Chapter 10: Using Data to Inform Strategic Supports
It’s important to remember that assessment is not static, but an action—an ongoing formative process to ensure all students are getting what they need.
—Starr Sackstein
Opening Vignette: Lashing Out
Myla is in third grade this year. Before the school year began, her teacher, Ms. Andrews, got an earful from the second-grade team about Myla’s behavior problems last year, including getting suspended for fighting in the cafeteria. Ms. Andrews tried to keep an open mind, but she quickly understood why her colleagues were so frustrated and concerned about Myla’s behavior. From the first week of school, Ms. Andrews had to consistently redirect Myla throughout the day. She required a great deal of attention and support for even simple requests like lining up.Ms. Andrews was able to keep many of the issues from escalating, but occasionally she was not able to intervene in time. In these instances, Myla would often get frustrated with her peers and become aggressive and sometimes lash out at anyone in her vicinity. Ms. Andrews is an experienced teacher, and she has many strategies to support students who struggle to stay regulated, but she felt like she just could not stay ahead of Myla’s needs. After a particularly challenging day, she caught the school counselor, Mr. McMillan, in the hallway and was on the verge of tears as she explained that she was struggling to figure out what Myla needed and to understand the factors affecting her angry outbursts.
After chatting with Mr. McMillan for a few minutes, they decided that Myla’s experiences in third grade so far indicated that additional data were needed to determine how to strategically support Myla’s engagement. Mr. McMillan said he would reach out to the Positive Behavior Support team to initiate the external data collection process. He also promised to stop by Ms. Andrew’s classroom in the morning to chat with Myla and see if she was interested in joining the third-grade lunch group with some other children who were working on self-regulation. Ms. Andrews was glad that she shared her concerns and was optimistic that with some intentional data collection and counseling support, they might be able to minimize the frequency and intensity of Myla’s frustration points.
Introduction
Having a well-stocked toolkit with both low- and high-profile strategies is important, but when we notice that certain students are requiring support on a regular basis (especially with high-profile strategies), it might be time to start using data collection as another strategy to understand how to better support students. We often collect data on students’ academic performance, but it can be equally as important to collect data around a student’s behavioral challenges. The purpose of this data collection is not to shame or embarrass the child, but to bring awareness to the frequency, duration, and contextual factors surrounding the behavior. This type of behavioral assessment can be a strategic way to advocate for children and determine the support they need to be successful in the classroom. Too often, data are collected and not used or are used in ways that stigmatize children and families. In this chapter, we consider how data can inform educators’ understanding of behavioral concerns and serve as a way to monitor progress once supports have been put in place.
The data collection process does not have to be complicated or stressful. The important thing is to pay attention to where, when, why, and how often the behavior is occurring. Additionally, it can be helpful to observe whether the strategies you are using are working all the time or only under certain circumstances. If they are not working consistently, data collection procedures can help identify additional information to find solutions that work more consistently. Sometimes teachers can collect data on their own during the course of the day. Other times, it is necessary for another observer to support the data collection process. For instance, if a child is regularly needing support during center time or independent work periods (when the teacher is free to move between student groups), the teacher might be able to collect data on one child for a few days. If, however, a student is consistently having trouble during math when the teacher is guiding a whole-group lesson and then is working with smaller math groups, it would be difficult for the teacher to collect data during this time.
When behavioral concerns are occurring consistently, it is a signal to recruit additional personnel to help collect data and possibly provide additional support. As we discussed in Chapter 5, providing more intensive supports for students in Tiers 2 and 3 often requires comprehensive services. In Chapter 11, we will talk extensively about wraparound services for students who need the most support, but in this chapter, we discuss a variety of ways to collect data to inform solutions for behavioral concerns. Being familiar with data collection tools allows teachers to begin the collection process on their own and know how to ask for specific guidance and support. In school-based settings, a number of other professionals typically can help with data collection, including administrators, special education teachers, school counselors, behavioral support staff, and instructional assistants.
In this chapter, we will
explore the purpose of data collection to inform continual behavioral challenges (10.1),
discuss various types of data collection tools to observe behavior (10.2), and- contemplate how and when to use data collection to advocate for more intensive services when necessary (10.3).
