MDR/FBA/BSP Training for Special Education Program Specialists (2013-2014)

1. MDR/FBA/BSP Training for Special Education Program Specialists(2013-2014) August 30, 2013 Special Education Field Office Developed by the Office of Special Education Services, Houston ISD, Houston, TX

2. Developed by the Office of Special Education Services, Houston ISD, Houston, TX Revised Instructions for MDR/FBA/BSP

3. Developed by the Office of Special Education Services, Houston ISD, Houston, TX What does M D R stand for? • Manifestation • Determination • Review

4. Developed by the Office of Special Education Services, Houston ISD, Houston, TX When is an MDR needed? • 10+ days of suspension • Removal to DAEP • Expulsion

5. Developed by the Office of Special Education Services, Houston ISD, Houston, TX When should you request an MDR? • within 10 school days of decision to change placement

6. Developed by the Office of Special Education Services, Houston ISD, Houston, TX Who should be on the MDR/ARD Committee? • General Education Teacher • Special Education Teacher • Administrator • Licensed Specialist in School Psychology • Professionals who can provide professional input (e.g. school counselor, school nurse) • Who else?

7. Developed by the Office of Special Education Services, Houston ISD, Houston, TX Purpose of an MDR The ARD committee determines if there is a causal relationship between the behavior for which the student was suspended and the student’s disability (or a suspected disability of which school had knowledge before incident). NOTE: It is NOT the purpose of an MDR to decide if the student did what he/she is accused of doing or to decide what the student’s punishment should be.

8. Developed by the Office of Special Education Services, Houston ISD, Houston, TX Guidelines for Conducting an MDR The two questions the ARD committee must answer: • Was the conduct in question caused by, or did it have a direct and substantial relationship to, the student’s disability? • Was the conduct in question the direct result of the district’s failure to implement the student’s IEP ?

9. Developed by the Office of Special Education Services, Houston ISD, Houston, TX Guidelines for Conducting an MDR The behavior is considered a manifestation of the student’s disability if the committee answered “yes” to either of the questions. • If the behavior is a manifestation of the student’s disability, then the student must return to the suspending school after his/her suspension unless an administrative transfer has been arranged, or unless special circumstances (weapons, drugs, or serious bodily injury) are involved and the school has been notified that an alternative placement has been arranged. Note: At this point the committee must determine if a functional behavioral assessment (FBA) needs to be conducted in order to revise the behavioral support plan (BSP) OR if the child does not have a BSP, does one need to be written.

10. Developed by the Office of Special Education Services, Houston ISD, Houston, TX Guidelines for Conducting an MDR • If the determination is “NO”, • the ARD committee has the authority to recommend the relevant disciplinary procedures to the student with disabilities in the same manner and for the same duration as the procedures would be applied to a child without disabilities, EXCEPT – for whatever special education and related services the school system is required to provide the child with disabilities under IDEA.

11. Developed by the Office of Special Education Services, Houston ISD, Houston, TX Proposed MDR Supplement in the Easyiep System • Pre-set questions on interface to guide thorough discussion • Use of drop down menu and radio button to reduce writing time • Designated space to document follow-up actions needed

12. Developed by the Office of Special Education Services, Houston ISD, Houston, TX Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA) • A systematic problem-solving approach • A tool to help devise effective function-driven interventions

13. Developed by the Office of Special Education Services, Houston ISD, Houston, TX How to Request an FBA

14. Developed by the Office of Special Education Services, Houston ISD, Houston, TX FBA

15. Developed by the Office of Special Education Services, Houston ISD, Houston, TX Define Problem Behavior • Prioritize behavioral concerns according to safety risk, and interference to instruction and social interaction • Specify the behavior in concrete, measurable terms • Don’t try to work on all behaviors at one time, pick only 1-2 most serious behaviors.

