Superintendent's Memo #161-10

COMMONWEALTH of VIRGINIA Department of Education

July 16, 2010

TO: Division Superintendents

FROM: Patricia I. Wright, Superintendent of Public Instruction

SUBJECT: Functional Behavioral Assessment & Behavior Intervention Plan, 3- Part Series

The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE), Office of Special Education Instructional Services, will offer a three-part training series on how to conduct a Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA) and develop a positive Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP). The content for the three-part workshop series includes:

Part 1 – Critical Issues in Disciplinary Practices for Students with Disabilities

 Updates to Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) regarding Discipline for Students with Disabilities  Legal Updates for FBA/BIP  Substantive and Procedural Violations  Short- and Long-term Removals  In-School and Out-of-School Suspension  Manifestation Determination Review  Interim Alternative Education Setting (IAES) and Dangerous Removal Provisions  Updates to the Technical Assistance Document on Addressing Severely Challenging Behavior in Virginia Public Schools.

Part 2 – Conducting Functional Behavioral Assessments (FBA) and Developing Effective Behavior Intervention Plans

 Overview of FBA/BIP  Rationale for FBA/BIP  Steps in Conducting FBA  Data Collection, Analysis, and Interpretation  Developing Effective BIPs  Linking Intervention to Function in the BIP Part 3 – Evidence-Based Strategies to Address Student Problem Behavior

 Effective Schoolwide Discipline  Effective Behavior Change Practices (designed to increase/decrease behavior)  Cognitive/Behavioral Interventions  Social Skills Instruction

Functional Behavioral Assessment is a proven, effective approach to identifying the reason(s) for a student’s misbehavior, eliminating the problem behaviors that impede successful teaching and learning, and developing a corrective plan that emphasizes more appropriate and acceptable behavior.

Functional Behavioral Assessment is a team problem-solving process. Accordingly, the VDOE is inviting school-based teams, (3-5 people), typically comprised of general educators, special educators, specialists and other support personnel, as well as a parent representative, to be trained together in the FBA/BIP process. The VDOE, in collaboration with the Training and Technical Assistance Centers (T/TACs) of Virginia, will provide comprehensive training in all phases of the FBA/BIP process and will be available to give technical support and assistance to participating teams.

This three-part training is designed for those who have attended a previous FBA training series as well as those who are not familiar with the FBA process. Those who register must attend all three days; the three days are interdependent. This three-part training series will not be repeated during the 2011-2012 school year. The FBA/BIP team trainings have been arranged as follows:

 Regions 1 & 8: Monday, November 8, 2010; Friday, December 10, 2010; and Monday, January 31, 2011 Registration Deadline: October 27, 2010 Holiday Inn Koger Conference Center 1021 Koger Center Blvd. Richmond, VA 23235

 Regions 2 & 3: Wednesday, November 10, 2010; Wednesday, December 8, 2010; and Friday, January 21, 2011 Registration Deadline: October 27, 2010 Omni Newport News Hotel 1000 Omni Blvd. Newport News, VA 23606

 Region 4: Monday, November 15, 2010; Friday, December 17, 2010; and Friday, January 7, 2011 Registration Deadline: November 5, 2010 Four Points by Sheraton 10800 Vandor Lane Manassas, VA 20109  Region 5: Friday, November 5, 2010; Tuesday, December 14, 2010; and Monday, January 24, 2011 (Snow Date: March 8, 2011) Registration Deadline: October 27, 2010 James River Conference Center 400 Court Street Lynchburg, VA 24504

 Regions 6 & 7: Thursday, November 4, 2010; Monday, December 13, 2010; and Thursday, January 6, 2011 (Snow Date: March 7, 2011) Registration Deadline: October 27, 2010 Radford University West Campus 6226 University Park Drive Radford, VA 24141

Please register online by clicking the registration deadline hyperlink above or by accessing the Calendar on the Effective Schoolwide Discipline (ESD) Web site at http://www.ttac.odu.edu/esd. Upon registration, you and your team members will receive a confirmation e-mail from the ESD online automated registration program.

If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact Irene Walker-Bolton, educational specialist, Office of Special Education Instructional Services, via e-mail at [email protected] or telephone (804) 225-2066.

PIW / IWB / dlj