This one is very close to my heart. I've done my fair share of behavior charts for students from data collection to behavior changing to attempted and unsuccessful behavior charts. There are two key things to know about behavior charts:

For all new teachers, or teachers who are using a behavior chart for the first or second time, we should understand behavior charts in general education and what they're used for before ever using them ourselves. Also, know it is the role of the counselor, behavior specialist, or resource teacher to help create and implement a behavior chart. Unless the teacher is trained, the teacher should not pull any 'ol behavior chart out for difficult students, nor should a chart be shared with a friend if you're not ready to train and support your fellow teacher.

There are two basic roles of behavior charts:

Charts should NEVER be used as punishment, nor should a student every feel bad or guilty for not achieving their goal. Students need to have a positive relationship with their chart. If a behavior change is not happening, there are many things that could be not working other than the chart itself.

Data Tracking Chart

The first type of chart: behavior tracking. This type of chart needs to have one or two behaviors only. A general education teacher cannot keep track of more than that. Always shoot for one - the most disruptive. That behavior needs to be clearly defined. ABA describes that as observable and measurable. It also has to be objective. These are just some of the reasons why a counselor, behavior specialist, or resource teacher should be involved. The behavior should also be defined in a way in which a random person could walk into your room and understand exactly what the behavior is. For instance: The student will not engage in disruptive behavior by leaving their chair or carpet spot and putting hands on friend's faces. Now I know what I'm looking for and when to track when Johnny is not doing that exact behavior. If his hands are on friends, he is not engaging in the wanted behavior. Easy to track. Clearly defined. Specific. If you define the behavior as "Johnny will not get up", what does that mean? "Get up" may mean different things to different people. One person may think that means out of his seat. The next may assume that means raising his bottom off his chair or spot. Use exact vocabulary as in: "will not spit on friends" or "will not scream at a level that disrupts the lesson." You want onlookers to be able to easily identify the behavior and student engaging in the behavior.

This data can be tracked a variety of ways. Do you want to know how often the student engages in disruptive behavior or in appropriate behavior? Do you want to track it for 15 minute intervals, 5 minute intervals, the frequency, the duration, the latency? So many to choose from. Hopefully your head is spinning a little...enough to understand help from a counselor, behavior specialist, or resource teacher is needed. Lastly, this type of chart should not be discussed with the student. It is for data only. The student doesn't need to know and it may hinder accurate data if the student knows.

Reward/Behavior Change Chart

The second type of chart: to change a behavior. The first thing to know is that this type of chart needs at least two weeks of consistent implementation to determine if it's helping. Anything less than two weeks will not give you an accurate picture. I like to shoot for three weeks to a month if the behavior isn't violent. Stick with it! I know it's frustrating, but worth it! And this is data that can be brought to the ARD or 504 meeting.

This type chart should be written in a language the student understands. It needs to have exact measurement increments, rewards the student has chosen, no punishments, and must change the behavior over time.

For this type of chart you want to state the wanted behavior. Here's an example situation:

Ni'Quo is having difficulty staying in his carpet spot which is distracting friends and hindering his own learning. I have already data tracked to know he can stay in his spot for 2 minutes without a reminder, so I will set his goal for 3 minutes. His goal may read like this: "Ni'Quo will sit in his spot on the carpet and keep his hands to himself for 3 minutes with no verbal reminders." Now Ni'Quo knows what he needs to do for his reward. Every morning, I quickly meet with Ni'Quo to review his goal, eventually he'll have it memorized or can read it. I may even have a mini-reminder conference with him before we come to the carpet. Ni'Quo may be a kid that chooses one reward each day. So every time he achieves his goal, he'll get his reward. When we come to the carpet, every 3 minutes Ni'Quo keeps his hands to himself and sits on his carpet spot, he gets a smiley face, or a sticker, or a check. If he is older, I may have a signal and give him his own chart, allowing him to take ownership. At the end of each carpet time, Ni'Quo and I meet to discuss his reward or how he can get his reward next time.

These charts should be discussed with the student at least once a day, and you must meet to conference with the student at the end of each interval. Notice, in the morning we have a 1-2 minute discussion on what his goal means and looks like (I may even role play here). Then, after carpet time, Ni'Quo and I would meet to discuss how he did, his rewards, or what we can try to do better next time. This is the time he will also receive the reward he chose. That reward may be iPad time for 5 minutes, play with a toy for 10 minutes, do a sensory activity with a friends, etc.

For rewards, you can give a choice board of rewards and allow the student to choose. You may have a student who likes the same reward for a whole week or one who needs a reward each time! If they need a new reward every time you come to the carpet, have a choice board and a mini-conference with them 1 minute before carpet time so they know what they're working towards.

You see, with the second type of behavior chart, there is A LOT of student-teacher conferencing. It's time consuming, but is necessary to support behavior change. You, the teacher, must be consistent.

After all this, it should be understood why the same behavior chart shouldn't be used for every student who needs one or is believed to need one. Behavior charts need to be created and specifically tailored to each student and behavior.

Lastly, behavior change charts should be discussed with the parent before creating any type of reward chart. Parents should be involved AND should give you the OK before doing this. These should also be documented and sent home so parents see progress. You can send a summary e-mail at the end of each day. I like to scan charts and send a quick summary e-mail with a kuddo every day. Even if the student had a difficult day, I'm sure to add something great they did. Parents need a moral booster too; and they need to know their student does great things, even if there is a disruptive behavior.

I hope this helps explain charts. And please, if you are using the same chart with each student, stop. If you're doing any MORE than this (with the exception of an FBA), please limit your work load. One behavior chart per student is plenty! I have teacher friends who are tracking every single behavior. How exhausting! Choose the most disruptive. If you have a student who engages in a behavior you'd like to change - like putting hands on friends - but also elopes from the classroom and bites adults, do the reward chart for putting hands on friends and do a simple tally system for eloping and biting adults. Then you can track the eloping and biting, but not have to walk around with three charts.

Good luck. And you rock!