because the two of you arealways talking! " is less effective than, "Today, we are switching partners in order to practice ournew strategy."

Teachers can change an activity that is not going as planned in order to avoid or reduce undesiredbehaviors.

A reminder of the rules can be all a student or group of students need in order to get back on track.

Making sure that students have limited access to materials during modeling and instruction andhaving specific procedures in place for distribution, use, and collection of materials are two strategiesfor reducing the misuse of classroom materials.

This technique is the nonpunitive removal of a student from the classroom. Like its punitivecounterpart, "time out," antiseptic bouncing should be used with caution. Antiseptic bouncinginvolves sending a student out of the room on a neutral errand.

Sometimes permitting a behavior is the fastest way to stop it. Some low-level behaviors can betolerated, particularly if a disproportionate amount of time is spent attempting to eliminate it. Theopposite of permission, the authoritative verboten, can also be effective in communicating to studentsthat a particular behavior is not permitted. The key to an effective "no" is to eliminate the lecturing,nagging, or rationale building that often occurs with it.

Although rewards can be effective in reinforcing desired behaviors, caution should be used whenusing promises and rewards as a surface management technique. The inadvertent message rewardscommunicate, "If you behave, you will get a prize," can serve to undermine an overall classroomclimate of productivity. In terms of overall classroom support, rewards are best delivered randomlyor at unexpected times.

TEACHINC EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN SEPT/OCT 2011 13

Reinforcement Systems. Reinforce-ment systems provide consistent conse-quences to specific behaviors for thepurpose of increasing the target behav-ior. In contrast to the surface manage-ment techniques that teachers use toaddress occasional behaviors thatoccur in classrooms, reinforcement sys-tems are the planned instruction andreinforcement of desired behaviors.Reinforcement systems teach and rein-force. Specific, evidence-based rein-forcement systems include tokeneconomies (Filcheck, McNeil, Greco, &Bernard, 2004; Hakenberg, 2009),behavior contracts (Anderson, 2002;Cook, 2005), and group-contingencies(Hulac & Benson, 2010).

In token economies, students earntokens (e.g., stickers, coins, marks on achart) that can be used to obtain an

item or a preferred activity. As soon asa student engages in the desired behav-ior, he or she receives a token. Thisimmediate feedback is the hallmark ofthe strategy. After the student hasacquired the requisite number oftokens, those tokens can be exchangedfor an item or preferred activity.Specific reinforcement systems caninclude the use of raffle tickets as thetoken and entry into a raffle for itemssuch as "lunch with the teacher" orbathroom passes.

Behavior contracts specify contin-gent relationships among behaviors. Ifthe student engages in X behavior,then Y will occur. Behavior contractswork best when they focus on thedesired behavior. For example, if theproblem behavior is not bringing inhomework, then the desired behavior

is bringing in completed homework.The contract should establish mini-mum expectations and trackingmethod—Amy will complete at leastfour out of five of her daily Spanishhomework assignments each week asindicated on her daily tracking chart;Each week that Amy maintains fourout of five assignments, she will beallowed to choose her seat in class (orsome other reinforcer that Amy val-ues). Benefits of behavior contractsinclude the following; (a) clear goalsfor both student and teacher, (b) devel-opment of a tracking system, and (c)shift in responsibility from teacher tostudent in terms of daily management.The Daily Behavior Report Card is aspecific example of a behavior con-tract. For the daily report card, specifictarget behaviors are identified. Then,


the expectations for the behavior areestablished. Examples of daily behaviorreport cards and tools to create cus-tomized cards can be found at this website: http://www.interventioncentral•org/.

Home-School Note systems are avariation on the Daily Behavior ReportCard. In a Home-School Note program,teachers collect data on a particular,agreed-on behavior. If the studentmeets the daily expectation, then apositive note is sent home. Parentsagree to provide positive consequenceswhen their child receives a "CoodNews Note." Appropriate target behav-iors for a Home-School Note programinclude academic productivity, class-room rule compliance, homework com-pletion, peer interactions, teacher-stu-dent interactions, and personal respon-sibility for materials

Finally, in "group contingency"management systems, students eitherreceive or lose privileges based on thebehavior of an individual, several indi-viduals, or the whole class. Researchhas shown that group contingenciescan be an effective and efficientmethod for reducing disruptive behav-ior (Heering & Wilder, 2006). Althoughmany teachers have concerns aboutthe possible negative repercussions forstudents who fail to meet expectationsand therefore "ruin it" for the group,many studies have demonstratedgroup support and benefits tied togroup contingencies (Heering &Wilder, 2006; Kelshaw-Levering,Sterling-Turner, Henry, & Skinner,2000).

