Alternative Teams

Another 14 percent of schools have an alternative team functionally similar to a BTAM team

Sample (N = 1746) · All principals who completed the survey and received a weight (weighted to national K-12 public school principals/schools)

Another 14 percent of schools have a team that was not formally identified as a BTAM team but was functionally similar to such teams in that it “makes decisions regarding serious student behavioral concerns” (those are represented by the light purple boxes in Figure 2.1).

• Alternative Teams
• BTAM Adoption Prevalence

cite page 26 Ch 2: Which Schools Have Implemented BTAM?

Alternative teams are typically school-based and could be MTSS or PBIS teams

These are typically school-based teams that make decisions in cases of serious student behavioral concerns; they could be a team associated with a multi-tiered system of support (MTSS) or positive behavioral intervention system (PBIS) or some other team referred to by another name.

• Alternative Teams
• Key Terms

cite page 26 Ch 2: Which Schools Have Implemented BTAM?

Footnote: some schools have programs not called BTAM but functionally similar

Some schools maintain programs that are not explicitly called BTAM but are functionally similar BTAM programs.

• Alternative Teams
• Key Terms

cite page 26 Ch 2: Which Schools Have Implemented BTAM?

Footnote: BTAM-like team defined as a school-based team deciding on serious behavioral concerns

We define BTAM-like team as a school-based team that makes decisions regarding serious student behavioral concerns but is not formally referred to as a BTAM team.

• Alternative Teams
• Key Terms

cite page 26 Ch 2: Which Schools Have Implemented BTAM?

Figure 2.1: Alternative team performing BTAM functions 14 percent

Sample (N = 1746) · All principals who completed the survey and received a weight (weighted to national K-12 public school principals/schools)

Alternative team performing BTAM functions | 14

• Alternative Teams
• BTAM Adoption Prevalence

cite page 27 Ch 2: Which Schools Have Implemented BTAM?

Figure 2.1 note: survey item on a school-based team not called BTAM; N = 1,746

“Does your school have a school-based team that makes decisions regarding serious student behavioral concerns that is not referred to as a behavioral threat assessment and management (BTAM) team? This could be a team associated with a multi-tiered system of support (MTSS) or positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) that makes decisions about individualized interventions for serious behavioral concerns” (N = 1,746)

• Alternative Teams
• Survey Methodology

cite page 27 Ch 2: Which Schools Have Implemented BTAM?

Schools in states with no 2019 legislation or encouragement more likely to use a BTAM-like team

schools in these states are more likely than their counterparts in other policy contexts to use a BTAM-like team to perform threat assessment and management functions (e.g., an MTSS or PBIS team).

• Alternative Teams
• State Policy Mandates
• Subgroup Differences

cite page 29 Ch 2: Which Schools Have Implemented BTAM?

Fig 2.2: Alternative team performing BTAM functions: Other states 23 percent, encouraged in 2019 16

Sample (N = 423 | 481 | 842 by column) · State-policy groups in column order: other states, encouraged BTAM use only, early legislation states

Alternative team performing BTAM functions | 23 | 16 | 9

• Alternative Teams
• State Policy Mandates

cite page 30 Ch 2: Which Schools Have Implemented BTAM?

Figure 2.2 note: survey item on a school-based team not called BTAM; N = 1,746

“Does your school have a school-based team that makes decisions regarding serious student behavioral concerns that is not referred to as a behavioral threat assessment and management (BTAM) team? This could be a team associated with a multi-tiered system of support (MTSS) or positive behavioral intervention system (PBIS) that makes decisions about individualized interventions for serious behavioral concerns” (N = 1,746)

• Alternative Teams
• Survey Methodology

cite page 30 Ch 2: Which Schools Have Implemented BTAM?

Figure 2.3 note: survey item on a school-based team not called BTAM; N = 1,746

“Does your school have a school-based team that makes decisions regarding serious student behavioral concerns that is not referred to as a behavioral threat assessment and management (BTAM) team? This could be a team associated with a multi-tiered system of support (MTSS) or positive behavioral intervention system (PBIS) that makes decisions about individualized interventions for serious behavioral concerns” (N = 1,746)

• Alternative Teams
• Survey Methodology

cite page 31 Ch 2: Which Schools Have Implemented BTAM?

Chapter 4 focuses on roughly 1,600 schools with an official or alternative team

In this chapter, we focus on the subset of roughly 1,600 schools in our survey sample who reported having an official BTAM team at their school or alternative school-based team that functions similarly to a BTAM team.

• Alternative Teams
• Sample

cite page 38 Ch 4: What Is the Scope of Schools' BTAM Programs?

14 percent of schools have a school-based team for serious concerns not called a BTAM team

Sample (N = 1746) · All principals who completed the survey and received a weight (weighted to national K-12 public school principals/schools)

some schools (14 percent) have a school-based team that makes decisions about serious student behavioral concerns but is not referred to as a BTAM team (a BTAM-like team).

