In this video, Lucille Eber, E.D., Statewide Coordinator of Illinois’ Emotional and Behavioral Disabilities (EBD) Network and an NCII Advisory Committee member, discusses the relationship between Tier II and Tier III behavior interventions and whether all kids need to access Tier II prior to Tier III. 

In this video, Dr. Joe Wehby, Senior Advisor to the National Center for Intensive Intervention and Associate Professor in the Vanderbilt University Department of Special Education, discusses the number of data points needed to make decisions for students with intensive behavior needs. 

In this video, Lucille Eber, E.D.., Statewide Coordinator of Illinois’ Emotional and Behavioral Disabilities (EBD) Network, discusses how behavioral support staff can assist and collaborate with general education teachers to support students with intensive behavioral needs.

In this video, Dr. Steve Goodman, Director of Michigan's Integrated Behavior and Learning Support Initiative, discusses the interaction of behavior and academics when providing intensive interventions.

All behavior serves a purpose or function—typically to access or avoid something. Thus, it is important to figure out the function of a student’s behavior to develop a plan with likelihood for success. To help determine function, school teams should start by collecting data on the A, B, Cs of behavior: Antecedent (A): anything that happens immediately before the behavior occurs Behavior (B): the action a student demonstrates that can be clearly defined and measured Consequence (C): any event (positive or negative) that occurs after a student demonstrates a behavior Once the function is determined, strategies or interventions can be put into place.

This IRIS Star Legacy Module explores the basic principles of behavior and the importance of discovering the reasons that students engage in problem behavior. The steps to conducting a functional behavioral assessment (FBA) and developing a behavior plan are described.  

Diagnostic tools provide data to assist educators in designing individualized instruction and intensifying intervention for students who do not respond to validated intervention programs. Diagnostic tools can be either informal, which are easy-to-use tools that can be administered with little training, or standardized, which must be delivered in a standard way by trained staff. Teams may find it helpful to initially consider using more informal and easily accessible diagnostic tools and data to avoid loss of instructional time. Standardized diagnostic tools, which require more time to administer and interpret, may be required for students who continually demonstrate a lack of response or who require special education.

Assessment is an essential part of the data-based individualization (DBI) process and a multi-tiered system of support (MTSS). Without technically sound assessment, which provides accurate, meaningful information, a teacher has no objective method for determining what a student needs or how to intensify instruction to meet those needs. The close connection between assessment and intervention is at the foundation of the DBI process. This connection is what drives teacher decision making. With the right assessment tools and guidance on how to use them, teachers can make sound, data-based decisions about who needs intensive intervention, when to make instructional changes, and what skills to focus on. In the tables below, find resources to support the selection and evaluation of screening, progress monitoring and diagnostic assessments.