Building Behavior

Book excerpt: Build the behavior system your students need and deserve Students deserve a safe, welcoming, and tolerant learning environment in which high expectations for academic and social/emotional learning will flourish. To achieve this, schools must implement consistent behavior initiatives that are rooted in equity and clear in outcome and purpose. Which plan is best for your students’ needs? In Building Behavior, authors Jessica Djabrayan Hannigan and John Hannigan identify the strengths of six major research-based behavior initiatives and offer practical guidance for implementing one or more that meet the unique needs of your students and school. They explore and connect the relationship of effect sizes and influence of six common behavior initiatives—Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports, Character Education, Restorative Justice, Culturally Responsive Teaching, Trauma Informed Practices, and Social and Emotional Learning—to help educators understand the purpose of each and give school leaders a starting point for adding to, refining, or building a tailored behavior system that is effective and manageable. Building Behavior includes: Common definitions, frameworks, best practice resources, and tips for implementing and synthesizing each of the behavior initiatives Reflective prompts that connect the existing body of knowledge with real life experiences and practices Reproducible resources, including sample schoolwide and district-wide assessments Tips to avoid common implementation challenges and missteps Don’t just reach for the "next best thing." Learn to select, self-assess, and build a plan for effective implementation of a behavior system that meets the diverse academic and social/emotional learning needs of your students. "This book offers comprehensive, unbiased information on effective behavior initiatives and provides effective tools for implementing the action plan that best fits a school. It provides a one-stop shop that educators can use to evaluate their current behavior plan, research the most current behavior initiatives, and tailor-fit an initiative for their school." - Mandy White, Science Teacher, Vicenza Middle School, U.S. Department of Defense Education Activity