Implementation of Functional
Behavioral Assessments (FBA) in
School Settings
Lebanon Junior High
Warrior Ridge Elementary
Barbara S. Mitchell, Ph.D.
MO SWPBS Tier 2/3 Consultant
Outcomes
By the end of this session participants will be
able to…
• Explain the need for FBA in school settings.
• List and describe data collection techniques
that are commonly used to conduct a
Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA).
• Ask questions about the FBA process.
MO SW-PBS
Introductions
Warrior Ridge Elementary
Lebanon Junior High
• Bobbie Russell
• Roger Moore
– Principal
– Assistant Principal
• Janelle Stanek
– Assistant Principal
• Teresa King
– Counselor
• Jenny Westphal
– Physical Education
Teacher
• Tiffany Piercy
– Classroom Teacher
MO SW-PBS
Principles of Applied Behavior Analysis
• Human behavior is predictable
– Environmental conditions can set up, set off, or
maintain appropriate or inappropriate behavior
–A
B
C
– Educators task is to look for, understand and
interrupt predictable patterns of problem
behavior
MO SW-PBS
Principles of Applied Behavior Analysis
• Human behavior is functional (FBA)
– Serves a purpose, communicates a need
– “Get” or “Avoid”
– Results/consequences of a behavior affect future
occurrences of that behavior
– Sometimes problem behavior is more effective
than appropriate behavior
(Crone & Horner, 2003, p. 11)
MO SW-PBS
Functions of Behavior
Problem
Behavior
Escape/
Avoid
Something
Obtain/Get
Something
Stimulation/
Sensory
Tangible/
Activity
Social
Adult
Peer
Principles of Applied Behavior Analysis
• Human behavior is changeable (BIP)
– Understanding predictors, consequences, and
function associated with a problem behavior is key
for designing effective intervention plans.
– Challenge is creating an environment that increase
the likelihood students will behave appropriately.
MO SW-PBS
Functional Behavioral Assessment
• Functional Behavioral Assessment
– is a problem-solving process for
– Identify events that predict and maintain problem
behavior.
• The primary objective of FBA is to develop a
summary statement about the problem
• The summary statement is used to design an
intervention plan that teaches a new pattern
of behavior.
MO SW-PBS
• When given directions to begin work tasks (particularly
reading or writing) the student engages in disruptive
behaviors (e.g., pencil tapping, talking to other students,
digging around in desk, getting out of seat).
• Most often the teacher provides repeated prompts, redirects
or individual conferencing. These responses cause the
behavior to intensify and may include physical or verbal
aggression (e.g., slamming desk, shoving materials away or
use of profanity). When this occurs the student is removed
from the classroom.
• These behaviors occur approximately four to five times per
week and are more frequent in the morning – during
language arts, and social studies instruction. These behaviors
rarely occur in math and science. There are no problem
behaviors on the bus, during P.E., art, music, or at recess.
• The problem behaviors are maintained primarily by
avoidance of work tasks and to a lesser extent by teacher
attention.
Steps in the FBA Process
• Gather information to generate a summary
statement
– Use indirect methods
• Record review
• Context analysis
• Teacher, student and parent interviews
• Goal is to identify what, when, where and
under which conditions
MO SW-PBS
Steps in the FBA Process
• Gather information to confirm the summary
statement.
– Use direct methods
• A-B-C recording
• Goal is to verify what, when, where and
under which conditions they are most likely.
MO SW-PBS
Competing Behavior
Pathways Model
Setting
Events
Triggering
Antecedents
Desired
Alternative
Maintaining
Consequences
Problem
Behavior
Maintaining
Consequences
Acceptable
Alternative
Setting
Event
Manipulations
Antecedent
Manipulations
Behavior
Teaching
Consequence
Manipulations
Sugai, Lewis-Palmer & Hagan, 1999
Lebanon Junior High School
Lebanon, Missouri
Roger Moore, Assistant Principal
Teresa King, School Counselor
Tiffany Piercy, Classroom Teacher
MO SW-PBS
Lebanon Jr. High
Lebanon, MO
Lebanon Jr. High
•
•
•
•
Lebanon, MO
Population 4,589 across K-12
Population 668 in grades 7-8
Staff 90
Lebanon Jr. High
• Demographics
– Free and Reduced Lunch
– African American 2.4 %
– Asian 1.3 %
– Hispanic 3.3 %
– Indian 1.2 %
– Other 0.1 %
– White 91.6 %
Lebanon Jr. High – SW-PBS
• 2005 – 2006
– District began discussions with stakeholders.
• 2006 – 2007
– District Committed to PBS, Summer Institute
• 2007 – 2008
– District PBS team is established.
• 2012 – 2013
– District wide recognition as Silver or Gold.
* Lebanon Jr. High Received a Silver Rating!
Lebanon Jr. High – Tier I, II, & III
• Tier I
– Meeting Date – First Tuesday of each month.
– Meeting Time – 7:20 to 7:40
– Team Members - One teacher from each team,
Fine Arts, Practical Arts, Physical Education,
Special Services, Counselor, Assistant Principal and
any one that wanted to be in on the PBS team.
Lebanon Jr. High – Tier I, II, & III
• Tier II/III
– Meeting Date – Every Friday
– Meeting Time – 7:20 – 8:00, after school if more
time needed.
– Team Members – 7th grade teacher, 8th grade
teacher, Special Services teacher, Counselor, and
Assistant Principal.
Lebanon Jr. High - Procedures
• Teresa King, School Counselor
• Review of Records - Mr. Moore, Assistant
Principal
– Student Information System
– ODR’s, Attendance, Grades, Teacher Comments,
Schedule of Student, Special Services information.
