Behavior Intervention Services

Behavior Intervention Services consists of 1 Program Manager, 2 Specialists, and 24 Behavior Intervention Teachers. Each pyramid within all 6 regions in Fairfax County has been assigned Behavior Intervention Teachers who provide behavior support and intervention services to individual schools. Under the supervision of the program manager and the guidance of the school principal, the Behavior Intervention Teachers provide assistance to schools within his/her assigned Region on the design and implementation of behavioral prevention and intervention strategies and support services.

Behavior Intervention Services provides comprehensive behavior intervention and support to school teams for students receiving general education and/or special education services. Services are provided for students pre-kindergarten through grade twelve and for students who are accessing the general education curriculum.

Behavior Intervention Services provides professional development for school staff that reflects best practice, research-based strategies, techniques, and interventions aimed at providing a foundational understanding of the crisis cycle, de-escalation strategies, and the skills that allow safe and respectful intervention when needed.  Additional presentations will be provided to families and community stakeholders in collaboration with the Family Resource Center.

The Behavior Intervention Teacher:

1. Collaborates with general education and special education teachers, school administrators, and staff members in the Office of Special Education Instruction (OSEI) in planning and developing behavioral programming for students during the standard and extended school year. 
2. Consults with school teams to coach staff on the development and implementation of the Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA) and Behavioral Intervention Plan (BIP) process.
3. Provides coaching and resources to support the development, collection, and analysis of student behavioral progress.
4. Provides coaching, modeling and support for student crisis intervention.
5. Consults with school teams in the selection of evidence-based curriculum to address individual and classroom needs in the areas of behavior, social emotional learning, and executive function.
6. Provides professional development opportunities to assist staff in the development and implementation of behavioral programming and interventions.
7. Assists teachers in the development of crisis intervention and prevention plans.
8. One Behavior Intervention Teacher position has been designated as central office staff  that supports school teams working with students with autism spectrum disorder.

Alternative Behavior Support (IABS)

Intensive Alternative Behavior Support (IABS) staff are placed as additional instructional assistants and/or teachers in the Comprehensive Services Sites (CSS) and Public Day programs as grant funded positions.   Grant funded positions include 1 Behavior Intervention Specialist, 14 instructional assistants and 7 teachers. Schools receiving support include:

1. Armstrong Elementary School
2. Eagle View Elementary School
3. Laurel Ridge Elementary School
4. Marshall Road Elementary School
5. Olde Creek Elementary School
6. Saratoga Elementary School
7. Woodlawn Elementary School
8. Burke School
9. Cedar Lane School
10. Quander Road School  

IABS Overview and Description

Under the guidance of the Behavior Intervention Specialists and the direct supervision of the school-based principal, the Intensive Alternative Behavior Support instructional assistants and teachers provide additional school-based assistance to their assigned elementary and secondary school sites. The IABS support positions provide additional staff support for the implementation of behavioral prevention and intervention strategies and services. 

Behavior Intervention Specialists  

Behavior Intervention Services has two Behavior Intervention Specialists. Specialists’ Responsibilities Include:

1. Collaborating with school-based staff and central office staff to meet individual student needs.
2. Providing professional development opportunities in collaboration with central office staff in the design and implementation of research-based behavior strategies.
3. Providing school teams with  student crisis intervention support.
4. Supporting school teams in developing specific interventions for individual students and general strategies for analyzing and addressing behavioral issues, as appropriate.
5. Supporting the dissemination of information regarding district wide initiatives aligning with social emotional and behavioral needs of students.
6. Providing Behavior Intervention Teachers (BITs) support in problem-solving  proactive and responsive behavioral strategies within the school setting.
7. Supporting the reduction of restraint and seclusion while building capacity amongst school teams across the division and within the CSS and Public Day programs.

n/a

Behavioral programming and selected instructional materials are determined in collaboration with the school team in order to meet individual, classroom, and school needs. 

A primary focus of Behavior Intervention Services is to work with school teams to help build their capacity to provide effective behavioral programming for a broad range of students. Routines & Procedures, Motivation & Reinforcement, Student Engagement, and/or Feedback

Outcome Goal

By June 2024, a sample of FCPS staff accessing support from Behavior Intervention Services will increase classroom management skills in at least one of the following areas: Routines & Procedures, Motivation & Reinforcement, Student Engagement, and/or Feedback as evidenced by at least a 40 percentage point increase from baseline on a classroom management practice checklist 

Process Goal 1

During the 2022-2023 school year, Behavior Intervention Services will develop and utilize a rubric of classroom management practices in the area of routines & procedures, motivation & reinforcement, student engagement, and feedback to use for classroom observations.

Behavior Intervention Teachers utilized a rubric of classroom management practices in the areas of routines & procedures, motivation & reinforcement, student engagement, and feedback to inform coaching of FCPS staff and to increase their knowledge, skills, and practical implementation of classroom management procedures.

Process Goal 2

During the 2022-2023 school year, Behavior Intervention Services will provide professional development during designated county-wide staff development days.

Behavior Intervention services provided 22  professional developments on designated county-wide staff development days. These included school-based and county-wide opportunities. 

