The U.S. Department of Education (ED) recently released a new guidance document on using functional behavioral assessments. The guidance document was developed by the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services and the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education to provide schools and families with more information on functional behavioral assessments (FBAs) and behavioral plans to address student behavior.
The guidance aligns with ED’s focus on addressing the overreliance on exclusionary discipline, which includes the use of suspensions and expulsions. ED points to reports showing that some groups are overrepresented when it comes to exclusionary discipline. The guidance states that this form of discipline can lead to negative impacts for students, including not finishing high school and involvement with the justice system. ED says that focusing on evidence-based practices, including FBAs, can reduce reliance on exclusionary discipline.
FBAs are “used to understand the function and purpose of a child’s specific, interfering behavior and factors that contribute to the behavior…for the purpose of developing effective positive behavioral interventions…” and have traditionally been used for students with disabilities. However, the guidance notes that they can be applied to all students. FBAs often have a data collection characteristic, where observations and interviews are conducted to collect insights into environmental and behavioral factors. ED says that factors that contribute to behavior can include bullying, poverty, and discrimination. FBAs can help educators understand these factors and develop positive interventions.
The guidance describes how to develop and implement an FBA, including how to incorporate it into the individualized education program process for students with disabilities. ED also explains how FBAs can be used to create strategies that address behaviors that interfere with learning and includes examples of how an FBA would work. The document also includes a list of guiding principles when developing FBAs and highlights sources of federal funds for training on FBAs.
To share additional information on the guidance document, ED will be hosting a webinar at 1:00pm ET on December 3, 2024. Registration for the webinar is open here.
The new guidance document can be viewed here.
