Team Size

Authors considered whether program aspects such as team size or school versus district housing matte

We also considered to what extent certain aspects of a BTAM program (e.g., the number of people on a BTAM team, whether BTAM is housed at the school or district level) matter for its operations.

• District Level Team
• Methodology
• Team Size

cite page 24 Ch 1: Introduction

Larger BTAM teams and teams spanning school and district levels more likely to have defining policy

Schools with larger BTAM teams and with teams spanning both the school and district levels—perhaps a proxy for the formality of a BTAM program—were also more likely to have defining policy documents.

• District Level Team
• Policy
• Team Size

cite page 41 Ch 5: How Are Schools Operationalizing BTAM?

Team size inferred from roles selected by principals, assuming one person per role

We also used principals’ responses to our question about which personnel were represented on their school’s BTAM team to infer how many people were on the team overall, assuming one person per role.

• Methodology
• Team Size

cite page 43 Ch 5: How Are Schools Operationalizing BTAM?

Caveat: some schools may involve multiple people in the same role

We acknowledge that some schools may involve multiple people in the same role: For example, a BTAM team might include several instructional staff.

• Limitations
• Team Size

cite page 43 Ch 5: How Are Schools Operationalizing BTAM?

Nearly all principals selected between three and eight personnel from the list provided

we found that nearly all principals selected between three and eight personnel from the list provided (see Figure 5.2).

• Team Size

cite page 43 Ch 5: How Are Schools Operationalizing BTAM?

The typical (median) principal selected five distinct roles

The typical (median) principal selected five distinct roles.

• Team Size

cite page 43 Ch 5: How Are Schools Operationalizing BTAM?

Analysis examined likelihood of personnel types on BTAM teams given team size

To understand how BTAM team membership changes as these teams increase in size (i.e., which types of personnel are added as teams grow), we investigated the likelihood of various types of personnel being on a BTAM teams given team size.

• Methodology
• Team Composition
• Team Size

cite page 43 Ch 5: How Are Schools Operationalizing BTAM?

Analysis focuses on schools with three to eight team members because few teams fall outside

We focus on schools with between three and eight team members because there are very few schools with BTAM teams that fall outside this range.

• Methodology
• Team Size

cite page 43 Ch 5: How Are Schools Operationalizing BTAM?

Principals' reports suggest principals and counselors are most commonly represented roles

Principals’ reports suggest that they and their school counselors are the most commonly represented roles on school BTAM teams.

• Team Roles
• Team Size

cite page 43 Ch 5: How Are Schools Operationalizing BTAM?

Fig 5.2: 1 role represented on BTAM team, 1 percent of schools

Sample (N = 1408) · Schools with an official BTAM team (82 percent of sample)

| 1 | 1 |

• Team Size

cite page 45 Ch 5: How Are Schools Operationalizing BTAM?

Fig 5.2: 2 roles represented on BTAM team, 3 percent of schools

Sample (N = 1408) · Schools with an official BTAM team (82 percent of sample)

| 1 | 1 | | 2 | 3 |

• Team Size

cite page 45 Ch 5: How Are Schools Operationalizing BTAM?

Fig 5.2: 3 roles represented on BTAM team, 9 percent of schools

Sample (N = 1408) · Schools with an official BTAM team (82 percent of sample)

| 1 | 1 | | 2 | 3 | | 3 | 9 |

• Team Size

cite page 45 Ch 5: How Are Schools Operationalizing BTAM?

Fig 5.2: 4 roles represented on BTAM team, 18 percent of schools

Sample (N = 1408) · Schools with an official BTAM team (82 percent of sample)

| 2 | 3 | | 3 | 9 | | 4 | 18 |

• Team Size

cite page 45 Ch 5: How Are Schools Operationalizing BTAM?

Fig 5.2: 5 roles represented on BTAM team, 24 percent of schools

Sample (N = 1408) · Schools with an official BTAM team (82 percent of sample)

| 3 | 9 | | 4 | 18 | | 5 | 24 |

• Team Size

cite page 45 Ch 5: How Are Schools Operationalizing BTAM?

