Behavior Specialist

Behavior Specialist Department of Exceptional Education

Supporting all school personnel in implementing positive behavior supports on a school-wide, classroom-wide, and an individual level. Behavior specialists serve as consultants to all school personnel in the capacity of:

 Coaching teachers and other school personnel in the development, implementation, and monitoring of individualized functional behavior assessments and behavior intervention plans. These plans seek to decrease a target behavior, provide function-based interventions, and teach the student a more appropriate replacement behavior.

 Coaching teachers and other school personnel in the development, implementation, and monitoring of individualized safety plans.

 Providing district-wide professional development in the areas of classroom management, individualized behavior interventions, functional behavior assessments, school climate, and others.

How schools can access a behavior specialist:

Help! We have a student whose behavior is highly work interfering, socially stigmatizing, or a danger to self or others. We need to write a FBA/BIP and/or a safety plan!

Is the student receiving exceptional education services?

YES NO

Contact your Compliance Complete Student Services Referral and write Facilitator to begin the FBA/BIP or “Behavior Specialist” under “Reason”. Email Safety Plan process referral to cluster support team assistant.

Complete Behavior Specialist Referral and obtain parent signature, including date & time of support team meeting for behavior specialist to attend. Specialist will pick up signed referral when attending meeting.

Please contact Jessica Sellers ([email protected]) or Temple Crutchfield ([email protected]) with any questions you have regarding this process. Cluster Support Team Contacts 2010-2011

Cluster Assistant Phone Behavior Specialist

Antioch Eva (Lynn) Ratliff 641-5410 Tammy Barnett ext.1962 [email protected]

Cane Ridge Bezu Abedi 687-4000 Tammy Barnett ext. 819380 [email protected]

Glencliff Cassandra 333-5070 Jessica Pfeifer Swinney ext. 250 [email protected]

Hillsboro Carol Henderson 298-8400 Joey Lee ext. 2013 [email protected] Casey Bateman Hillwood Vanessa Davis 353-2025 [email protected] ext. 807361 Ingrid Rowland Hunters Lane Dianne U. Jordan 859-8968 [email protected] ext. 300

Maplewood Erika Peters TBA Stephen Williams [email protected]

McGavock Shawndra Sales 885-8850 Jessica Weisenbach ext 812396 [email protected] & Temple Crutchfield [email protected]

Overton Rachel Sherwood TBA Jessica Pfeifer [email protected]

Pearl-Cohn Kimberly 329-8170 Jessica Jones Eggerson ext. 729341 [email protected]

Stratford Donna Boyd 242-6730 Ingrid Rowland ext. 817370 [email protected]

Whites Creek Chelsey Griffith 299-5188 Stephen Williams ext. 600 [email protected] Team Responsibilities Throughout the FBA/BIP Process

Behavior Specialist  Conduct interviews with teacher(s), student, and parent (if possible)  Observe student in classroom  Draft initial intervention plan  Provide final version of plan to teacher after getting teacher input  Compile and graph data  Place a copy of the FBA and attached data in the student’s cumulative file  Assist with implementation by modeling the intervention for the teacher, coaching the teacher as needed, and providing instruction in intervention procedures to the student  Provide follow up as needed throughout various intervention phases

Teachers and School Personnel  Schedule support team or IEP meeting to begin behavioral support process  Complete referral and obtain parent signature  Collaborate with behavior specialist to complete information-gathering forms, define behaviors, and design intervention plan  Collect data on student performance  Implement plan throughout school settings  Provide feedback on and modify plan

Parent/Guardian(s)  Consent to behavior specialist services and, if necessary, FBA/BIP  Interview with behavior specialist  Attend meetings as necessary (Support Team, IEP, etc.)  Provide ongoing support of interventions at home  Support staff as we work to provide adjustments to improve student’s behavior

Student  Interview with behavior specialist  Participate in intervention implementation

Implementation Policies

 The services offered by the behavior specialist provide a team-based approach that is dependent on collaboration between the behavior specialist, administrators, teachers, student, and parents.

 Either the behavior specialist or the teacher may agree to discontinue services if core components of the intervention are not implemented. Tools of the Trade

 Behavior Specialist Referral Form All referrals must be made through the cluster support team. Referrals must be completed, signed by a parent, and a support team or IEP meeting must be scheduled.

Tools related to the functional behavior assessment (FBA) process:  Interviews (parent, student, teacher)  Information-gathering tools . Behavior rating scales (MAS, FAST) . ABC observations . Data collection forms . Teacher self-assessment checklist . Classroom Observation Checklist

 Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA)/ Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP) Assist with development of plans that are implemented by teacher and school personnel

 Safety Plan

 Progress Reports To be completed on a quarterly basis to teacher and parent

Professional Development Offered

Full Day (offered via ERO):  Overview and Awareness of Gangs  School Climate & Building Relationships  Management Strategies for Effective Teaching  Writing Effective Functional Behavior Assessments and Behavior Intervention Plans Part I: The FBA/BIP Forms and Process  Writing Effective Functional Behavior Assessments and Behavior Intervention Plans Part II: Data Collection Methods and Intervention Strategies

Presentations for schools (1-3 hours):  De-Escalation Strategies  Promoting a Positive School Climate  Management Strategies for Effective Teaching  Functional Behavior Assessments o Module I: FBA/BIP Forms and Procedures o Module II: Data Collection in the Classroom  Mental Health in Schools  The Support Team Process