Behavior incident report template
By the IEP Atlas editorial teamLast updated
Short answer
A behavior incident report is a same-day written record of a significant behavior event. It records the date, time, place and people present, what happened right before, exactly what the student did, how adults responded, any injury or damage, and who was notified. Write it in plain, observable terms, so it can be used later as data for the FBA and the behavior plan.
An incident report is not a daily behavior log. It is for events serious enough that the school needs a separate record: injuries, property damage, a student leaving the building, a crisis plan being used, or any event your district policy lists. The report protects the student, the staff and the school, and it becomes data when the team reviews the behavior plan.
The problem with most incident reports is wording. "Student became aggressive and out of control" tells a reader how the adult felt. "Student threw a chair that landed 2 feet from a peer" tells the reader what happened. The template below is built to get the second kind of sentence. For the larger behavior process, see the FBA and BIP guide.
The fill-in incident report template
- Student and report information. Student name, grade, date of the incident, time it started and ended, location, name and role of the person writing.
- Adults and students present. Adults by name and role. Other students by initials or "Student A," never full names.
- Activity and setting. What the class was doing, the task, the group size, anything unusual about the day.
- What happened right before. The direction, change or event in the 1 to 2 minutes before the behavior.
- What the student did. Observable actions, in order, with times. Quote short phrases the student said.
- How adults responded. Each step taken, in order: words used, space given, calm space offered, call for backup, crisis plan steps.
- How the incident ended. When and how the student calmed, and where they went.
- Injury or damage. Any injury to anyone, first aid given, nurse visit, property damage.
- Physical intervention. Whether any physical intervention or seclusion occurred. If yes, follow your state and district documentation rules and forms.
- Notification. Who was told, how, and when: administrator, parent, case manager, nurse.
- Follow-up. Debrief date, data entry, plan review if needed.
Many districts have their own form. If yours does, use it, and use the prompts here to fill it in well.
Completed example: Ethan, grade 4
The student and details are fictional.
1. Student and report information. Ethan, grade 4. Thursday, March 12. 10:04 to 10:21 a.m. Room 14. Written by the classroom teacher.
2. People present. Classroom teacher; para (Ms. R.); 22 students including Student A and Student B.
3. Activity and setting. Math, independent practice on a 12-problem worksheet on two-digit multiplication. There was a substitute in the morning, and the class schedule had been shortened for an assembly.
4. What happened right before. At 10:02 the teacher said the class would finish the worksheet before the assembly. Ethan said, "I'm not doing this." The teacher said, "Try the first two and I'll check in."
5. What the student did. 10:04: Ethan tore his worksheet in half. 10:05: He swept his pencil box and books off the desk onto the floor. 10:06: He kicked his chair, which slid about 3 feet and hit Student A's desk. 10:07 to 10:15: He sat under the back table, yelling "Leave me alone" about 6 times.
6. How adults responded. 10:05: The teacher calmly said, "You can take a break in the calm corner." 10:06: The para moved Student A and Student B to the front of the room. 10:07: The teacher gave space and stopped giving directions. 10:12: The para sat about 6 feet away, quietly, and offered water. No one tried to move Ethan.
7. How the incident ended. 10:15: Ethan stopped yelling. 10:18: He moved to the calm corner on his own. 10:21: He picked up his books with the para and chose to finish 4 problems with help.
8. Injury or damage. No injuries. Student A's desk was bumped; no damage. Worksheet torn.
9. Physical intervention. None.
10. Notification. Assistant principal told by phone at 10:25. Parent called by the teacher at 12:40 and told about the event and how it ended. Case manager emailed at 12:55.
11. Follow-up. Incident entered on the frequency sheet. Brief staff debrief scheduled for Monday. Third incident during math this month; case manager requested a team review of the BIP.
What reviewers and parents look for in each section
| Section | What a reviewer checks | What a parent often asks |
|---|---|---|
| Times | Start and end recorded; the report written the same day | How long did it last? |
| People present | Other students not named in full | Who saw it, and was anyone hurt? |
| What happened before | A specific event, not "for no reason" | What set it off? |
| What the student did | Observable actions, no labels | What exactly did my child do? |
| Adult response | Steps match the BIP or crisis plan | What did you do to help my child calm down? |
| Injury or damage | Recorded, with first aid noted | Was my child hurt? Was anyone else? |
| Physical intervention | Answered either way; state forms used if yes | Did anyone hold or isolate my child? |
| Notification | Who, how and when, with times | Why did I hear about this when I did? |
| Follow-up | A debrief and a data entry | What will change so this does not happen again? |
Wording that holds up
Use words a camera could confirm.
| Avoid | Write instead |
|---|---|
| Ethan became aggressive. | Ethan kicked his chair, which slid 3 feet and hit a desk. |
| He had a meltdown. | He sat under the table and yelled "Leave me alone" about 6 times over 8 minutes. |
| He refused to work for no reason. | At 10:02 he was told to finish the worksheet before the assembly. He said, "I'm not doing this." |
| Staff de-escalated him. | The teacher offered the calm corner, gave space and stopped giving directions. |
| Parent was notified. | Parent called by the teacher at 12:40. |
The guide to operational definitions of behavior shows how to describe behavior in observable terms. Use the same definition in the report that the BIP uses, so incidents can be counted the same way.
How incident reports become data
Each report is one data point. Enter the incident on the student's frequency data sheet the same day, with the time and setting. Over a few weeks, the reports show patterns: Ethan's three math incidents in one month pointed to a trigger the team could act on. A behavior scatterplot shows the time-of-day pattern at a glance, and frequency recording explains how to turn counts into a rate.
Section 4 of each report is short ABC data. If the team is running an FBA, these entries add to the ABC data set. Keep them consistent so they can be tallied.
Privacy and records
An incident report about a student is usually part of that student's education records, and FERPA gives parents the right to inspect and review education records.[1] Keep other students' names out of the report; use initials or letters. Store reports where your district requires, not in a classroom drawer.
If physical intervention or seclusion was used, most states require specific documentation and parent notification within set timelines. The explainer on restraint and seclusion documentation and notification describes how those rules usually work. If a student has a safety plan, the behavior crisis plan template shows how the plan's "after the incident" section links to this report.
When behavior impedes a student's learning, the IEP team must consider positive behavioral interventions and supports.[2] A run of incident reports is often the evidence that starts that conversation. For goals to pair with the plan, see the behavior IEP goals hub.
Frequently asked questions
When should a behavior incident report be written?
The same day, while details are fresh. Most districts require a report for injuries, property damage, leaving the building, use of a crisis plan, and any physical intervention or seclusion. Check your district policy for its list.
Can parents see a behavior incident report?
Records directly about a student are generally education records, and FERPA gives parents the right to inspect and review them. That is one reason to write reports in objective language and to keep other students' names out.
Should I name other students in an incident report?
No. Use initials or labels such as Student A. The report goes in one student's file, and other students' information should not appear there. Your district may have a specific rule for this.
Use it in IEP Atlas
- Frequency data sheet
- Frequency recording measurement guide
- Behavior IEP goals
- FERPA in the IEP glossary
Related guides
- FBA and BIP: a practical guide for IEP teams
- Behavior crisis plan template
- Behavior scatterplot template
- Restraint and seclusion: documentation and notification
- BIP template with examples
Sources
- FERPA, Protecting Student Privacy, U.S. Department of Education
- 34 CFR §300.324: Development, review, and revision of IEP, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
Written and checked by the IEP Atlas editorial team under our editorial policy. This guide describes general practice and federal rules. It is not legal advice; your state may add requirements, and the IEP team makes the decisions for each student.