Melanie Cella

Brianna Petro
SPE 214-02
Dr. Rao

Functional Behavior Assessment

Observer: Brianna Petro
Time: 9:05am-9: 45am
Date: 10/23/15
Activity: Read Aloud

Observation
Students file into the classroom and head
towards their seats. Mrs. D. directs students to
unpack their belongings, put their homework
in the homework bin, and finish up eating
their breakfast. Ken was walking around the
classroom, striking conversations with his
peers. All the students were chatting as they
are eating breakfast. Ken is sitting in his seat,
eating his breakfast while tapping on his desk
and humming to himself.
Reflection
I like how Mrs. D. reviews what students
should be doing upon entering the classroom,
however Ken was not listening when Mrs. D.
was giving directions. I think she needs to
ensure that she has all attention on her before
she begins explaining directions or procedures.

Five minutes pass, Mrs. D. gives a one- Ken engages in off-task behaviors, such as
minute warning to students. At this time, conversing with peers when directed to finish
students start throwing away their garbage his breakfast and put his backpack away.
and clearing their desks. Ken remains seated
at his desk with his backpack still on and
packed. Ken still has half of his breakfast on
his desk when he gets up to talk to his
classmate, Zach.
Kens off task behaviors and failure to follow
Mrs. D. begins singing Its clean up time instructions seems to be due to his social
everybody, its clean up time everyone. If I personality. Ken seems to be most distracted
help you and you help me we can get the and off-task when he is conversing with
whole job done Ken remains seated at his classmates.
desk with breakfast wrappers on his desk and
his backpack still on, chatting with Tessa .
Other students in the classroom have their
desks cleared and are ready to move to the
carpet for the read-aloud.

Mrs. D. calls students who are ready to the Ken seems to respond negatively and
carpet to begin the lesson. Mrs. D. called out aggressively when he is yelled at or called out
to Ken Breakfast should be cleaned up and in front of the class.
your backpack should be put away! What Behavior: slamming cubby shut
have you been doing? At this moment, Ken
slumps out of this chair, throws away his
garbage away and throws his backpack in the
cubby, slamming the cubby shut.

The entire class is sitting on the carpet quietly

waiting for Mrs. D. to begin. Ken makes his The toys in his pocket distract Ken, Mrs. D.
way over to the carpet and takes a seat in his does not intervene or tell Ken to put the toy
assigned spot. Mrs. D. explains they are going away, she also does not stop to refocus those
to be reading from the textbook today. While students who were distracted by Ken.
Mrs. D. is explaining what the class will be
doing, Ken takes out a keychain from his
pocket and begins swinging it around. Kevin,
Tayron, and Zymara are watching what Ken
is doing. Ms. Cella motions to Ken to put the
keychain away.

Mrs. D. asks for volunteers to help distribute

the textbooks. Ken raises his hand to
volunteer; Mrs. D. selects two different
students to assist her. Ken rolls his eyes, says
uuuugghhh, crosses his arms and says, Im
going to punch someone in frustrated tone.
The whole class is reprimanded, a BINGO
point is taken away because some students
cant get it together
Mrs. D. begins her read-aloud lesson once all
of the students receive a book. She directs
students to turn to page fifty-five and do a
picture walk. Ken puts his book on the carpet
and starts flipping through random pages of
the book, and then he brings the book to his
chest and takes out his keychain and starts
swinging it around.
Antecedent: When Mrs. D. asked a question to
the whole class, she did not choose Ken to
answer the question.
Behavior: Rolling his eyes and saying an
inappropriate comment
Consequence: Class is reprimanded for Kens
inappropriate behavior by losing a BINGO
point.
Ken again begins to play with his keychain, I
think he is playing with his keychain and
flipping through the pages of the book in order
to get Mrs. D.s attention or simply because he
does not enjoy literacy.

After about one minute, Mrs. D. calls students

attention and begins asking questions about
what the students just saw. While Mrs. D. is
asking questions and students are responding,
Ken is fidgeting around in his seat, looking
around the classroom and touching the books
in the bin next to where he is seated.
Ken is below-grade level when it comes to
literacy; it is evident in this scenario that he is
refusing to participate and occupying himself
by engaging in off-task behaviors.

Mrs. D. reiterates the rules on the carpet

before she begins reading. A student enters
the classroom from a second grade classroom
(Arnold). He was sent in because he was
being disruptive in his second grade class.
Mrs. D. welcomes Arnold. Arnold sits near
Ken; Ken gives Arnold his book to look at.

Mrs. D. begins reading the story to the class.

Arnold is looking on with Ken as Mrs. D. is
reading. After reading the first sentence, Mrs.
D. starts pulling popsicle sticks to start
popcorn reading.

Ken gives the book to Arnold, gets up from

the carpet and makes his way to the bathroom
sign out sheet. Ken signs out and takes the
bathroom pass in the middle of the read-
aloud.

Ken returns from the bathroom and makes his It is coincidental once Mrs. D. begins popcorn
way to his assigned seat on the carpet. Ken reading, where she pulls popsicles with
takes the book back from Arnold and starts students names on them to read Ken gets up
flipping through the pages, not on the correct and uses the bathroom. Ken is trying to avoid
page. getting chosen and having to read in front of
the class.
Mrs. D. calls on Ken as asks him to read the I think giving students their own book to
top of page fifty-seven. Ken stares at page follow in during a read-aloud can easily lead to
fifty-seven and then asks if he could phone a off-task behaviors. I think Mrs. D. may have
friend Mrs. D. says No, Ken you have to try been better off photocopying the specific pages
I can help you from the textbook and giving the photocopied
Ken is visibly frustrated, starts punching the pages to the students. The textbook seems to be
book. Mrs. D. starts reading the first word and distracting to Ken as he is often browsing
encourages Ken to join. Ken remains silent. through the book while Mrs. D. or his peers are
reading.
Mrs. D. stops, and asks Ken again to try and
read the top of the page. Ken says, Why you
callin on me, I said I dont want to do it,
Mrs. D. asks Ken to be a cooperative student.
Ken rolls his eyes and reads the first two
words on the page, he stops and says, This is
gay and slams the book shut and throws it to Antecedent: The antecedent is putting students
the ground. Other students in the class begin on the spot and forcing them to read in front of
talking and Mrs. D. rings the bell to regain the their classmates. Being a low-level reader in
classs attention. this type of setting can become uncomfortable
for the student.
Mrs. D. selects another student to read page Behavior: Ken talks back disrespectfully
fifty-seven. Ken sits in his seat with his hands towards Mrs. D., uses inappropriate language
on his cheeks. in the classroom, and throws textbook to the
ground.
Mrs. D. pauses the reading to ask a few Consequence: The entire class begins talking
comprehension questions; during this time and yelling at Ken because they think they are
Ken flips through the pages of the book and going to get a BINGO point taken away. Mrs.
points out picture to the students sitting D. rings the bell to settle the classroom.
around him.