The Good Behavior Game is aresearch-based, group contingencyintervention that has been shown toreduce disruptive and aggressivebehaviors (Lannie & McCurdy, 2007).To set up the Good Behavior Game,teachers first assign students to teams,typically three teams per class, with anequal proportion of gender, academicability, and behavioral needs in eachgroup. The teacher then clearly definesthe "good" or desired behaviors andthe disruptive behaviors. Teachers willtrack the number of disruptive behav-iors exhibited by team members on apublicly posted chart. Teams that

remain below the preset number ofchecks (e.g., fewer than four checks)during the game period win the game.All teams can win during each gameperiod and consistent winners canreceive additional rewards at the end ofthe week.

Reinforcement systems can beimplemented as a Tier 2 or Tier 3 typeof support. The degree of intensitywould indicate the appropriate tieredlevel. For example, a classwide tokeneconomy or a homework contractcould be implemented at a Tier 2level, indicating minimum to moderateamounts of teacher support required.

of Tier 1 and the surface managementor reinforcement strategies of Tier 2 tofocus on an individual student'sbehavioral needs. Through the FBAprocess, teams collect data to identifythe function of a problematic behaviorand then generate strategies to addressthe identified need. In short, the FBAseeks to answer two fundamentalquestions:

• "Why is this student behaving likethis?"

• "What socially acceptable behaviorcan we teach to address this sameneed?"

The identification of Tier 3 behavioral supportsalways begins with a Functional Behavioral Assessment.

More intensive behavioral supports arethose that are highly individualizedand require more teacher time to setup, monitor, and maintain.

Although Ratidi and Colleen are confi-dent that tnaking their instructiontnore interactive and focusing ondesired, positive behaviors will go along way in chatiging the classrootn cli-mate, they know that a stnall group ofstudents will need something more.They decide to implement a raffle ticketsystem for completed work, Studetitscan earn one ticket for completed workand a bonus ticket for "quality, " Theyalso are going to set up a help system,and students who need extra help onan assignment can earn a ticket forworking with a teacher to completetheir work. The teachers think this willhelp both special education and getier-al education students who are strug-gling to complete work. A raffle will beheld each week, and studetus can winitems from the school store.

Tier 3: Intensive, IndividualizedInterventions

The identification of Tier 3 behavioralsupports always begins with aFunctional Behavioral Assessment(FBA). The purpose of the FBA is tomove beyond the environmental scan

Since FBAs are required under theIndividuals With Disabilities EducationAct (IDEA) for students with disabili-ties who exhibit challenging behaviors,the majority of school districts willhave their own set of FBA tools andprocesses. You can find excellent mate-rials and information about conductingFBAs at the Center for Effective Col-laboration and Practice web site:http://cecp.air.org/fba/.

As a result of conducting an FBA,educators generate hypotheses aboutthe communicative function of thebehavior. For example, one FBA's find-ings may indicate that a student is dis-playing escape or avoidance behaviors,whereas another FBA determines that astudent's behaviors are attention seek-ing in function. The FBA team willthen generate specific strategies toaddress the hypothesized need.

An important difference betweenthe strategies selected in response toan FBA with those created at the Tier 2level is that the FBA-generated strate-gies will be tied to a specific students'profile and data collection process andwill require additional data collectionfor monitoring. In addition. Tier 3strategies tend to be more time inten-sive and reflective of individualizedservices. Although educators can iden-tify almost any behavioral support


through the FBA process and thereforeconsider the support a Tier 3 strategy,researchers have identified severalstrategies as effective in teachingreplacement behaviors for studentswith intensive behavioral needs. TWoof these strategies are social skillsinstruction and self-monitoring.

