A plan can be well written and still fail on a Tuesday, because the substitute never saw it, the lunch aide did not know about the break card, and the specials teacher did not know the hypothesis. The best plan is the one that reaches the people who carry it out.
This page covers what the rules say about sharing, what each person needs, and a simple way to make it routine.
What IDEA says
Section 300.323(d) requires each public agency to ensure that the IEP is accessible to each regular education teacher, special education teacher, related services provider, and other service provider who is responsible for its implementation, and that each is informed of their specific responsibilities and of the specific accommodations, modifications, and supports they must provide.
Illinois's guidance applies that to a BIP. It says the plan should include a list of school staff who will be informed, who will receive a copy, and how the plan will be communicated and disseminated. It also says school personnel may need training, coaching, and tools to address a particular child's behavioral needs, quoting the U.S. Department of Education's 2016 Dear Colleague Letter.
Why understanding matters
Colorado's guide makes a point many teams miss. Share with staff the hypothesized function of the behavior and how it fits with the strategies in the plan, because sometimes staff do not use strategies they do not understand. A card for asking for a break feels pointless until an adult knows it is replacing a way of leaving a hard task. Give the reason along with the instruction.
Who needs what
| Role | Needs | Format |
|---|---|---|
| Classroom teacher | Full plan, data sheet, fidelity checklist | Full plan plus a one-page summary |
| Paraprofessional | Definition, strategies, how to respond, what to record | One page plus training |
| Specials, music, PE | Summary, the break card, who to call | One page |
| Lunch and recess staff | Early signs, the break routine, who to call | Half page, in person |
| Bus driver or monitor | Only what they need to carry out their part | Short, as your district allows |
| Substitute | Five-minute packet | One page at the front of the folder |
| Administrator and counselor | Full plan and review dates | Full plan |
Colorado suggests listing roles, not names, in the plan, since people come and go but roles stay.
A one-page staff summary
Keep to one side of one page. Staff who read it in a hallway should be able to carry it out.
Train in the room
Colorado recommends that most training take place in the classroom with actual practice and feedback. Its coaching sequence runs: a short training of about 30 minutes on how to implement the plan, a model of the plan by the coach, a role switch so the teacher practices, observation of the teacher implementing the plan with feedback, and a reflection sheet as part of problem solving. It says the relationship between coach and teacher should be trusting and goal oriented.
You may not have a coach. A school psychologist, counselor, special education teacher, or experienced colleague can play the role. The principle is the same: show it, let them try it, give feedback, and check back.
Check that it is happening
Colorado describes a fidelity checklist: a list of the plan's strategies, completed for each adult in the room, twice a week for the first three weeks and then weekly. For each strategy, the adult answers whether all steps were implemented as intended, whether the student responded as intended, and whether it was used as often as intended. It is meant as a self-check or an observation, not a gotcha. Strategies that get "no" again and again are a sign that the strategy needs to change, or the training does. See data sheets for BIP progress.
Keep it confidential
A behavior plan contains information about a student's needs. Section 300.623 requires agencies to protect personally identifiable information at the collection, storage, disclosure, and destruction stages, to train all persons collecting or using it, and to keep a current list of the names and positions of employees who may have access. In practice:
- Share on a need-to-know basis, and by your district's approved means.
- Use first names or codes on anything that leaves the classroom team.
- Do not post plans or break cards where peers can read the student's name or the reason for them.
- Collect old copies when the plan is updated.
- Do not send plans through personal email or messaging apps.
See documenting incidents factually for the note-writing side of this. This is general information, and your district's records officer can say how to apply the rules.
A substitute packet
Put in a folder at the front of the room: the one-page summary, the break card or a copy, the daily data sheet with the definition, a short note that says what has been working, and who to call. A substitute who can follow the plan can keep the student's day steady, and the data stay usable.
Telling the student
The student should know who has seen the plan and why. A short, kind conversation does it: "Your teachers have a plan to help with starting work. Here is what it says, and here is what you can do." Colorado's guide stresses building positive relationships and teaching expectations. A student who knows what adults will do is more likely to trust it. Ask the student what they would like adults to say or not say, and write it down.
When the plan changes
Send the new version the same day, collect the old one, and tell each person what changed and why. Update the staff list. Mark the date on the data sheet. See BIP review and revision.
Sharing slips
- Emailing the plan once. Hand it over, explain it, and follow up.
- Leaving out specials and lunch. Trouble often shows up there.
- Leaving out the reason. Staff follow what they understand.
- Forgetting to retire old copies. Two versions cause conflict.
- Posting names publicly. Protect the student's privacy.
Terms are in the glossary.
What your district decides
How much of a plan each person sees, how copies are tracked, and what training is required vary by district. Ask your special education director, and write the answers into the plan's staff list.