Ken starts talking to King, while Sonjay is Ken seem to be very annoyed at the situation
answering a question asked by Mrs. D.. Mrs. that just occurred. Instead of Mrs. D.
D. ignores Kens actions. encouraging and refocusing Ken she ignored
him. Ken now is distracting other students
Ken exclaims, The moose accidently hits the around him by pointing out pictures unrelated
pie into the bushes, I saw it in the pictures to the read-aloud text.
Mrs. D. gets angry with Ken and says
Follow the rules when you are on the carpet,
remember we raise our hand and dont call
out

Ken shrugs his shoulders in response to Mrs.
D.s request. Mrs. D. finishes the remainder
of the story. Ken looks around the classroom
and pulls his keychain out for the third time
and begins playing with it.
Even though Ken did call out, he was trying to
participate in this situation. Mrs. D. yelled at
Ken instead of positively reinforcing his idea
and simply reminding him to raise his hand.

As a result of Ken getting yelled at for

participating, he becomes disengaged during
the remainder of the read-aloud.

Observer: Brianna Petro

Time: 9:45am 10:25am
Date: 10/27/2015
Activity: Centers

Observation
Students are focused on Mrs. D. as she is
explaining the different centers they will be
able to work at for the period until they need
to go to special. Mrs. D. is rotating around
the classroom; students follow her and listen
to instructions. Ken is playing chopsticks
with classmate Kevin.
Mrs. D. circulates through and explains
directions at the retelling, word work,
writing, technology, and library center.
During this time, Ken is playing
chopsticks with Kevin, annoying other
students, and crawling under the desks
behind Mrs. D. Kens classmates are
giggling.
Reflection
While it is a good idea to have students get
up and move around each center while the
teacher is explaining I think it call for a lot
of off-task behaviors and disruptions.
When his classmates positively reinforce
Kens behavior he will continue to do
whatever he is doing. In this instance Kens
classmates were laughing when he was
crawling under the desks therefore, he
continued to crawl underneath the desks.

Once Mrs. D. had circulated through all the

centers she asked the class if there were any
questions or misunderstandings about what
they should be doing for the next forty
minutes until special. The class then
dispersed amongst the different centers.
When Ken is unsure of what to do in the
Ken aimlessly roamed the room for first five classroom he tend to walk around and
minutes, conversing with peers before converse with other students in the class.
settling at the word work center.

Ken was confused when he got to the word

work center, he did not know what to do and
his peers were not answering his questions.

Ken sits at the word work center, tapping Antecedent: Ken was not paying attention
two highlighters on the desk. Tessa asks Ken when directions were being explained; when
to stop tapping on the desk. Ken ignores her. he tried asking his peers what he should do
Tessa gets up from the word work center and they ignored him.
makes her way to Mrs. D. Behavior: Ken begins tapping on his desk
with highlighters.
Tessa exclaims to Mrs. D. that Ken will not
stop tapping on the desk and that he hasnt
done any work. Mrs. D. makes her way to
the word work center and grabs Ken and
yells Why are you doing that?! And why
are you just sitting here? Ken shrugs his
shoulders.

Other students in the classroom stop doing
their work to watch the interaction unfold
and some students begin chatting with their
neighbors and engaging in off-task activities.
Mrs. D. takes Kens paper and moves it from
the center to his desk. Mrs. D. tells Ken he is
going to independently read and respond to
questions in his notebook because he is not
mature enough for centers.
Consequence: Mrs. D. comes over to the
word work center and removes Ken from the
word work center. Ken is now directed to
independently read at his desk and respond
to questions provided by Mrs. D. Ken
struggles with reading.

Ken moves to his desk and slumps in his

seat. He is glaring forwards with his arms Antecedent: Mrs. D. explained to Ken he
crossed. Mrs. D. rings the bell to regain the was not mature enough to work in centers so
classes attention and refocus students he was sent to independently read.
towards the center they were working at.

Ms. Cella prompts Ken to begin his work. Behavior: Ken decides to avoid reading by
Ken says I dont want to do that and gets using the bathroom.
up from his seat and makes his way towards
the door. As he is signing out to use the Consequence: Mrs. D. does not allow Ken to
bathroom Mrs. D comes over and tells Ken
I am not playing games, you signed out for
the bathroom twenty-five minutes ago, now
please go back to your seat.
Ken is visibly very angry; he walks towards
his desk and kicks his desk, which moves
two feet, then he pushes the book, notebook,
and pencils off his desk. No students were
near Ken at this time so no one was injured.
Mrs. D. runs out the door and calls security
to the classroom, she waits by the classroom
door until security arrives. Ken is now
leaning against the wall with his arms
crossed. Other students in the classroom are
unfocused from their centers.
Security comes into the classroom and Mrs.
D fills the security guard in on the situation
that just occurred. The security looks at Ken
and motions for him to come over. Ken
ignores the security guards and continues to
look down at the floor.
Mrs. D. and the security guards talk for a
few moments, whispering near the doorway.
I am unable to make out anything that they
are saying.
The security guards walks over to Ken, and
begins talking to Ken telling him to fix his
desk and pick up the things he threw on the
floor. Ken refuses to look into the security
guards eyes and shrugs his shoulders at the
questions the security guard asks.
Mrs. D. calls the remainder of the class over
to the rug to read a short story before they
line up for special.
The security guards waits with Ken until he
fixes the mess he created. Ken waits against
the wall, visibly frustrated and angry. After
about two minutes Ken begins picking up
his mess and straightening out his desk.
use the bathroom as he just used the
bathroom twenty-five minutes ago. Mrs. D.
is aware that Ken is trying to get out of
doing work.
Antecedent: Ken is not allowed to use the
bathroom and is forced to sit at his desk and
read. Ken is frustrated because he is not
allowed to use the bathroom, on top of that
frustration he realizes he needs to read.
Behavior: Ken kicks his desk and pushes his
books, notebooks, and pencils off his desk.
Consequence: Mrs. D. calls into the hallway
for a security guard.
It seems like Ken enjoys attention, he is
ignoring the security guard because he is
angry and because he wants the attention
from his teachers and the other students.
I liked how the security guards walked over
to Ken and explained to him that it is
necessary he clean up his mess. I think when
adults talk to Ken is an understanding tone
he is more likely to respond positively.
As a result of Kens behaviors it was
important that Ken learns he needs to take
responsibility for his actions. Having Ken
clean up his mess help reinforced this idea.
Mrs. D begins reading Wolf Wolf on the
carpet. Ken finishes cleaning up his mess It seems as if Ken distances himself or
and the security guards leaves the classroom. engages in off-task behavior whenever
Ken remains seated at his desk while the rest literacy is taking place in the classroom.
of his classmates are on the rug listening to
the read-aloud.