Social Skills Instruction. For manystudents with behavioral challenges, itis difficult to reinforce desired behav-iors because students are either notexhibiting these behaviors with any fre-quency or the students do not possessthe behaviors from the beginning.These desired behaviors include basicskills in social and peer interactions.Specific skills that can be taughtinclude alternatives to aggression, deal-ing with feelings, dealing with stress,negotiating interpersonal communica-tion such as joining a group or conver-sation or convincing others of yourpoint, and planning skills such as goalsetting or decision making.

Three tenets of social skills instruc-tion are;

1. All behaviors are learned; therefore,appropriate, adaptive behaviors canbe taught and learned by all stu-dents.

2. Social skills instruction should becustomized to meet individual stu-dents' communication and behav-ioral needs.

3. Social skills instruction cannot beconsidered successful until the skillis generalized to new settings(Schoenfeld, Rutherford, Gable, &Rock, 2008).

• Identification of a target behavior.

• Soliciting buy-in from the studenton the advantages of self-monitor-ing.

• Defining the method for monitoringand collecting data on the behavior.

• Teaching the student to self-monitor.

• Implementing the self-monitoringsystem with reinforcement.

• Fading the teacher monitoring(Ganz, 2008).

Educators can customize self-monitor-ing systems to meet individual stu-dents' needs. For example, a youngstudent may benefit from tokens orother physical manipulatives to trackhis or her behavior; in contrast, anolder student can make use of a graphto document progress. Self-monitoringsystems are relatively low-cost andeffective tools to increase desired stu-dent behaviors.

Finally, Randi and Colleen needed toaddress the behaviors of the two stu-dents with IEPs. First they conductedan FBA for both students. Using datafrom the analysis, they decided to teachand implement a self-monitoring sys-tem for the student who was not com-pleting his work. To get the studetitexcited about the new process, theyenlist the art teacher with whom thestudent has a close relationship. Hewill serve as the "reinforcer, " and whenthe student meets his individual goals,he will report his success to the artteacher. For the student who is fightingon the playground, Randi and Colleen

Social skills instruction should be customized to meetindividual students' communication and behavioral needs.

Although many different social skillscurricula exist, a fundamental instruc-tional approach cuts across most pro-grams—model, lead, reinforce, practice,and monitor.

Self-Monitoring Instruction. Themajority of self-monitoring interven-tions include the following steps;

work with the school counselor to setup a social skills group with severalother sixth-grade students front otherclasses. The counselor wiU work withthe students on anger tnanagemetit,appropriate social interactions, atidother issues that may be individual tothe students.

Why a Tiered Frameworkfor Behcnrior?

An RTI model provides a frameworkfor teachers to evaluate classroompractices and make decisions about thelevel of intervention or support needed.Effective instruction and clear expecta-tions can go a long way in many class-rooms. Some teachers jump to a Tier 2-level support when it may not be war-ranted. Other teachers may have Tier 2supports in place, such as a reinforce-ment system, but have neglected thefoundation of a core "curriculum" ofprevention. That is, the classroomlacks rules, routines, and procedures tosupport appropriate behaviors. Similarto RTI for academic achievement, ahigh-quality core curriculum must bein place before examining student-spe-cific concerns.

Without a solid "core" of behavioralsupport in the classroom, students donot have the guideposts necessary tolearn, practice, and develop desirableskills. Students with disabilities requirespecialized instruction for academicand behavioral needs. A tiered-modelof behavioral support ensures that stu-dents with disabilities, whether ininclusive or self-contained settings, willreceive appropriate levels of support.The tiered behavior framework allowsteachers to clearly communicate withadministrators, parents, and colleagueshow they are providing those behav-ioral supports for students in theirclassrooms.

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Kristin L. Sayeski (Nevada CEC), AssistantProfessor, Department of Special Educationand Early Childhood, University of Nevada,Las Vegas. Monica R. Brown (New MexicoCEC), Associate Professor, Department ofSpecial Edueation/Communication Disorders;New Mexieo State University. Las Cruces.

Correspondence eoneerning this articleshould be addressed to Kristin L. Sayeski,University of Nevada-Las Vegas, 4505 S.Maryland Parkway, Mail Stop 3014, LasVegas NV 89154-3014 (e-mail: [email protected]).

TEACHING Exceptional Children, Vol. 44,No. 1, pp. 8-17.

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