Behavioral Intervention Plans: Pedagogical and Legal Analysis of Issues

Abstract

Both law and pedagogy require that educators address behavior interfering with educational progress for students with disabilities. The reauthorized Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA, 2004) and its predecessor, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA, 1997a), require individualized education program (IEP) teams to develop behavioral improvement plans (BIPs) for students whose behavior impedes their performance or the performance of others. Yet neither statute provides guidance concerning the substantive components of these plans. The purpose of this article is to review the administrative decisions and case law addressing BIPs. Based on the review, five themes related to the development of appropriate BIPs were identified. A pedagogical review substantiated and enriched the emergent themes. Hopefully, this analysis will assist IEP teams in the development of appropriate and legally defensible BIPs.