10.1 Purpose of Data Collection
The role of data collection is to focus on observable behaviors and notice patterns, triggers, and external factors that are affecting the behavior. Data collection, when done well, can also inform decision-making around the most effective supports and document progress for a particular child. Data collection in and of itself does not solve behavioral problems; however, it can help educators understand the context of the behavior. It can be helpful to think about data collection as part of the scientific method (Ackoff, 1962). When using the scientific method approach, we would take the following steps:
- Pose a question: Develop a driving question to focus the data collection, such as “Why is this behavior occurring? When or how often? How are the behaviors impacting progress?”
- Develop a hypothesis: Contemplate a working hypothesis, or strategic guess, that connects to the question, such as “I think the behaviors increase in the afternoon” or “I think that physical aggression follows unsuccessful bids for socialization.”
- Test your hypothesis: Decide what data to collect or how to collect it. Are you going to look for antecedents, record frequency, or measure duration? “I will start watching this child, using an observational recording, during morning transition and afternoon transition to see if afternoons are harder.”
- Analyze the data: Organize the data in a way that answers the initial question using charts, graphs, or summary tables. “As I review the frequency count of this child’s outbursts, it seems that morning meeting gets overwhelming after the first few minutes.”
- Use the findings: Consider your approaches to make supportive modifications. You could also share observational data with the behavioral support or grade-level team or use the findings to plan interventions. “We will have a Plan B conversation to talk through possible options that the child can use when feeling overwhelmed with the noise during morning meeting.”
When we take a scientific approach to understanding a child’s behaviors, we lean into processes of observation and documentation to surface possible resolutions. As we approach the data collection process, it is important to pose questions and develop a hypothesis to determine how we might understand the child’s experience better. As illustrated in the opening vignette, the classroom teacher will not always be responsible for the steps of the data collection process, especially when wraparound services are required. It is important, however, for educators to be knowledgeable about the assessment process and the role that they may be asked to play. When we understand the purpose of data collection as answering a question or testing a hypothesis, the data collection process offers a snapshot of functioning that helps us organize observations in a measurable way before making decisions about progress, interventions, or plans. Depending on the severity of the issue and the amount of support, the length of the observation window may vary.
Possibilities and Pitfalls of Data Collection
Data collection should be used to support the child and the family when challenging behaviors are occurring regularly, but when we are too rigid with our assessment processes, it can have the opposite effect. Assessment can play three key roles in the data collection process. Each of these uses provide both possibilities and pitfalls when collecting data to support behavioral concerns. The data collection process can (1) provide common language to discuss the behavioral concern, (2) focus the discussion on observable data, and (3) inform decision-making for future supports. Each of these areas are discussed in the following sections.
Provide Common Language
One of the reasons that a formalized data collection process is helpful is that it provides a common language for people within the educational system. If an established procedure exists for requesting behavioral support and common terms are used to discuss behavioral assessments, educators understand what to do to advocate for children who need additional support. Having a common language also improves communication for stakeholders within the system. Administrators and specialists will be more likely to understand the teacher’s perspective if this common language for describing behaviors is used when sharing concerns.
The downside to having a linguistic discourse for behavioral assessment is that it can alienate people who are not well-versed in the “common” language. For instance, families, new English speakers, and novice teachers may feel overwhelmed with the educational jargon of assessment. This may cause some people to shut down and not actively participate in discussions about their own children or students. The formalization of the behavioral support system and language may also intimidate some adults. Families and teachers may avoid reaching out for support, for example, if they feel they may be blamed for the child’s behavior or if they are concerned that they will not have a voice in the discussion. We believe that having a common language around data collection is important, but steps should be taken to ensure that all stakeholders understand the process and are included as valued participants in the behavioral support process.
Focus on the Data
One of the primary purposes of data collection is to look closely at what is happening during behavioral episodes and to focus on observational facts. The data collection process (as described in this chapter) helps us see what is happening in the classroom community and gives us language to describe these events. It can also help us quantify behavioral incidents in ways that lead to deeper insight about the factors affecting the behavior. Stepping back from the emotional components of challenging behavior (i.e., I am just done with this kid) as well as the stories that are generated around this type of behavior (i.e., His dad was just like this) can give us a fresh perspective. Removing the emotional responses and looking at the observable facts can keep us from making dangerous assumptions about why a child is behaving in certain ways. As we have discussed in various chapters of this book, adult assumptions about children’s behavior are often incorrect. Collecting neutral observational data can help begin a conversation with the child and other stakeholders about what is happening, which will lead to productive ideas for solving the problem.
