Some students push every limit with their behavior, yet they teach us more than a textbook ever could. That’s why I was drawn to working with students who need behavior support — every day was a new challenge and an opportunity to uncover one more piece of the puzzle, to make sense of what was behind the behavior, and to help a student take that next step toward success.
One example that comes to mind is a campus in crisis because of the continued aggression and elopement of one student. The student’s family was in crisis as well; the parent was called so often about behavioral problems at school that her job was impacted. It took a new approach with a detailed Tier 3 behavior plan, community supports, teamwork (including a counselor willing to take a significant role in the plan, and other staff members willing to cover duties for him), and tenacity — but the day I saw this student engaged in work with his classmates, teacher smiling with a thumbs up in my direction, was unforgettable. His newfound skills changed the trajectory for him and his family, and the campus was able to move out of emergency mode. These are the students who stretch us the most, and when they succeed, the joy is unmatched. That’s why Tier 3 behavior planning matters —and why getting it right is worth the effort.
Creating a meaningful Tier 3 behavior support plan is among the most complex and high-impact responsibilities in a school setting. These plans are designed for students whose behavior challenges persist despite consistent implementation of Tier 1 and Tier 2 behavior supports. These students often test the limits of existing systems and require a uniquely tailored, deeply collaborative approach.
In addition, even the most thoughtfully designed Tier 3 behavior plan can quickly fall apart without the infrastructure to support it. Classroom teachers cannot carry this work alone - expecting a teacher to simultaneously manage crisis behaviors, deliver instruction, and support 25 other learners is simply not sustainable. Successful implementation requires a coordinated team, clear staff responsibilities, and designated space and time for intervention. Without shared ownership and logistical planning, even the strongest Tier 3 behavior plans fall short in practice.
Here are seven steps to Tier 3 behavior planning that are data-informed, skill-focused, and practical to implement. And, an editable Tier 3 Behavior Plan Template to help guide your work.
Effective behavior plans begin with clearly defined concerns that are then prioritized. Identify the behavior of the largest concern for safety or that will have the biggest impact overall, then describe it and provide concrete examples.
Vague descriptors like "defiant" or "disruptive" lack the specificity needed to guide intervention and communicate with the student about what is and isn’t acceptable. Instead, teams must define the observable behavior in concrete terms: what the student does, when it happens, how frequently/how long, and under what conditions.
For example, rather than writing, "Student runs away," a clear description might be: "Student leaves the classroom without permission during academic transitions, 2-3 times per day, for an average of 35 minutes out of the classroom per incident. For example, she left the classroom between reading and math and ran to the bathroom on the back hall." This clarity ensures that everyone on the team is aligned and that progress can be meaningfully measured.
Tier 3 planning relies on multiple sources of data to understand the full context of the behavior. This includes:
Looking at behavior from different angles helps identify patterns and potential functions. For example, a student who regularly leaves class during unstructured times may be attempting to escape confusion, anxiety, or peer conflict. Or, they may want the attention that comes from being chased down the hallway or cajoled off the playground equipment.
The data should be synthesized and summarized before planning begins. This makes it easier for teams to move from information gathering to decision making—an essential shift when time and resources are limited.
It may help the student gain attention, escape an undesired task, access a preferred item, or meet a sensory need. And, the student may lack the skills needed to behave in the expected way. Identifying the possible function of the behavior is central to selecting the right interventions. I say “possible function” because it is never that cut-and-dried! Behavior is complex, but creating a hypothesis about function allows your team to be intentional about crafting a plan and making adjustments when evidence confirms the hypothesis (or not.)
Teams should use functional behavior assessment (FBA) tools and analyze ABC data to look for consistent triggers and outcomes. When the function is misunderstood, the intervention may backfire—for example, providing increased adult attention when a student misbehaves can backfire if the student is misbehaving in order to gain attention! A function-based approach would be to provide increased adult attention when the student is behaving appropriately, and minimize attention as much as possible for misbehavior in this case.
Understanding the function ensures the plan addresses the why behind the behavior, not just the what.
Behavior goals should be specific, measurable, and achievable within a set timeframe. These goals guide intervention and make it possible to track progress over time.
A well-written goal might look like this:
Student will remain in class during transitions without prompting in 80% of opportunities over a five-day period.
Avoid setting goals that are vague ("Student will improve behavior") or unrealistic ("Student will have zero incidents"). Instead, use baseline data to set meaningful and attainable targets. Goals should reflect growth, not perfection.
The behavior planning template includes space to document short-term and long-term goals, along with methods for progress monitoring.
Tier 3 behavior planning must include explicit instruction in replacement behaviors—skills that meet the same need as the challenging behavior but in a more adaptive way. In other words, replacement behaviors must be functionally equivalent to meet the same underlying need in a way that is socially acceptable and sustainable in the classroom environment.
If a student is leaving class to avoid difficult tasks, replacement behaviors might include:
These skills must be taught directly, just like academic skills. Role-play, modeling, visual supports, and frequent reinforcement help students internalize these strategies, along with practice and reinforcement in the context where the misbehavior tends to occur. It’s one thing to use a new skill in the behavior specialist’s office, quite another in the classroom or cafeteria!
A strong behavior plan includes preventive strategies (to reduce the likelihood of problem behavior) and responsive strategies (to address behavior if it occurs).
Preventive supports may include:
Responsive strategies outline what adults should do when the behavior occurs, focusing on safety, de-escalation, and re-teaching.
While the primary goal is to understand the underlying function of a behavior and teach more adaptive skills, plans should also include:
For students with dangerous and disruptive behavior, effective support doesn’t mean avoiding consequences—it means being intentional about how we respond to serious misbehavior within a framework that prioritizes skill-building, relationships, and student growth.
Progress monitoring in Tier 3 must be detailed enough to detect incremental changes. Behavior change is a process; even small improvements can signal important shifts.
Consider tools like:
Monitor both the student’s response and the fidelity of implementation. If progress is slow, consider whether the plan is being implemented consistently, or if the behavior’s function has changed or is different than what was hypothesized.
Even the best-written plan will fail without the infrastructure to support it. Implementation requires clear roles, strong communication, resources for teaching, practicing, and reinforcing new skills, with the space and time to make fidelity feasible. Programs like the Positive Approach to Student Success (PASS) offer a structured framework for supporting students with significant behavior challenges or special needs:
Behavior teams should also meet regularly to review implementation, analyze data, adjust strategies, and share observations. Without an intentional structure like this, plans often fizzle or drift from their intended design.
Tier 3 behavior planning is some of the hardest work we do, and the most rewarding. These students test our systems and our stamina, but they also remind us why we became educators in the first place. With a clear, collaborative plan grounded in real data and shared ownership, even the most challenging behaviors can shift. We don’t do this work because it’s easy; we do it because it changes lives. When we get it right, the impact ripples far beyond the classroom!
Access the free template designed to support your school’s Tier 3 behavior planning process.