Information Brief

Scatterplot Recording

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Data Collection Overview

It is often easy for educators to recognize when a student’s behavior is happening and how it is impacting the classroom. However, without data, educators might make incorrect assumptions about how frequently a behavior occurs or how long it lasts based on opinions, feelings, inaccurate recollections, or incomplete information. A systematic process for collecting and analyzing behavioral data in a consistent and accurate manner reduces this subjectivity. Additionally, it helps educators:

• Identify patterns related to when, where, and how behavior occurs
• Make informed decisions about how to address behavior
• Determine if behavioral supports and interventions have been effective
• Decide if an intervention should be continued, adapted, or stopped
• Monitor student progress over time
• Communicate behavioral progress to students, parents, and other school professionals

Operationally Defining a Behavior

To facilitate consistent and accurate data collection, educators must first develop an operational definition of the behavior—a clear and specific description of the behavior to be measured. Educators might collect data on the student’s engagement in a target behavior, replacement behavior, or both.

An operational definition should begin with a broad statement describing the behavior in terms that are:

• Observable—details what the behavior looks and sounds like, not what the student might be thinking or feeling
• Measurable—describes the behavior in such a way that it can be counted or timed
• Actively stated—specifies what the student does rather than what they fail to do

When operationally defining a behavior, it is also helpful to include specific examples and non-examples of the behavior. These additional details help clarify the definition by illustrating what constitutes a behavior when collecting data. Below are examples of operational definitions for a student’s target and replacement behaviors.

Scatterplot Recording

Steps for Implementation

After identifying and operationally defining the behavior to be measured, use the steps outlined below to collect scatterplot data.

1. Create an observation schedule: Divide the school day into consistent intervals of time (e.g., 15 minutes, 30 minutes). It is often beneficial to align these intervals with the instructional schedule, which allows recording to occur during natural transitions.
   • Use shorter intervals for behaviors that occur frequently.
   • Use longer intervals for behaviors that occur less often but are intense or dangerous (e.g., running out of the room, meltdowns).
2. Select or develop a recording form: Recording forms are typically set up as a grid with columns representing days of the week and rows representing time intervals. Be sure to include a key to indicate whether and how often the behavior was observed, as illustrated in the sample scatterplot form below.
3. Conduct observations: Throughout the school day, monitor the student’s defined behavior while continuing usual teaching activities.
4. Record the behavior’s occurrence: At the end of each time interval, mark whether the behavior occurred on the recording form created in Step 2. Data can be marked on paper forms, computerized systems, or mobile apps. Although recording takes only a few seconds, be sure to constantly attend to the student’s behavior throughout the full interval to capture the data accurately.
5. Organize the data: Organize the data in a way that supports interpretation and decision-making. The visual recording sheets often make it easy to see patterns that reflect when the behavior does and does not occur.

Tips for Implementation

• For more detailed data, consider using a key to further clarify the behavior’s frequency. For example, you might use a slash mark to indicate that the behavior occurred once during an interval but mark an X if it happened two or more times.
• To avoid confusion, clearly mark intervals in which the student was not observed and differentiate it from intervals when the behavior did not occur.
• Set a timer for the interval length or an alarm for the ending time of each interval as a reminder to mark the recording sheet.
• To summarize the data, calculate the percentage of intervals during which the behavior was observed for each day of the week or across a full week. For example:
  • On Monday, the behavior occurred in 8 out of 12, or 67%, of intervals.
  • Across a week, the behavior occurred in the 9:30 a.m.–10:00 a.m. interval on 3 out of 5, or 60%, of the days.
• Once a reliable pattern has emerged in the scatterplot data, consider recording more detailed antecedent-behavior-consequence (ABC) data during the times of day the behavior is most likely to occur. ABC data can help educators more fully understand what antecedent might be triggering and what consequence might be reinforcing the behavior.

Sample Scatterplot Recording Form

Directions

1. Complete the information for the student and target behavior. Also, fill in the table with the time intervals, activities, and dates.
2. At the end of each time interval, use the key to mark the behavior’s occurrence in the table.
3. Calculate the percentage of days and intervals in which the behavior occurred.

Student: Taylor

Date: September 30 – October 4, 20XX

Target Behavior: Taylor produces one or more unprompted vocalizations louder than conversation level (e.g., shouting, shrieking) for any length of time.

Time	Activity	Mon	Tues	Wed	Thurs	Fri	% of Days
8:20–8:40	Arrival	Did Not Occur	Did Not Occur	Did Not Occur	NO*	Did Not Occur	0%
8:40–9:00	Morning work	Occurred 2 or More Times	Did Not Occur	/	NO*	/	60%
9:00–9:20	Reading whole group	Did Not Occur	Did Not Occur	Did Not Occur	Did Not Occur	/	20%
9:20–9:40	Reading whole group	Did Not Occur	/	/	Did Not Occur	Did Not Occur	40%
9:40–10:00	Reading small group	Did Not Occur	Did Not Occur	Did Not Occur	Did Not Occur	Did Not Occur	0%
10:00–10:20	Reading small group	Did Not Occur	Did Not Occur	Did Not Occur	Did Not Occur	Did Not Occur	0%
10:20–10:40	Reading independent	Did Not Occur	Did Not Occur	/	Did Not Occur	Did Not Occur	20%
11:20–11:40	Math whole group	/	Occurred 2 or More Times	Occurred 2 or More Times	/	Occurred 2 or More Times	100%
11:40–12:00	Math small group	Occurred 2 or More Times	/	Did Not Occur	Occurred 2 or More Times	Occurred 2 or More Times	80%
12:00–12:20	Math independent	Occurred 2 or More Times	Occurred 2 or More Times	/	/	/	100%
12:20–12:40	Lunch	/	Occurred 2 or More Times	Occurred 2 or More Times	/	Did Not Occur	80%
12:40–1:00	Lunch	Did Not Occur	Did Not Occur	/	/	Did Not Occur	40%
1:00–1:20	Electives	Did Not Occur	Did Not Occur	/	Did Not Occur	Did Not Occur	20%
1:20–1:40	Electives	Did Not Occur	Did Not Occur	Occurred 2 or More Times	Did Not Occur	Did Not Occur	20%
1:40–2:00	Science instruction	Did Not Occur	/	Did Not Occur	/	/	60%
2:00–2:20	Science activity	Did Not Occur	Did Not Occur	Did Not Occur	Did Not Occur	Did Not Occur	0%
2:20–2:40	Writing	Did Not Occur	Did Not Occur	Did Not Occur	/	Did Not Occur	20%
2:40–3:00	Snack	Did Not Occur	Did Not Occur	Did Not Occur	Did Not Occur	Did Not Occur	0%
3:00–3:20	Independent work	Did Not Occur	/	Did Not Occur	Did Not Occur	Did Not Occur	20%
3:20–3:40	Dismissal	Occurred 2 or More Times	Occurred 2 or More Times	Occurred 2 or More Times	Occurred 2 or More Times	Occurred 2 or More Times	100%
% of Intervals		30%	40%	50%	35%	35%	Empty

This template was adapted from Alberto et al. (2022) and Walker and Barry (2022).

For information about other data collection methods as well as graphing data, visit the following IRIS Case Study:

• Measuring Behavior