One drawback of focusing exclusively on the data and removing the emotional response is that we can lose sight of the child. Sometimes we get so caught up in the data and what it is “telling” us that we forget the next step, which must always be to bring the child back into focus. We cannot truly solve any behavioral issues without directly involving the human who is struggling. The data cannot tell us anything about what is under the waterline of the iceberg. It cannot reveal trauma. It cannot tell us about a child’s developmental differences. It cannot share how the child is feeling. Our stance is that focusing on the data is a critically important component of the process of supporting children with behavioral challenges, but it is a means to an end, not the end in and of itself. Rather, the end goal is to curate a combination of supports that gives the child and the teacher agency within the classroom community and begins to shift the problematic behaviors.
Inform Decision-Making
Working with a child who has significant behavioral challenges can be exhausting, and it can feel like you are making decisions in the dark. Problems can stack up so quickly that it is hard to know where to begin unraveling the issues and what the right next steps are to take. Data collection provides a way to document and organize these often-overwhelming incidents and offers some clear signs about where to go next. One of the toughest elements of working with behaviorally challenging kids are the feelings of helplessness that can arise (i.e., I don’t have any more tricks up my sleeve … I have used all the strategies in my toolkit).
Data collection can begin to make sense of the overwhelming feeling of constantly trying to manage difficult behavior. Sometimes, analyzing data highlights obvious supports at specific times that have not yet been implemented. Other times the data can help make strategy selection more intentional and specific. Many times, the data illuminate surprising trends (for both the child and the teacher) revealing observations that they were not aware of (i.e., I didn’t realize how many times I was out of my seat during independent math time). Data collection is a vital part of decision-making and can be used effectively within the behavioral support process.
The downside to using data to make decisions occurs when adults use the data to take the child out of the decision. Unfortunately, the process of data collection can lead adults to think they have all the information and that they are well prepared to make all the decisions. If we do not see assessment data as one piece of a larger puzzle, we are bound to make mistakes and will rarely identify long-term solutions. Assessment data often gives us a clear quantitative (or numerical) picture about what is happening (i.e., Chris called out seven times during the 10-minute whole-group lesson), but the story surrounding that data can be told only by the people within that community.
Once assessment data have been collected, it is now time to allow the child, the teacher, and sometimes other class members to give insight about what the data are revealing. The stories around the data offer qualitative evidence and further contextualize the situation. If we view the quantitative data as the whole picture, we likely will make incorrect decisions about how to support the child. More problematically, it can lead adults to build a case against the child and fuel arguments to exclude children from classroom communities. Clearly, this is a misuse of assessment data. It is the combination of the quantitative and qualitative assessment data that can lead to effective solutions. We advocate that decisions should be informed by both quantitative and qualitative data and should never be used against a child, but rather to support their growth and development.
Pause and Consider: Using Assessment to Expand Our Lens
Miss Carmen is a readiness program teacher in a small preschool. She notices that one of her students, Liam, has frequent periods of dysregulation. Miss Carmen asked the behavior specialist, Ms. Emilia, for advice about how to support Liam and to help create a plan to decrease undesirable behaviors. When meeting with the behavior specialist, Miss Carmen shared that during rest time, Liam moves around the room and finds objects to throw at staff and other children (without an obvious trigger) and can become physically aggressive when staff intervene. Miss Carmen noted that he does not seem ready for preschool.Ms. Emilia suggested that collecting some data might help give them more information. Miss Carmen shared that they had been collecting data on Liam so far this year. Miss Carmen understood the importance of data collection and knew that Ms. Emilia would need data to create a plan or recommend a program change. She handed Ms. Emilia a notebook that included a record of every time Liam engaged in maladaptive behaviors. Some entries read as simple statements, “Liam kicked another child during morning circle time.” Some entries read as daily summaries, “Liam had another rough day today. He came in this morning wearing the same clothes he wore to school yesterday and refused to eat his morning snack. When he saw his friends playing with his favorite blocks, he threw his snack and crawled under the table.”
