53 claims on pp. 7–133 (fact 38, statement 7, evidence 1, conclusion 3, conjecture 2, definition 2).
Most schools are incorporating individualized interventions into plans developed as part of the threat management process, tailoring supports to meet the specific needs and circumstances of students.
Sample (N = 1379) · Appendix A table base (respondents answering the table question; see note for tables)
Although only 20 percent of schools directly involve parents in intervention planning, most consult with them during the process.
There is considerable variation in how BTAM teams deliver interventions and develop management plans for students.
Although most teams focus on individualized interventions, there are wide differences in decisionmaking processes, resource use, and application of decision support tools.
Clearer guidance and best practices are needed to ensure that interventions are implemented effectively and fairly across schools.
How do BTAM teams develop intervention plans for at-risk students, and what do these plans look like?
The management and support component of BTAM focuses on identifying appropriate interventions and supportive programming for students who have been assessed by the BTAM team as posing a potential risk to themselves or others.
cite page 62 Ch 9: How Do BTAM Teams Develop Intervention Plans?
The goal of intervention planning is to identify the right composition of resources and supports that can prompt and sustain positive behavioral change for the student involved while also ensuring the safety of the broader school community.
cite page 62 Ch 9: How Do BTAM Teams Develop Intervention Plans?
Many BTAM models differ in the specificity of their guidance for management and support strategies, leaving schools and their safety partners to develop their own approaches.
cite page 62 Ch 9: How Do BTAM Teams Develop Intervention Plans?
We presented principals with four options for how their BTAM team might decide on an intervention or safety plan for a student assessed as posing a risk of harm and asked them to select which statement best describes their team’s process.
cite page 62 Ch 9: How Do BTAM Teams Develop Intervention Plans?
Sample (N = 1380) · Appendix A table base (respondents answering the table question; see note for tables)
Our BTAM team has a standard set of actions that it takes for every student assessed as a potential school safety concern (16 percent).
cite page 62 Ch 9: How Do BTAM Teams Develop Intervention Plans?
Sample (N = 1380) · Appendix A table base (respondents answering the table question; see note for tables)
Our BTAM team members recommend elements to add to each intervention plan based on their professional expertise and services from their discipline (e.g., a counselor identifies the types of counseling that should be included in the plan) (33 percent).
cite page 62 Ch 9: How Do BTAM Teams Develop Intervention Plans?
Sample (N = 1380) · Appendix A table base (respondents answering the table question; see note for tables)
Our BTAM team draws on an inventory of resources available across the school and community to collaboratively choose interventions for an intervention or safety plan (28 percent).
cite page 62 Ch 9: How Do BTAM Teams Develop Intervention Plans?
Sample (N = 1380) · Appendix A table base (respondents answering the table question; see note for tables)
Our BTAM team draws on an inventory of resources and decision support tools that help guide choices among intervention options and match interventions to individual student needs (23 percent).
cite page 62 Ch 9: How Do BTAM Teams Develop Intervention Plans?
In this chapter, we discuss how schools with official BTAM programs are approaching the behavioral threat management and support component of BTAM, reviewing responses about the decisionmaking process for selecting interventions and supports and the types of interventions schools are offering, both at the school and through referral to outside services.
cite page 62 Ch 9: How Do BTAM Teams Develop Intervention Plans?
The intent of BTAM is to use information about the student and their behavior to determine the right types of interventions that will simultaneously benefit the student (address the concerning behavior to decrease the risk of harm) and also ensure the safety of the school community.
cite page 63 Ch 9: How Do BTAM Teams Develop Intervention Plans?
BTAM teams using a standard set of actions for every student they assess (our first response option) is counter to this goal.
cite page 63 Ch 9: How Do BTAM Teams Develop Intervention Plans?
Sample (N = 1380) · Appendix A table base (respondents answering the table question; see note for tables)
This was least commonly selected by principals, with only 16 percent indicating that their BTAM responded the same way in every case referred.
cite page 63 Ch 9: How Do BTAM Teams Develop Intervention Plans?
The other three responses described programs that customized intervention planning in different ways and reflected increasingly robust implementation of BTAM practices.
cite page 63 Ch 9: How Do BTAM Teams Develop Intervention Plans?
Sample (N = 1380) · Appendix A table base (respondents answering the table question; see note for tables)
The most common approach or option, selected by one-third of respondents, was that BTAM teams rely on their members to “bring intervention options from their individual professional disciplines to the table” during intervention planning.
cite page 63 Ch 9: How Do BTAM Teams Develop Intervention Plans?
Notably, such practice also relies heavily on having the right people “at the table” for every case; if key BTAM team members are regularly absent from meetings or team meetings are unplanned or a team is affected by frequent staff turnover, a school’s BTAM program might reach inconsistent decisions about which interventions to use from case to case.
cite page 63 Ch 9: How Do BTAM Teams Develop Intervention Plans?
The other two approaches/options include building systems and decision aids that help teams design intervention plans, essentially providing a “support system for the team” to build a strong and consistent process for selecting interventions across different students assessed by the team while still developing plans that are consistent for students’ needs.
cite page 63 Ch 9: How Do BTAM Teams Develop Intervention Plans?
Sample (N = 1379) · Appendix A table base (respondents answering the table question; see note for tables)
According to principals’ reports, 91 percent of school BTAM teams typically involve parents or guardians of the referred student in the intervention and safety planning process; 84 percent also noted involving the referred student in the process.
cite page 63 Ch 9: How Do BTAM Teams Develop Intervention Plans?