Lebanon Jr. High - Procedures
• Context Analysis
– Review as a team the activities and routines in
which the behaviors are most likely to occur.
– Identified the area we wanted to address first and
why.
– Sparky, Bus, Safety
Lebanon Jr. High - Procedures
• Interviews
– Interviewed Teacher
– Interviewed Student
– Interviewed Parent
Mr. Moore
Mr. Moore
Mr. Moore
Lebanon Jr. High - Procedures
• Observations – Ms. Piercy, Classroom Teacher
– Student
– Ms. Piercy, Special Services Teacher and Mrs. King
Counselor
Lebanon Jr. High
• Tiffany Piercy
• Role in the FBA process.
– Prior knowledge of FBA.
– Observation – Sparky
– Perceptions of the Process
– Should classroom teachers be involved and to
what extent.
Lebanon Jr. High - Conclusion
• Committed
– Students that need the most help and
encouragement.
• Jr. High students that need the most help and
encouragement.
– Time
• Training for staff, education of staff, education
of students.
Lebanon Jr. High - Conclusion
• Next Steps
– Organization – Everything!
– Establish two teams, Tier II and Tier III.
– Develop a more organized plan of who does what
– Use data more effectively for students and staff.
– Improve on Tier II, and Tier III strategies for
helping this group of students.
Lebanon Jr. High
• Questions?
– Roger Moore
– 500 N. Adams
– Lebanon, MO 65536
– 417-532-9121
– 417-322-5418
– Resources : South Central RPDC and Building
Positive Behavior Support Systems in Schools.
Warrior Ridge Elementary
Warrenton, Missouri
Bobbie Russell, Building Principal
Janelle Stanek, Assistant Principal
Jenny Westphal, Classroom Teacher
MO SW-PBS
Warrior Ridge Elementary
SWPBS 2012-13
Introductions
•
•
•
•
•
Warrenton, MO
Warrior Ridge Elementary
K-5 Grade Students – approximately 520
Staff – 40
Demographics:
–
–
–
–
54.62% F & R Lunch
93.6% Caucasian
3.4% African American
2.8% Hispanic
The Power of SW-PBS
• “If a child doesn’t know how to read, we teach.”
• “If a child doesn’t know how to swim, we teach.”
• “If a child doesn’t know how to multiply, we
teach.”
• “If a child doesn’t know how to drive, we teach.”
• “If a child doesn’t know how to behave, we………
teach?... remove...? punish?”
Inspiration for SW-PBS
• District Vision 2006 – Curriculum Director
• Relationship between students’ academic failure and
increased incidents of inappropriate behavior.
• Consistency among elementary schools in the district due to
students attending three different schools during an
elementary students K-5 career from 2006-2012.
– K-1 school, DBE
– 2-3 school, WRE
– 4-5 school, RBE
2012-13 district restructuring of all 3 elementary
schools back to K-5.
Leadership Team
• SW-PBS Coach
• Representative from all grade levels and
departments
• Counselor
• Assistant Principal
• Principal
Assessment Tools
•
•
•
•
Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA)
DRA 2
eValuate
Aimsweb
Data Collection Systems


Office Discipline Referrals
SIS
Tier 2 System
Identification of at-risk students:
ODR
PST
Interventions:
Attendance Club
CICO
Check & Connect
Homework Help
Need for Tier 3
• Identification of a student based on intensive
needs and ODR.
– 20 for 2012-13 (5th grade)
– 11 for 2011-12 (4th grade)
– However, had more days of suspension in 11-12
• Student Background:
–
–
–
–
Transfer from another district at beginning of 4th grade to RBE.
Due to district restructuring, attending WRE in 5th grade.
No evidence of SWPBS prior to 4th grade.
Thus, T1 and T2 not in place K-3.
Staff Training for T3
Selection Process:
• PBS team already in place.
• Administrator and “Coach” of Team
FBA Components:
• Most data gathered by administrator (record
review, interviews, direct observations)
• Team approach to summary statement, context
analysis, competing behavior pathway.
• Behavior Specialist - observation
Time and Effort for T3
(Readiness to implement intervention)
• Organized data collection necessary.
• Analysis created a better understanding of
student and problem and need.
• Practice with several scenario summary
statements and competing behavior pathways
and time to completion will decrease.
• Team-based approach.
• Classroom teacher was part of PBS team.
Feasibility of using FBA Process
• With training, implementation is quicker, easier and a flowing
process.
Lessons Learned
•
•
•
•
Keep accurate records and data.
Data drives change and improvement.
Practice creating BIP with scenarios.
Keep staff consistently trained, informed,
and updated on T1 and T2 – teach to the
desired behavior.
• Use SPED reports and cross check with
summary statement.
Resources
• National PBIS Technical Assistance Center
– www.pbis.org
• Special School District – St. Louis
– http://pbiscompendium.ssd.k12.mo.us/
• E-Learning for Educators (free course)
– http://www.elearningmo.org/accessing-fba/
MO SW-PBS
Questions & Contacts
• RPDC Regional or Tier 2/3 SWPBS Consultant
• Barbara Mitchell – MO SWPBS Tier 2/3 Consultant
– mitchellbs@missouri.edu
• Roger Moore – Assistant Principal, Lebanon Junior High
– rmoore@mail.lebanon.k12.mo.us
• Janelle Stanek – Assistant Principal, Warrior Ridge
Elementary
– stanekja@warrencor3.k12.mo.us
MO SW-PBS