A note says: "Jordan was aggressive and out of control in the hallway after lunch." A week later, three adults remember three different events. The note cannot tell them which one it meant.
This page is about notes that can. It covers what to write, how to turn opinion into fact, and why every note should be written as if a family member will read it.
Fact and opinion
Queensland's guide says to describe behavior in observable terms and leave no room for a subjective opinion about what it looks and sounds like. The IES practice guide gives the same advice in its concrete examples: name an action and a place.
| Opinion | Fact |
|---|---|
| Jordan was aggressive | Jordan pushed a peer with both hands on the shoulders, and the peer stepped back |
| She was out of control | She shouted for about two minutes and threw her pencil case on the floor |
| He was rude to the aide | He said, "I'm not doing that," and turned his chair away |
| The class was upset | Three students moved to the far side of the room |
| It came out of nowhere | The student was working quietly until the bell rang, then stood up and left |
| He did it for attention | Two students looked over, and the teacher said his name |
The last row is the one to notice. "For attention" is a guess about motive. What you can write is who looked and what was said, and let the team decide what it means.
A checklist for each note
- Date and time, start and end.
- Place, including where in the room or building.
- Who was there, by role or code: teacher, aide, two peers.
- What came just before. The activity, the direction, any change.
- What the student did, in action words, in order.
- Exact words, in quotation marks.
- What adults did, step by step.
- How it ended, and how long it took.
- Any injury or damage, described, not judged.
- Who was told, and when.
The IES guide's list of context to note, which is time of day, location, subject, type of activity, difficulty of the task, and who was present, covers items 1 to 3 and part of 4.
A sample note
An invented note, in the order above.
Compare that with the opening line of this page. The sample is longer, and it contains nothing a reader would have to take on trust.
What to leave out
- Labels and diagnoses. They are conclusions and invite dispute.
- Motives and feelings. Describe the action instead.
- Other students' names. Use roles or codes. A note about one student should not expose another.
- Comparisons. "Worse than last week" belongs in a data summary, not an incident note.
- Tone. Write the way you would want a parent to see it.
Who may read it later
Section 300.613 says parents must be permitted to inspect and review education records relating to their children that are collected, maintained, or used by the agency under IDEA. The agency must comply without unnecessary delay and before any meeting regarding an IEP, and in no case more than 45 days after the request.
FERPA's definition of education records, in 34 CFR 99.3, excludes only records kept in the sole possession of the maker, used only as a personal memory aid, and not accessible or revealed to anyone but a temporary substitute. A note you share with your team is probably covered. So write each one as if the family will read it, because they may. This is general information, and your district's records officer can say how your notes are classified.
When the event was upsetting
Some incidents leave adults shaken, especially if someone was hurt or frightened. Safety and care come first: make sure everyone is safe, get help, and tell your administrator. The note can wait until you have caught your breath. When you write, the facts-only habit helps you, too. It gives you a structure to follow when your own feelings are loud, and it keeps the record from carrying your worst moment as its tone. If you were involved and cannot be neutral, ask a colleague who saw it to write their own account, and keep the two separate.
Reading someone else's note
When you inherit a file, test each note with three questions. Could I picture what happened from the words alone? Is there anything here that is a guess about why? Is there a time and a place? A note that fails all three is a prompt, not a record. Ask the author what they saw, and write a short factual addendum with the date, so the file improves over time instead of only growing.
How an incident note differs from ABC data
An incident note tells one event in full. ABC data are short entries collected on a schedule and read together for patterns. Use both: the note for the story, the ABC row for the data. See ABC data: how to record. A note may also trigger a call home. See parent communication about behavior.
Habits that help
- Write it the same day, while memory is fresh.
- Use a template. The checklist above fits on an index card.
- Read it back. Remove any word that is a judgment.
- Keep it where your district says, not in a personal file.
- Share the facts, not the note, with anyone outside the team who does not need it. See sharing a BIP with all staff for the plan side.
Terms are in the glossary.
Your district's forms and reporting duties
Many districts require a specific incident form, set deadlines, and require certain events, such as injuries or some kinds of harassment, to go to a particular office. Follow them. This guide does not replace them, and it is not legal advice. If you are unsure whether an event triggers a separate duty, ask your administrator or your district's records officer.