Ms. Cella walks over to Ken at this point

and asks if he would like to take a walk Ms. Cella approaches Ken in a calm and
outside to cool off and get in a better gentle way and gives Ken the option to
mood. Ken gets up and follows Ms. Cella change his behavior/mood or not. Ken
outside of the classroom. positively responded.

Mrs. D. stops reading Wolf Wolf and begins

lining students up for special. Once students
are lined up they proceed out the door for
special.

Ms. Cella comes back with Ken a few

minutes later and Ms. Cella asks Ken Are
you ready to join your class at special? Ken
nods his head in agreement. Mrs. Cella also
mentions to Ken that his action before for
inappropriate and dangerous, he is lucky he
didnt get in more trouble than that.

Ken and Mrs. Cella leave the classroom and

walk over to special.

Observer: Melanie Cella

Time: 10:15-10:45
Date: 11/3/15
Activity: Special was cancelled: Social Studies project
Observations Reflections
All of the students were sitting around the I really like the class chant that gets the
room at their literacy centers. An students to quiet down. I wish the class
announcement was made over the loud speaker practiced this more and that she reminded all of
that Media special was cancelled. The class the students to say the next part of the chant.
became excited and began to chatter. Mrs. D
redirected the class by saying Tootsi-roll
lollipop and the class responded by saying
weve been talking, now lets stop! Ken,
Andre, and Alison did not join the rest of the
class. Then class then got quiet and waited for
instructions.
Mrs. D then went to her desk to think of an
activity for the class to do. While she was at
her desk, the class began to talk again. Ken
began doing handstands on the carpet. His
classmates laughed and Mrs. D turned around
and said, You were all so quiet before, can we
please continue to be superstar students on the
rug while I find an activity to complete? The
class again got quiet, but when Mrs. D turned
around again, Ken did another handstand. The
class giggles and Mrs. D returned with an
activity.
In Social Studies, we are learning about
hurricanes. We are going to get into groups and
build hurricane proof houses. Ken then got up
and went to use the bathroom in the middle of
her explanation. Mrs. D said, Ken, the
bathroom can wait until I am done explaining
the directions. Please have a seat. Ken did not
sit down but he did stop by the door and put
the pass down in order to listen to the rest of
the directions. Ken, I said to sit down. Ken
did not budge. Mrs. D then continued on with
the directions and ignored Ken.
Mrs. D put Ken into a group with four other
students and placed them at the back table.
They were given a clipboard, a pencil, and a
piece of paper to write down materials that
they would use in order to build a hurricane
proof house. After Mrs. D walked away to
help another group, Sonny took the paper and
began to write. Two other group members
began giving ideas of materials. Ken walked
away from his group and began wandering
around the classroom. He jumped over a chair
and walked over to another group where his
friend Alison was placed. Ken wandered the
room for three minutes until Mrs. D noticed.
Ken, where are you supposed to be?! Mrs. D
yelled at Ken and he walked back to his group.
At his group, Sonnny was naming off materials
that she would use while the rest of the group
It was probably difficult to think of an activity
on the spot; however, I wish Mrs. D gave the
class explicit instructions on what to do in
order to give her some time to find an activity
while they were still engaged in something.
Antecedent: The class was not given an
direction or structure on what they should be
doing.
Behavior: Ken does handstands while the
teacher is not watching.
Consequence: Other students laughed at Kens
actions, which made him repeat the behavior.
Behavior: Ken did not listen when Mrs. D told
him to sit down.
Consequence: Ken was ignored.
I think that Ken was frustrated that he could
not go to the bathroom. It seems as though he
listened to the directions that he believed were
important (to wait until she was done giving
directions) but he did not believe that it was
necessary to sit down so he ignored that piece
of direction.
Antecedent: Ken was not given a specific task
to do and seemed to be overwhelmed by his
group members and the assignment.
Behavior: Ken walked around away from his
group when he should have been working.
Consequence: Ken was yelled at to get back to
his seat.
Antecedent: Ken did not have a workspace and
listened to her. There were only four chairs so
Ken was left standing. When he tried to get
close enough to the group to what looked like
participate, he accidently bumped into Nicky
who then yelled at him.
Mrs. D came over and asked Ken, what is
going on? She then noticed that there was not
enough room for Ken to sit so she brought over
another chair and moved them so that they
could sit in a circle and all see each other.
Ken then began to participate in his group
activity. He told the class to use books so that
their box would not fall over in the wind.
Sonny wrote down his response. Ken then said
and we can like make sure to test it ourselves
to make sure it doesnt fall.
While the groups were working, Mrs. D was
checking their homework. She then said, boys
and girls, please stop what you are doing and
look up here. I am very upset right now. I do
not have math projects from Nicky, Andre,
Alison, Ken, Chris, or Naomi. Guys, come on.
Did you do it? No one in the class answers
and then Mrs. D went back to grading their
assignments.
Ken then walked away from his group again
and began jumped around on the desks. He
went over to Andres group. Andre. Andre.
Andre. Ken kept repeating his name but
Andre ignored him and continued working
with his group. Ken then walked away and
went to the library center.
Mrs. Petro tried to redirect him back to his
group by telling him, it is really important that
you go back to your group. You have such
great ideas and your group really needs your
help. Ken then walked back to his group table,
but put his head down on his desk and covered
his eyes.
Mrs. Petro said, I see that Andre is getting a
was beginning to become frustrated.
I do not think that Mrs. D should have directed
all of her anger at Ken. She should have
allowed him to explain what happened instead
of becoming angry. I think it was good of Mrs.
D to notice why Ken was becoming frustrated.
Ken seemed very engaged in the project once
he was able to become a member of the group.
Now that he was given a voice, his behaviors
seemed to have stopped. Ken is really creative
and this seems like a great project for him to
become engaged in.
Antecedent: Interrupting positive teamwork.
I think that interrupting the class while they
were all nicely working in order to address a
different situation was poor planning. This then
stops productivity and does not reinforce the
positive behaviors that are already being
displayed in the classroom. I also do not think
that it is appropriate to call out students in front
of their peers. Ken especially seemed very
embarrassed by this.
Behavior: Ken began to again wander the
classroom.
Consequence: No one noticed him and his
behaviors were ignored.
It seems like Ken really does want to behavior,
sticker for social studies today. Alison, Ken, I
wanna see if you can earn stickers too today
for social studies. Ken then took his head off
of the desk. Mrs. Petro said to Ken, please
help your group with your project to earn one
sticker. Ken then sat up and began to listen to
his classmates. Sonny asked Ken to help her
draw and he added a book to the picture of
their hurricane proof house. Sonny then
grabbed the paper back and would not let him
help her anymore.
Mrs. D noticed this and said, If you can hear
me, clap once. About half of the class
clapped. She then said, if you can hear me,
clap twice. The rest of the class clapped
along. She then said, Boys and girls, this is a
