PROCEDURE 379 April 20, 2010 June 10, 2010 June, 2015

Adopted Last Revised Review Date

BEHAVIOUR MANAGEMENT/SAFETY PLAN

1.

PURPOSE

This procedure has been developed to provide school personnel with the necessary planning tools and processes to address concerns regarding student behaviour and safety. The use of the Behaviour Management/Safety Plan in all schools of the district ensures consistency of practice. This procedure sets out the board’s expectation and details the circumstances under which a Behaviour Management/Safety Plan will be developed, implemented and reviewed to protect the safety of self and others. This procedure supports the use of positive and proactive practices to provide the foundation for an effective continuum of response strategies that address student behaviour. It is recognized that in some circumstances, positive and proactive practices may not be sufficient to address student behaviour that is contrary to district and school Codes of Conduct. In such circumstances, it is expected that progressive disciplinary measures, consistent with Ministry of Education direction and board policy and procedures will be applied as appropriate. The Behaviour Management/Safety Plan formally addresses the student whose behaviour is of concern, and has been identified through the board’s continuous behaviour support process and where appropriate, the school/community threat assessment protocol. Plans may also address student needs related to identification as an exceptional student through the Identification Placement Review Committee (IPRC) process as well as student needs and strategies outlined in students’ Individual Education Plans (IEPs). Once the in-school team has identified targeted behaviour(s) for management, observed triggers are recorded; environmental resources and personal protective equipment (PPE) are identified, and prevention and intervention strategies are listed. The safety component of the plan responds with a pre-determined set of actions to the student’s targeted pattern of behaviour that threatens the safety of self or others. The Behaviour Management/Safety Plan reflects Ministry of Education direction outlined in Learning for All K-12, (Draft 2009). The Plan considers the principle that every student is unique and some students require a personalization of behaviour management that the development of this Plan fulfills.

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DEFINITIONS

While the Behaviour Management/Safety Plan template may be used to address both behaviour management and safety issues related to the needs of students, the following provides clarity to the differences of several types of plans: Behaviour Management Plan – documents decisions made by the school team to establish a detailed student profile and to determine the steps used to de-escalate behaviours including: intervention strategies, triggers that may cause behaviours, anxiety/agitation phase action steps, and verbal defensive/aggressive phase action steps. It is intended to set and actualize measureable and achievable short-term goals for students who may or may not be identified as exceptional students through the IPRC process. Behaviour Management Plans are working documents. Detailed action plans provide consistency of language and approaches for all staff involved with a student. When student behaviour requires planned action steps to address physically aggressive behaviours, the Behaviour Management Plan will be extended to include the components of a Safety Plan. Safety Plan – documents the decisions made by the school team and special education coordinator to establish a detailed student profile and to determine the steps used to de-escalate severe physically aggressive behaviours. It is a pre-determined plan of action used when a student’s pattern of behaviour threatens the safety of self or others. Safety Plans are working documents. Ongoing review and revision to the Plan by the school team is necessary to align staff responses with presenting student behaviour needs. Safety Plans are not intended to remediate behaviour, nor are they intended to take the place of IEPs. The essential focus of a Safety Plan is on maintaining safety. Safety Plans anticipate and delineate the response to highly escalated physically aggressive behaviour. Special education coordinators are involved in the development and review of Safety Plans. Behaviour Contracts – formalize and record an agreement between a student and teacher. Often the focus of the contract is on student responsibility, such as work completion or attendance. Individual Education Plans (IEPs) – may outline alternative behavioural goals (not represented by the Ontario curriculum) as measureable and achievable behaviour expectations for individual students. IEPs are required for all students who are identified as exceptional by an IPRC. IEPs may be created for a student who has not been identified as exceptional, but who requires special education programs and/or services. Behaviour Management/Safety Plans should be referred to within the IEP if applicable. Intervention Log – a framework on which to record observations of student behaviour, the intervention or action steps taken by staff, and the outcome of the interventions. This allows ongoing monitoring and analysis of the effectiveness of the Behaviour Management/Safety Plan and informs revisions to the plan, if necessary.

3.

THE CONTINUOUS BEHAVIOUR SUPPORT PROCESS

The continuous behaviour support process aligns with Using Continuous Assessment as an Intervention Model (HPEDSB Special Education Services, 2008) which is outlined in Education for All (Ministry of Education, 2005).

