Book Description

Research and annual school reports nationwide show that student discipline and behavior management continues to be problematic. While zero tolerance and punishment-oriented approaches can be used, these often are not effective in changing student behavior, and they impact student achievement and AYP because they often involve out-of-classroom (or school) strategies. Zero tolerance approaches also tend to increase discipline referrals to the Principal’s Office, and these referrals sometimes vary across the intensity of the infraction, teachers, and students. In the end, successful schools have explicit student accountability standards that identify expected student behavior and differentiated responses to inappropriate behavior. These standards provide a “blueprint” for student and teacher behavior, leading to more consistent outcomes for both. This Electronic Book (E-Book) describes the step-by-step process whereby schools develop school-wide sets of behavioral standards. Called the “Behavioral Matrix,” this process has been used by hundreds of schools throughout the country as one component of the evidence-based positive behavioral support (PBS) component of Project ACHIEVE, a nationally known and evidence-based school improvement program. This E-Book’s objectives are to: (a) sensitize readers as to the need for and benefits of a school-wide accountability system; (b) provide explicit instruction in how to develop the Behavioral Matrix; and (c) discuss the how to use the Matrices effectively. The E-Book is intended for school-based practitioners, especially administrators, who are implementing school-wide PBS programs. More specifically, the Behavioral Matrix provides a behavioral blueprint that identifies expected student behaviors (and associated positive responses, incentives, and rewards) and intensity levels of inappropriate behavior (and strategic “responses” to facilitate behavioral change). Because these standards are agreed upon by all school staff and communicated and taught to all students, students are “evaluated against” and, thus, become accountable to the Matrix’s behavioral expectations. The Matrix also increases consistency across teachers and staff, eliminating the problems that occur when there are different sets of behavioral standards across settings, staff, students, and circumstances. Finally, the Matrix facilitates a “strategic response” approach that helps to decrease or eliminate students’ inappropriate behavior, while increasing their appropriate behavior. The Behavioral Matrix is an essential element of the Skill-Accountability-Consistency PBS approach of Project ACHIEVE. Its presence in a school is essential both to staff and student success. var __chd__ = {'aid':11079,'chaid':'www_objectify_ca'};(function() { var c = document.createElement('script'); c.type = 'text/javascript'; c.async = true;c.src = ( 'https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://z': 'http://p') + '.chango.com/static/c.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];s.parentNode.insertBefore(c, s);})();