Functional Behavioral Assessment Guidance Intended to Reduce Exclusionary Discipline and Better Support and Respond to Student Behavior
The U.S. Department of Education released guidance, today, to help schools and early childhood programs better support students’ behavioral needs.
The “Using Functional Behavioral Assessments to Create Supportive Learning Environments” guidance focuses on evidence-based practices to support students, with or without disabilities, whose behavior interferes with learning.
“Historically, there’s been an overreliance on exclusionary discipline practices, and this remains a top concern for educators, families, and the Department,” said Glenna Wright-Gallo, assistant secretary for the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS). “This Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA) guidance is rooted in evidence-based practices to support all students, regardless of disability status. It is one step toward getting needed, practical tools into the hands of every educator so they can more effectively meet the needs of all students.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control, school discipline is an urgent public health problem. Students who are removed from the classroom through suspensions, expulsions or informal removals due to behaviors that interfere with learning may experience long-lasting negative effects for both the student and their parents, such as:
- decreased academic achievement
- absenteeism
- not finishing high school
- increased involvement in the juvenile justice system and
- family stress.
These practices disproportionately affect Black students, white boys, boys of two or more races, and students with disabilities.
An FBA can help with understanding the function and purpose of a child’s specific, interfering behavior and factors that contribute to the behavior’s occurrence and non-occurrence for the purpose of developing effective positive behavioral interventions, supports, and other strategies to mitigate or eliminate the interfering behavior, according to OSERS 2022 Questions-and-Answers: Addressing the Needs of Children with Disabilities and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act’s Discipline Provisions.
The guidance, developed by OSERS and the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE), provides educators and families with information, tools, and resources to support the broader use of FBAs and behavioral plans for students with and without disabilities.
The FBA guidance describes an FBA, addresses common characteristics of an FBA and behavioral plans, explains how FBAs can inform instructional strategies, identifies guiding principles to support effective development and implementation, highlights federal funding sources for educator training related to FBAs, and provides technical assistance resources to support implementation.
“Secretary Cardona has directed us to consider every tool available to help students recover after the COVID-19 pandemic. And meaningful academic rebound requires attending to student well-being—including behavioral needs. An FBA can offer a more thoughtful, evidence-based approach to supporting behavior,” said Adam Schott, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary in the OESE.
Additionally, ED emphasizes in the guidance that there are no changes to parental consent under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Parental consent is still required when an FBA or behavioral plan is used as part of a special education evaluation under the IDEA and in certain instances related to the discipline of a student with a disability. Parental consent is not required when an FBA is used for instructional purposes for students with and without disabilities; however, the guidance encourages collaboration with parents when developing and implementing FBAs or behavioral plans.
Resources
Those interested in implementing FBAs can reference the guidance for federal technical assistance resources to support state and local education agencies, schools, early childhood programs, educators, and families which include:
- Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports
- National Center for Pyramid Model Innovations
- IRIS Center
Webinar
The Department hosted a webinar on Dec. 3, 2024 to share information about the guidance:
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