Fig 5.2: 6 roles represented on BTAM team, 22 percent of schools

Sample (N = 1408) · Schools with an official BTAM team (82 percent of sample)

| 4 | 18 | | 5 | 24 | | 6 | 22 |

• Team Size

cite page 45 Ch 5: How Are Schools Operationalizing BTAM?

Fig 5.2: 7 roles represented on BTAM team, 14 percent of schools

Sample (N = 1408) · Schools with an official BTAM team (82 percent of sample)

| 5 | 24 | | 6 | 22 | | 7 | 14 |

• Team Size

cite page 45 Ch 5: How Are Schools Operationalizing BTAM?

Fig 5.2: 8 roles represented on BTAM team, 7 percent of schools

Sample (N = 1408) · Schools with an official BTAM team (82 percent of sample)

| 6 | 22 | | 7 | 14 | | 8 | 7 |

• Team Size

cite page 45 Ch 5: How Are Schools Operationalizing BTAM?

Fig 5.2: 9 roles represented on BTAM team, 1 percent of schools

Sample (N = 1408) · Schools with an official BTAM team (82 percent of sample)

| 7 | 14 | | 8 | 7 | | 9 | 1 |

• Team Size

cite page 45 Ch 5: How Are Schools Operationalizing BTAM?

Fig 5.2: 10 roles represented on BTAM team, 0 percent of schools

Sample (N = 1408) · Schools with an official BTAM team (82 percent of sample)

| 8 | 7 | | 9 | 1 | | 10 | 0 |

• Team Size

cite page 45 Ch 5: How Are Schools Operationalizing BTAM?

Figure 5.2 note: survey question 'Which person(s) are regular members of this BTAM team?' (n = 1,408

This figure depicts response data from the following survey question: “Which person(s) are regular members of this BTAM team?” (n = 1,408).

• Survey Methodology
• Team Size

cite page 45 Ch 5: How Are Schools Operationalizing BTAM?

Other school administrators such as assistant principals not typically on very small teams but first

Other school-level administrators, such as assistant principals, are not typically involved in very small BTAM teams but appear to be the first member added as team size increases.

• Team Roles
• Team Size

cite page 45 Ch 5: How Are Schools Operationalizing BTAM?

With five or more members, specialized roles are next to be added to teams

When teams have five or more members, personnel in more specialized roles (e.g., special education professionals, school-based law enforcement, school social workers, instructional staff, or school psychologists) are next to be added to BTAM teams.

• Team Roles
• Team Size

cite page 45 Ch 5: How Are Schools Operationalizing BTAM?

Specialized personnel rarely on small teams but typically all present once teams have more than five

These personnel are rarely present on small teams but are typically all present once teams have more than five or six members.

• Team Roles
• Team Size

cite page 45 Ch 5: How Are Schools Operationalizing BTAM?

Principals' responses suggest specialized personnel are not added in any obvious order

Principals’ responses suggest that these personnel are not added to teams in any obvious order.

• Team Roles
• Team Size

cite page 45 Ch 5: How Are Schools Operationalizing BTAM?

District administrators tend to be involved only in especially large teams, present about half the t

Meanwhile, district administrators only tend to be involved in especially large teams; even among schools with larger BTAM teams, these personnel are only present about half of the time.

• District Level Team
• Team Roles
• Team Size

cite page 45 Ch 5: How Are Schools Operationalizing BTAM?

Survey results suggest non-school-based law enforcement rarely present on school BTAM teams regardle

Our survey results also suggest that non-school-based law enforcement is rarely present on school BTAM teams, regardless of size.

• Law Enforcement
• Team Size

cite page 45 Ch 5: How Are Schools Operationalizing BTAM?

Figure 5.3: line chart, likelihood each of ten personnel types is on BTAM team by team size 3 to 8;

Counselor | | | [unlabeled] | [unlabeled] | [unlabeled] | [unlabeled] | [unlabeled] | [unlabeled]

• Team Roles
• Team Size

cite page 46 Ch 5: How Are Schools Operationalizing BTAM?

