Today, educators at all grade levels face a growing number of student behaviors that challenge effective classroom instruction. Fortunately, most students respond to standard strategies for addressing potential behavior problems (e.g., classroom rules, verbal praise and reprimands, and loss of privileges). However, for some students—with and without disabilities—these classroom management techniques do not produce the desired outcomes and may even worsen an already difficult situation. In recognition of the growing need to proactively address the problem, the 1997 Amendments to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) (P.L. 105-17) include provisions that help schools address both the classroom learning and behavior problems of students with disabilities.

The requirement that schools address student behavior problems in their efforts to ensure that schools are safe and conducive to learning for all students signals a fundamental shift in emphasis in Federal legislation. Beginning with P.L. 94-142 (Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975), schools were required to ensure students with disabilities a "free, appropriate public education" in the "least restrictive environment." Now, schools also must ensure that students are able to be involved and progress in the general education curriculum, measure the educational progress of students with disabilities, and take preventive and proactive steps to address the relationship between student behavior and classroom learning. The 1997 Amendments are explicit about what is required of Individualized Education Program (IEP) teams when addressing behaviors of children with disabilities that interfere with their learning or the learning of others.

• The IEP team must consider, when appropriate, strategies—including positive behavioral interventions, strategies, and supports—to address that behavior through the IEP process (see 614(d)(3)(B)(i)).
• In response to disciplinary actions by school personnel described in Sec. 615(k)(1)(B), the IEP team must, either before or no later than 10 days after the action, develop a functional behavioral assessment plan to collect information. This information should be used for developing or reviewing and revising an existing behavioral intervention plan to address such behaviors, if necessary.
• In addition, states are required to address the in-service needs and pre-service preparation of personnel (including professionals and paraprofessionals who provide special education, general education, related services, or early intervention services) to ensure that they have the knowledge and skills necessary to meet the needs of their students with disabilities. This includes enhancing their abilities to use strategies such as behavioral interventions and supports (653(c)(3)(D)(vi)).

This is the second of three guides that address the 1997 Amendments to IDEA as they relate to the issue of functional behavioral assessment and positive behavioral interventions and supports. The first monograph, Addressing Student Problem Behavior: An IEP Team’s Introduction to Functional Behavioral Assessment and Behavior Intervention Plans, provided a general overview of these requirements and is available through the Center for Effective Collaboration and Practice’s web site (cecp.air.org/) or by calling toll free 1-888-457-1551. This second monograph examines the rationale for and discusses the process of conducting a functional behavioral assessment and describes the ways schools and IEP teams can translate this new public policy into classroom practice by means of a step-by-step approach to functional behavioral assessment. This guide explains how IEP teams can decide how to collect various kinds of information and how to organize and analyze this information. A third monograph will discuss how to use the information gathered during the functional behavioral assessment process to develop and implement positive behavioral intervention plans that address both the short- and long-term needs of the student.