Process Goal 3

During the 2022-2023 school year, Behavior Intervention Services will develop and execute a comprehensive training plan to include offerings in the areas of social emotional learning, autism, twice exceptional learners, executive functions, as well as prevention, de-escalation, and intervention strategies. The training plan will include a 3-day Comprehensive Services Sites Institute funded through a Title II grant from the Virginia Department of Education.

Behavior Intervention Services provided the following professional development offerings:

• Social emotional learning (13 )
• Autism  ( 4 )
• Twice exceptional learners ( 10 )
• Executive functions  ( 4 )
• Prevention, de-escalation, and intervention strategies  ( 246 )

A three-day summer institute was provided during August of 2022 to support FCPS staff working at Comprehensive Services Sites. CSS staff were able to collaborate with their teams to develop systems of support for their individual sites.   

Process Goal 4

Behavior Intervention Services, in collaboration with the Parent Resource Center, will provide caregiver training opportunities throughout the 2022-2023 school year that promote behavioral strategies for skill development.  

Behavior Intervention services provided 6 professional development opportunities for FCPS parents on the following topics:

• Autism Spectrum Disorder
• Fundamentals of Behavior
• Individualized Education Plan
• Prevention, De-Escalation, and Intervention Strategies

Process Goal 5

During the 2022-2023 school year, Behavior Intervention Services will collaborate with Psychological Services to develop an asynchronous Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA) and Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP) Overview training for general education and special education classroom teachers detailing best practices associated with functional behavior assessments and behavior intervention plans.

Behavior Intervention Services collaborated with Psychological Services on a two hour asynchronous county-wide professional development required by all general education and special education teachers during the 2022-2023 school year.

Outcome Goals 2022-2023

Outcome Goal 1

By June 2023, a sample of FCPS staff accessing support from Behavior Intervention Services will increase classroom management skills in at least one of the following areas: Routines & Procedures, Motivation & Reinforcement, Student Engagement, and/or Feedback as evidenced by at least a 40% increase on a classroom management practice checklist.   

A sampling of FCPS staff members increased their knowledge of classroom management practices from baseline by an average of 45%  Based on the results from the above sample, increases in skills were noted in the following classroom management practices:

• Motivation & Reinforcement increased from baseline by 45%
• Setting Expectations increased from baseline by 54%
• Feedback increased from baseline by 40%
• Student Engagement increased from baseline by 42% 

Outcome Goal 2

Behavior Intervention Services will support County initiatives for social emotional learning (SEL) by providing quarterly professional development across the district related to evidence-based social emotional learning curricula.

Behavior Intervention Services provided 17 social and emotional learning (SEL) specific professional development trainings across the district during the 2022/2023 school year to include executive functions.   BIS has trained 465 staff in this area to include asynchronous opportunities provided through MyPDE.

Outcome Goal 3

Behavior Intervention Services will provide shared information on behavioral interventions and strategies to support students with autism who are accessing the general education curriculum across the district through quarterly professional development.

Behavior Intervention Services provided 4 professional development opportunities specific to autism spectrum disorder across the district during the 2022/2023 school year. BIS has trained 683 staff in this area to include asynchronous opportunities provided through MyPDE.

Outcome Goal 4

Behavior Intervention Services will provide shared information on behavioral interventions and strategies to support students who are identified as Twice Exceptional across the district through a four-part series of  professional development scheduled throughout the school year.

Behavior Intervention Services provided a four-part training series for FCPS staff during the 2022-2023 school year.  A total of 10 professional developments were provided in this area to include the four part training series.    BIS trained a total number of  351 staff on behavioral interventions and strategies to support students who are identified as Twice Exceptional.

Outcome Goal 5

Behavior Intervention Services will provide shared information on behavioral strategies and interventions for caregivers and FCPS staff through four training opportunities shared through the Parent Resource Center.

Behavior Intervention Services provided 6 professional development opportunities  across the district for caregivers during the 2022-2023 school year.  The collaborative Executive Functioning Training series on YouTube and available on the Parent Resource Center website has had 1166 views during the 2022-2023 school year.

Outcome Goal 6

Behavior Intervention Services will provide shared information about prevention, de-escalation and intervention strategies across the district through monthly professional development. *

Behavior Intervention Services provided 254 professional development trainings in the area of prevention, de-escalation and intervention strategies for 5417 staff across the district.

*Prevention, de-escalation, and intervention strategies include Mandt and Ukeru training.

Outcome Goal 7

By June 2023, at least 90% of classroom teachers (general education and special education teachers) will complete the Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA) and Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP) Overview training accessed in MyPDE.

As part of the Behavior Education Plan (BEP), all general education and special education teachers were required to complete an asynchronous training on the FBA and BIP process. MyPDE tracks completion progress for this training and sets up reminders for staff to complete by the end of the 22-23 SY. As of June 16, 2023, overall, 19,594 FCPS staff completed the FBA and BIP Overview training during the 2022 -2023 school year.

2022 / 2023 School Year Behavior Intervention Services

De-escalation and Intervention Strategies Certifications and Recertifications (The Mandt System®) 

Number of In-Person Technical Trainings: 60

Number of People Trained: 679

Number of In-Person New Certifications: 22

Number of People Trained: 406