In short, although parents provide added value to the intervention planning process thanks to their knowledge, awareness, and buy-in, principals confirmed that trained BTAM team members are responsible for ultimately selecting appropriate interventions and supports.
cite page 63 Ch 9: How Do BTAM Teams Develop Intervention Plans?
Schools use many of their available intervention options with some regularity as part of their behavioral threat management process.
cite page 64 Ch 9: How Do BTAM Teams Develop Intervention Plans?
we found that the vast majority of schools responded to all scenarios using multiple interventions, which is consistent with the practice of building an individualized intervention plan to respond to student behavior.
cite page 86 Ch 11: How Are Schools Using BTAM to Respond to Student Behavior?
Layering multiple interventions (mental health, academic, and behavioral supports) is consistent with behavioral threat management best practice (Jackson et al., 2025).
cite page 87 Ch 11: How Are Schools Using BTAM to Respond to Student Behavior?
Most schools are incorporating individualized interventions into plans developed as part of the threat management process, often tailoring supports to meet the specific needs and circumstances of students.
Sample (n = undeterminable of 1384) · Teams answering intervention/safety plan components question
Though our survey results show that only 20 percent of schools directly involve parents in the intervention and support planning process, an overwhelming majority consult parents as part of this process.
There is also considerable variation in how BTAM teams deliver interventions and develop management plans for students.
This lack of consistency can affect the quality and effectiveness of interventions.
Schools would benefit from clearer guidance and best practices to ensure that interventions are implemented effectively and fairly.
Sample (N = 1384) · Teams answering intervention/safety plan components question
Behavioral corrections or discipline (for example, detention, removal of privileges) | 1.7 | 2.3 | 7.3 | 42.2 | 46.5
Sample (N = 1384) · Teams answering intervention/safety plan components question
Supports and safety interventions for the targets or victims of threats (for example, class changes, other protective measures) | 0.7 | 0.6 | 4.6 | 39.3 | 54.9
Sample (N = 1384) · Teams answering intervention/safety plan components question
Behavioral or movement controls in school (for example, changes to arrival or passing times) | 2.2 | 1.9 | 13.9 | 51.4 | 30.7
Sample (N = 1384) · Teams answering intervention/safety plan components question
Programming to build relationships with trusted adults (for example, regular check-ins, adult mentoring) | 0.5 | 0.8 | 3.9 | 41.8 | 52.9
Sample (N = 1384) · Teams answering intervention/safety plan components question
Skill-building services or programs (for example, social skills or life-skills programming, leadership development) | 2.5 | 1.6 | 12.8 | 49.4 | 33.7
Sample (N = 1384) · Teams answering intervention/safety plan components question
Programming to build peer relationships and engagement (for example, peer mentor groups) | 3.2 | 2.9 | 18.1 | 49.1 | 26.7
Sample (N = 1384) · Teams answering intervention/safety plan components question
Academic or vocational programming | 15.2 | 6.2 | 30.0 | 39.6 | 8.9
Sample (N = 1384) · Teams answering intervention/safety plan components question
Special education or disability supports | 1.2 | 2.9 | 16.5 | 62.9 | 16.6
Sample (N = 1609 | 1380 by column) · Table A.42 columns: Official BTAM teams and other school-based teams | Official BTAM teams only
Our BTAM team has a standard set of actions that it takes for every student assessed as a potential school safety concern | 15.7 | 15.9
Sample (N = 1609 | 1380 by column) · Table A.42 columns: Official BTAM teams and other school-based teams | Official BTAM teams only
Our BTAM team members recommend elements to add to each intervention plan based on their professional expertise and services from their discipline (e.g., a counselor identifies the types of counseling that should be included in the plan) | 34.4 | 33.1
Sample (N = 1609 | 1380 by column) · Table A.42 columns: Official BTAM teams and other school-based teams | Official BTAM teams only
Our BTAM team draws on an inventory of resources available across the school and community to collaboratively choose interventions for an intervention or safety plan | 27.7 | 27.9
Sample (N = 1609 | 1380 by column) · Table A.42 columns: Official BTAM teams and other school-based teams | Official BTAM teams only
Our BTAM team draws on an inventory of resources and decision support tools that help guide choices among intervention options and match interventions to individual student needs | 22.1 | 23.1
Sample (no n: a percentage change, not a share of a sample) · a percentage that is not a share of a sample (e.g. a percentage-point change or a weighted estimate of the population)
Columns may not sum to 100 percent because of rounding.
Only respondents who said their school has a school- or district-level BTAM team (or an alternative team that performs BTAM-like functions) saw this question.
Sample (N = 1379) · Appendix A table base (respondents answering the table question; see note for tables)
Parents/guardians of the student being assessed | 9.3 | 18.9 | 71.8
Sample (N = 1379) · Appendix A table base (respondents answering the table question; see note for tables)
Student being assessed | 16.0 | 17.7 | 66.2
Sample (no n: a percentage change, not a share of a sample) · a percentage that is not a share of a sample (e.g. a percentage-point change or a weighted estimate of the population)
Rows may not sum to 100 percent because of rounding.
Only respondents who said their school has a school- or district-level BTAM team (or an alternative team that performs BTAM-like functions) saw this question.
Table only includes data from respondents who said their school has a school- or district-level BTAM team, not respondents who said they have an alternative team that performs BTAM-like functions.
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