Teachers are experiencing more disruptions from student behavior issues. Data shows that 65% of discipline referrals at the school are for students with disabilities. The author believes that while the school has implemented positive behavior support strategies like PBIS, changes are still needed to better support these students. Specifically, the school needs to more closely monitor the implementation of behavioral programs, ensure consequences are administered fairly and consistently, and provide proper training to teachers on accommodating students with disabilities.

1. The Need for Behavioral
Support and Discipline
Resources
By Lakisha Butler

2. Teachers dealing with discipline.
Teachers are
experiencing more and
more interruptions due to
student behavior.

3. Advocate for students with
disabilities
 Based on Laureate Education (2007) a teacher leader
should advocate for their students. I do advise
teachers of strategies to use and I thoroughly explain
the behavior point system that is in place and must be
used but, I feel strongly about teaching them right
from wrong while they are still young. . I never want
them to have to go to jail because we failed to teach
them that the judge doesn’t care that you are
diagnosed with Oppositional Defiant Disorder when
you are an adult.

4. The Need for Balance
 We need to have consequences that are carried out
when a child misbehaves. Based on The University of
Kansas, (n.d.) The most effective behavioral
management provides a balance of proactive
strategies, positive contingencies, and natural and
logical consequences that teach students to take
responsibility for their behavioral choices and mirrors
real life situations that they will be required to face as
adults.

5. What the data shows
 At our school data collected from discipline referrals
show that 65% of the referrals were written for
students that fall under the special education
umbrella. Students are often disrespectful to
teachers, bully other students, make physical attacks
on staff and/or students, refuse to do classwork and
leave their area without permission with very little
repercussions.

6. Early Intervention
 Based on Peterson & Skiba, (2000) an early
intervention response to discipline is most effective. I
believe we have made some efforts to effectively
implement early intervention strategies. Last year our
school began to implement PBIS. Based on
PBIS.com, (2014) The Technical Assistance Center on
Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports was
established by the U.S. Department of Education's
Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) to
define, develop, implement, and evaluate a multi-tiered
approach to Technical Assistance that improves
the capacity of states, districts and schools to
establish, scale-up and sustain the PBIS framework.

7. What we Need
 Emphasis is given to the impact of implementing PBIS
on the social, emotional and academic outcomes for
students with disabilities. I believe that we are on the
right track however some changes need to be made.
Although 65% of the discipline referrals written are for
students with disabilities we are far too lenient on the
disciplinarian actions that follow the formal write up.
Based on Horner, Sprague, Sugai, & Walker (2000)
referral data should be used to evaluate the overall
climate and safety of the school. Our school could
certainly use some improvement.

8. What we Need
 Our students with disabilities may not be getting what
they need. We know that many of these students
need a more structured environment. Closer
observations should be made when evaluating
teachers to ensure that special education students are
receiving their legal accommodations and
modifications. Many times students who are
experiencing great difficulty with the demands placed
upon them will display inappropriate school behaviors.

9. Utlizing what we have
 At the beginning of this school year our school was
awarded an additional mentor to operate a planning room.
This has acted as a place where students go to reflect on
their behavior and determine what they could have done
differently. Again, I believe this will be a great help as the
year goes on for those students that typically are
successful in school. I am not convinced that this type of
behavior management system will be effective with
students who have severe behavior problems. I do believe
that we should utilize this area for students with disabilities
as an alternative to suspension for our students with
disabilities. This area could be used as a place where
students are placed in a small structured environment
when they are displaying behaviors that are unacceptable
in the classroom.

10. What we Need
 There are several things that I feel need to be implemented in order to
effectively combat our problem. The first thing we need to do is to be sure
that all teachers are effectively utilizing the PBIS system that is in place.
Administration will need to closely monitor all classrooms to be sure that they
have more incentives in place than just a monthly school wide incentive.
The next thing that we need to ensure is that there is a balance between
positive reinforcement and discipline. Again, I believe that administration will
be forced to closely monitor and hold staff accountable for using both
positive reinforcement and discipline. In addition to monitoring
administration must be sure that discipline is fair once the referral has been
written. It is up to our administration what consequences are handed down
and they may need to sit down and discuss how each infraction is to be
handled so that things are more consistent. We may need to have some
staff development on how to communicate with parents and community
effectively. Lastly, our administration may need to have some staff
development on appropriately accommodating and modifying for students
with disabilities.

11. Conclusion
 Our administration will need to be extremely
constringent when evaluating and giving feedback to
teachers in this area. Clear communication is key so
that teachers are aware of how they rate with special
education. This may resolve some behavior issues
within the special education population. Our school
has so many good things in place however these
strategies that we are currently using need to be
refined.

12. Resources
 Peterson, R. & Skiba, J., (2000). School Discipline at a Crossroads: From Zero
 Tolerance to Early Response. Exceptional Children, 66(3), 335.

 Horner, R., Sprague, J., Sugai, G., & Walker, M. (2000). Preventing School Violence:
 The Use of Office discipline Referrals to Assess and Monitor School-Wide Discipline Interventions. Journal of Emotional & Behavioral Disorders. 8(2), 94.
 Epstein, J. & Steven, S. (2002). Improving Student Behavior and School Discipline
 with Family and Community Involvement. Education and Urban Society, 35(4).
 Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports. (2014). Positive Behavioral
 Interventions & Supports. Retrieved from https://www.pbis.org/
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