• Alternative Teams
• BTAM Adoption Prevalence

cite page 39 Ch 4: What Is the Scope of Schools' BTAM Programs?

Comparing official and BTAM-like teams shows the scope of official teams versus broader-remit teams

Comparing and contrasting the responses of schools that have official BTAM teams versus these school-based BTAM-like teams help provide some insight as to the scope of official BTAM teams compared with teams that would have a broader remit by definition.

• Alternative Teams
• Scope Severity Focus

cite page 39 Ch 4: What Is the Scope of Schools' BTAM Programs?

Principals' responses suggest lower-level concerns are appropriately handled by other teams

Principals’ responses suggest that these lower-level behavioral concerns are appropriately addressed by other teams schools may have in place, such as MTSS or PBIS teams that operate alongside, but separate from, the school BTAM team.

• Alternative Teams
• Scope Severity Focus

cite page 39 Ch 4: What Is the Scope of Schools' BTAM Programs?

BTAM-like teams responded more often to low-level incidents and less serious behavior

Principals also reported that such teams as the ones described above responded more often to low-level incidents and less serious behavior.

• Alternative Teams
• Scope Severity Focus

cite page 39 Ch 4: What Is the Scope of Schools' BTAM Programs?

Fig 4.1 Serious: threats at/violent toward other students: official 93 pct, alternative team 69 pct

Sample (column N undeterminable) · Figure 4.1 columns: official-team schools and alternative-team schools

Serious: Students who have directed threats at or may be violent toward other individual students* | 93 | 69

• Alternative Teams
• Scope Severity Focus

cite page 39 Ch 4: What Is the Scope of Schools' BTAM Programs?

Fig 4.1 Serious: threats/violent toward school staff: official 92 pct, alternative team 68 pct

Sample (column N undeterminable) · Figure 4.1 columns: official-team schools and alternative-team schools

Serious: Students who have made threats or may be violent toward school staff*a | 92 | 68

• Alternative Teams
• Scope Severity Focus

cite page 39 Ch 4: What Is the Scope of Schools' BTAM Programs?

Fig 4.1 Serious: mass violence threats/intent: official 88 pct, alternative team 55 pct

Sample (column N undeterminable) · Figure 4.1 columns: official-team schools and alternative-team schools

Serious: Students who have made threats of or may be intending to commit mass violence against the school or school community* | 88 | 55

• Alternative Teams
• Scope Severity Focus

cite page 39 Ch 4: What Is the Scope of Schools' BTAM Programs?

Fig 4.1 Serious: self-harm or suicide risk: official 83 pct, alternative team 74 pct

Sample (column N undeterminable) · Figure 4.1 columns: official-team schools and alternative-team schools

Serious: Students who may be at risk of self-harm or suicide* | 83 | 74

• Alternative Teams
• Scope Severity Focus

cite page 39 Ch 4: What Is the Scope of Schools' BTAM Programs?

Fig 4.1 Serious: fixations on past violence/extremism: official 81 pct, alternative team 54 pct

Sample (column N undeterminable) · Figure 4.1 columns: official-team schools and alternative-team schools

Serious: Students with fixations on past school violence incidents, interest in violence or extremist movements*b | 81 | 54

• Alternative Teams
• Scope Severity Focus

cite page 39 Ch 4: What Is the Scope of Schools' BTAM Programs?

Fig 4.1 Serious: regular aggression toward peers: official 69 pct, alternative team 78 pct

Sample (column N undeterminable) · Figure 4.1 columns: official-team schools and alternative-team schools

Serious: Students who are regularly involved in aggressive behavior towards peers*c | 69 | 78

• Alternative Teams
• Scope Severity Focus

cite page 39 Ch 4: What Is the Scope of Schools' BTAM Programs?

Fig 4.1 Lower-level: regularly disruptive to instruction: official 27 pct, alternative team 71 pct

Sample (column N undeterminable) · Figure 4.1 columns: official-team schools and alternative-team schools

Lower-level: Students whose behavior is regularly disruptive to instruction* | 27 | 71

• Alternative Teams
• Scope Severity Focus

cite page 39 Ch 4: What Is the Scope of Schools' BTAM Programs?

Fig 4.1 Lower-level: disrespectful to staff: official 20 pct, alternative team 54 pct

Sample (column N undeterminable) · Figure 4.1 columns: official-team schools and alternative-team schools

Lower-level: Students who are disrespectful or argumentative with teachers or other school staff* | 20 | 54

• Alternative Teams
• Scope Severity Focus

cite page 39 Ch 4: What Is the Scope of Schools' BTAM Programs?

Figure 4.1 asterisk marks statistically significant official versus unofficial team differences

An asterisk (*) indicates that the percentage of principals in schools with official BTAM teams who reported their team responded to that type of student behavior was statistically significantly different from the percentage of principals in schools with unofficial BTAM teams who said similarly.

• Alternative Teams
• Methodology

cite page 39 Ch 4: What Is the Scope of Schools' BTAM Programs?

