Behavior Support

The Behavior Staff Support Network is designed to give experienced behavior professionals (5+ years) a way to connect with other behavior staff to learn from, network with, and support each other. During each meeting, educators will have the opportunity to share valuable resources to avoid reinventing the wheel and to share their behavior expertise to improve behavioral interventions and outcomes. Participants will also have access to the latest news, research, and other developments impacting behavior support.

These 3-hour virtual sessions are available on these 3 dates. Each session runs from 9:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.:

• November 16, 2023

The role of a behavior specialist, interventionist, coordinator, and coach is characterized by many essential competencies. These individuals require a combination of knowledge, skills, abilities, and behaviors that allow them to understand student behavior, accurately collect and analyze data, create effective intervention plans, and communicate with teachers, staff, administration, and families. This program is designed to help foster the professional growth and development of school staff who support student behavior.

• Functional Behavior Assessment
• Classroom Observations
• Data Collection
• Communication
• Goal Writing
• Trauma and Behavior
• Coaching and Modeling 

Positive Behavior Intervention Support: Tier 2 Interventions

November 30 and December 1, 2023  |  Virtual Session

The Positive Behavior Intervention Supports: Tier 2 Interventions training will assist schools in implementing Tier 2 interventions within the Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) framework. This training will focus on targeted interventions for small groups of students or provide simple individualized strategies for those students who have not responded to Tier 1 efforts. 

Ideally for the best outcomes campuses should have a solid Tier 1 system for behavior interventions in place as we as campuses should consider attending as a team (3-8 individuals including an administrator as well as teachers, special education teachers, counselor and individuals with behavioral expertise). Learn more and register here.

The self-contained classroom is a place where special education teachers can accommodate individual students who typically exhibit the greatest learning and behavioral challenges. While these classes offer the benefit of smaller class size and higher staff-to-student ratio, the task of organizing the classroom to minimize behavior issues and maximize student learning can feel daunting. Although setting up a self-contained classroom can feel overwhelming, with the right preparation and organization, you will be able to create a positive and productive classroom environment.

During this in-person session, participants will learn the essential components needed for a successful classroom. Event will be held at The Harris Center for Mental Health and IDD Southwest Community Service Center. Directions available here.

April 23, 2024  |  Virtual Session

Students with challenging behaviors often feel unmotivated and demonstrate a lack of interest in classroom content. Engaging and inspiring learners who seem disinterested can feel like an impossible task. You may wonder if there is anything you can do to promote students’ engagement and motivation to learn. While there are nuances that can change from student to student, there are practical strategies that can be implemented in the classroom to increase the motivation of students. Therefore, this session will explore ways to reignite enthusiasm in even the most unmotivated students.

• Understand why students might be unmotivated in class and learn how to boost student engagement.
• Examine key processes for guiding and inspiring unmotivated students.
• Learn how to build strong, trusting teacher-student relationships.

Check & Connect Preparation & Implementation Training for Coordinators

January 26, 2024 |  In-Person Session

This 1-day training is specifically for campus/district-based coordinators of the Check and Connect program. Check & Connect is an evidence-based intervention used with K-12 students who show warning signs of disengagement with school and who are at risk of dropping out. At the core of Check & Connect is a trusting relationship between the student and a caring, trained mentor who both advocates for and challenges the student to keep education salient. Students are referred to Check & Connect when they show warning signs of disengaging from school, such as poor attendance, behavioral issues, and/or low grades.

Check and Connect Preparation & Implementation Training provides administrators and leadership teams with a thorough overview of the intervention and how to prepare their site for implementing with fidelity. This training will focus on preparing to implement the program and is not designed for mentors. For registration information on this session, e-mail Lisette Spraggins.

Check and Connect Mentor Training

July 30–31. 2024  |  In-Person Session

Check & Connect mentors spend approximately one hour per week per student gathering and analyzing data, meeting one-on-one with students on a weekly basis, and engaging with families. Mentors work with caseloads of students and families for at least two years, functioning as liaisons between home and school and striving to build constructive family-school relationships.

Mentor training is an in-depth, 12-hour face-to-face competency-based training designed to provide Check & Connect mentors with the information, competencies, and skills needed to be an effective Check & Connect mentor at their local site. This training is designed for those assigned the role of Check & Connect mentor as well as those interested in Check & Connect mentoring principles and practices.

Participation in this training requires an invitation by the Check and Connect Coordinators.  The Check & Connect site coordinators and administrators who will be supporting mentors are also encouraged to attend. For registration information on this session, e-mail Lisette Spraggins.

Alternatives to Suspension Using Restorative Practices

June 27, 2024  |  Virtual Session

This full-day virtual session will provide practical strategies for how to address disciplinary actions using restorative practices.  A variety of activities will be used to encourage participant reflection on disciplinary mindset and practices, stakeholder support for non-exclusionary forms of discipline, and application of alternative strategies. 

This session will review policies and practices that may address Results Driven Accountability (RDA) discipline concerns by providing alternatives to traditional disciplinary practices and strategies to support their use. Learn more and register here.

Repairing Harm with Restorative Conferences

July 24, 2024  |  Virtual Session

This session will detail the steps in facilitating a restorative conference. Restorative conferences change our responses to wrongdoing in schools. They encourage your students to be active and willing participants in their own discipline—these practices don’t seek to establish unilateral punishment techniques to all students for all offenses.

By involving the victim and offender in the process when appropriate, you help reestablish connections, build relationships, and foster a sense of growth and community within your students.

This session will also review fundamental behavioral principles of positive reinforcement and behavior-specific praise to build the ultimate behavior changes desired. participants will receive materials to support the implementation of this process. Learn more and register.