Ms. Emilia recognized that the data were limited, but they did provide some important information about how the adults were viewing and responding to Liam. She agreed to work with the classroom staff and suggested that she would come in next week to collect additional data to inform the team before making any decisions. Ms. Emilia also asked Miss Carmen to start keeping data about what is happening right before the behavioral issues arise. She showed Miss Carmen how to set up an antecedent-behavior-consequence (ABC) chart in her notebook. Ms. Emilia also asked Miss Carmen to start tracking instances when Liam is engaging productively and able to meet classroom expectations. Through these suggestions Ms. Emilia is trying to specify the observations the classroom teacher is recording, while also offering to do some external data collection. Together they will work with the behavioral support team to identify challenges that Liam is facing and how to support his needs.
What questions would you have about Liam and his classroom presentation? What possibilities and pitfalls of data collection are present in this scenario? How does the behavioral specialist support the teacher in expanding the assessment practices and develop a common language for understanding the problem? How would the additional assessments help clarify the situation?
10.2 Data Collection Tools
Many different types of data collection tools focus on specific behavioral occurrences in classrooms. In the following sections, we will discuss a variety of options, explain how they can be used, and provide examples to show how educators have used these tools to gain information about a behavioral concern. There are strengths and weaknesses to each data collection approach and multiple tools often are needed to get a fuller picture about when, where, and under what circumstances the behavior is present. Some common recording tools discussed in this section are observational recordings, antecedent-behavior-consequence (ABC) records, event frequency, interval recordings, time sampling, duration, and latency.
Observational Recordings
When using observational recordings, we are noticing all the things going on in the classroom community, not just when the behavior is occurring. These recordings are sometimes referred to as running records or anecdotal records. This type of recording takes more time and focused observation, but it does not require complicated forms (see Figure 10.1 for an example of observational recordings). The classroom teacher can be informally collecting some of this data, but another observer is required to take full advantage of this type of data collection. Observational recordings are always a good place to begin data collection because they give us a lot of qualitative information about what is happening in the classroom and how a particular child is responding. They can also be helpful if the behavior seems to be happening at “random” and the teacher has not identified any type of pattern or initial trigger. Because this type of observation is looking broadly at the classroom as a whole and its impact on the child, many details and potential factors can be collected.
| Student Initials: PB Observer: S. Miller
Date: 10/16/23 Time: 7:50 AM to 8:30 AM |
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| Time | Recording |
|---|---|
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7:55 |
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8:00 |
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8:05 |
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8:07 |
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8:08 |
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8:10 |
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8:12 |
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8:15 |
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8:20 |
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8:25 |
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Figure 10.1: Observational recording sample.
During an observational recording, a well-trained observer will notice not only the activities and learning experiences (i.e., small-group science activity with magnets) but also the sensory input (i.e., noise volume) and the student’s affective responses (i.e., how they are feeling and visual signs of stress). When the observer is able to note what others are saying and doing and how the environment is shifting, important patterns can emerge through observational recordings. It is often helpful to use a laptop to type notes during an observational recording, which typically will be faster and easier than writing by hand. After reviewing the data from an observational record, it is often clear what other data and observational tools might be helpful.
Antecedent-Behavior-Consequence Records
For ABC records, we still keep a wide lens as in observational recording, but instead of focusing on all the events within the classroom, we specifically look at what happens directly before and after the specified behavioral issue (i.e., shutting down and refusing to engage in activities or assignments). Antecedents are the events, activities, or interactions that directly precede the behavior. Consequences are the events, activities, or interactions that occur directly after the behavior. Observers must be paying very close attention to the child to notice what happens before the behavior occurs and then noting what happens directly after. Some examples of common antecedents are that an adult gives a new directive or expectation (i.e., “It is time to clean up from snack and move to literacy stations”) or someone does something that the child did not like (i.e., a friend in the art center said that the child could not play with them). In both of these situations, it is helpful to see what happened before the child became upset and then also what was done directly afterward: Did an adult verbally reprimand the child? Were they given a second reminder? Did the adults ignore the behavior at first? The conditions before the behavior is exhibited and the actions taken afterward are important clues to understanding why the behaviors are persisting (see Figure 10.2 for an example of ABC recording).