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Based on this model, prior to the development of an individual Behaviour Management/ Safety Plan, the following steps from the continuum should occur: 3.1 Classroom Assessment and Intervention Classroom teachers continuously monitor the success of all students. When a concern is noted, the teacher begins to design interventions and instructional strategies based on student information and classroom assessment/observation. Personalization of behaviour interventions occur. Classroom teachers build student capacity by using progressive discipline continuum (prevention-intervention) model. 3.2

In-School Support Team Assessment and Interventions

The in-school team recommends personalized in-school interventions using the Continuous Assessment as an Intervention Model Resource Guide as a reference for targeting specific behaviours. The in-school team monitors and tracks student behaviour in targeted areas. Regular review, consultation, and adjustments occur to the intervention plan, as required. 3.3

Out-of School Support Team Assessment and Intervention

The in-school team notifies their school group special education coordinator for additional support. Review of the intervention plan occurs to determine next steps. The school group special education coordinator must be involved in all cases where the SAFETY PLAN, which addresses physically aggressive behaviour, is developed for an individual student. The school group special education coordinator may make a referral to the special education behaviour coordinator. Support offered may include, but is not limited to, the development, implementation and regular review of the Behaviour Management/Safety Plan. The special education behaviour coordinator may involve multi-disciplinary team members from special education specialized services (e.g., psychological services, safe schools team, child and youth counsellor supervisor) and/or community agencies. The Plan continues to be monitored and revised as necessary. It is important that all steps in the continuum occur in a logical progression prior to the decision to develop a Behaviour Management/Safety Plan. This ensures that sufficient data is collected to minimize risks to people involved in the implementation of the Plan. To effectively put into place a tiered safety de-escalating action plan that protects the safety of self and others, this proactive, reflective process is necessary. It is recognized that this process may be advanced in cases where data is available and the safety concerns are immediate and significant.

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STUDENT PROFILE

When developing a Behaviour Management/Safety Plan, the profile of the individual student and circumstances, including mitigating and other factors, must be considered. For students with special education and/or disability-related needs, the Plan must be consistent with the expectations stated in the student’s IEP. The nature and severity of the behaviour and its impact on school climate will also be embedded into the Plan. Student targeted behaviours include, but are not limited to: • running (inside school, outside of building); • climbing (on tables, on window ledges); • throwing (objects, desks, food); • self-injurious behaviour (head banging, self biting); • physical aggression towards others (peers, adults); • verbal aggression (threats, profoundly obscene language, harassment); • sexualized behaviour.

5.

COMPONENTS OF THE BEHAVIOUR MANAGEMENT /SAFETY PLAN

All Behaviour Management/Safety Plans should be completed utilizing the district template. Refer to Form 379 – 1 Behaviour Management/Safety Plan Template. This template and samples of Behaviour Management/Safety Plan templates for various exceptionalities may be referenced on the board’s website www.hpedsb.on.ca under Special Education Services > Teacher Resources > Safety Plan. The components are: 5.1

Personal student data, including IPRC and IEP information.

5.2

Participants in the development and revision of the Behaviour Management/Safety Plan. The development of the Plan is a collaborative multi-dimensional process. Parents, educators, administration, support personnel, and community agency support workers may all contribute to the development, analysis and revision of the Plan. Required participants to the development of the Plan are the: • classroom teacher(s); • ISRT/ISEH; • administrator; • parent/guardian; • special education coordinator. Possible contributors to the development of the Plan may include, but are not limited to: • educational assistant(s); • child and youth counsellor; • community agency representative(s); • student (where appropriate); • Threat Assessment Team member(s) (where appropriate).

5.3

Environmental resources and personal protective equipment – those required by student, staff and others in identified situations.

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5.4

Intervention Strategies.

5.5

Triggers that may cause unsafe behaviour.

5.6

Tiered action plan response to student Behaviour Management Plan - elements of: • anxiety/agitation phase • verbal defensive/aggression phase. Tiered action plan response to Safety Plan - elements of: • physical aggression/unsafe behaviour phase. This includes duties and person(s) responsible for specific actions in each phase.

5.7

Intervention Logs which are to be used to record behaviour, interventions, and action steps taken. Analysis of intervention logs provides essential information for monitoring and evaluation of action plans as well as making revisions when necessary. Form 379 – 2 should be used when the Behaviour Management Plan is limited to recording and monitoring the results of Intervention Strategies. Form 379 – 3(A) should be used when the Behaviour Management Plan requires recording and monitoring of the action steps in the Anxiety/ Agitation Phase and/or Verbal Defensive/ Aggressive Phase Form 379- 3(B) should be used when the Behaviour Management/Safety Plan requires recording and monitoring of the actions steps in the Physical Aggression Phase.

5.8

Debriefing/ re-establishment of rapport plan. Should a significant situation occur, it should be followed by a debriefing process as soon as possible after the incident. The debriefing should include, but is not limited to: • a detailed written record of the incident on the intervention log or in the de-briefing section of the Behaviour Management/Safety Plan; • completion of an injury assessment with appropriate medical follow-up and documentation; • decompression opportunities for staff/students (e.g. discussion, sharing of information, reassuring appropriate steps taken); • activation of communication plan for parent/guardian, school staff not directly involved, and superintendent responsible for the school. Re-establishment of rapport must include, but is not limited to: • seeking an understanding of the student’s perspective; • re-assuring the student that the relationship with staff members has not been affected by the incident; • restorative practices.

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Next Steps The school team members who participated in the development of the Plan should reconvene as soon as possible. The focus of this meeting should include, but is not limited to: • a review of the current Plan and revisions, if required; • determining a re-entry plan for student, if required; • communicating the re-entry plan with the student, parent/guardian and appropriate staff.