group project. Everyone has important ideas so
please listen to everyone and let everyone
help.
Ken then went to grab the clipboard and
pushed members of his group in the process.
Mrs. D then walked over, took all over their
materials away, and said you have lost your
privilege. No more. Sit quietly.
Sonny began to cry and the rest of the group
was silent. Ken laughed at Sonny for crying.
Sonny yelled, It is not funny! Ken laughed
and then walked over to the word work center,
jumping over a desk in the process. No one
noticed Ken walk over to the word work
center. For the next full ten minutes, Ken sat at
the word work center playing in his chair. The
rest of the groups continued their projects.
Sonny and the rest of Ken group sat in silence
for about two minutes and then were given the
chance to continue working.
When Ken notices his group doing work again,
he walked back over to them. After sitting and
listening to his group talk about materials for
about one minutes, Ken again got up and
walked over to the word work center.
shown by his response to wanting to earn a
sticker. I think that Ken gets easily frustrated
when he is not given explicit directions on how
he can help. I also think that having such
powerful group members overwhelms him. I
think that Mrs. D should assign specific roles
to each student so that they are all able to
contribute.
I think that it was a good idea to address the
entire class instead of pointing out specific
students, which may have embarrassed them.
Reminders are usually received better than
threats.
Behavior: Ken pushed other students out of the
way.
Consequence: The entire group lost their
privilege to complete their project.
When know one notices Ken, he continues
wandering the room, avoiding tasks that he
does not want to complete.
Antecedent: The group did not make an effort
to include Ken.
Ken wanted to do the right thing but was
reminded that his group was not allowing him
to help so he walked away.
Behavior: Ken walked away from the group.
Ken began a spelling activity where he wrote
his spelling words three times each in different
colors. After he completed five words, he
brought the worksheet over to Mrs. D and
showed her.
Mrs. D said, Ken, what are you doing? You
are supposed to be helping your group! And
you didnt even do this correctly! You were
supposed to write the words in three different
colors, not each letter in a different color! Go
back to your group!!! Ken went back to his
group, slammed his arms on the desk, and put
his head down. Mrs. D then walked away and
got ready to change subjects.
Observer: Melanie Cella
Time: 10:45-11:30
Date: 11/13/15
Activity: Literacy Centers
Observation
Instead of doing a science lesson, Mrs. D
wanted the class to work in their literacy
centers in order to catch up on the work that
they missed due to distractions in the morning.
The students are not assigned to centers. They
must pick a new center every day and by the
end of the week, they must have completed all
five centers.
Mrs. D said Okay, literacy centers time. You
know what to do by now. A majority of the
students, including Ken, raced over to the
technology center but since there are only five
computers, most students did not get to use
one. Ken then walked over to his desk and took
out a deck of uno cards. Mrs D. saw him right
away and said, Ken, please put the cards away
and go to a center. Ken ignored her and
continued to shuffle the cards as she helped
Ken really enjoys doing work that he can
understand. He seemed to want to do work so
he went over to the word work center where he
knew he could be productive independently.
He wanted to make Mrs. D proud by showing
her his work.
Antecedent: Mrs. D yelled at Ken for being off
task.
Behavior: Ken slammed on his desk and shut
down.
Consequence: Mrs. D ignored his behavior and
let him think about his actions.
Reflection
This change in schedule may be difficult for
some people. The students in the class are not
provided structure because there are
constituent interruptions and Mrs. D is forced
to change the schedule very often.
I also think that it would be a good idea to
assign students to a center each day. It is very
unstructured for students to be wandering the
classroom, not knowing exactly where they
should be.
Antecedent: Ken did not get to go to the
technology center that he wanted to go to.
Behavior: Ken began to play cards instead of
doing his work.
Consequence: Ken was given a small reminder
of what he should be doing.
I think that it would have been helpful to tell
Ken that he would have a chance to go to
students set up a center.
When she noticed he still was not at a center,
she yelled What did I tell you?!? Ken then
put the cards away and began to wander the
classroom.
Over the load speaker, the principal made an
announcement about earning Jefferson Bucks
and Paws. She also said, This morning I had a
little discussion with some students in my
office and we made a deal. I want to remind
those students of that deal and to manage their
behaviors. The principal was referring to Ken
and his friends who were sent to the office that
morning during breakfast. After hearing this,
Ken went back to his desk and put his head
down.
Mrs. D then went up to Ken and asked him
what the principal had just said. Ken said that
he did not hear her and Mrs. D said, The
principal said you made an agreement about
your behavior. What was that agreement? Ken
continued to stare at Mrs. D and did not
respond.
Mrs. D then asked Andre, another student who
was sent to the office that same morning, about
the agreement that had been made. Andre told
her that his agreement was different. When
Ken was again asked, Ken, you need to think
about your conversation with the principal
because if she were in here right now, I do not
think that she would be too happy. Ken then
slammed his elbow on his desk and continue to
ignore Mrs. Ds questions.
Mrs. D then reminded Ken remember, during
literacy you have a chance to earn a sticker on
the goal chart that Ms. Cella and Ms. Petro
made for you. Ken then got up, slammed his
chair into his desk, and went to the word work
center.
technology on another day of the week and
then I would give him an example of a center
that he should go to instead.
Consequence: Ken was yelled at.
I think that it would have been helpful for Mrs.
D to walk over to Ken and have a private
conversation with him and further explain what
he should be doing. Ken seemed to need
explicit instructions, which he is not receiving.
Ken seemed embarrassed that the principal
mentioned their conversation, even though his
name was not mentioned explicitly. He also
stopped listening to the announcement. I think
that he was already aware of their conversation
and did not want to be constantly reminded
throughout the day.
Behavior: Ken became withdrawn from the
classroom and his work.
I think that Mrs. D should not have forced him
to retell his punishment from the morning. I
think that she should have reminded him that
the principal really wants him to succeed and
she showed that through her announcement. I
also think that she should have reminded him
that although his day started on a rough patch,
he could turn it around and make it a good day.
Ken was clearly frustrated and did not want to
think about what occurred that morning.
Behavior: Ken slammed his elbows on the
desk.
Ken is very enthusiastic about earning stickers.
I think that he enjoys seeing his good behavior
on a chart and he wants to be able to show his
parents. I wish this goal chart that Brianna and
 I created were enforced more when we are not
Ken began working on writing the words there.
backwards. Instead of writing the words from
end to beginning, Ken wrote each letter Antecedent: Ken was told that he was not
backwards. When Sonny noticed this, she said completing his work correctly.
you arent doing it right. Ken ignored her Behavior: Ken gave up.
and continued on with his work. After
competing two more words, he got up and
began to wander the classroom.

