Are We Just Responding to Behavior, or Do We Have a Behavior System?
A strong MTSS behavior system starts long before a student is sent to the office. How to bring the problem-solving mindset we use for academics to behavior, plus a health check worksheet for your leadership team.
Most schools have behavior expectations. They have rules, referral forms, consequences, and people who step in when a student needs more support.
But having all of those pieces doesn't necessarily mean we have a behavior system.
A strong behavior system starts long before a student is sent to the office. It starts with clear expectations, explicitly taught routines and behaviors, consistent adult responses, and a process for looking at data when students struggle.
The Center on PBIS identifies systems, practices, and data as important parts of a schoolwide approach to behavior. Schools need clear expectations, instruction, consistent responses, and a way to use data to decide what support students need (Center on PBIS, n.d.).
It makes me wonder: Do we look at behavior with the same problem-solving mindset we use for academics?
Behavior Requires Teaching, Too
When a student struggles to read, we don't simply tell them to read better.
We look at the data. We try to figure out what they know and what they are missing. We teach the skill, give them opportunities to practice, provide additional support when needed, and check to see if it is working.
Why would behavior be different?
Research supports explicitly teaching and reinforcing expected behaviors and replacement skills rather than relying only on consequences after a problem occurs (Epstein et al., 2008). Sprick's work also emphasizes clearly defining and teaching behavioral expectations just as we would teach academic skills (Sprick, 2009).
This changes the conversation.
Instead of only asking, "How do we stop this behavior?" we can also ask, "What skill might this student be missing, and what can we teach or change to help them be more successful?"
Behavior Data Can Help Us See What We Might Be Missing
Individual behavior incidents can feel unrelated.
A student leaves the classroom again. Another student has several minor referrals. A student shuts down during independent work. Someone else notices that the same student struggles after lunch.
One incident may not tell us very much.
Several incidents over time might.
When we consistently track what, when, and where behavior is happening, patterns can begin to emerge. We can look at the time of day, location, activity, what happened before the behavior, what happened afterward, and whether the behavior is increasing or decreasing.
The Center on PBIS recommends using discipline data to help teams identify patterns, make decisions about support, and determine whether those supports are working (Center on PBIS, n.d.).
Behavior data shouldn't just tell us what happened.
It should help us decide what to do next.
Sometimes the Pattern Points Back to Us
This may be one of the most important parts of looking at behavior as data.
If several students are struggling during the same transition, in the same setting, or with the same classroom routine, we may not have several individual student problems.
We may have a Tier 1 problem.
Before we move toward individual interventions, it's worth looking at our Tier 1 practices. Are expectations clear, taught, and reinforced consistently? Are our routines, instruction, and classroom environment meeting students' needs?
IES guidance encourages educators to look at the conditions surrounding behavior and consider changes to the learning environment when those conditions may be contributing to the problem (Epstein et al., 2008).
Sometimes the student needs additional support.
Sometimes we need to adjust to the environment.
Often, we need to look at both.
From Reacting to Problem Solving
Having a strong behavior system doesn't mean behavior problems disappear.
It means we have a process when they happen.
A strong behavior system starts with teaching clear expectations and taking time to understand what is happening when students struggle. We look at behavior data to identify patterns, consider what skills students may still need to learn, and work together to determine the right support and monitor progress.
That really isn't so different from what we already know about good academic intervention.
Maybe the question isn't simply, "Do we have a behavior program?"
Maybe we need to ask:
Do we have a behavior system that helps teachers understand what students need and gives our team a clear way to help them be more successful, both academically and socially?
That is worth taking a closer look at.
Behavior Systems Health Check
A practical self-assessment for school leadership teams. Rate your school's behavior support system across seven areas, then build a 90-day action plan.
PDF · 5 pages
References
Center on PBIS. (n.d.). Data-based decision making. University of Oregon.
Center on PBIS. (n.d.). School-wide positive behavioral interventions and supports. University of Oregon.
Epstein, M., Atkins, M., Cullinan, D., Kutash, K., & Weaver, R. (2008). Reducing behavior problems in the elementary school classroom: A practice guide (NCEE 2008-012). National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education.
Sprick, R. S. (2009). CHAMPS: A proactive & positive approach to classroom management (2nd ed.). Pacific Northwest Publishing.