Improving academic engagement through systematic, function-based intervention

Fiona was a 14-year-old 7 ^th-grader whose academic history, frequent behavior problems, and low levels of academic engagement put her at-risk for academic failure. This study's purpose was to examine the effectiveness of a systematic process for identifying the function of her problem behaviors and designing interventions that directly addressed that function. The study was conducted in two phases. Data from a descriptive functional assessment (Phase 1) were used to develop function-based interventions that were implemented in multiple classes (Phase 2). Substantial increases in academic engagement resulted.