Behavior Contracts

Behavior Contracts are a versatile tool that is great to have in your toolbox. They are exactly what they sound like...a contract regarding behaviors. You can use them to increase certain behaviors (e.g., arriving to class on time, turning in work) or to decrease certain behaviors (e.g., calling out, being out of the designated area).

Behavior Contracts are based on the Premack Principle in which accessing highly-preferred activities/items is based on the completion of a not-so-highly-preferred activity. We often see this with If-Then boards...If you finish all your work, then you can go outside and play.

There are 3 components...

1. The Behavior - Who does it? What exactly has to happen? When does it need to happen? How well?
2. The Reward - Who will give it? What will it be? When will it be given? How much is given?
3. The Recording Sheet - Who records the behavior? How will it be tracked?

It is also important to keep in mind the type of student(s) this type of intervention could benefit. Behavior Contracts are better for students that already can do the skill just not that well or as often as we would like (performance deficit) NOT for students that cannot do the skill (skill deficit).

It is also important to use this with behaviors you can readily observe to ensure the contract was actually fulfilled. It isn't helpful to create a contract for a student that lies when you have no way of knowing the truth from a lie. You may not want to create a contract for a student's bus behavior if you aren't the one monitoring the bus behavior (in that case, you would want to involve the bus driver/monitor).

Keep in mind the student's willingness to participate. As they say, "You win more bees with honey" and "presentation is everything." Involve your student in creating the contract! They have a stake, so they should have a say. Forcing a pre-made contract on them is more of a punishment than a learning tool. Behavior Contracts are successful as a support given to students that need improvement in some area.

Get creative and have fun with it. This is a support for students to help them stay on track. It can be a great opportunity to show your struggling students that you are their biggest fan and want them to do well!

Check out our Pinterest page for more ideas!