Behavior at School

Using Positive Methods for Change in the Classroom

• Don't miss this quick training on behavior problems in school.
  http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/qf/behaviorprob_qt
  You'll love the brief overviews on topics such as, "Behavior Problems. What's a School to do?" Check out the fact sheets on behaviors like Oppositional Defiance Disorder (ODD), and Conduct Disorder. You'll also find tools and handouts, model programs, and additional resources.
• Teachers! Arm yourself with this knowledge and stop problem behaviors before they start!
  http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/pdfdocs/rhythms.pdf
  This 65-page guide helps teachers anticipate common problems throughout the year and plan prevention and early intervention to minimize them. Suggestions provided on a monthly basis.
  
• Play at being good: The good behavior game.
  www.colorado.edu/cspv/blueprints/promising/programs/BPP06.html
  This is one fun way to involve the whole class in supporting positive behavior. Especially good for elementary students demonstrating early high-risk behavior.
• Time-outs.
  www.state.ky.us/agencies/behave/bi/toeffuse.pdf
  This 7-page guide helps teachers, educators and other practitioners implement time-out procedures appropriately and effectively.
• Discipline: What works, what doesn't.
  www.naspcenter.org/factsheets/effdiscip_fs.html
  This guide discusses the failure of punitive disciplinary practices and promotes supportive discipline strategies. It provides great tips on research-based approaches to positive behavior change.
• Dodging the power-struggle trap: Ideas for teachers.
  www.interventioncentral.org/htmdocs/interventions/behavior/behtrap.shtml
  A conflict requires two people. If a teacher remains cool and calm, a conflict can often be avoided. This guide offers practical advice for disengaging, interrupting, and deescalating problem behavior, and gives specific examples of how to react in different scenarios.
• Tips for classroom management.
  www.pbis.org/English/Classroom_Support.htm
  Here you'll find ideas for developing classroom systems of positive behavioral support. These are tried and true management practices that have proven effective over years of use.
• A LOT on classroom management.
  http://classroommanagement.edreform.net/
  The Classroom Management portal at Education Reform Networks points to exemplary, free, and fee-based digital content on research-based classroom management practices that can help administrators, policy makers, and educators plan for and implement programs that result in effective learning and teaching. The materials are organized into the following categories: rules and procedures, disciplinary interventions, teacher-student relationships, mindfulness and alertness, student self-management, and getting off to a good start.
• Teach your students to manage their own behavior.
  www.fape.org/pubs/fape-20.pdf
  This one-page overview covers classroom-wide behavior strategy.
• More on teaching children to manage their own behavior.
  http://csefel.uiuc.edu/briefs/wwb7.html
  What Works briefs from the Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning summarize effective practices for supporting children's social-emotional development and preventing challenging behaviors. This 4-pager describes practical strategies for helping children learn to manage their own behavior and provides references to more information. A Spanish version is available at: http://csefel.uiuc.edu/briefs/wwb7-sp.html
• And yet more.
  http://classroommanagement.edreform.net/portal/classroommanagement/
  studentselfmanagement
  The Classroom Management portal at Education Reform Networks includes a subsection on student self-management, which will lead you to exemplary, free, and fee-based digital content on research-based student self-management practices in these categories: cognitive strategies for self-control, record keeping and rewards, the classroom meeting, written self-reflections, and written statements of beliefs.
• What about early childhood settings and the social development of young children with their peers?
  www.evidencebasedpractices.org/bridges/bridges_vol1_no5.pdf
  This research synthesis from the Research and Training Center (RTC) on Early Childhood Development will tell early childhood practitioners what types of toys and play materials are most associated with young children's social play with peers.

Behavior and Specific Disabilities

• Creating a behavior plan? Need some ideas?
  www.albany.edu/psy/autism/pbsplan.html
  Check out this sample behavioral support plan template. It is clearly written, well thought out, and easy to follow.
• Watch out for these behavior plan pitfalls!
  www.schoolbehavior.com/Files/pitfalls.PDF
  This 3-page guide gives descriptions of 12 common mistakes in implementing behavior plans, then offers solutions.
• Do you have a moody student?
  www.schoolbehavior.com/Files/tips_mood.pdf
  Read about accommodations for medication side-effects, sleep disturbances, impaired concentration, focus, and memory, testing, homework and more.
• Behavior and students with AD/HD.
  www.chadd.org/fs/fs9.htm
  If you have a student with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD), you'll find a lot of useful info at CHADD (Children and Adults with AD/HD), especially the fact sheet above on managing and modifying behavior.
• Behavior and students with learning disabilities.
  www.ldonline.org/article/6030
  This article, available at LDOnline, comes from the book published by Paul H. Brookes entitled Learning Disabilities and Challenging Behaviors: A Guide to Intervention and Classroom Management.
• Working with students with ODD/Conduct Disorder?
  www.beachcenter.org/stories/default.asp?
  intResourceID=76&act=detail&tip=true&type=category&id=3
  This site provides real-life stories and tip lists for encouraging cooperation from students with ODD and Conduct Disorders.
• Students with autism.
  http://www.autism-society.org/site/PageServer?pagename=BehavioralandCommunicationApproaches
  From the Autism Society of America, learn more about "Behavioral and Communication Approaches" for children with autism.
• What's the research say about pivotal response training (PRT) for young children with autism?
  www.evidencebasedpractices.org/bridges/bridges_vol2_no4.pdf
  This research synthesis focused on the effectiveness of Pivotal Response Training (PRT) as a behavioral intervention for young children with disabilities.
• Students with autism, MR, or other developmental disabilities.
  www.dddcec.org/publications.htm
  Try Within Our Reach: Behavior Prevention and Intervention Strategies for Learners with Mental Retardation and Autism. This first book in the DDD Prism Series provides practical ways to resolve behavioral concerns of students with mental retardation, autism, and other developmental disabilities and focuses on responding to the communicative intent of various behavior problems. (Product #D5250, $11.95/CEC Members $9.00.) To order, call toll-free 1.888.232.7733.
• Down syndrome and behavior.
  www.ndsccenter.org/aboutUs/ps_behaviors.asp
  This "Position Statement On the Management Of Challenging Behaviors" from the National Down Syndrome Congress (NDSC) identifies key features consistent with quality programs for the individuals with Down syndrome. Presented as guidelines, the statement is derived from several sources: (a) the research literature on behavior management,(b) model programs that implement state-of-the-art procedures and deliver effective services for people with disabilities, and (c) values about the rights of individuals with disabilities and their place in society.
• More behavior observations and guidelines on Down syndrome.
  http://www.ndss.org/content.cfm?fuseaction=InfoRes.Devarticle&article=210
  The Behavior Guidelines at the link above come from the National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS) and are, in essence, a bulleted, easy-to-read list divided into three sections (preschool, school age, and adults). For each section, three types of information are presented: common concerns, information needs, and recommendations.

