Behavior scatterplot template

A scatterplot answers one question: when does this behavior happen? It does not tell you why. That makes it the right first tool when a teacher says "he does it all day" and nobody is sure that is true. Most of the time the grid shows two or three hot spots and long stretches of calm.

The scatterplot fits early in a functional behavior assessment. It sits before ABC data, and it narrows where you need to look. The FBA and BIP guide shows the whole sequence.

The fill-in scatterplot template

Set up a grid on one page. Copy this layout, then adjust the time blocks to your schedule.

Add these fields above the grid:

• Student and week: name, grade, dates covered.
• Behavior: the operational definition, word for word.
• Key: blank = 0, slash = 1 or 2, filled = 3 or more (or write the actual count).
• Recorder: who marks each block, and when.
• Notes line per day: absences, schedule changes, substitute, fire drill.

Keep the time blocks matched to real activities, not to the clock. A 30-minute block that holds both independent work and a read-aloud hides the pattern.

Completed example: two weeks for one student

The student and numbers are fictional. Priya is a 2nd grader. Her teacher reports that she "screams all day." The team defines screaming as any vocal sound louder than classroom talk that lasts 2 seconds or more. The teacher writes the count in each cell for 10 days.

Week 1 had 42 screams and week 2 had 40. Of those 82, 39 happened in the reading block and 31 in writing. That is 70 of 82, or 85%, in the two literacy blocks, which together make up about 115 of the 380 minutes in the day.

"All day" turned out to be two blocks. The next step was ABC data during reading and writing only, which saved the team about 4 hours of observation in blocks where nothing happens. For how to run that step, see how to take and analyze ABC data.

Reading the pattern

Look across rows first, then down columns.

• One row lit up every day: the activity or demand in that block is the likely trigger. Priya's grid is this pattern.
• One column lit up: something about that day matters. Check Mondays after weekends, therapy days, or days with a substitute.
• Scattered marks with no pattern: the trigger may be a person, a peer, or a setting event that does not follow the schedule. Add a notes column, or switch to ABC data across the whole day.
• Marks that cluster at the start or end of blocks: transitions may be the trigger, not the activity.
• Steady marks in every block: check the definition. A very broad definition can make everything count.

A scatterplot can also suggest a sensory or automatic function. If the behavior is spread evenly across blocks, adults and activities, note it in the FBA.

What reviewers and parents look for in each section

A parent who sees a grid with long empty stretches often feels relief. It shows the student is doing well for most of the day, which is information worth saying out loud at the meeting.

Pairing the scatterplot with a frequency sheet

The scatterplot gives you where. The frequency data sheet gives you how many, which you need for a baseline and for the goal. Many teachers use the scatterplot for the first 2 weeks, then switch to a daily frequency count only in the hot-spot blocks.

For Priya, that meant counting screams during reading and writing each day. Her baseline was a median of 7 screams per day across those two blocks. That number went into present levels and the BIP. The frequency recording measurement guide explains how to set up the count, and frequency vs duration recording covers when duration is the better measure.

If the behavior lasts a long or varied time, a count alone can mislead. Thirty seconds of screaming and 8 minutes of screaming both count as 1. In that case, add duration.

Tips that keep the data honest

• Mark at the end of each block, not once after dismissal. Memory compresses a day into "bad" or "good."
• Use the same definition all two weeks. Do not widen it when the behavior gets worse.
• Keep the sheet where you work, on a clipboard or the teacher desk, not in a folder in the office.
• Record zeros. A blank cell should mean "watched, none happened," not "forgot."
• Write absences as an A, so a missing day does not read as a calm day.

When the scatterplot shows a clear pattern, take it to the FBA meeting with the ABC data. The FBA template has a section for it under the pattern summary. If the behavior involves danger to the student or others, the team also needs a separate safety plan; see the behavior crisis plan template.

The What Works Clearinghouse practice guide on classroom behavior recommends identifying the specifics of a problem behavior and the conditions that prompt it before choosing a strategy.^[1] The Center on PBIS publishes classroom data tools that use the same idea of looking at patterns by time and setting.^[2]

Frequently asked questions

Use it in IEP Atlas

• Frequency data sheet
• Frequency recording measurement guide
• ABC data in the IEP glossary
• Behavior IEP goals

Related guides

• FBA and BIP: a practical guide for IEP teams
• How to take and analyze ABC data
• Choosing a behavior data method
• Behavior incident report template
• FBA template: interviews, observations, hypothesis
• Behavior crisis plan template
• BIP template with examples

Sources

1. Reducing Behavior Problems in the Elementary School Classroom, What Works Clearinghouse, Institute of Education Sciences
2. Classroom PBIS, Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports

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.