Ken went over to the technology center along

with another student who was also wandering
around. Mrs. D noticed and said Alison, Ken,
get away from the computers now! Mrs. D
yelled this very loudly. Ken walked away from
the computers and began to wander the
classroom again. He walked over to the library,
listened to students talking about a book that
they were reading, and then walked over to
where the literacy textbooks are kept. He then
brought the book over to the retiling center and
opened to book to the correct page. Ken then
read the first question, looked around the room,
and started doing head stands.
Consequence: Ken was yelled at to get away
from the computers.
I think that Ken would have benefited from
being told where to go. He seems very lost and
confused.
When Ken is not being monitored, he becomes
distracted and does not feel as it is necessary to
complete his work.

No one noticed Kens actions and he kept

doing the headstands and rolling on the floor.
Ellie came back from the bathroom and joined Ken was waiting for someone to give him
Ken at the retelling station. Ken asked Ellie explicit instructions on the assignment. It
what do we gotta do? Ellie then explained seems as though Ken really needs more
that they had to answer the questions on the structure than this classroom provides.
notecards in their readers notebook and that
they are allowed to use the textbook to help
them. Ken then got up to get his readers
notebook and a pencil.

On the way to get his notebook, Ken jumped

over desks and chairs. Ken then listened to
Ellie read the first question and he flipped
through the pages to find the answer.
Right here. Charlie was happy that his dad
was safe so he was not worried anymore. Ken
explained the answer to Elli and then they both
wrote it down. While writing his sentence, Ken
rolled on the floor and did more headstands,
Ken seems to need more movement throughout
his day. He enjoys jumping and rolling around.
It may be helpful to provide brain breaks in
which Ken is able to do some physical activity
to get some of his energy out.
Ken is good at looking back into the text for
evidence. He seems very engaged in his work
but eventually wrote the correct answer. now that he understands what needs to be
done.
Ellie then read the next question to Ken and
they both began to flip through the pages. Ken
waited for Ellie to point out the answer. I Ken seems confused at the question and is
dont know Ken said to Ellie and then he beginning to shut down.
began to do more headstands.

Mrs. D then went to the front of the classroom

and said Ok boys and girls please stop what
you are doing. We are running late so you do
not need to clean up. She then began to sing
the line up song Im giving myself a great big
hug, I am standing straight and tall, Im
looking right ahead of me, I am ready for the
hall. During the song, Ken was putting away
his book and his notebook instead of getting in
line. By the end of the song, all but 4 students,
including Ken, were still not in line. WHY
ARE YOU ALL STILL NOT IN LINE? Mrs.
D yelled at the four boys.
I do not think that Ken heard her first direction
of not needing to clean up because he class was
still loud. I think it would have been helpful for
all students if Mrs. D waited until the entire
class was quiet before giving instructions. I
also think it would have been helpful to
explain that there are expectations of the
students while getting in line.
Behavior: Ken did not get in line right away.
Consequence: Ken and four other boys were
yelled at.

The four boys then got into line. Ken hopped

all the way down the hall to computers.

Positive Strengths Profile: Ken

Ken is third grade student at Washington Elementary School in Trenton, NJ. He is eight

years old and is in Mrs. Ds general education classroom. He enjoys watching and discussing

football with his friends and playing outside. Ken is interested in sports and card games. Ken

especially loves plying soccer and football and loves dancing and gymnastics. Ken is an

energetic boy inside of the classroom and moves around every chance he gets. Ken has a great

sense of humor; his classmates view him as a class clown. Evidently, Ken loves receiving

attention from his peers and constantly initiates conversations with his classmates through the

day.
 In terms of academics, Ken excels in subjects and activities that are structured by Mrs. D.