Building an inventory is recommended in some BTAM models and in PBIS or MTSS

Building such an inventory is a recommended practice in some BTAM models and in other models for school-based behavioral management (e.g., PBIS or MTSS).

• Alternative Teams
• Intervention Tools

cite page 63 Ch 9: How Do BTAM Teams Develop Intervention Plans?

Schools with other BTAM-like teams or none also answered scenarios but are omitted

Schools that had other school-based BTAM-like behavior teams or no BTAM teams also answered questions about these scenarios, as described in Appendix B.

• Alternative Teams
• Methodology

cite page 74 Ch 11: How Are Schools Using BTAM to Respond to Student Behavior?

Schools with other BTAM-like teams or no teams are omitted from this chapter's analyses

These schools are omitted from our analyses here.

• Alternative Teams
• Methodology

cite page 74 Ch 11: How Are Schools Using BTAM to Respond to Student Behavior?

Table A.12: No, 18.2 weighted percent

Sample (N = 305) · Appendix A table base (respondents answering the table question; see note for tables)

| No | 18.2 |

• Alternative Teams

cite page 115 Appendix A: Survey Frequencies

Table A.12: Yes, 81.0 weighted percent

Sample (N = 305) · Appendix A table base (respondents answering the table question; see note for tables)

No | 18.2 | | Yes | 81.0 |

• Alternative Teams

cite page 115 Appendix A: Survey Frequencies

Table A.12: Don’t know, 0.8 weighted percent

Sample (N = 305) · Appendix A table base (respondents answering the table question; see note for tables)

Yes | 81.0 | | Don’t know | 0.8 |

• Alternative Teams

cite page 115 Appendix A: Survey Frequencies

Table A.12 note: Table A.12 note: n = 305.

NOTE: n = 305.

• Alternative Teams

cite page 115 Appendix A: Survey Frequencies

Table A.12 note: This could be a team associated with a multi-tiered system of support (MTSS) or pos

This could be a team associated with a multi-tiered system of support (MTSS) or positive behavioral intervention system (PBIS) that makes decisions about individualized interventions for serious behavioral concerns.

• Alternative Teams

cite page 115 Appendix A: Survey Frequencies

Table A.12 note: Table A.12 was a screener question used to direct appropriate modules to survey res

This was a screener question used to direct appropriate modules to survey respondents.

• Alternative Teams

cite page 115 Appendix A: Survey Frequencies

Table A.12 note: Only respondents who said their school does not have (or does not know that their s

Only respondents who said their school does not have (or does not know that their school has) a school- or district-level BTAM team saw this question.

• Alternative Teams

cite page 115 Appendix A: Survey Frequencies

Table A.13: Not very familiar: 11.7

Sample (N = 247) · Appendix A table base (respondents answering the table question; see note for tables)

Not very familiar (e.g., you may have referred students, but are not extremely knowledgeable about its processes) | 11.7

• Alternative Teams
• Survey Methodology

cite page 116 Appendix A: Survey Frequencies

Table A.13: Somewhat familiar: 21.8

Sample (N = 247) · Appendix A table base (respondents answering the table question; see note for tables)

Somewhat familiar (e.g., you have referred students and/or have knowledge of the team’s processes) | 21.8

• Alternative Teams
• Survey Methodology

cite page 116 Appendix A: Survey Frequencies

Table A.13: Extremely familiar: 66.5

Sample (N = 247) · Appendix A table base (respondents answering the table question; see note for tables)

Extremely familiar (e.g., you are a member of the team or lead it, or otherwise have detailed knowledge) | 66.5

• Alternative Teams
• Survey Methodology

cite page 116 Appendix A: Survey Frequencies

Module routing: respondents with a BTAM team or other school-based team received it

Respondents who indicated that their school had a school- or district-level BTAM team (or another school-based team that makes decisions regarding serious student behavioral concerns that is not referred to as a BTAM team) received this module.

• Alternative Teams
• Survey Methodology

cite page 120 Appendix A: Survey Frequencies

Unofficial-team respondents told to answer about their team's practices

Respondents who indicated they had an unofficial BTAM team received the following instructions: “You indicated your school has a school-based team that makes decisions regarding student behavioral and other concerns. This team is not explicitly considered a behavioral threat assessment and management team. Please answer the following questions based on your knowledge of that team’s practices (although the questions will refer to it as a BTAM team).”

• Alternative Teams
• Survey Methodology

cite page 120 Appendix A: Survey Frequencies

Underestimated principals reporting another school-based team that is not called a BTAM team

However, we underestimated the number of principals who would indicate that their school had another “school-based team that makes decisions regarding serious student behavioral concerns that is not referred to as a behavioral assessment and management (BTAM) team” and receive the longer survey pathway.

• Alternative Teams
• Survey Methodology

cite page 152 Appendix B: Survey Methods

About 250 schools reported a school-based team not referred to as a BTAM team

About 250 schools told us that they have a school-based team that makes decisions regarding serious student behavioral concerns that is not referred to as a BTAM team.

• Alternative Teams

cite page 152 Appendix B: Survey Methods