The Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) and the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE) with the U.S. Department of Education are jointly offering guidance on the use of functional behavioral assessments (FBAs) for all students whose behavior interferes with learning.
Excerpt from Dear Colleague letter:
“A common response to student behavior that interferes with learning has been to remove the student from their learning environment through exclusionary discipline, such as through the use of suspensions, expulsions, or informal removals. When students are removed from their learning environments, students miss critical opportunities to receive the academic and behavior support they need. Exclusionary discipline can have long-lasting negative impacts for students and their parents; and can lead to decreased academic achievement, absenteeism, not finishing high school, increased involvement in the juvenile justice system, and family stress.
These negative impacts affect some groups of students more than others. During the 2020-21 school year, Black boys and girls, white boys, boys of two or more races, and students with disabilities attending public schools were overrepresented in receiving suspensions and expulsions. This trend starts as early as preschool. It is critically important to note that research demonstrates that one’s perceptions about student behavior can be the result of implicit bias rather than the student’s actual behavior. Therefore, addressing any implicit bias in how student behavior might be perceived and classified should be part of State and local efforts to create inclusive and supportive learning environments.”
Additional Resources:
Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA) & Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP) Infographic and worksheets
Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA) Video
Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP) Video