He enjoys math, especially doing RazKids on the computer. When he understands a topic he

works very hard to prove to Mrs. D and himself that he is mastering it. Ken is able to show his

comprehension skills in reading both verbally and in written work. In instances it appears Ken is

not fully paying attention to the lesson but as a result of his answer to prompts it is evident he

learns best when he is able to move around. Additionally, Ken is motivated to complete work

when there is an incentive that follows.

Ken recently received the highest score in math for addition and subtraction problems.

Mrs. D announced his achievement in front of the entire class and Ken showed his pride by

dancing after the announcement. Additionally, Ken was apart of a group project where they had

to create hurricane proof houses. Although the project started off rough, Ken was able to help his

group finish the project. The group won the contest for the most hurricane-proof house.

In order for Ken to become engaged in a lesson or activity there needs to be a lot of

structure in the classroom. Ken must receive explicit direction both verbally and written in order

complete an assignment with minimal frustration. Ken does not respond well to Cantarian style

teaching. When Ken is yelled at he automatically shuts down. Ken needs assistance with

expressing his emotions, often time he turn towards physical aggression in an attempt to release

these emotions. When Ken struggles academically he experiences difficulty in working through

the problem. He will often time just shut down and engage in some sort of off-task behavior.

Specifically, Ken is below grade level in reading and has not been given the necessary support

and attention to improve his reading abilities. Any activity or lesson related to literacy causes

Ken to be frustrated and to shut down.

 In attempt to create a system to help Kens behavioral challenges we created a goal chart

for Ken. The chart is structured to work on a two-week basis in which Ken works on one goal of

his choosing for the allotted two weeks. For example, Ken first goal was to participate at least

once during instructional time on the carpet. The chart focuses on four main time periods through

the day: reading, science, math, and writing. When Ken successfully completes his goal during

an academic block he receives a sticker for that subject. At the end of the two weeks Ken brings

home his goal chart and gets it signed by his parent, in attempt to keep his parents updated on his

behavior in the classroom. Ken loved showing his parents all of the stickers he received. When

reminded of the goal chart, Ken began to self-regulate his behavior. A downfall of the goal chart

was its consistency in the classroom. For example, when we were not present in the classroom

Mrs. D. did a poor job of implementing the support system.

A classroom-wide behavioral support system has also proven to be effective in regulating

Kens behavior. Mrs. D. has a BINGO board where the class is able to receive BINGO points

when they display positive behavior. Once the class gets BINGO they receive a small prize.

When they fill the board completely Mrs. D. rewards them with a class party. Ken often remind

his classmates of the BINGO system and encourages positive behavior among his peers. Ken

self-regulates his own behavior when he is reminded on the BINGO points. Additionally, Ken

gets upset with himself when he is the cause for a lost BINGO point(s).

Identification of Target Behaviors and Rationale:

An important behavior that we wish to address is Kens tendency to wander around the

room. When Ken does not understand an assignment, he wanders the room in order to avoid

completing the assignment. If a class activity does not have structure, Ken becomes confused

with what he should be doing and begins to wander the room in hopes of receiving further
direction. This is a high priority behavior because it distracts other students from doing their

work. Ken goes over to other students and starts conversations with them when they should be

working on their assignments. This behavior also distracts Ken himself from completing his

assignments. Instead of being taught the skills to critically think and problem solve, Ken is being

taught that if he avoids his work, he does not have to complete it.

Another high priority behavior that Ken displays is his physical aggression. Although we

did not observe as much physical aggression during our direct observations, we have observed

these behaviors throughout the first half of the school year. When Ken becomes frustrated at the

teacher or at his classmates, he often acts of in a physical manner. Ken has thrown books, chairs,

and has gotten into fistfights with his peers. This behavior is both dangerous and destructive. If it

continues, classroom materials could be ruined. Even more importantly, Ken or his classmates

could get hurt.

Specific Hypotheses
When (Antecedents)
When the class is not given
explicit direction or structure
When Kens behaviors are not
being monitored by a teacher
during an activity
When Ken is not given a
chance to express his ideas in
group work
When Ken is reprimanded in
front of his peers for his
behavior
When Mrs. D criticizes Kens
academic work
When Ken is asked to read in
front of the class
What (Behavior)
Ken will wander the
classroom and do handstands,
cartwheels, and roll on the
floor
Ken will distract other
students by talking, poking, or
showing them his playing
cards
Ken will get up, leave the
group, and find work he can
complete independently
Ken puts his head down on his
desk and refuses to
acknowledge anyone talking
to him
Ken gives up on the
assignment and puts his head
down on his desk
Ken will ask to phone a
friend or wait until Mrs. D.
In Order To (Function)
In order to avoid doing work
where he is unsure of what he
should be doing
In order to receive attention
and direction from Mrs. D. or
other teachers in the
classroom.
In order to avoid working in a
group where his ideas are not
valued or considered.
In order to escape feeling
embarrassed
In order to avoid correcting
his mistakes and deal with his
frustration
In order to avoid reading in
front of the class

When Ken is told he cannot
use the bathroom
When Ken is given tasks
related to reading and literacy
When the class is asked a
question and Ken is not called
on to answer it
When Ken asks his peer what
the directions are after not
listening to them being told,
his peers ignore him
When Mrs. D tells Ken that he
is not mature enough to work
in centers, he is sent to read
independently
When Ken is told that he
could not work in the
technology center
calls on another student
Ken will stand by the door and
wait until he is allowed or he
will act out in a physical
manner such as throwing
papers off his desk or pushing
chairs
Ken will attempt to use the
bathroom or will begin to
wander the classroom
Ken rolled his eyes and said
an inappropriate comment
He begins tapping his
highlighters
Ken decides to go to the
bathroom
Ken begins playing with cards
In order to express his anger
towards the teacher or
individual who told him he
cannot use the bathroom
In order to escape the
frustration that he experiences
while reading
In order to express his
frustration with Mrs. D
In order to keep himself busy
In order to escape independent
reading
In order to avoid doing work
at stations that he does not
enjoy

Intervention Questions:

How can we motivate Ken to challenge himself with literacy work?

How can we help Ken express him emotions in a healthy manner?

How can we help Ken stay engaged in his activities?