| Student Initials: EM Observer: S. Miller
Date: 1/17/24 Time: 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM Behavior: EM is frequently shutting down and refusing to engage in activities or assignments |
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| Antecedent | Behavior | Consequence |
|---|---|---|
| Students working in small group; EM’s group was having trouble deciding who would do the writing, who would do the drawing, and who would find the facts; the group said EM should be the writer | EM got angry and told her group they were stupid and she wasn’t going to work with them; she ran back to her seat and covered her head with her sweatshirt | Teacher came over and asked EM what happened; teacher asked if she needed a few more minutes to calm down; stated that she would check back in with her in 2 minutes |
| Teacher modeled the math activity on the smartboard and passed out supplies for the students to work on five problems independently | EM put her head down on the desk and pushed the manipulatives to the floor; she muttered under her breath about how this math was too hard | Teacher put her hand on EM’s back and asked if she was feeling overwhelmed; she invited her to pick up the manipulatives and show her what she had tried; with reassurance, EM agreed |
| Two boys tricked EM into sharing a ball she was using and then they ran away | EM ran over to the wall of the school near the playground and put her head against the wall | Another teacher noticed EM and walked over to talk to her; they asked her if she needed help solving a problem; she said yes and they discussed what happened and made a plan |
Figure 10.2: ABC recording sample.
Event Frequency Recording
Event frequency recordings look at how often a particular behavior is occurring during specific times of the day. This tool is most effective for behaviors that are easy to count and tally. It is also helpful if we know, anecdotally, that they are happening fairly frequently. This tool is not as effective, however, for behavioral disturbances that happen intermittently. If a child is becoming angry and dysregulating a few times a week, the event frequency recording would not give us much additional information. An example of a time at which an event frequency tool would be helpful is if a student is having difficulty with spatial awareness. We might see repeated instances in which the child is in someone else’s personal space (the other children are usually agitated by this intrusion). We could use an event frequency recording to tally the number of times the child moves into someone else’s personal space during whole-group lessons on the carpet, either by touching another child or moving so close that the other child is uncomfortable. An event frequency recording would also be helpful for a child who is having difficulty managing impulses, such as shouting out thoughts and answers instead of using a nonverbal cue like raising their hand. See Figure 10.3 for an example of how this type of data could be collected.
| Student Initials: FD Observer: S. Miller
Date: 9/11/23 Time: 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM Behavior: Instead of raising her hand when trying to answer a question or speak, FD calls out during instructional time. |
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| Observation Windows | Tallies (Each observed instance) | Totals |
|---|---|---|
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8:00–8:30 |
// |
2 |
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8:30–9:00 |
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3 |
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9:00–9:30 |
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5 |
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9:30–10:00 |
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1 |
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10:00–10:30 |
0 |
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10:30–11:00 |
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3 |
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11:00–11:30 |
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4 |
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11:30–12:00 |
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4 |
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Total Behavior Occurrences: 22 |
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Figure 10.3: Event frequency recording sample.
Duration Recording
Duration recordings can be helpful if we want to know how long a behavior lasts and when the child is able to reengage. Typically, the observer would note the beginning and ending time for each behavioral occurrence. If the behavior is very obvious when it begins (i.e., the student shuts down and says, “I can’t do this!”), the classroom teacher can often collect this data by making a quick note about the time when the behavior began and then ended. If the behaviors are more subtle or occur more frequently, it is helpful to have an outside observer. Collecting duration data can help us notice when students are able to transition quickly and when they are getting stuck for longer periods of time. They can also help us measure progress if the duration is continuing to decrease even if the behavior is still occurring (see Figure 10.4 for an example of duration recording).
| Student Initials: AK Observer: S. Miller
Date(s): 9/11/23 – 9/15/23 (one week) Time: 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM (during independent work sessions) Behavior: AK appears to be looking into space and not focused on his work while at his desk during independent work sessions. |
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| Date | Time Start | Time Stop | Total Time |
|---|---|---|---|
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9/11/23 |
8:20 |
8:27 |
7 minutes |
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9/11/23 |
11:34 |
11:41 |
7 minutes |
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9/12/23 |
8:19 |
8:23 |
4 minutes |
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9/12/23 |
11:24 |
11:30 |
6 minutes |
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9/12/23 |
2:11 |
2:13 |
2 minutes |
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9/13/23 |
8:23 |
8:31 |
8 minutes |
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9/13/23 |
11:19 |
11:24 |
5 minutes |
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9/14/23 |
8:23 |
8:26 |
3 minutes |
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9/14/23 |
8:29 |
8:32 |
3 minutes |
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9/15/23 |
11:27 |
11:33 |
6 minutes |
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Total Time: 51 minutes during the week |
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Figure 10.4: Duration recording sample.
