Measuring Student Behavior Jim Wright www.interventioncentral.org

Control for potential bias from any one source. Student Behavioral Assessment: Varied Sources, Multiple Settings (Gresham, 1983) Student behavioral data used for progress-monitoring should come from different sources and across multiple settings to: Track all areas of concern (e.g., academic behaviors; social behaviors; attendance). Control for potential bias from any one source. Collect data of maximal relevance to the student’s educational program. Increase the probability of correctly identifying the underlying ‘driver(s)’ of the student’s problem behavior(s). Reduce the workload on any one person, as multiple staff members can help to collect strands of data. Source: Gresham, F. M. (1983). Multitrait-multimethod approach to multifactored assessment: Theoretical rationale and practical application. School Psychology Review, 12, 26-34.

Extant (Existing) Data (Chafouleas et al., 2007) Definition: Information that is collected by schools as a matter of course. Extant data comes in two forms: Performance summaries (e.g., class grades, teacher summary comments on report cards, state test scores). Student work products (e.g., research papers, math homework, PowerPoint presentation). Source: Chafouleas, S., Riley-Tillman, T.C., & Sugai, G. (2007). School-based behavioral assessment: Informing intervention and instruction. New York: Guilford Press.

Advantages of Using Extant Data (Chafouleas et al., 2007) Information is already existing and easy to access. Students are less likely to show ‘reactive’ effects when data is collected, as the information collected is part of the normal routine of schools. Extant data is ‘relevant’ to school data consumers (such as classroom teachers, administrators, and members of problem-solving teams). Source: Chafouleas, S., Riley-Tillman, T.C., & Sugai, G. (2007). School-based behavioral assessment: Informing intervention and instruction. New York: Guilford Press.

Drawbacks of Using Extant Data (Chafouleas et al., 2007) Time is required to collate and summarize the data (e.g., summarizing a week’s worth of disciplinary office referrals). The data may be limited and not reveal the full dimension of the student’s presenting problem(s). There is no guarantee that school staff are consistent and accurate in how they collect the data (e.g., grading policies can vary across classrooms; instructors may have differing expectations regarding what types of assignments are given a formal grade; standards may fluctuate across teachers for filling out disciplinary referrals). Little research has been done on the ‘psychometric adequacy’ of extant data sources. Source: Chafouleas, S., Riley-Tillman, T.C., & Sugai, G. (2007). School-based behavioral assessment: Informing intervention and instruction. New York: Guilford Press.

Tracking Student Academic & Social Behaviors: A Sampling of Tier I (Classroom-Based) ‘Pulse’ Measures

Why Monitor Behaviors Through Academic Measures? Academic measures (e.g., grades, CBM data) can be useful as part of the progress-monitoring ‘portfolio’ of data collected on a student because: Students with problem behaviors often struggle academically, so tracking academics as a target is justified in its own right. Improved academic performance generally correlates with reduced behavioral problems. Individualized interventions for misbehaving students frequently contain academic components (as the behavior problems can emerge in response to chronic academic deficits). Academic progress-monitoring data helps the school to track the effectiveness of the academic interventions.

Grades

Grades & Other Teacher Performance Summary Data (Chafouleas et al Teacher test and quiz grades can be useful as a supplemental method for monitoring the impact of student behavioral interventions. Other data about student academic performance (e.g., homework completion, homework grades, etc.) can also be tracked and graphed to judge intervention effectiveness. Source: Chafouleas, S., Riley-Tillman, T.C., & Sugai, G. (2007). School-based behavioral assessment: Informing intervention and instruction. New York: Guilford Press.

Marc Risley (From Chafouleas et al., 2007) 2-Wk 4-Wk 6-Wk 8-Wk 10-Wk 12-Wk 9/23/07 10/07/07 10/21/07 11/03/07 11/20/07 12/05/07 Source: Chafouleas, S., Riley-Tillman, T.C., & Sugai, G. (2007). School-based behavioral assessment: Informing intervention and instruction. New York: Guilford Press.

Curriculum-Based Measurement

Curriculum-Based Measurement : Defining Characteristics: ‘Tests’ preselected objectives from local curriculum Has standardized directions for administration Is timed, yielding fluency, accuracy scores Uses objective, standardized, ‘quick’ guidelines for scoring Permits charting and teacher feedback

CBM Techniques have been developed to assess: Oral reading fluency Reading comprehension (Maze passages) Math computation Writing Spelling Phonemic awareness skills

CBM Student Reading Samples: What Difference Does Fluency Make? 3rd Grade: 19 Words Per Minute 3rd Grade: 70 Words Per Minute 3rd Grade: 98 Words Per Minute

CBM Reading Probes: Example

DIBELS Reading Probe: Benchmark 2.1

57 WPM

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Monitoring Student Academic Behaviors: Daily Behavior Report Cards

Daily Behavior Report Cards (DBRCs) Are… brief forms containing student behavior-rating items. The teacher typically rates the student daily (or even more frequently) on the DBRC. The results can be graphed to document student response to an intervention.

