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Behavioral contracts are not
established to focus on the negatives and distribute consequences to students,
as this system would then be perceived as a disciplinary tool. The goal of this system is to reward students
for making good choices, encourage behaviors established by the students
themselves, and self-monitor. Behavioral
interventions work effectively when students who are doing the right thing are
rewarded and attention is brought to those desired behaviors. Students who witness praise for making good
choices are then encouraged make good choices as well, creating a positive
social network where students are encouraging other students to do the right
thing. This system provides
self-monitoring, behavioral incentives, and visual identification of those
students who are successfully following the established behaviors, while
encouraging others to make good choices and respect students with special needs
in the inclusive setting.
Effective implementation of any behavioral system requires consistency and immediate feedback. When behaviors, both positive and negative, are exhibited they should be addressed immediately following the event through the offering of points when applicable. Students are required to keep their point sheets with them at all times except for when in the lunchroom and at recess. All staff members with direct contact of the inclusive students are to be informed of the plan and trained on how the behavioral plan works in order to maintain consistency and reinforce desired behaviors.
The behavior contract used in this inclusive classroom consists of a point sheet that is given to each student at the beginning of each day. The point sheet consists of three designated areas that focus on students behavioral interactions. These behaviors may consist of the following: peer relations, respect, raising hand, responsibility, on task, in area, working quietly, following directions, language, and completed work. Each of these areas addresses the classroom expectations on a behavioral and academic level, providing for immediate feedback, student ownership, and parental involvement. The categories are broken up into three sections that resemble time blocks and points are accumulated for each category. Each student has the opportunity to achieve a total of 30 points in a day, broken up between the morning and afternoon.
During time of behavioral escalations, inappropriate behaviors, or non-compliance, students will be provided with redirection in the appropriate category. When the student is complying with the request, either on his or her own or with prompting, the teacher will then provide him or her with a point during the specific time frame. Data is vital in assessing student behaviors, and with this system, teachers can identify the frequency of particular behaviors and when those behaviors occur. Through this information, a spread sheet can be created to track and chart this data as a tool for intervention. If a student is continually receiving missing point opportunities because of non-compliance than an intervention may be identified and implemented to assist in correcting the behavior. Students are required to take the point sheet home and return it the next morning with their parent’s signature; providing opportunity for parental feedback and questions on the back of the page.
In coordination with the point system, students will also be placed on a specific level ranging from level one to level three, with level three being the highest; all students begin the school year on level two to give them something to work toward. All levels are color coordinated to offer a visual representation of where a student is at; level one is red, level two is yellow, and level three is green. The idea behind the colors signify stop and go lights; this will negate the occurrence of students wondering who is on what level. Each level provides students with particular privileges and opportunities to purchase items from a school store at the end of each week. The items within the school store are selected student survey to attain items that student’s perceive as incentives.
Students can lose their days and drop levels in the following ways. Each student is provided with an opportunity to receive a certain number of points. If a student does not achieve their intended number of daily points they will lose their day, if a student loses his or her day for two days in a row, he or she will drop a level. Zero tolerance rules exist that will immediately drop a student to level one, these rules are weapons, gang representation, destruction of school property, stealing, aggressive behavior, and verbal threats. Students who make their day consecutively in the following manner will raise their level: level one to tow must make their day five days in a row, level two to three must make their day 10 days in a row.
Students are often unaware of their behaviors, and when provided with an opportunity to record specific behaviors, a reduction in occurrence is often the result. Teachers should identify a particular behavior based on a history of occurrence found in the above behavior plan, and ask the student to track its occurrence. A student self-assessment sheet will be given to them at the beginning of each day on a clip board and the student will be required to place a check-mark for each occurrence during a specific time period. At the beginning of the week, the teacher can have the student identify up to three behaviors they believe he or she can work on in coordination with his or her point sheet, and attach it to their clipboard as a reminder. At the end of week, the teacher will review with the student the self-assessments and compare them to the behavior plan as a system of check-and-balance. If there is a reduction in the behaviors, a reward will be given to the student as established at the beginning of the week. This self-assessment sheet can be used with any student within the classroom.
Effective implementation of any behavioral system requires consistency and immediate feedback. When behaviors, both positive and negative, are exhibited they should be addressed immediately following the event through the offering of points when applicable. Students are required to keep their point sheets with them at all times except for when in the lunchroom and at recess. All staff members with direct contact of the inclusive students are to be informed of the plan and trained on how the behavioral plan works in order to maintain consistency and reinforce desired behaviors.
The behavior contract used in this inclusive classroom consists of a point sheet that is given to each student at the beginning of each day. The point sheet consists of three designated areas that focus on students behavioral interactions. These behaviors may consist of the following: peer relations, respect, raising hand, responsibility, on task, in area, working quietly, following directions, language, and completed work. Each of these areas addresses the classroom expectations on a behavioral and academic level, providing for immediate feedback, student ownership, and parental involvement. The categories are broken up into three sections that resemble time blocks and points are accumulated for each category. Each student has the opportunity to achieve a total of 30 points in a day, broken up between the morning and afternoon.
During time of behavioral escalations, inappropriate behaviors, or non-compliance, students will be provided with redirection in the appropriate category. When the student is complying with the request, either on his or her own or with prompting, the teacher will then provide him or her with a point during the specific time frame. Data is vital in assessing student behaviors, and with this system, teachers can identify the frequency of particular behaviors and when those behaviors occur. Through this information, a spread sheet can be created to track and chart this data as a tool for intervention. If a student is continually receiving missing point opportunities because of non-compliance than an intervention may be identified and implemented to assist in correcting the behavior. Students are required to take the point sheet home and return it the next morning with their parent’s signature; providing opportunity for parental feedback and questions on the back of the page.
In coordination with the point system, students will also be placed on a specific level ranging from level one to level three, with level three being the highest; all students begin the school year on level two to give them something to work toward. All levels are color coordinated to offer a visual representation of where a student is at; level one is red, level two is yellow, and level three is green. The idea behind the colors signify stop and go lights; this will negate the occurrence of students wondering who is on what level. Each level provides students with particular privileges and opportunities to purchase items from a school store at the end of each week. The items within the school store are selected student survey to attain items that student’s perceive as incentives.
Students can lose their days and drop levels in the following ways. Each student is provided with an opportunity to receive a certain number of points. If a student does not achieve their intended number of daily points they will lose their day, if a student loses his or her day for two days in a row, he or she will drop a level. Zero tolerance rules exist that will immediately drop a student to level one, these rules are weapons, gang representation, destruction of school property, stealing, aggressive behavior, and verbal threats. Students who make their day consecutively in the following manner will raise their level: level one to tow must make their day five days in a row, level two to three must make their day 10 days in a row.
Students are often unaware of their behaviors, and when provided with an opportunity to record specific behaviors, a reduction in occurrence is often the result. Teachers should identify a particular behavior based on a history of occurrence found in the above behavior plan, and ask the student to track its occurrence. A student self-assessment sheet will be given to them at the beginning of each day on a clip board and the student will be required to place a check-mark for each occurrence during a specific time period. At the beginning of the week, the teacher can have the student identify up to three behaviors they believe he or she can work on in coordination with his or her point sheet, and attach it to their clipboard as a reminder. At the end of week, the teacher will review with the student the self-assessments and compare them to the behavior plan as a system of check-and-balance. If there is a reduction in the behaviors, a reward will be given to the student as established at the beginning of the week. This self-assessment sheet can be used with any student within the classroom.