Interval Recording
Another way that we can measure behavioral frequency and duration simultaneously is by using an interval recording. With an interval recording, we are looking to see if the behavior is occurring within scheduled intervals, instead of a continuous observation as with the event frequency recording. The design of interval recordings can also capture duration during these intervals. This assessment tool can be helpful if a behavior is happening at an excessive rate and tallying each instance would be challenging. This type of record can be easier to complete because the observer is looking for the presence or absence of the behavior within certain predetermined intervals instead of measuring each individual occurrence. It can also be helpful if a behavior is happening fairly often and sometimes continuing for some duration. For instance, if we were collecting data on when a child was engaged in off-task behaviors, instead of tallying each time the child was off-task (for a very distractible child this could be a lot of occurrences), the observer would note this once during each set window. Let’s say the observer noted that 8 out of 10 minutes within the first interval the child was off-task playing with scissors, markers, and other objects in their desk. This gives us some frequency data during that interval, but we also have duration data that this off-task behavior lasted for approximately 8 minutes.
Typically, interval recording forms are formatted with tables for each interval (see Figure 10.5). The intervals can be set for a predetermined amount of time (i.e., 10 minutes) and then the observer notes whether the behavior occurred during the interval (i.e., notation every minute within the interval). The observer is simply marking whether the behavior was present or absent during that minute. Some interval recording forms will also include a section for the context during that interval (i.e., independent work during science). These contextual factors can highlight patterns surrounding the frequency and duration of the behavior (i.e., does the behavior happen more often during certain subjects or when there is more independent work). Interval recording forms can also be set up with each minute of an interval already marked with a time stamp.
| Student Initials: MT Observer: S. Miller
Date: 2/14/24 Time: 1:00 PM to 1:30 PM Interval Length: 10 minutes Behavior: MT is off-task during the shared reading time (i.e., talking to peers, playing with objects, looking out the window) instead of focusing and engaging in the lesson. + engaged behaviors − off-task behaviors |
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| Interval #1 |
Total Times |
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+/− |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
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− |
− |
− |
+ |
+ |
+ |
+ |
+ |
+ |
3 |
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| Context: During the first 10 minutes of the lesson, MT was playing with her shoelace and not focused on the teacher until she brought out the finger pointer and asked for volunteers to help point to the words on the poem. At this point, MT was very focused and looked directly at the teacher until she was called to help. | |||||||||||
Figure 10.5: Interval recording sample.
Time Sampling
Time sampling recordings are a variation of interval recordings that looks at one or more behaviors during a prescribed time period. The observer records the presence or absence of the behaviors at certain moments in time. This can be a quick and easy way to collect behavioral data. It does not provide a complete picture, but it does give a snapshot of what is happening at specific moments. For instance, as shown in Figure 10.6, the observer was looking for two specific behaviors over an hour and a half block of time. The observer was measuring (1) whether the child was in the correct location or out of their seat or the instructional area during instruction and (2) if they were engaged in the learning or off-task talking with peers. Using a timer or stopwatch, the observer noted whether the child was engaging in these behaviors every 10 minutes. The observer may miss some behaviors using this tool (i.e., the child might have been out of their seat at 10:05, and it would not be captured in this dataset), but it allows the observer to quickly review for a number of behaviors that may be happening regularly or often occurring simultaneously. Time sampling recordings also allow us to see when students are engaged in productive and appropriate behaviors.
| Student Initials: MV Observer: S. Miller
Date: 1/23/23 Time: 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM |
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| Time Start: | Behavior 1: Out of seat or instructional area | Behavior 2: Talking to peers at inappropriate times |
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10:00 |
Y N |
Y N |
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10:10 |
Y N |
Y N |
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10:20 |
Y N |
Y N |
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10:30 |
Y N |
Y N |
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10:40 |
Y N |
Y N |
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10:50 |
Y N |
Y N |
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11:00 |
Y N |
Y N |
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11:10 |
Y N |
Y N |
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11:20 |
Y N |
Y N |
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11:30 |
Y N |
Y N |
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TOTAL: |
5/10 |
7/10 |
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PERCENTAGE: |
50% |
70% |
Figure 10.6: Time sampling recording sample.
