Name: Jenny (pseudonym)
Pronouns: she/her
Grade Level: 3rd Grade
Student Information: Jenny is an engaged student. She performs at or above grade level academically in most subjects. She lives with both parents and a younger sibling. There are no known significant family stressors or medical conditions impacting her behavior.

Behavioral Issue

Over the past two months, Jenny has begun showing an increasing pattern of disruptive behaviors during independent work times and transitions during math instruction. These behaviors include:

• Frequent off-task talking with peers.
• Leaving her seat without permission.
• Calling out answers or comments without raising her hand
• Fidgeting excessively and playing with small object
• Occasionally making distracting noises (tapping pencil, humming)

These behaviors are not aggressive or defiant, but they are disruptive to the classroom learning environment for Jenny and her classmates, particularly during periods requiring sustained focus in math. Jenny’s classroom teacher, Mr. Sanchez, has observed that these behaviors often escalate when Jenny perceives the task as boring or challenging.

Tier 1 Interventions in Place

Mr. Sanchez classroom already has a set of Tier 1 universal behavior interventions that includes their school-wide PBIS system, which are taught explicitly and reinforced consistently for all students. These include:

1. Clear and Consistent Classroom Rules: Five positively stated classroom rules are displayed prominently and reviewed daily to remind students of expectations.
2. Visual Schedules and Routines: A daily visual schedule helps all students anticipate transitions and activities.
3. PBIS Positive Reinforcement System: Students earn points or following rules and demonstrating expected behaviors, which can be exchanged for school or class rewards.
4. Behavioral Expectations Are Explicitly Taught: Specific expectations for independent work, group work, and transitions in math are modeled and practiced regularly.
5. Proximity Control and Non-Verbal Cues: Mr. Sanchez frequently uses proximity and eye contact to redirect off-task behavior.
6. “Take a Break” Area: A designated quiet area is available for students to self-regulate when students are feeling overwhelmed. Mr. Sanchez has taught his class clear procedures for its use.
7. Teaching with a Research-Based Curriculum: Mr. Sanchez strives to make lessons interactive and differentiate instruction to meet the diverse learning needs of his class.

Data Collection (Prior to Targeted Intervention)

Mr. Sanchez informally tracked Jenny’s off-task behaviors for two weeks using anecdotal notes and tally marks during two key periods: 15-minute independent math work and 10-minute small group math work.

• Week 1 (Math Whole Group): 8-12 instances of off-task behavior per session.
• Week 1 (Math Small Group): 5-9 instances of off-task behavior per session.
• Week 2 (Math Whole Group): 10-15 instances of off-task behavior per session.
• Week 2 (Math Small Group): 7-11 instances of off-task behavior per session.

This data indicated a consistent, slightly increasing pattern of disruptive behavior despite the existing Tier 1 universal support.

Collaborative Team Discussion and Hypothesis

Mr. Sanchez met with the school’s student support team (SST), or RtI team. Team members included a school psychologist, a special education teacher, and the assistant principal to discuss Jenny’s behavior. Based on his observations, the SST team hypothesized that Jenny’s behaviors might be serving a function of:

• Attention-seeking (from peers or teacher): Her off-task talking and calling out often gained attention/reactions.
• Escape/Avoidance (of perceived difficult or boring tasks): Her behaviors increased during independent work in math, in both whole and small group time.
• Sensory/Fidget Needs: Excessive fidgeting suggested a possible need for movement or sensory input.

Tier 1 Intervention Implementation (Adjustments and Intensification)

Mr. Sanchez recognized that Jenny’s behaviors were happening within the general education setting and were not yet severe enough for Tier 2 intervention. The SST team decided to intensify and individualize existing Tier 1 strategies within the classroom, focusing on proactive support and skill-building.

These are the following interventions that were implemented by Mr. Sanchez:

1. Proximity Seating: Jenny was moved to a seat closer to Mr. Sanchez’ desk, allowing for more frequent positive reinforcement and less opportunity for peer interaction during independent work.
2. Pre-Correction/Reminders: Before independent work times, Mr. Sanchez began explicitly reminding Jenny (and subtly the entire class) of the classroom expectations: “Remember, during independent math time, we are working quietly at our desks. If you have a question, raise your hand.” Mr. Sanchez would often make eye contact with Jenny during this verbal reminder.
3. Increased Opportunities for Appropriate Attention: Mr. Sanchez made a conscious effort to “catch Jenny being good” and provide immediate, specific praise for on-task behavior (“Jenny, I noticed you’ve been working diligently on your math for the last five minutes, great focus!”). He also assigned Jenny small, positive “jobs” during transitions (handing out papers, collecting materials) to provide appropriate opportunities for movement and positive attention.
4. Scheduled Movement Breaks/Fidgets:
   Recognizing the potential sensory need, Mr. Sanchez implemented:
   Desk Fidget Tool: Provided a discrete, quiet fidget tool ( a stress ball or tangle toy) for Jenny to use during independent work, with clear guidelines for appropriate use.
   Short, Structured Movement Breaks: After 15-20 minutes of seated work, Jenny was allowed a quick, pre-approved movement break ( sharpen pencil, deliver a note to the office, stretch at her desk for 30 seconds). This break was provided to the whole class as a “brain break” but with a subtle cue to Jenny specifically.
5. Choice and Task Engagement: Mr. Sanchez increased opportunities for Jenny to have choice within academic math tasks when appropriate (“Would you like to start with problem A or problem B first?”). He also made an effort to connect tasks to her interests where possible.
6. Reinforcement of Self-Monitoring: Mr. Sanchez briefly introduced a simple self-monitoring check-in for Jenny ( a quick thumbs up/down after a short work period to indicate if she felt she was on task).
   Note: This was not a formal chart but a quick, private check-in.

Data Collection (Tier 1 Post-Intervention)

After two weeks of implementing these intensified Tier 1 strategies, Mr. Sanchez continued to track Jenny’s off-task behaviors using the same informal methods.

• Week 3 (Math whole group): 3-7 instances of off-task behavior per session
• Week 3 (Math small group): 2-5 instances of off-task behavior per session
• Week 4 (Math whole group): 2-5 instances of off-task behavior per session
• Week 4 (Math small group): 1-3 instances of off-task behavior per session