Behavior Contract

A behavior contract is an agreement between a student, their parent and the teacher. It spells out the expected behavior, the unacceptable behavior, the benefits (or rewards) for improving behavior and the consequence for failing to improve behavior. Accountability is an important part of the success of a behavior contract.

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Purpose:

Negotiated agreement for all parties
Effective for “won’t Do” kids
Not effective for “Can’t Do” Kids
When students exhibit persistent behavior problems
When students are very unorganized
When students consistently fail to compete daily class/school requirements (work, behavior expectations, peer interactions, lunch, etc)
When students exhibit persistent emotional difficulties, like frustration, anxiety, tantrums, etc.
When students are defiant and oppositional

Procedure:

Identify the target behavior.
Negotiate an agreement
Describe what the student should do
Provide a goal statement
Outline the reward and how often the student will earn the reward
Use the contract to pre-correct and prompt behavior
Provide the reward when the student meets the goal

Grade Level:

All levels

Whole Group/Small Group/Individual:

Individual

Progress Monitoring Tools:

You may have a student self-monitoring protocol, or even a teacher checklist or teacher record sheet. Often it can be as simple as a three by five inch note card taped to the desk, where the teacher can place a star or a check for appropriate behavior.