Syllabus

Master of Science in Education

EDU 725 – Behavior Considerations in Inclusive Setting – Spring B 2024

Credits - 3

Description

This course will help participants identify and prioritize essential behavioral skills in their work with students. They will explore how to model, teach and nurture behavioral skills and analyze differentiation strategies as Tier 1 of a Positive Behavior Intervention and Support model and prepare for intervention and monitoring at Tier 2 and Tier 3. The course will engage participants in addressing factors that influence a school’s response to behavioral considerations such as available resources, parent collaboration, school, and community culture.

Materials

Weber, C. (2018). Behavior: The forgotten curriculum. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press. ISBN 978-1943874323. E-text ISBN: 978-1945349829.
American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association. 7th ed. American Psychological Association. (ISBN 978-1433832154, ISBN 978-1433832161, E-text ISBN 978-1433832185). Available from the UNE Libraries in print on both campuses.

Learning Objectives and Outcomes

Upon completing this course, students will be able to:

Identify and prioritize essential behavioral skills (INTASC 7e, 7p)
Practice techniques for engaging students in their own behavioral growth (INTASC 6f, 6m)
Analyze differentiation supports and measuring tools at RTI pyramid Tier 1 (INTASC 6a, 7a, 8b, 10f, 6k, 10n, 6r, 6t, 9l, 10r)
Prepare for intervention and monitoring at RTI pyramid Tier 2 and 3 (INSTASC 6a, 7a, 8b, 10f, 1e, 6k, 10n, 6r, 6t, 9l, 10r)
Use data to inform differentiated behavioral practices and intervention (INTASC 6g, 7d, 9c, 7k, 9h)
Address challenges such as time, staff, resources, parents, culture (INTASC 1c, 3a, 3d, 1k, 3n)
Verbalize their own philosophies for addressing behavioral challenges in inclusive classrooms and schools (INTASC 10c, 10f, 10j, 10t)
Apply best practices to create a school-wide behavioral plan (INTASC 1b, 9a, 9b, 10c, 10f, 10j, 1j, 9l, 9n, 10t)
Apply behavioral best practices in the context of inclusive classrooms (INTASC 1b, 2a, 2b, 6a, 7a, 8b, 10f, 1e, 2g, 2h, 6k, 10n, 1j, 2l, 2m, 6r, 6t, 9l, 10r)

This course is aligned with INTASC Standard Model Core Teaching Standards.

Assignments

Week 2 Assignment: Behavioral Priorities and Rationale

Students will discuss what their building administrators see as the main behavioral issues across the classes/grades.

Week 3 Assignment: Application at Tier 1

Students will develop a mini-lesson to model, teach, and practice a behavioral skill to be used in classroom OR develop a professional development presentation for teachers.

Week 4 Assignment: Behavioral Assessment Tools

Students will either complete an observation using the teacher observation guide OR work with a K-12 student to complete a Behavioral Skills Student Self-Assessment OR reflect upon a K-12 student that they have worked with or currently work with to complete the Behavioral Skills Concerns and Successes forms.

Week 5 Assignment: Needs Assessment Tier 2

Students will use a tool to gather information for Tier 2 to make brief suggestions for intervention and monitoring progress.

Week 6 Assignment: Simple FBA for Tier 3

For the purposes of this assignment, students will not be completing a full FBA or a Simple FBA. The goal is simply to become familiar with the premise, the terminology, and the process involved.

Week 7 Assignment: School-wide Behavioral Plan

Students will create a proposal for a school-wide for behavior plan.

The plan should include the following:

Identifying and prioritizing behaviors (behavior priorities chart)
Determining need at all tiers (Screening, observation, FBA)
Tier 1 professional development (mini-lesson)
Dual purpose instruction (connections between academic and behavioral instruction)
Formative assessment and feedback
Data gathering on a few differentiated strategies or collaboratively with students
Identify and address potential challenges

Grading Policy

Your grade in this course will be determined by the following criteria:

Grade Breakdown

Discussions	23 points (3 pts x 6 wks + 5 pts in Wk 8)
Behavioral Priorities and Rationale	12 points
Application at Tier 1: Mini Lesson or PD presentation	12 points
Behavior Assessment Tool	12 points
Needs Assessment Tier 2	12 points
Simple FBA	12 points
Cumulative: School-wide Behavioral Plan	17 points
Total	100

Grade Scale

Grade	Points Grade	Point Average (GPA)
A	94 – 100%	4.00
A-	90 – 93%	3.75
B+	87 – 89%	3.50
B	84 – 86%	3.00
B-	80 – 83%	2.75
C+	77 – 79%	2.50
C	74 – 76%	2.00
C-	70 – 73%	1.75
D	64 – 69%	1.00
F	00 – 63%	0.00

Schedule

Course Schedule

Week 1: Mar 13 – Mar 17
Week 2: Mar 18 – Mar 24
Week 3: Mar 25 – Mar 31
Week 4: Apr 1 – Apr 7
Week 5: Apr 8 – Apr 14
Week 6: Apr 15 – Apr 21
Week 7: Apr 22 – Apr 28
Week 8: Apr 29 – May 5