Latency Recording
Another way to capture data surrounding a behavioral concern is to look at how long it takes the child to engage in the desired behavior after a verbal or nonverbal cue. Latency recordings are focused on behavioral challenges that emerge after adult expectations are shared. These challenges are especially prominent around transition times. Latency recording tools can be especially helpful to quantify how much time it is taking the child to meet the expectation. Sometimes this type of data is helpful to show that the issue is not as problematic as it may seem, and the child just needs a bit more time than other students to transition. At other times, however, it makes it clear that the child is missing key aspects of the day because it is taking so long to engage in the next expected behavior. As Figure 10.7 shows, this student was having a significant amount of difficulty transitioning to school in the morning. The data signal that we need to put more supports in place for this child and possibly see what is happening before the child arrives at school as well as investigate how connected the child is feeling within the classroom community.
| Student Initials: CS Observer: S. Miller
Date(s): 8/15/16 – 8/24/16 Time: 8:20 AM to 8:50 PM (during independent morning work) Expected Behavior: CS will put away belongings and sit down to begin morning work at his desk. Antecedent Stimulus: Verbal request to start morning work. |
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| Date | Time of Antecedent Stimulus | Time of Behavior Initiation | Latency |
|---|---|---|---|
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8/15 (M) |
8:20 AM |
8:33 AM |
13 minutes |
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8/16 (T) |
8:21 AM |
8:29 AM |
8 minutes |
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8/17 (W) |
8:25 AM |
Not observed – didn’t begin |
25 minutes |
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8/18 (R) |
8:20 AM |
8:30 AM |
10 minutes |
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8/19 (F) |
8:20 AM |
8:35 AM |
15 minutes |
Figure 10.7: Latency recording sample.
As noted earlier, each one of these tools has strengths and weaknesses. Use of these tools usually does not solve any problems directly, but including these assessment tools in our toolkit provides a clearer picture about how the behavior is affecting the child (Table 10.1). They can also be a piece of a larger strategy to understanding what is above the waterline in the iceberg. Data can support teachers and children to engage in Plan B conversations and work toward solutions. Additionally, the data collected from these tools can also lead to actionable steps we can take to support students’ ability to shift to more productive behaviors.
| Recording Tool | Definition | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Observational Recordings | Recording information about all aspects of the classroom affecting the student | To collect a wide amount of information about the child’s experience in the classroom |
| ABC | Recording what happened immediately preceding the behavior and immediately following the behavior | To identify possible triggers for the behaviors and the consequence that occurs directly after the behavior |
| Event Frequency | Recording the number of times a specific behavior is occurring | To recognize the extent to which the behavior is occurring in a specific context |
| Duration | Recording when a behavior begins and ends | To gather information about how long specific behaviors persist |
| Interval | Recording frequency and duration of behavior during a set interval of time | To note how often and for how long a behavior is happening within certain time periods |
| Time Sampling | Recording the presence or absence of a number of behaviors at certain points in time | To examine multiple behaviors simultaneously to notice patterns and frequency |
| Latency | Recording how long it takes for a behavior to begin after a verbal or nonverbal cue | To measure the time it takes to engage in the desired behavior following a cue |
10.3 Advocating for More Intensive Services
We have already discussed the important role that data collection plays in selecting and monitoring the effectiveness of behavioral supports. But assessment data can also play another specific role for teachers and that is to advocate for more intensive services. Teachers spend a significant amount of time with their students and often know them better than anyone outside of their families. Teachers can and should be vocal advocates for the children in their classrooms. One key way they can do this for children with significant behavioral needs is to use data to help others understand what a child is experiencing at school. Unfortunately, the number of children who are needing behavioral support has only increased since the COVID-19 pandemic (Prothero, 2023), and all early childhood teachers will most likely work with students who need intensive support. This is part of the reason we believe that all teachers (not just special education teachers) need to understand the behavioral support structures and how data are used within that system to identify supports.