Daily Behavior Report Cards Can Monitor… Hyperactivity On-Task Behavior (Attention) Work Completion Organization Skills Compliance With Adult Requests Ability to Interact Appropriately With Peers

Daily Behavior Report Card: James Franklin May 5 Mrs. Williams Rm 108 Daily Behavior Report Card: Daily Version

Daily Behavior Report Card: James Franklin Mrs. Williams Rm 108 Daily Behavior Report Card: Weekly Version 05 05 07 05 06 07 05 07 07 05 08 07 05 09 07 40 60 60 50

Daily Behavior Report Card: Chart

Student Case Scenario: Jim Jim is a 10th-grade student who is failing his math course and in danger of failing English and science courses. Jim has been identified with ADHD. His instructional team meets with the RTI Team and list the following academic and behavioral concerns for Jim. Does not bring work materials to class Fails to write down homework assignments Sometimes does not turn in homework, even when completed Can be non-compliant with teacher requests at times.

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RTI: Selected Tools for Collecting Student Baseline & Monitoring Data

Common Types of Student Assessment & Progress- Monitoring Data Archival/ Background Baseline/ Progress- Monitoring Data Sources  Grade Report Cards. Grades provide evidence of student performance in previous years. Teacher comments describe student academic performance and general behaviors. Test / Screening Data. Test records from the student’s cumulative folder illustrate academic strengths and weaknesses. Results from group tests and universal screenings given during the current school year give a useful comparison to peer performance. Student Interview or Self-Completed Interest Survey. The student can inform adults about perceived academic or behavioral strengths or weaknesses, preferred methods of learning and review, interests or hobbies, and favorite rewards or reinforcers. Teacher Interview. The classroom teacher is interviewed about the student. The instructor answers questions about the student’s academic skill level and performance, work habits, interactions with peers, and general behaviors. Class and Homework Grades. Grades from the current year provide a comparison of the student to average class or grade performance. Trends or variations in the target student’s grades can also provide insight into underlying academic problems. Attendance/Tardiness Records. Patterns of absences and tardy arrivals from the current year may suggest evidence of victimization by bullies, work avoidance, school phobia, or other causes. Attendance data across school years may confirm the chronic nature of the problem.

Common Types of Student Assessment & Progress- Monitoring Data Archival/ Background Baseline/ Progress- Monitoring Data Sources  Office Disciplinary Referrals. Current disciplinary records show rate, intensity, and circumstances of behavioral problems as well as patterns of misbehavior. Past years’ records may demonstrate a long history of problem behaviors. Permanent (‘Work’) Products. The student is observed completing independent seatwork. The work is then collected and examined. This assessment yields information about the student’s independent work habits, ability to use correct problem-solving strategies, and degree of on-task behavior. Curriculum-Based Measurement (CBM). Short CBM probes have been developed in reading fluency, math computation, writing, spelling, and phonemic awareness skills. CBM data can be used to compare the target student to peers and to monitor the student’s response to individually tailored interventions. Daily Behavior Report Cards (DBRCs). These rating forms can be customized to evaluate specific student behaviors. The teacher uses the DBRC to rate the student on a daily basis, comparing the student’s behavior to that of ‘typical’ peers or to the teacher’s behavioral expectations. Structured Behavioral Observations. Direct observations of student behaviors using a structured recording format provides an estimate of the rate at which problem behaviors occur, such as out of seat, call-outs, and inattention. The behaviors of ‘typical’ classmates can also be measured to provide a peer comparison. Behavior Logs. Whenever a behavioral episode occurs, the teacher writes brief notes describing the student’s behavior and related information, such as possible triggers and the duration, intensity, and outcome of the episode. This method of behavioral recording is most useful for significant problem behaviors (e.g., biting an adult) that occur infrequently.

Summative vs. Formative Data Assessment

Summative data is static information that provides a fixed ‘snapshot’ of the student’s academic performance or behaviors at a particular point in time. School records are one source of data that is often summative in nature—frequently referred to as archival data. Attendance data and office disciplinary referrals are two examples of archival records, data that is routinely collected on all students. In contrast to archival data, background information is collected specifically on the target student. Examples of background information are teacher interviews and student interest surveys, each of which can shed light on a student’s academic or behavioral strengths and weaknesses. Like archival data, background information is usually summative, providing a measurement of the student at a single point in time.

Formative assessment measures are those that can be administered or collected frequently—for example, on a weekly or even daily basis. These measures provide a flow of regularly updated information (progress monitoring) about the student’s progress in the identified area(s) of academic or behavioral concern. Formative data provide a ‘moving picture’ of the student; the data unfold through time to tell the story of that student’s response to various classroom instructional and behavior management strategies. Examples of measures that provide formative data are Curriculum-Based Measurement probes in oral reading fluency and Daily Behavior Report Cards.

