Behavior Management Program & Process

Behavior Management Program Overview

An integrated behavior management program at Project DRIVE was created with the objective of creating an atmosphere for enhanced learning through the establishment of rules. These rules or guidelines are based on appropriate behavior, student development and abilities.

This program prepares students to learn from the processing of behavior issues in preparation to their eventual return to the Elementary, Middle, or High Schools. The rules of behavior, therefore, are the same expectations that these schools have for all students. This program, however, allows for greater flexibility in accommodating and redirecting inappropriate behaviors.

The major aspects of this program:

1. Establishes standardized rules of behavior.

2. Provides protocols for the identification, cueing, redirection, consequence, processing, and reintegration of the student that minimizes inconsistencies and power struggles from vague and/or individual preferences.

3. Integrates behavior with incentive program.

4. Provides important behavioral data to assist in the assessment and evaluation of student progress.

5. Allows for specific behavioral accommodations based on student’s IEP or FBP.

6. Provides a review process by which the student can participate in the IEP/FBP amendment process to adjust behavior modification process.

7. Provides for a rapid identification and redirection of inappropriate behaviors that is multi-sensory and concrete.

8. Allows for the student to regain control of his/her behavior through a multi-step process that provides specific interventions and consequences/incentives.

This program seeks to be pro-active, objective, and goal directed that sets standards for all students while allowing for customized interventions based on student abilities to be used.

The Behavior Management Process is composed of four distinct phases. They are:

1. Warning
2. Cueing
3. Consequence/Processing
4. Resolution and Reintegration

During the transition through these stages, various means of cueing, prompting, redirecting, reflecting and processing are employed. An incentive program for appropriate behavior is utilized alongside the behavior management process.

The Warning Phase is the most important of all the phases. In the warning phase, students and staff recognize the potential triggers to behavior or obscene signs BEFORE the behavior manifests itself. As the triggers are identified, the triggers are removed, the potential for “bad” behavior is identified, and the student is redirected with new behavior. In the warning phase, students have a choice to take a 5-minute break to process the triggers and regain their composure.

The Warning Phase consists of staff recognizing student behavior indicative of the escalation towards an inappropriate behavior or violation of established school rules or policies. These signals vary in presentation but are consistent in the outcomes if no intervention occurs. This phase seeks to intervene before the negative behavior manifests and becomes evident. During this phase the student’s cues are identified and linked to the potential of negative behavior based on previous documented observations. In this manner the student becomes aware of the connection and may begin to self-monitor when they recognize the triggers and cues. Staff will also provide redirection in the form of alternative instructions to replace the potential for negative behavior.

Functional Behavior Plans and Individual Education Plans should be referred to at all times.

Behavior Management Process: Processing Component

Processing is a non-punitive consequence given in response to inappropriate behaviors (to include language, gesture, or actions) in order to accomplish the following:

1. Minimize disruption of class learning experience.
2. Decrease external stimuli that may sustain or increase the behavior.
3. Allow students to regain self-control.
4. Afford time to reflect on the behavior and its root cause.
5. Process thoughts, feelings and behavior surrounding the event.
6. Explore more appropriate ways of dealing and preventing re-occurrence of behavior.
7. Re-integration back into the classroom in a respectful manner.

What behaviors prompt the assignment of processing?

1. Behavior that violates established rules of behavior.
2. If the behavior is not clearly specified in the rules then the following test can be applied
   1. Safety: Are the actions safe to the student, peers, or staff?
   2. Respect: Are the actions respectful of the student, peers, or staff?
   3. Honesty: Are the actions and words (appropriate) accurately reflecting the student’s feelings
   4. Responsibility: Are the student’s actions reflective of being a responsible member of the community?
3. If the answer to any one of these questions is “NO” then the use of processing time may be used if immediate corrective action does not occur.
   

Suspensions

When a student is suspended from Project DRIVE, the case manager will contact a parent by phone and send a letter home notifying the parent/guardian by an administrator or designee. Efforts are made to utilize in-school suspension whenever possible. The length of suspension depends on the student's infraction. In suspensions accumulating beyond 10 days, the Special Education Placement Team shall immediately review the current Individual Education Plan and placement of the student with educational disabilities to determine whether the behavior leading to the suspension is a direct result of the student's educational disabilities.

If a Special Education Placement Team determines that the behavior leading to the suspension is a direct result of the student's educational disabilities, the student's Individual Education Plan and/or placement may be modified. Students will be responsible for class work missed while serving an out-of-school suspension. Students will be expected to make-up work. A student will only re-enter the program after the student, parent/guardian, and school staff have met to discuss the incident.

If a student is suspended from the High School/Middle School he/she will be suspended at the Milford Alternative School, Project DRIVE as well. The same rule applies in reverse. If a student is suspended at the Milford Alternative School, Project DRIVE they are suspended from the High School/Middle School.