Planning Positive Reinforcement Cycles in Behavior Intervention Plans
Add a teacher reward loop to every school BIP so the adult also earns something when the student succeeds.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Zimmerman et al. (2022) wrote a how-to paper for school BIPs. They drew two loops on one page. One loop shows how the student earns good things. The other loop shows how the teacher earns good things at the same time.
The paper gives blank boxes you can fill in. You list the kid behavior, the kid reward, the teacher behavior, and the teacher reward. No kids were tested. The work is a map, not a road test.
What they found
There are no numbers. The authors simply say: when both loops spin together, the plan is more likely to stick. Teachers keep running the BIP because they also get something out of it.
How this fits with other research
Logan et al. (2000) came first. That paper told us delayed rewards can still work if you chain cues. Zimmerman keeps the cue idea but adds a second reward path for the adult.
Kim et al. (2024) extends the same spirit into teacher training. They embed BST coaching during college fieldwork so new teachers feel rewarded early. Zimmerman gives the blank cycle sheet; Kim shows how to practice it with partners.
Lerman (2024) widens the lens. The blueprint helps any non-behavioral staff use our tools. Zimmerman is one clear tool inside that bigger box.
Why it matters
Most BIPs only focus on the student. This paper reminds you to write in the adult side too. Ask: what does the teacher get the moment the student hits the goal? A high-five from the principal? Two extra prep minutes? Add it to the plan. When the adult loop is missing, the best BIP dies in two weeks. Draw both loops on Monday and you double the chance the plan survives.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Behavior analysts partner with educators in schools to support the creation of behavior intervention plans (BIPs). Assessment and intervention planning often focuses on the relational contingencies between the student and their environment, with little attention paid to the relational contingencies contacted by the educator. In this article, we posit that planning should simultaneously include contingencies for both the student and the educator as BIPs are created. Specifically, we aim to explore a dual-pathway intervention plan in which student and educator access to reinforcement is simultaneously designed to increase both educators’ implementation of high-quality instruction and students’ engagement and performance. Procedural steps outlining the duality of intervention planning for both the student and the educator, as well as a theoretical model for considering contextual and reinforcement contingencies for both parties, will be detailed in a step-by-step guide to support readers’ creation and implementation of plans to support improved educator and student performance. Planning for supporting both the educator and student may increase sustained, high-quality instruction and improved student outcomes for students with behavioral support needs. The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40617-021-00663-8.
Behavior Analysis in Practice, 2022 · doi:10.1007/s40617-021-00663-8