Behave Assmnt, Mgmt & Change (EDS 743)

Course Overview

👋Welcome to Behavioral Assessment, Management, and Change (EDS 743).

This course explores how educators understand, support, and shape student behavior (especially for students with disabilities) through observation, relationship, and thoughtful intervention. We will study how behavior is influenced by environment, routines, communication, and connection, and how teachers can create conditions that support positive social interaction across school, home, and community settings.

Over the next 14 weeks, we will move through a carefully structured learning experience that blends study, practice, and inquiry.

Phase I: Learn & Practice the Dance (Jan. 26 - Feb. 25)

Phase 1 builds your foundation for understanding and supporting student behavior. Each week includes readings and live Zoom sessions focused on how behavior is shaped by observation, routines, relationships, and teacher presence. This phase is designed as rehearsal. You will practice noticing what is happening in classrooms, learn key behavior-support strategies, and work with a partner during live sessions to discuss readings, create simple visual notes, and connect ideas to your own teaching.
Across the weeks, we will focus on four core areas:

observing behavior without judgment
teaching routines and expectations
using timing, tone, and attunement
supporting growth without punishment

By the end of Phase 1, you will have the language and tools needed to begin focused work with one student in Phase 2.

Phase II: Practice with Purpose (March 4 - April 22)

In Phase 2, you will bring your learning into a real classroom. You will choose one student to focus on and use observation, reflection, and small, intentional strategies to support positive change. Using the ABC Observation Form, you will study what happens before, during, and after a behavior—and how your responses shape what comes next. We will continue to meet live on Zoom each week during this phase. In these sessions, you will write, share observations, learn new techniques, and talk through what you are trying in your classroom. You will not be asked to “fix” students. Instead, you will practice noticing, teaching small skills, and adjusting your approach over time.
This phase is about learning how change actually happens—through patience, clarity, and steady attention.

Phase III: The Ensemble (April 29 - May 15)

In Phase 3, you step into the role of researcher–practitioner. You will look outward to the professional literature and inward to your own classroom experience. Each student will read and annotate a research article related to behavior, learning, or student support and connect it to what they observed and tried during Phase 2. These presentations are not exams or defenses. They are company showings—a chance to share what you have learned, listen to others, and see how different classrooms and students illuminate the same ideas in new ways.
You will then create a short presentation that shares:

the key idea from your research
what you learned from your student of focus
and how the two connect

By the end of Phase 3, you will have a clearer, more grounded understanding of how research and practice inform one another—and how thoughtful teachers continue to learn from their students.

Course Syllabus - CLICK HERE

Session Resources

This section houses all course materials used during class sessions, including the session presentation, assigned readings, multimedia resources, and materials for in-class or take-home activities.

Session 1: Course Orientation & Culture Setting (Jan. 28)

Session Resources:PPT PresentationLinks: course website & course syllabus

Session 2: Introduction to Functional Behavior Analysis and Assessment (Feb. 4)

Session Resources:PPT PresentationVideo Links: Skinner’s Operant Conditioning, What is Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)?, What is PBIS?, Social Learning TheorySource A: Best Practices in the Systematic Direct Observation of Student BehaviorSource B: Conducting a Functional BehaviorAssessment: A Technical Handbook

Spring Challenge: Build Reflection Into Your Week

One day each week, allocate at least 10-15 minutes for reflection in an environment that supports you, away from your desk and classroom. Switch off all background noise and devices in order to create the best conditions to clarify your intentions, raise your awareness, and to help you express your deepest thoughts and feelings.

This Reflection Toolkit can help you design a reflection routine that works for you.

Assignments

Functional Behavior Assessment & Report (45 points; Due Date: May 6, 2026)

A Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA) is a diagnostic tool that helps teachers understand why a student’s behavior is occurring and how instruction and environment can be adjusted to support growth. For this assignment, you will identify one student in your class who demonstrates persistent behavioral challenges, as evidenced by data showing limited progress toward behavioral goals.

You will conduct objective observations of the student in two different settings* and use the ABC Observation Form to document patterns related to antecedents, behaviors, and consequences. All student information must remain anonymous. You will then prepare a concise FBA report (no more than 2 double-spaced pages) that includes:

a description of the behavior;
summary of observation data;
a clear hypothesis statement regarding the function of the behavior; and
implications for instructional or environmental support.

*Note: Instead of conducting direct observations in two settings, you may use questionnaires or rating scales as indirect data in place of one observation. At least one direct observation is required. Common tools include the FAST, QABF, Problem Behavior Questionnaire, and MAS. These tools can help you develop an initial hypothesis about behavioral function but should not be used alone, as they provide limited information about context and environmental factors. Indirect data are strongest when multiple tools are used and multiple team members who know the student complete them. Questionnaires may be especially useful for high-intensity, low-frequency behaviors when direct observation opportunities are limited.

Click HERE to submit the completed ABC Observation Form and FBA report together as one Word or PDF document by May 6.

Additional Resources

Unsure where to start? A sample/template is provided to help you get started.
Optional support: You may use the recorded lesson (25 minutes) to practice completing an ABC Observation Form. While watching, focus on the male student seated near the door in front of the whiteboard.
Reminder: A complete summary statement follows this structure:

During [context], when [antecedent], the student is likely to [behavior] because [maintaining consequence]; therefore, the function of the behavior is to [obtain/avoid]. This is more likely to occur when [setting event].

Research-to-Practice Podcast (35 points; Due Date: May 13, 2026)

You will work with a partner to select a recent peer-reviewed research study (2016–present) related to course topics such as special education, classroom management, behavior assessment, or behavioral change. Instead of a slide presentation, you will produce a 10–15 minute podcast episode* for an audience of educators.

The purpose of this assignment is to translate research into clear, practice-relevant insight—helping listeners understand what the study found and how it informs classroom decision-making.

Your podcast should introduce the topic and research question, summarize the study’s design and key findings in accessible language, and explain why the research matters for practice, including any relevant limitations or cautions. The episode should feel conversational, with both partners contributing meaningfully.

Click HERE to submit:

the podcast audio file;
a PDF of the research article; and
a brief AI Use & Production Note (1 paragraph) describing any generative AI tools used and how accuracy and academic integrity were ensured. No prompts, no screenshots, no over-documentation—just accountability and transparency.

Sample AI Use & Production Note: We used generative AI tools [name tool: e.g., NotebookLM to support [briefly state purpose: e.g., synthesizing the article, organizing key points, drafting questions, refining language]. All AI-assisted content was reviewed, revised, and verified by us. We are fully responsible for the accuracy, interpretation, and final form of this podcast.

Additional Resources

Podcast listening party schedule • Grading rubric • Model podcast episode

*Note: Generative AI tools (e.g., NotebookLM) may support synthesis or planning, but all content must be reviewed, revised, and accurately represented by students.

Phase 2 Weekly Reflection Entries (20 points; Due weekly during Phase 2)

During Phase 2, you will complete brief weekly reflection entries (5 total) connected to your work with a student of focus. These reflections support noticing, decision-making, and intentional next steps.

Each entry responds to the same three prompts:

What did I notice this week?
What shifted, even slightly?
What am I unsure about or still wondering?

Reflections draw on classroom observation, course concepts, and insights from discussion and mini-lessons.

Entries are not submitted. They are completed as a matter of professional practice and trust, and you are expected to arrive to live sessions having completed them. When done consistently, these reflections become the scaffolding for Assignment 1: the Functional Behavior Assessment & Report.

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