An important distinction is that advocating for intensive services is not the same thing as building a case to exclude a child from the classroom community. As we discussed previously, adults sometimes use data to argue that a child should be expelled or removed from a center or school. These adult stances make clear that they see the child as the problem and their behavior as a signal that they should not be welcome within the community. This orientation communicates to children that they must change to be accepted, and this type of subversive use of data is not what we are suggesting. There is a difference between the goal of exclusion and the goal of providing needed supports. This is a fine line, because the needed supports may involve moving the child to a learning space with fewer children or to a school with extensive behavioral services. The goal or the intention behind the adults’ motivations and actions, however, is key. Our goal should be to provide what the child needs at the moment with the long-term outcome of reducing the high level of support as the child is able to increasingly regulate their own behavior. Intensive services should not be needed forever and inclusion within the classroom community to the greatest extent possible is the goal.
It can be hard to know when to reach out for additional assistance and support for a child. When concerned about a child’s behavior, it is important to begin recordkeeping through a combination of qualitative and quantitative data collection methods discussed in this chapter. Approaching administration and other behavior specialists with some initial data (even if it is incomplete) helps to jump start the process. It is also helpful to familiarize yourself with the center or school system’s behavioral support process. Understanding the required steps to take when requesting additional supports and services avoids unwanted delays.
A number of reasons warrant increasing behavioral support. When behaviors are happening regularly and escalating in frequency or duration, it is a cue to start collecting data. When we start to see behaviors affecting learning, safety, and relationships, it is a strong signal that more support is needed. Each of these areas is explained next.
- Behaviors Are Affecting Learning: It is common to see an impact on learning when students present with consistent behavioral challenges. This can be due to the amount of instruction they are missing when dysregulated or because the behaviors are connected to the learning experiences (i.e., the student is shutting down once the reading block begins because they find the assigned tasks to be too challenging).
- Behaviors Are Affecting Safety: Children who are regularly experiencing behavioral issues are at an increased risk of harming themselves or others merely because they are regularly in an increased state of arousal and are more likely to be in a state of flight, flight, or freeze. Children who are dysregulated are not planning to hurt anyone, but they become so overwhelmed by their stress response that they begin harming themselves (i.e., repeatedly hitting their head against a wall) or others (i.e., swinging at anyone who gets too close to them).
- Behaviors Are Affecting Relationships: All children will have moments of conflict within peer and adult relationships, but children with persistent, challenging behaviors can begin to exhibit larger relationship issues over time. For instance, children with behavioral challenges may become ostracized from friend groups (i.e., students begin saying they do not want to play with the child anymore) and begin engaging in unproductive patterns with adults (i.e., a child is not allowed to come to the cafeteria because the lunch room attendants cannot control the child’s behavior). When peer or adult relationships become frayed, this can lead to an increase in problematic behavior and become part of the problem.
Understanding that these three key areas are cause for concern can strengthen a teacher’s advocacy to increase behavioral services. Focusing assessment data on how the behavioral issues are affecting these key areas of learning, safety, and relationships can help school stakeholders understand the impact these issues are having on the entire classroom community. In Chapter 11, we will discuss how we can intensify and individualize supports for students who need the most significant interventions.
Key Points
- The purpose of data collection is not to shame or embarrass the child, but to bring awareness to the frequency, duration, and contextual factors surrounding the behavior.
- Teachers can and should be advocates for children who are struggling with behavioral concerns.
- Collecting specific and strategic data is an important step to understand the observable components of the problematic behavior, but the focus must remain on using these data to support the child.
- Many different types of data collection tools are available to document behavioral difficulties.
- Teachers can use behavioral data to advocate for intensified services, when warranted.
Figures
Figure 10.1: Observational recording sample.
Figure 10.2: ABC recording sample.
Figure 10.3: Event frequency recording sample.
Figure 10.4: Duration recording sample.
Figure 10.5: Interval recording sample.
Figure 10.6: Time sampling recording sample.
Figure 10.7: Latency recording sample.
Images
Adult observing a child playing in a classroom. Shutterstock
Teacher observing children working. Photo by Seattle Parks and Recreation, licensed CC BY 2.0.
Child being left out by peers. “Boy in gray sweater sitting on green leather couch” [photograph] by Mikhail Nilov, Pexels.
References
Ackoff, R. (1962). Scientific method, optimizing applied research decisions. Wiley.
Prothero, A. (2023, April 20). Student behavior isn’t getting any better, survey shows. Education Week. https://www.edweek.org/leadership/student-behavior-isnt-getting-any-better-survey-shows/2023/04
Sackstein, S. (2021). Assessing with respect: Everyday practices that meet students’ social and emotional needs. ASCD.
