Individual Behaviour and Attainment Targets

Introduction
When setting targets for individual children or young people it can be tempting to decide for yourself what these need to be particularly when you, as teacher, are faced with an apparently obvious need for change in a pupil’s specific behaviours or work patterns. However, if the child that you are trying to help was susceptible to imposed change, it is likely that some of the more directive approaches in your toolkit would already have succeeded in bringing about change.

Personal behaviour-related or work-related targets work best when the child concerned is at the centre of the process.

Involved and Smart
Targets are more person-centred when the child or young person is directly involved in:

• identifying the need for the target(s)
• deciding the nature of the target(s)
• devising the wording of the target(s)

Effective targets are SMART.

Specific: State exactly what you will achieve.
Measurable: How will you know you've done it?
Agreed: With whom? (teacher, other pupil(s), parent, etc.)
Realistic: Are you sure you can achieve this?
Timed: When will the target start and finish?

These types of targets are most likely to be helpful when a child wants things to get better. For this reason it is important to find out what degree of concern the particular underachievement or behaviour is causing the child him or herself. During this exploration it can help to focus on what might improve for the child if they can use targets successfully. This discussion can be informed by your own or others’ observations but the more the child is involved in explaining his/her own perceptions and in identifying the focus and content of the targets, the greater the chance of success.

Getting Started
Take time to allow the pupil to talk in an open way, in confidence and without you making judgmental responses. Find out what behaviours the child sees as problematic.

A set of cards with various potentially problematic behaviours (e.g. "shouting out", getting out of my seat") or work-related problems can be a good visual aid and can speed up the selection process, particularly for pupils who are not very comfortable talking about their behaviour.

Class teacher or other staff observations can be a useful source of information but care should be given to how these are used, especially early in the targeting-setting process. They can be used very successfully later to confront a pupil with inconsistencies or different perceptions, once trust and success are established.

Number of Targets
Some young people will respond best if given one new target at a time. Others can cope with two or three at a time. Let them choose the number.

Guiding Principles

• Keep targets short!
• Where possible, phrase them as “I will ....” statements.
• Make them realistically achievable, even if you can identify more obvious or "important" ones that you (or others) think would make more of a difference. Early success is important – however small. Often other changes come on the back of small targets achieved.
• Make the targets judgement-free (avoid "good" and "bad" etc.) and be specific. For example: “I will be ready to start work within a minute of sitting down.” rather than “I will be ready to start work quickly” "I will not shout out." rather than " I will shout out less."
• Relative concepts like “better”, “faster”, “working harder” are difficult to quantify and can lead to disputes over different people’s judgement of success. The word “try” is also best avoided. It implies anticipated failure.
• Encourage the child to take reasonable responsibility for using the targets, for instance, for collecting, completing, showing or returning them to others. Encouraging Ownership if staff identify specific targets before the young person is given a chance to, then there may subsequently be an ‘ownership’ problem for the pupil.

Ownership
If staff identify specific targets before the young person is given a chance to, then there may subsequently be an ‘ownership’ problem for the pupil. In practice, and with care, most young people will generate realistic and relevant targets. Staff might become involved in suggesting new targets once some initial success is experienced.

Time Scales
The system described here allows flexibility in number and content of targets so that these can be changed over time. Remove or replace individual targets as soon as they are consistently (not perfectly!) achieved over a period of 2-3 weeks – they can always be re-instated if behaviours revert. Agree the ‘success period’ in advance with the child.

Most target or paper-based monitoring systems will lose their effectiveness after a few weeks.

If certain targets aren’t working at all then remove or renegotiate them.

Follow-up
Agree who is going to be involved in completing or counter-signing the targets and who will see them. (i.e. pupil, class teacher, support staff, parent, head teacher? etc.)

Target systems almost always fail to have an impact if the pupil does not experience some regular adult follow-up and feedback. Make this at a regular time, preferably daily (at least initially).

Demonstrate and expect commitment.

A scoring system, coloured chart or similar can be effective in sustaining motivation and demonstrating improvement for the pupil and significant others. Cumulative number targets and rewards can also be devised but need to be meaningful to the pupil.

Concrete Rewards
Some children will respond more rapidly to the incentive of concrete rewards, particularly if the child is generally unused to experiencing positive relationships. However care should be taken not to create dependency on these types of rewards, otherwise conflict or loss of motivation may result in the longer term. Think of concrete rewards as a means to helping the child experience positive relationships rather than as ends in themselves. At best, such rewards are a way for you to express your valuing of the child rather than pandering to the child’s valuing of the reward. If the child thinks it is bribery, then it is bribery!

This text is taken from materials devised by Richard Hendry (of Hoolet Ltd) – independent CPD provider and consultant. It can be downloaded as a Word document via the link on the right.

Hoolet Ltd
Tel: 01337 858473
Email: richard@hoolet.com
Web: www.hoolet.com