Behavior Contracts

Goal: Give students a collaborative, written plan that builds ownership of their behavior, connects support to the why behind the behavior, and keeps home, school, and student aligned on the same goal.

Who It's For

Behavior Contracts support:

Students receiving Tier II or Tier III MTSS behavior interventions
Students whose SAEBRS data, ODRs, or teacher observations point to a specific skill deficit
Students who need consistent expectations and reinforcement across adults and settings

Why It Works

A Behavior Contract works because it's built with the student, not handed to them. When students understand what's expected, why it matters, and what they'll earn for meeting it, they take more ownership of their own progress.

Because the contract is grounded in data (SAEBRS, ODRs, observations, student interview) and functional thinking, it targets the actual skill deficit and the actual reason the behavior happens — so supports and consequences work with the function of the behavior instead of accidentally reinforcing it.

What success looks like: the student can explain their own goal, use their steps independently, and show progress on data over time — with supports fading as skills grow.

How to Implement It

Gather the team — student, teacher(s), family, and any specialists (counselor, behavior coach, admin).
Answer 4 questions first: What skill needs improvement (SAEBRS)? What behavior are we targeting? Why is it happening (function)? What supports teach the replacement skill?
Write the goal — observable, measurable, positively stated, student-friendly.
Name the barriers — in student-honest language ("I get frustrated when work is hard"), never character judgments ("lazy," "bad attitude").
List the steps — the replacement skills the student will practice, matched to their MTSS interventions.
Pick rewards — matched to the function of the behavior (attention, escape, tangible, or sensory).
Set logical consequences — instructional, dignity-preserving, tied directly to the behavior, never a stand-alone punishment.
Review it with the student — read it together, have them explain it back in their own words.

Tips for Success

Never build it alone. It's a team product — student voice included.
Match consequences to function. Removing a student who's avoiding work can reinforce the avoidance — plan supports, not just restrictions.
Keep language positive. Write what the student will do, not what to stop doing.
Revisit every 4–6 weeks. Continue, modify, fade, or intensify based on progress data.
Revise — don't restart — for Tier III. Add updated data, more individualized supports, and family collaboration.

Helpful Tools

What Does the Research Say?

Behavior contracts are a well-established, evidence-based intervention:

A meta-analysis of single-case research described behavior contingency contracts as an effective, evidence-based intervention for supporting students, including in less-structured settings like the school bus. Across 18 single-case studies of 58 students ages 5–21, behavior contracts showed a moderate overall effect on behavioral and academic outcomes, and were effective regardless of grade level, gender, or disability status.
Research suggests contracts are more effective at reducing inappropriate behaviors than at increasing appropriate ones, and that academic outcomes improve alongside behavior.
A high school study found that behavior contracts built from student interviews increased academically engaged behavior and decreased disruptive and passive behavior — evidence that including student voice (Step 7) isn't just good practice, it improves outcomes.
A study of four upper-secondary students found behavioral contract interventions reduced problem behaviors and increased academic engagement for all participants.

Instruction. Dimension 2.4: Differentiation