Realigning Student and Teacher Perceptions of School Rules: A Behavior Management Strategy for Students with Challenging Behaviors

Abstract

This article describes a data-informed intervention to close the gap between student and teacher perceptions of school rules and improve student behavior. The student and teacher agreement realignment strategy was pilot tested over 36 weeks with 10 middle school students receiving services for special education in the eligibility category of emotional disturbance. Students and teachers used similar assessment tools to record student compliance with five classroom behavior norms or rules. Student and teacher reports of student behavior were compared in weekly student-led conferences. Data were used by students, teachers, and the school social worker to evaluate students' progress, identify goals, and develop individualized interventions for improving behavior. In the current study, single-subject data on the 10 students were analyzed for clinical and visual significance and statistical significance using the proportion-frequency procedure and the two standard deviations statistical test. Significant improvement in student behavior was revealed. Furthermore, nine out of 10 students demonstrated a significant reduction in teacher-generated office disciplinary referrals.