Behavior: Duration and Latency Recording

Activity: Behavior Assessment

View the video below. Download the duration recording form (PDF) to record instances of the student’s off-task behavior. Then view the video again and download the latency recording form (PDF) to record how long it takes the student to begin a task after the teacher gives a prompt. Be sure to use the stopwatch when recording your data.

Note: This video clip is quite short because it is for illustrative purposes only. To evaluate a student’s behavior, an observer should gather more data.

Questions/Discussion Topics
  1. According to the duration data, what percentage of time was the student off task?
  2. Do you think the percentage of time that the student was engaged in off-task behavior is problematic? Explain.
  3. According to the latency data, when the teacher gave the initial directive for the class to begin working, how long was it before the student began the task?
  4. After redirecting the student, how long was it before the student began the task?
  5. Do you think the amount of time it took the student to begin the task after the teacher’s initial directions and after being redirected is problematic? Explain.