Setting III or IV Behavior Programs
Explanation
Concerning patterns of student behavior sometimes result in placement in a self-contained setting III program (housed in a typical school building) or a setting IV program (separate facility). To ensure that students are only placed in these programs when it truly represents their Least Restrictive Environment, our districts have agreed on procedures for how to respond to student behavior concerns well in advance of the point where a team is proposing a placement change.
When to Wrap People In
If you run into one or more of these thresholds, it’s a signal that you should wrap colleagues into the case:
5 of more Office Discipline Referrals (ODRs) within a month
10 or more ODRs cumulative
5 days of Suspension (In-School or Out-of-School)
Significant time out of class (e.g., Increased time in Resource Room, Time-out/Reset Room; frequent elopement; low attendance)
If one or more of these occurs, schedule a meeting with your School Psychologist and Social Behavior Services Coordinator to discuss the student’s behavior and needs. If appropriate, also invite the Early Childhood, Autism, and/or Low Incidence Services Coordinator.
Status Check and Planning
Before considering a change in placement, we must ensure that the student is receiving the maximum amount of services and supports within their current setting.
Once you’ve wrapped in your colleagues, there are a few key areas to assess:
Has an FBA been conducted? If so, does it continue to be relevant?
Is a BSP in place, does it appropriately address the behavior(s) of concern, and are staff following it with fidelity?
Is the amount and contents of the student’s social skills instruction appropriate for their needs?
Data collection (see below)
✋ FAQ: What are the numbers in these thresholds based on?
These numbers (e.g., ≥5 ODRs in a month) are simply practical suggestions regarding when it would make sense to pull in colleagues so that we can respond to a concerning pattern of behavior before the situation deteriorates. They are not based on statute (e.g., X # of suspensions = we must hold X type of meeting).
Referral and suspension rates tend to be higher in secondary buildings vs. elementary, so practical thresholds in your school might look different. E.g., if a 2nd grader has three days of suspension and that's uncommon for our school, it probably makes sense to wrap folks in vs. waiting until they reach five days of suspension.
Collecting Data on Target Behaviors
Data on Skill Growth
We always collect and graph data on a student’s IEP goals, which measure skill growth (e.g., rate of Following Instructions). This data goes in eduCLIMBER.
vs. Data on Target (Undesired) Behaviors
When a team is seeing a pattern of concerning behavior that leads them to consider a placement change, we need additional data about that concerning behavior, and we need it to be highly sensitive to changes so that we know quickly if our plan is working or not. For students being considered for placement change, this additional data should be collected daily and graphed at least weekly.
We want to be efficient and only collect data that will impact the team’s decisions regarding a placement change. Work with your School Psychologist and Social Behavior Services Coordinator to decide what to measure and how. Key questions:
What target behaviors on the BSP triggered the team to think, ‘This student may need a more restrictive setting.’? For example, data about emotional behavior outbursts, physical aggression, etc. is going to tell us a lot about the student’s need for placement in a behavior program vs. data about how often they’re refusing to engage in tasks.
For each of those behaviors, which do we need to know: its frequency (how often it happens), its duration (how long it happens), and/or its intensity? For example:
If Ben often throws objects across the room at people, we would only measure frequency (because duration and intensity are always the same).
If Sally has emotional behavioral outbursts that can include biting, shoving, screaming, etc. — we would divide those behaviors into intensity categories (e.g., a 1-4 scale) and measure intensity and duration.
The example data collection and graphing tools linked below are specifically designed for this purpose:
Frequency/Intensity/Duration Data Collection Sheet - MasterExample of a physical data sheet for collecting data on behaviors of concern.
BTPD Data Collection Sheet - MasterExample of a digital data sheet for collecting data on behaviors of concern.
Last, First - BTPD (v1.0) - SY22The Behavior Tracker for Placement Determination (BTPD), a graphing tool designed specifically for these cases.
Behavior Tracker for Placement Determination - TutorialInstructions on how to set up the BTPD.
Learn More
Feel free to review these documents if you'd like a comprehensive look at the placement change process. Guideline 13 pertains to most Setting III/IV behavior programs, while Guideline 26 is specific to the SOAR program hosted in Chisago Lakes.
These guidelines are approved by the Superintendents Operating Committee (SOC) and SCRED's Governing Board. These procedures exist to ensure that students are only placed in restrictive behavior programs when it truly represents their Least Restrictive Environment.
Guideline #13 - Social Behavior Federal Setting III and IV Placement- MasterSPED Guideline #26 - SOAR Program - Master