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Behavior Contract Template
What Is a Behavior Contract?
A Behavior Contract is a written document usually signed by the parents or legal guardians of the child and the educational institution this minor attends to determine the behavioral targets for the student who modifies their behavior to improve the process of studying. You can find a Behavior Contract template through the link below.
Alternate Names:
- Behavior Change Contract;
- Student Behavior Contract.
This agreement serves as a positive intervention into a student's life - it holds them accountable, provides them and people who care about them with routine, organization, and structure, encourages personal accountability, enhances communication between parents and teachers, and gradually gets the student's grades up. If your child exhibits problematic behavior or constantly fails to attend classes and complete their assignments, discuss the possibility of preparing a sample Behavior Contract with their teachers and mentors ready to assist the student.
How to Write a Behavior Contract?
Follow these steps to prepare a Behavior Change Contract:
- Name the parties to the contract - it can be agreed upon by both parents or legal guardians of the minor or just one of them and the school. It is recommended to identify the teacher who will follow the academic progress of the student and help them to reach the targets set in the contract.
- State the purpose of the document - you have decided to approach the student's harmful behavior in the classroom, monitor their studying, and let the minor build their own skills to manage the behavior better.
- Indicate the traits the student should change and behavioral goals the student and their parents would like to reach. Describe them in sufficient detail to avoid disagreements in the future and select target behaviors that can be observed and evaluated. For instance, the student may need to complete all the class assignments on time - this part of their studies is easy to control.
- List the strategies the parties will use together to overcome the existing obstacles. If the student fails to do their homework every day, think about what would help them to deal with the issue (maybe they are easily distracted or they experience psychological problems. In this case, you can propose therapy, private tutoring, and a system of awards for proper behavior and academic success.
- Spell out the consequences the child will face if the negative actions continue. If they, for example, fail to show up in class or demonstrate hostility towards other students or teachers, they will not be allowed to attend homecoming, participate in sporting activities, or go on a long-awaited trip with their classmates.
- Sign the document. While it is usually negotiated and signed by the parents, it is a good idea to let the student - especially a teenager - read the contract and find out about the expectations their parents and teachers have for them. You can ask the student to add a "symbolic" signature to the agreement to later show them they have consented to do their best to change their behavior regarding the studies.