Global Hypothesis

Ken is an energetic, funny, and social third grade student. He lives in a low-income

section of Trenton with his family. The vast majority of the students in this school receive free or

reduced breakfast and lunch. Washington Elementary School is in an area where crime rates are

very high. The park across the street from the school has been the site of many shootings. Mrs. D

has expressed her concern with her current class. She recounts that she has never had a class with

as many different behaviors and such a large achievement gap in her twelve years of teaching.
This is the first year that Mrs. D has ever had to accommodate such a wide range of abilities.

Moreover, the schools in Trenton are under great scrutiny. Many members of the state come into

Mrs. D.s classroom on a weekly basis in order to collect data on the schools and the instruction

that is occurring. Due to these constant observations and the scrutiny that the teachers are put

under, Mrs. D. is being forced to implement many new teaching strategies that she has not been

trained in. All of these stressors have caused Mrs. D to be unable to focus on individual students

needs. Kens behaviors are his way of asking for help in struggling academic areas.

Intervention Questions:

How can we provide Mrs. D with the strategies to help Ken read his academic goals?

How can we provide Ken with positive behavioral role models?

Intervention Plan:

Antecedent Strategies

Ken could be supported through the use of different strategies that address the triggers for

his behaviors. When Ken does not receive explicit directions or when the lesson is not structured,

his behaviors are triggers. For example, when directions are only given verbally, Ken attempts to

start the activity, but then quickly forgets the next steps. This causes his to wander around the

room and ignore his tasks. In order to create an environment where Ken is motivated to stay on

task and successfully complete each activity, directions should be given in multiple formats. For

example, Mrs. D could verbally say his instructions step by step and she could write the

directions on the board. Additionally, to create more structure in the classroom, Mrs. D could

assign students to centers. When Ken is told to go to any center, he becomes overwhelmed with

the many choices presented to him. By assigning students to groups and centers, more structure
is created in the classroom. This will also help to eliminate the antecedent of not getting to go to

the center of his choosing.

Additionally, when Ken is not given an opportunity to express his ideas during group

activities or in large group instruction, he often becomes frustrated. In order to eliminate these

behaviors, Mrs. D. should make sure that Ken is called on at least once during every instructional

block. She should also explain to the class that there are sixteen students who all have wonderful

thoughts and ideas and sometimes she is unable to call on every student. She should also talk to

students before putting them into group and assign different roles to each student so that

everyone can participate in their own way.

When Ken is yelled at in front of his peers, he shuts down and refuses to participate in

any activities. It is very embarrassing for Ken to be reprimanded in public. In order to help him,

Mrs. D. should take Ken aside and have private discussions with him. By doing this, Ken will

not be embarrassed and he will be more open to what Mrs. D. has to say. Similarly, Ken also

becomes embarrassed when his academic work is criticized. Mrs. D. could make sure to start

with positive feedback before giving Ken any constructive criticism. This could help Ken be

more open to change and it could help to show him that even though his work is not perfect,

there are still aspects of it that are great.

Ken struggles with reading and comprehension. As a result, he is not confident in his

literacy abilities and engages in behaviors to avoid reading. In order to eliminate these triggers,

Mrs. D should support Ken in advancing his reading skills. For example, Mrs. D could work with

him daily to give him strategies to use when he becomes frustrated with his reading. Also, Mrs.

D could allow him to listen to audio recordings of readings if available. Since Ken is

uncomfortable reading in front of the class, Mrs. D should understand his emotions and not force
him to read aloud until he is comfortable. In order to get him comfortable, Ken could start with

buddy reading and work his way up to reading with larger and larger groups.

Setting Event Strategies

In order to help Ken overcome some of his problem behaviors, there needs to be setting

event strategies put in place. Mrs. D and her students would greatly benefit from more staff

training. To explain, the district and the state constantly give Mrs. D new requirements regarding

her teaching strategies. Since she is not properly trained in these strategies, she must take time to

teach herself. This not only takes away instructional time, but it does not provide her with the

best techniques in implementing the strategies. She could also receive training in differentiating

her instruction. This training would allow her to help Ken and all of the other students in any

areas where they need assistance while still challenging the students who are at a higher level.

Ken is exposed to a lot of aggressive and violent behavior. When he is frustrated, he often

resorts to modeling after these behaviors that he sees in his surrounding environments. Ken, and

other younger students, would greatly benefit from having a positive mentoring system in their

lives. The school could set up a buddy system with the middle school that is right next door.

Each month, the students could meet with their buddy and discuss ways to properly handle anger

and frustration. They could also give advice pertaining to challenges that they are facing both at

school and at home.

Alternative Skills Strategies

In order to replace Kens behavior of throwing books and becoming aggressive with

peers when he becomes frustrated, Ken will need to learn how to express his emotions. He could

work one-on-one with Mrs. D during breakfast. Mrs. D could teach Ken a strategy to calm

himself down through skill streaming. First, Ken should be taught to take a step back and to take
a deep breath when he begins to feel angry or frustrated. Then, Ken should ask himself, how am

I feeling? Why am I feeling this way? How can I use my words to explain how I am feeling? He

will be taught to use his words instead of his actions in order to express his emotions.

Ken needs to be taught how to self-regulate his own behaviors while on the rug and

during centers. Mrs. D could create two social stories for each context in order to share with Ken.

These stories should outline when the activity occurs, how he should react, and how he can work

doing the right thing. The social stories will be a resource for Ken to use on his own. At first,

Ken should be read the social story before the activity. As time goes on, Ken should read the

story less and less. After fading out the story, Ken could be reminded of it in order to maintain

positive behaviors.

When Kens behaviors are not being monitored throughout the school day, he distracts

others by attempting to socialize. In order to help eliminate this trigger, the goal chart could be

properly implemented on a consistent basis. For one, Mrs. D should make sure that Ken picks

new goals every two weeks and that they are applicable to what is occurring in the classroom.

Since it is difficult for Mrs. D to remember to give Ken a sticker, Ken could be taught to self-

regulate his behaviors. By learning when it is appropriate to give himself a sticker, Ken will be

better able to self-regulate. Additionally, implementing more structure into classroom routines

would allow Mrs. D to monitor where all students should be. A chart displaying which center

each students should be working at could be placed in the front of the room. After finishing a

center, the student will then move their name to a new center. With a quick glance, Mrs. D would

then be able to recognize where Ken is and what activity he should be working on.