Week	Topic	Activities & Assignments	Dates
1	Behavior Skills Matter	Watch Week 1 Overview Review the course syllabus and schedule Read Weber,C. (2018). Behavior: The forgotten curriculum. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press. Introduction (pages 1-14). Participate in the Week 1 Class Discussion. Additional resources to explore if you require more foundational information regarding Response to Intervention (RTI)	Due: Sun, 11:59 PM ET Initial discussion responses should be posted by FRIDAY night
2	Making Sense of Behavioral Skills	Watch Week 2 Overview Read Weber, C. (2018). Chapter 1. Optional: My Favorite No. Participate in the Week 2 Class Discussion Submit Week 2 Behavioral Priorities and Rationale Assignment Share Behavioral Priorities and Rationale Assignment to shared Discussion Forum by end of week	Due: Sun, 11:59 PM ET Initial discussion responses should be posted by WEDNESDAY night
3	Behavior Considerations at Tier 1	Watch Week 3 Overview Read Weber, C. (2018). Chapter 2. Optional: Effective Programs for Emotional and Behavioral Disorders from Hanover Research (2013) Participate in the Week 3 Class Discussion Submit Week 3 Application at Tier 1: Mini Lesson or PD presentation Share Application at Tier 1: Mini Lesson or PD presentation to shared Discussion Forum by end of week	Due: Sun, 11:59 PM ET Initial discussion responses should be posted by WEDNESDAY night
4	Behavioral Assessment at Tier 1	Watch Week 4 Overview Read Weber, C. (2018). Chapter 3. Explore the website: Wright, J. (2-018). Behavioral interventions Participate in the Week 4 Class Discussion Submit Week 4 Behavior Assessment Tool	Due: Sun, 11:59 PM ET Initial discussion responses should be posted by WEDNESDAY night
5	Digging Deeper at Tier 2	Watch Week 5 Overview Read Weber, C. (2018). Chapter 4. Observational Checklists and other reproducibles can be found at: go.SolutionTree.com/RTI Choose TWO of the following articles to read and incorporate into your final essay in Week 7 or choose TWO other professional articles that pertain to the topic of your choice Participate in the Week 5 Class Discussion Submit Week 5 Needs Assessment Tier 2	Due: Sun, 11:59 PM ET Initial discussion responses should be posted by WEDNESDAY night
6	Data Gathering at Tier 3	Read Weber, C. (2018). Chapter 5. Optional: What Works ClearingHouse. Participate in the Week 6 Class Discussion Submit Week 6 Simple FBA	Due: Sun, 11:59 PM ET Initial discussion responses should be posted by WEDNESDAY night
7	School-Wide Behavior Plan and Rationale	Optional resources for creating presentations and visuals No Discussion Submit School-Wide Behavior Plan and Rationale	Due: Sun, 11:59 PM ET
8	Final Reflections	Post your School-Wide Behavior Plan and mission statement and provide feedback to your peers	Due: FRIDAY, 11:59 PM ET Initial discussion responses should be posted by WEDNESDAY night

Student Resources

Other Course Resources:

Behavior Supports

Building an RTI/MTSS System for Mental-Health: Guidance for School Teams

Supporting and Responding to Behavior: Evidence-based Classroom Strategies for Teachers

How to Heal the Traumatized Brain

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Policies

AI Use

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Make sure to cite your sources appropriately as well as use your own words in synthesizing information from published literature. Webinars and workshops, included early in your coursework, will help guide best practices in APA citation and academic writing.

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Course Evaluation Policy

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Late Policy

Assignments: Late assignments will be accepted up to 3 days late; however, there is a 10% grade reduction (from the total points) for the late submission. After three days the assignment will not be accepted.

Discussion posts: If the initial post is submitted late, but still within the discussion board week, there will be a 10% grade reduction from the total discussion grade (e.g., a 3 point discussion will be reduced by 0.3 points). Any posts submitted after the end of the Discussion Board week will not be graded.

Please make every effort ahead of time to contact your instructor and your student support specialist if you are not able to meet an assignment deadline. Arrangements for extenuating circumstances may be considered by faculty.

Attendance Policy

8 week: Students taking online graduate courses through the College of Professional Studies will be administratively dropped for non-participation if a graded assignment/discussion post is not submitted before Sunday at 11:59 pm ET of the first week of the term. Reinstatement is at the purview of the Dean's Office.

16 week: Students taking online graduate courses through the College of Professional Studies will be administratively dropped for non-participation if a graded assignment/discussion post is not submitted before Friday at 11:59 pm ET of the second week of the term. Reinstatement is at the purview of the Dean's Office.

Student Handbook Online - Policies and Procedures

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UNE Online Student Handbook

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Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to the following:

Cheating, copying, or the offering or receiving of unauthorized assistance or information.
Fabrication or falsification of data, results, or sources for papers or reports.
Action which destroys or alters the work of another student.
Multiple submissions of the same paper or report for assignments in more than one course without permission of each instructor.
Plagiarism, the appropriation of records, research, materials, ideas, or the language of other persons or writers and the submission of them as one's own.

Charges of academic dishonesty will be reviewed by the Program Director. Penalties for students found responsible for violations may depend upon the seriousness and circumstances of the violation, the degree of premeditation involved, and/or the student’s previous record of violations. Appeal of a decision may be made to the Dean whose decision will be final. Student appeals will take place through the grievance process outlined in the student handbook.