Figure 5.3 annotation: very few schools had teams with fewer than three people

Very few schools had teams with fewer than three people

• Team Size

cite page 46 Ch 5: How Are Schools Operationalizing BTAM?

Figure 5.3 note: survey question 'Which person(s) are regular members of this BTAM team?' (n = 1,408

This figure depicts response data from the following survey question: “Which person(s) are regular members of this BTAM team?” (n = 1,408).

• Survey Methodology
• Team Size

cite page 46 Ch 5: How Are Schools Operationalizing BTAM?

Figure 5.3 note: teams with fewer than three members omitted because results are not reliable

We omit results for teams with less than three members; very few schools had BTAM teams with fewer than three members, so results are not reliable.

• Limitations
• Methodology
• Team Size

cite page 46 Ch 5: How Are Schools Operationalizing BTAM?

Schools in 2019-legislation states also more likely to have larger teams, though difference very sma

These schools were also more likely to have larger BTAM teams compared with schools in states that did not address BTAM at all in 2019, though the difference was substantively very small.

• State Policy Mandates
• Team Size

cite page 50 Ch 5: How Are Schools Operationalizing BTAM?

Large teams and teams also supported by district-level teams were more likely to use an entirely sta

Large teams (meaning teams with more roles represented) and teams in schools that were also supported by district-level BTAM teams were more likely to apply an entirely standardized process to the behavioral threat assessment process.

• Assessment Process Types
• District Level Team
• Team Size

cite page 59 Ch 8: How Do BTAM Teams Assess Risk of Harm?

Large teams with more roles more likely to monitor all students; smaller teams rely on others

Large BTAM teams that include representation of more roles are also more likely to actively monitor all students’ progress, while smaller teams are more likely to rely on teachers, counselors, and others to monitor progress and make adjustments.

• Monitoring Responsibility
• Team Size

cite page 70 Ch 10: How Do BTAM Teams Monitor Intervention Plans?

Schools with large BTAM teams (more roles) engaged in more review activities than schools with small

Perhaps unsurprisingly, schools with large BTAM teams (meaning teams with more roles represented) engaged in more review and continuous improvement activities, compared with schools with smaller teams (see Figure 13.5).

• Continuous Improvement
• Team Size

cite page 104 Ch 13: Sustaining and Improving BTAM Programs over Time

Only 22 percent of schools with small BTAM teams validate intervention delivery as designed

Sample (column N undeterminable) · Schools with small BTAM teams

In comparison, only 22 percent of schools with small BTAM teams engaged in these types of activities.

• Continuous Improvement
• Team Size

cite page 105 Ch 13: Sustaining and Improving BTAM Programs over Time

Larger teams more likely to reassess intervention menus, analyze outcome data, and collect feedback

Schools with larger teams were also more likely to engage in other activities, such as periodic reassessments of the menu of BTAM intervention options, analysis of student outcome data, and collecting feedback from students and parents or guardians at case closure.

• Continuous Improvement
• Team Size

cite page 105 Ch 13: Sustaining and Improving BTAM Programs over Time

Authors presume larger teams have more capacity to support review activities

We presume that because of their size, larger teams have more capacity to support these sorts of activities.

• Continuous Improvement
• Team Size

cite page 105 Ch 13: Sustaining and Improving BTAM Programs over Time

We conduct after-action reviews of individual cases: small team 41 percent, large team 49 percent

Sample (column N undeterminable) · Figure 13.5 columns: schools with small BTAM teams; schools with large BTAM teams

We conduct after-action reviews of individual cases | 41 | 49

• Continuous Improvement
• Team Size

cite page 106 Ch 13: Sustaining and Improving BTAM Programs over Time

We collect and analyze data about how specific intervention options are influencing student-level ou

Sample (column N undeterminable) · Figure 13.5 columns: schools with small BTAM teams; schools with large BTAM teams