Consequence Strategies- Skill Building

 Typically after displaying a problem behavior, Ken is yelled at, sometimes in front of the

entire class. In order to eliminate these problem behaviors in the future, Ken will need to receive

a lot of positive reinforcement throughout the day. After raising his hand in class, Mrs. D should

make sure to verbally praise him for his behavior. Ken enjoys knowing that he is doing the right

thing and quick reminders will allow him opportunities to regulate his own behavior. Whenever

Mrs. D notices Ken working hard at the correct center, she should compliment him and use him

as a model for other students. Additionally, Mrs. D should take Ken aside and talk to him

privately instead of reprimanding him in front of the class. Public punishment only embarrasses

Ken and causes more behaviors to occur.

It would be helpful for Ken to learn to be mindful of how often and when the appropriate

time to use the bathroom is. This could be taught to Ken through a social story. This social story

could be implemented at the beginning of each school day. Ken could carry around this social

story and refer to it whenever necessary. In the beginning of the implementation of this story, it

should be read every day. The story should then be faded out once he begins to develop the

skills, however, it should be reintroduced every few weeks in order to reinforce and remind Ken

of the appropriate behaviors.

After Ken displays positive behaviors, his interventions for reinforcements are often

forgotten about. Mrs. D could reinforce his behavior by using the sticker goal chart in a

consistent manner. Ken has already shown that he responds to the chart when it is consistently

used. Additionally, Mrs. D could send home with goal chart with Ken along with a note updating

his parents on both his behavior and on his academic successes. Making other people proud

motivates Ken. If his parents were kept up to date on everything occurring in school, he would

try his best in order to make his family proud.

 After displaying problem behaviors, Ken is often ignored. This consequence has only

further frustrated Ken and has triggered more problem behaviors. When Ken displays a problem

behavior, such as wandering the classroom, Mrs. D should have a private conversation with him

about what is bothering him. By talking to Ken and attempting to understand where his behaviors

are stemming from, Mrs. D could better help Ken. For example, if Ken reveals that he is

wandering the classroom because he is frustrated with his work, she could provide him with

more examples on how to complete it. Instead of assuming that Ken is displaying problem

behaviors because he is a problem student, Mrs. D should talk to him after each behavior to

understand why the behavior is occurring and to help him express his emotions in a more

productive manner. Here, a skill streaming procedure would be beneficial in eliminating future

physical problem behaviors. Ken and Mrs. D could work together in order to create this

procedure. They will develop goals and steps in order for Ken to follow when he feels angry or

frustrated. Whenever these behaviors seem to escalate, Ken should role-play and practice the

procedure again.

Consequence Strategies- Deceleration

When Kens behavior escalates, Mrs. D must address him immediately. If she ignores

what is occurring, it will only escalate further. First, Mrs. D should have a private conversation

with Ken about what is bothering him. If he tells her that he is frustrated with his work, Mrs. D

should scaffold the assignment until he is able to do it independently without frustration. Here,

she should reintroduce the appropriate social story and read it along with Ken. She should also

talk to Ken about proper ways to express his concerns and the things that he has discussed with

his middle school role model.

 Mrs. D should monitor Kens behavior in order to prevent him from acting out in a

physical manner. If she seems him getting closer to another student while he is angry, she should

stop the altercation before it escalates. If Mrs. D is unable to do so, she should pull Ken aside

after his physical outburst and discuss more productive ways to express his anger. Mrs. D could

then remind Ken of the Skillstreaming procedure that they created together. With his escalating

behaviors, Ken and Mrs. D could practice and role-play in order to be reminded of the strategies

that Ken should be using to express his emotions.

Long-Term Strategies

Ken would benefit from being in a class where there is a positive classroom climate. In

order to build community within the classroom, Mrs. D should introduce a morning meeting

routine. Many of Kens physical altercations occur with another student. If Ken had close

relationships with her peers, these aggressive acts may be eliminated. During morning meeting,

Mrs. D could work with her students in creating a class greeting. They could also discuss the

lows and glows of their life. By talking about themselves, the students will be able to

empathize with each other and will in turn be more respectful of each other. Ken often wanders

the room looking for peers to converse with. By having this time set aside in the morning, Ken

may not feel the need to do so during academic subjects.

Teamwork and Collaboration

In order for the intervention plan to be successful, a number of different individuals will

be involved. First and foremost, Mrs. D., Kens third grade teacher will be responsible for

carrying out the intervention plan for the majority of the school day and consistently

implementing the strategies mentioned. Additionally, Mrs. D. will be responsible for informing

the administration at Washington Elementary of the intervention plan and filling in those
specified personnel on the necessary supports and training she needs in order to be successful in

carrying out the intervention plan. Mrs. D. will also be responsible for relaying information on

the new strategies to Kens special teachers and informing those individuals about Kens

behavior on a daily basis.

Next, Kens parents will be involved in the implementation of the intervention plan. It is

essential that parents are involved in the process as it directly reflects their childs educational

experience and success. Communication will be kept open between Kens parents and Mrs. D. in

order to allow for new ideas, concerns, and additional supports, which could positively impact

Kens behavior. Furthermore, should any events that occur at home impact Kens behavior,

Kens parents will be asked to notify Mrs. D. With this open communication system, Mrs. D. and

Kens parents can develop the most appropriate strategies for Kens behavioral benefit.

Lastly, the student teachers working in Mrs. Ds classroom on Tuesdays and Fridays will

be notified of the intervention plan and will be responsible for collecting anecdotal information

while Mrs. D. is teaching. Continually collecting data on Kens behavior will be useful in

determining which strategies are effective and which are not. Additionally, it will provide Mrs.

D. the opportunity to review and reflect on her teaching and identify areas of improvement to

benefit her students.

Finally, all of the school personnel who are directly involved in the implementation of

Kens intervention plan will be required to meet monthly to touch base on Kens progress. The

meetings will consist of in-depth discussions to determine any emerging behavioral patterns,

assess Kens progress thus far under the intervention plan, and brainstorm ideas that assist in

keeping the intervention plan consistent across classrooms and teachers.