Student Interview/Survey

Student Interview Learning Survey pp. 4-5

Instructional Setting Rating Sheet

Instructional Setting Rating Sheet p. 14

Teacher Referral Form: Secondary Level

Teacher Referral Form: Secondary Level p. 3

Assessing Student Work Completion & Quality: ‘Permanent Work Products’

Permanent Products: Assessing Completion, Accuracy and Quality pp. 8-9

Permanent Products: Assessing Completion, Accuracy and Quality pp

Permanent Products Assessment: Steps

Permanent Products: Independent Seatwork Observation Form

Permanent Products Assessment: Steps

Permanent Products Assessment: Steps

Permanent Products Assessment: Steps

Permanent Products Evaluatoin: Decision Rules

Permanent Products Evaluatoin: Decision Rules

Student On-Task Observation Form

Student On-Task Observation Form p. 12

Student On-Task Observation Summary Form p. 13

Teacher Behavior Log & Student Scatterplot

Teacher Behavior Log p. 15

Behavioral Scatterplot p. 16 Step 2: Superimpose the student’s school schedule over the scatterplot. Look for significant patterns between location/activity and PRESENCE or ABSENCE of student behaviors. X Math Step 1: Plot Teacher Behavior Log Data onto Scatterplot. (In example, ‘X’ represents student refusal to comply with teacher request.) Reading Science

How Do We Know Whether Motivation is a Barrier to Learning How Do We Know Whether Motivation is a Barrier to Learning?: Student Motivation Assessment

Schoolwork Motivation Assessment p. 6 Sources: Witt, J., & Beck, R. (1999). One minure academic functional assessment andinterventions: "Can't" do it…or "won't" do it? Longmont, CO: Sopris West. Witt, J. C., VanDerHeyden, A. M., Gilbertson, D. (2004). Troubleshooting behavioral interventions: A systematic process for finding and eliminating problems. School Psychology Review, 33, 363-381.

Schoolwork Motivation Assessment p. 7

Schoolwork Motivation Assessment Step 1: Assemble an incentive menu Step 2: Create two versions of a timed worksheet Step 3: Administer the first timed worksheet to the student WITHOUT incentives. Step 4: Compute an improvement goal. 5: Have the student select an incentive for improved performance. Step 6: Administer the second timed worksheet to the student WITH incentives. Step 7: Interpret the results of the academic motivation assessment to select appropriate interventions.

Schoolwork Motivation Assessment Step 1: Assemble an Incentive menu Create a 4-5 item menu of modest incentives or rewards that students in the class are most likely to find motivating.

Schoolwork Motivation Assessment Step 2: Create two versions of a timed worksheet Make up two versions of custom student worksheets. The worksheets should be at the same level of difficulty, but each worksheet should have different items or content to avoid a practice effect. NOTE: If possible, the worksheets should contain standardized short-answer items (e.g., matching vocabulary words to their definitions) to allow you to calculate the student’s rate of work completion.

Schoolwork Motivation Assessment Step 3: Administer the first timed worksheet to the student WITHOUT incentives. In a quiet, non-distracting location, administer the first worksheet or CBM probe under timed, standardized conditions. Collect the probe or worksheet and score.

Schoolwork Motivation Assessment Step 4: Compute an improvement goal. After you have scored the first CBM probe or worksheet, compute a ’20 percent improvement goal’. Multiply the student’s score on the worksheet by 1.2. This product represents the student’s minimum goal for improvement. Example: A student who completed 20 correct items on a timed worksheet will have an improvement goal of 24 (20 x 1.2 = 24).

Schoolwork Motivation Assessment Step 5: Have the student select an incentive for improved performance. Tell the student that if he or she can attain a score on the second worksheet that meets or exceeds your goal for improvement (Step 3), the student can earn an incentive. Show the student the reward menu. Ask the student to select the incentive that he or she will earn if the student makes or exceeds the goal.

Schoolwork Motivation Assessment Step 6: Administer the second timed worksheet to the student WITH incentives. Give the student the second CBM probe. Collect and score. If the student meets or exceeds the pre-set improvement goal, award the student the incentive.

Schoolwork Motivation Assessment Step 7: Interpret the results of the academic motivation assessment to select appropriate interventions. ACADEMIC INTERVENTIONS ONLY. If the student fails to meet or exceed the improvement goal, an academic intervention should be selected to teach the appropriate skills or to provide the student with drill and practice opportunities to build fluency in the targeted academic area(s).

Schoolwork Motivation Assessment Step 7(Cont): Interpret the results of the academic motivation assessment to select appropriate interventions. COMBINED ACADEMIC AND PERFORMANCE INTERVENTIONS. If the student meets or exceeds the improvement goal but continues to function significantly below the level of classmates, an intervention should be tailored that includes strategies to both improve academic performance and to increase the student’s work motivation.

Schoolwork Motivation Assessment Step 7(Cont): Interpret the results of the academic motivation assessment to select appropriate interventions. PERFORMANCE INTERVENTIONS ONLY. If the student meets or exceeds the improvement goal with an incentive and shows academic skills that fall within the range of ‘typical’ classmates, the intervention should target only student work performance or motivation.

‘Motivation Assessment in Advanced Subject Areas’ Activity Brief behavior analysis of motivation (e.g., Schoolwork Motivation Assessment) is most effective for basic skill areas. In your ‘elbow groups’: Discuss ways that RTI Teams could collect information about whether motivation is an ‘academic blocker’ on more advanced academic tasks (e.g., writing a term paper) or subject areas (e.g., trigonometry).

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