16. Developed by the Office of Special Education Services, Houston ISD, Houston, TX Collect Data

17. Developed by the Office of Special Education Services, Houston ISD, Houston, TX Make Hypothesis • Based on the data collected, determine: • What triggers the behavior (antecedent) • What sustain the behavior (consequences) • What benefits the student gets from the behavior (function)

18. Developed by the Office of Special Education Services, Houston ISD, Houston, TX Devise function-driven interventions • Strategies to change behavior will fall under one of these key areas…

19. Developed by the Office of Special Education Services, Houston ISD, Houston, TX Strategies to Change Behavior…

20. Developed by the Office of Special Education Services, Houston ISD, Houston, TX Modifying Environment How will situations (who, what, when, where) change that seem to be associated with the behavior? How will staff adapt the environment to reduce or eliminate the setting events and antecedents?

21. Developed by the Office of Special Education Services, Houston ISD, Houston, TX Modifying Environment • Discuss with your table group for 1 minute something you can do to modify the environment.

22. Developed by the Office of Special Education Services, Houston ISD, Houston, TX Modifying Environment Accommodations and modifications including: • Activities not requiring writing • Extended time • Give high interest work • Pre-teach difficult tasks • Provide highly-structured activities • Work in a small group • Provide a work area with minimal distractions • Seat by positive peer or adult

23. Developed by the Office of Special Education Services, Houston ISD, Houston, TX Teaching Replacement Behavior What other behavior or skill will be taught to the student so he/she can accomplish his/her purpose in a more acceptable way?

24. Developed by the Office of Special Education Services, Houston ISD, Houston, TX Teaching Replacement Behavior • Discuss with your table group for 1 minute how to teach replacement behavior.

25. Developed by the Office of Special Education Services, Houston ISD, Houston, TX Teaching Replacement Behavior Alternative skills/behaviors to be taught include: • Anger management skills • Study skills • Communication strategies (asking for help with academic or social situations) • Problem-solving skills

26. Developed by the Office of Special Education Services, Houston ISD, Houston, TX When selecting replacement behaviors, the team should address the following questions... Will the replacement behavior: Work as well as the challenging behavior in meeting the student's needs? Be an acceptable alternative to the challenging behavior? Be something that the student chooses to do and that his or her family and teachers support? Help build a positive reputation for the student?

27. Developed by the Office of Special Education Services, Houston ISD, Houston, TX Reinforcing Consequences How will people appropriately react when the problem behavior occurs, in a way that does not feed into the student’s purpose?

28. Developed by the Office of Special Education Services, Houston ISD, Houston, TX Reinforcing Consequences • Discuss with your table group for 1 minute what appropriate reinforcing a student behavior looks like.

29. Developed by the Office of Special Education Services, Houston ISD, Houston, TX Reinforcing Consequences Appropriate response or reinforcement include: • Give student positive feedback for appropriate behavior • Give time to engage in a preferred activity as a reward

30. Developed by the Office of Special Education Services, Houston ISD, Houston, TX Implement Plan and Monitor Progress DATA COLLECTION Who will do what by when and how often? What data collection method will be used to document the implementation efforts? Who will monitor the implementation of the plan and how often? Who, when, and how the plan will be assessed for effectiveness and revised if necessary? Is the

31. Developed by the Office of Special Education Services, Houston ISD, Houston, TX How can you help collect good data? Good data comes from good documentation in: • Frequency • Duration • Intensity • Latency

32. Developed by the Office of Special Education Services, Houston ISD, Houston, TX Behavior Support and Intervention Plan…

33. Developed by the Office of Special Education Services, Houston ISD, Houston, TX Proposed Changes of the BSP in the Easyiep System… • Change BSP to BSIP--Behavior Support and Intervention Plan • Include a formal behavior support/intervention plan that must involve 3 sets of strategies: • Prevention: Antecedents/Changes to Environment • Teaching: Behaviors/Skill Building • Reinforcement: Consequences/Staff Responses • Additional sections to be added: • Implementing the Plan • Monitoring the Plan • Evaluating the Plan

34. Developed by the Office of Special Education Services, Houston ISD, Houston, TX Be on the lookout for… • An FBA referral process that includes a screening tool • An expanded BSP (BSIP) in Easyiep to include an Implementation Plan that directly correlates to actions in the classroom • Trainings to address these new elements • Future PBIS systems within the district

35. Developed by the Office of Special Education Services, Houston ISD, Houston, TX What is your take-away from this training?