We collect and analyze data about how specific intervention options are influencing student-level outcomes | 35 | 41

• Continuous Improvement
• Team Size

cite page 106 Ch 13: Sustaining and Improving BTAM Programs over Time

We validate that specific intervention options are being delivered as designed, by appropriately tra

Sample (column N undeterminable) · Figure 13.5 columns: schools with small BTAM teams; schools with large BTAM teams

We validate that specific intervention options are being delivered as designed, by appropriately trained staff, and for the recommended amount of time* | 22 | 38

• Continuous Improvement
• Team Size

cite page 106 Ch 13: Sustaining and Improving BTAM Programs over Time

We collect feedback from school staff who have been directly involved in implementing BTAM intervent

Sample (column N undeterminable) · Figure 13.5 columns: schools with small BTAM teams; schools with large BTAM teams

We collect feedback from school staff who have been directly involved in implementing BTAM interventions* | 25 | 33

• Continuous Improvement
• Team Size

cite page 106 Ch 13: Sustaining and Improving BTAM Programs over Time

We periodically assess and revise the menu of interventions available to the BTAM team*: small team

Sample (column N undeterminable) · Figure 13.5 columns: schools with small BTAM teams; schools with large BTAM teams

We periodically assess and revise the menu of interventions available to the BTAM team* | 23 | 31

• Continuous Improvement
• Team Size

cite page 106 Ch 13: Sustaining and Improving BTAM Programs over Time

We collect and analyze data on student outcomes across all students served by the program to monitor

Sample (column N undeterminable) · Figure 13.5 columns: schools with small BTAM teams; schools with large BTAM teams

We collect and analyze data on student outcomes across all students served by the program to monitor the overall effectiveness of our BTAM efforts* | 17 | 30

• Continuous Improvement
• Team Size

cite page 106 Ch 13: Sustaining and Improving BTAM Programs over Time

We carry out training and outreach for the school staff and students to maintain knowledge of BTAM a

Sample (column N undeterminable) · Figure 13.5 columns: schools with small BTAM teams; schools with large BTAM teams

We carry out training and outreach for the school staff and students to maintain knowledge of BTAM and how to refer individuals of concern* | 15 | 24

• Continuous Improvement
• Team Size

cite page 106 Ch 13: Sustaining and Improving BTAM Programs over Time

We collect feedback from students and/or parents/guardians of students once their BTAM intervention

Sample (column N undeterminable) · Figure 13.5 columns: schools with small BTAM teams; schools with large BTAM teams

We collect feedback from students and/or parents/guardians of students once their BTAM intervention is complete* | 13 | 20

• Continuous Improvement
• Team Size

cite page 106 Ch 13: Sustaining and Improving BTAM Programs over Time

We collect feedback from students, parents/guardians, and/or staff who were the targets or victims o

Sample (column N undeterminable) · Figure 13.5 columns: schools with small BTAM teams; schools with large BTAM teams

We collect feedback from students, parents/guardians, and/or staff who were the targets or victims of threatening behavior | 18 | 19

• Continuous Improvement
• Team Size

cite page 106 Ch 13: Sustaining and Improving BTAM Programs over Time

We collect and analyze data on student outcomes for different student populations to assess the fair

Sample (column N undeterminable) · Figure 13.5 columns: schools with small BTAM teams; schools with large BTAM teams

We collect and analyze data on student outcomes for different student populations to assess the fairness of our BTAM efforts*

• Continuous Improvement
• Team Size

cite page 106 Ch 13: Sustaining and Improving BTAM Programs over Time

Figure 13.5 asterisk marks statistically significant small-team versus large-team differences

An asterisk (*) indicates that the percentage of principals in schools with small BTAM teams who said their team engages in a specific review and reflection process was statistically significantly different from the percentage of principals in schools with large BTAM teams who said similarly.

• Methodology
• Team Size

cite page 106 Ch 13: Sustaining and Improving BTAM Programs over Time