What's the Law Require of Schools?

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) has well-specified requirements of how schools must address behavior issues with respect to students with disabilities. Find out more about those requirements via the resources we've listed below.

• Start at NICHCY.
  www.nichcy.org/idealist.htm
  The link above leads you to what we call the "vetted" list---meaning, publications reviewed and approved by the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) on the IDEA and its regulations. Click on "Behavior/Discipline/Safe Schools," and you'll jump to a description of what's been changed in IDEA's behavior/discipline provisions as a result of its reauthorization in 2004. (If you want to know about IDEA 1997 provisions on discipline and behavior, visit the "vetted" list for the 1997 amendments to the law, at: www.nichcy.org/idea1997list.htm
• Disciplining students with disabilities: A very thorough overview from NASP.
  www.nasponline.org/publications/cq262discipline.html
  Visit all the bases in this article from the National Association of School Psychologists: positive learning environments, the IEP as a vehicle to manage behavior problems, addressing and preventing challenging behaviors, weapons and drugs, and an explanation of what IDEA requires schools to do.
• What are the school's obligations?
  www.wrightslaw.com/advoc/ltrs/behavior_obligate.htm
  Wrightslaw answers questions from school personnel about obligations to "students who may be dangerous to us."
• Discipline: Suspensions, expulsions, and IEPs.
  www.wrightslaw.com/info/discipl.suspend.crabtree.htm
  Parent attorney Bob Crabtree describes the school's responsibilities under IDEA, including provision of FAPE, alternative educational placements, functional behavioral assessments, and behavior intervention plans.

Using Positive Methods for Change in the Whole School

• Good behavior for the whole school.
  www.fape.org/pubs/fape-22.pdf
  This family-friendly guide gives a quick overview on why positive behavior programs work even better when implemented on a school-wide basis. Contact information on further resources is provided.
• School-wide positive behavior support helps individual students with disabilities.
  www.beachcenter.org/research/FullArticles
  /PDF/PBS19_Blueprint%20for%20Schoolwide%20PBS.pdf
  This 26-page how-to guide provides a case study of an eighth grader with autism, and gives concrete examples of how to implement PBS at the universal, group, and individual levels. Implementing PBS on a school-wide basis positively affected this student with autism, on an individual level.
• What challenges do urban schools face when applying school-wide positive behavior supports?
  www.beachcenter.org/research/FullArticles/PDF/PBS23_Urban%20applications.pdf
  This high-level publication discusses the unique issues urban, lower socioeconomic areas deal with when implementing school-side positive behavior plans and the lessons that have been learned through trial and error. In addition to the general discussion, this publication highlights a particular student, and follows him through several years of school.
• Positive Behavioral Support and the whole school.
  www.pbis.org/English/Schoolwide_PBS.htm
  This publication breaks down the process of developing a school-wide PBS system, giving specific examples of how these systems are designed and implemented. It answers FAQs regarding school-wide PBS systems, and provides links to other sites. A Spanish version is also available, at: www.pbis.org/Spanish/default.htm
• What Works! Interventions for chronic behavior problems.
  www.nichcy.org/pubs/research/rb1txt.htm
  This publication gives an overview on what research says about promising interventions for students with a history of behavior problems. Plus, it's chock full of resources for further information.
• Principals! Don't miss this! Defusing Violent Behavior in Young Children: An Ounce of Prevention.
  www.naspcenter.org/pdf/violent_handout.pdf
  This excellent 4-page document from the National Association of School Psychologists addresses how to handle violent outbursts in young elementary students.
• Fight hate and promote tolerance!
  www.tolerance.org
  This site has sections for teachers, parents, teens, and kids.
• Enhancing school staff understanding of mental health and psychosocial concerns.
  http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/pdfdocs/enhancingschoolstaff.pdf
  This 61-page publication offers ways to address barriers for all students. Written by the UCLA Center for Mental Health in Schools.
• Hear ye! Hear ye! Read all about it!
  www.specialednews.com/behavior/behavior.html
  The best part of this site is the news list. You'll also find links to behavior-related news articles, a reading list on behavior materials, and links to other behavior-related web sites.
• Especially for elementary and middle schools!
  www.emstac.org/resources/social_skills.htm
  Don't miss this site! It is dedicated to social skills and discipline. Check out the links to information, organizations, and other web sites.