5.10 Review A schedule to review the Plan with the team developing the Plan should be established (e.g. at least once a term/semester or as often as required). The In-School Resource Teacher (ISRT) or Interdepartmental Special Education Head (ISEH) should monitor the implementation of the Plan to determine the need for review and revision, as necessary. The school team developing the Plan should meet to review and update the Plan when it has been determined that revisions to the document need to be made. A Safety Plan must be reviewed when the responses outlined in the Plan no longer align with the student’s unsafe behaviour. The updated Plan should be reviewed with all staff and persons associated with the student. Each time the plan is updated, a similar review process should occur. It is the responsibility of the principal to ensure that members of the school staff and others associated with the student are aware of the Plan and any revisions (also see Section 6.7) Staff and persons associated with the student includes, but is not limited to: • classroom teachers; • occasional teachers; • itinerant teachers; • administrative and custodial staff; • administrators; • occasional administrators; • educational assistants; • occasional educational assistants; • child and youth counsellors; • volunteers; • students on placement.

6.

COMMUNICATION, MAINTENANCE AND STORAGE

It is the responsibility of the principal to ensure that communication, maintenance and storage occurs. Required steps include: 6.1

Placing a copy of the Plan (replace with revised plans) in the documentation file of the OSR.

6.2

Referencing the Behaviour Management/Safety Plan in the student’s IEP, if applicable.

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6.3

Placing a copy of most recent Plan in a Behaviour Management/Safety Plan binder located (and easily accessible) in the main office.

6.4

Providing each individual who is directly associated with the student, including the parent/guardian, a paper copy of the initial Plan and any revised Plan thereafter.

6.5

Every effort (have available written log of attempts) is made to review the initial and revised Behaviour Management/Safety Plan with the parent/guardian for his/her agreement and signature.

6.6

Ensuring that all Plans are available in classroom teachers’, educational assistants’ and administrators’ supply binders. Students with Behaviour Management/Safety Plans should be highlighted on seating charts as a reference for other staff.

6.7

The Occupational Health and Safety Act clarifies that employers and supervisors must provide workers with information, including personal information, related to a risk of workplace violence from a person with a history of violent behaviour [Section 32.0.5(3)]. However, this duty is limited and applies only when the: a) worker can be expected to encounter the violent person in the course of his or her work; and the b) risk of workplace violence is likely to expose the worker to physical injury. Employers and supervisors must also not disclose more information than is reasonable necessary for the protection of a worker from physical injury. There may be other laws that govern the release of personal or medical information such as the: • • •

Youth Criminal Justice Act (Canada) Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (Canada); and Personal Health Information Protection Act

The employer will have to take into account a person’s right to privacy under those laws in addition to a worker’s right to be informed of workplace violence risks under the Occupational Health and Safety Act. In such cases, the principal may wish to seek advice from the superintendent.

7.

DISTRICT EXPECTATIONS

7.1

Schools are required to develop, implement and review student Behaviour Management/Safety Plans that are consistent with this procedure.

7.2

The Behaviour Management Systems (BMS) training is the primary training program with the school board for board staff. Training and instruction with respect to theoretical behavioural perspectives, current legislation and tiered prevention/intervention strategies is available and recommended for all staff.

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Legal References: • • • • • • •

Education Act, Part XIII – Behaviour, Discipline and Safety Ontario Human Rights Code Guideline OSR – Ontario School Record PPM No. 145 Progressive Discipline and Promoting Positive Student Behaviour PPM No. 128 Provincial Code of Conduct and School Board Codes of Conduct PPM No. 144 Bullying Prevention and Intervention Occupational Health and Safety Act, as amended by Bill 168, June 15, 2010

Board References: • • • • • • • • • • • •

Administrative Procedure 145: District Code of Conduct and School Codes of Conduct Administrative Procedure 149: Safety and Well-Being of Students and Staff Administrative Procedure 162: Treatment of Injured or Ill Students and Staff Members Administrative Procedure 166: Tragic Events Administrative Procedure 225: Character Development Administrative Procedure 378: Student Discipline, Bullying Prevention and Intervention Administrative Procedure 380: Dealing with Violent Incidents Administrative Procedure 382: Administration of Physical Restraint Administrative Procedure 385: Community Threat Assessment Administrative Procedure 420: Occupational Health and Safety Administrative Procedure 420-E: Personal Protective Equipment Administrative Procedure 421: Safe Workplace – Violence in the Workplace

Resources: • Using Continuous Assessment as an Intervention Model Resource Guide, (HPEDSB Special Education Services, 2008) www.hpedsb.on.ca Special Education Services > Teacher Resources • The Continuous Behaviour Support Process Flowchart (HPEDSB Special Education Services, 2010) www.hpedsb.on.ca Special Education Services > Teacher Resources > The Continuous Behaviour Support Process • Progressive Discipline and Promoting Positive Student Behaviour Resource Guide, 2009 • Community Threat Assessment Protocol, 2009

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