Written by Special Guest Veroncia Monford, MEd, BCBA, LBA
BCBA supervision isn't the same thing everywhere. When you're doing your fieldwork in a public school, your supervisor has a major impact on the kind of behavior analyst you will become. They should help you become an ethical, confident behavior analyst who can improve student outcomes and work with and support families and educators.
What Good Supervision Should Look Like
If your supervision amounts to nothing more than a monthly signature, then you are failing to make the most of the experience. High-quality supervision is based on mentorship. The best supervisor will help you connect the material you are studying to what will actually happen in the school environment. You should have direct observations; in a school setting, this might involve being observed while you carry out a Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA) and/or prepare a Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP). Meaningful feedback is essential, as it tells you how well you performed, highlights areas for improvement, and shows you how to use the skills in future situations. Supervision should include regular discussion of student data and involve working with all relevant parties.
“High-quality supervision is based on mentorship. The best supervisor will help you connect the material you are studying to what will actually happen in the school environment.”
Why School-Based Supervision Is Different
School-based analysts almost always work as part of a team. Because you are working in a school setting, you have to understand behavior analytic practice within the wider context of the educational system. You will be working closely with general education teachers, special education teachers, related service providers, and administrators. You will need to have continuous discussions about how behavior relates to district policies, the Individual Education Program (IEP) process, state/federal regulations, and the BACB Code of Ethics. Most importantly, your supervisor should aim to build your competence rather than create dependence on them. Your supervisor should not make you feel that you need permission to implement any interventions or to make a professional decision but instead should provide an environment in which you can make informed decisions based on data.
“your supervisor should aim to build your competence rather than create dependence on them. ”
Start With Clear Expectations
Before learning begins, a formal supervision contract provides a foundation for a successful supervisory relationship. This helps everyone stay aligned on expectations and how things will work. The contract should cover the main purpose of supervision, the roles of both the supervisor and the supervisee, and the specific skills or areas they’ll focus on. It should also cover how to handle documentation, confidentiality rules, how performance will be evaluated, communication expectations, and meeting frequency. It should also explain how to end the supervision, any fees involved, both parties' credentials, and include signatures to show you’re both in agreement. Sorting these details from the start clarifies expectations, keeps everyone accountable, and shows a shared commitment to growth and ethical practice.
Once the supervision contract is in place, the real learning begins. Effective supervision typically includes weekly or bi-weekly meetings. During these meetings, the supervisees will have opportunities to:
Review student cases
Discuss challenges
Analyze behavior data
Establish goals for growth
Attend school-based behavior meetings
Participate in IEP meetings
Track supervision hours
Review BACB Code of Ethics and BACB Test Content Outline
Learn district policies and procedures
Practice writing and developing behavior documents
The Learning That Happens Between Meetings
Some of the most meaningful supervision happens outside of the scheduled meetings. It happens while watching a supervisor’s interaction with a student, observing assessments, receiving immediate feedback or having a difficult conversation with a colleague and/or parent. Effective feedback should be timely, objective, actionable, and reciprocal.
Healthy supervision is built on trust and open communication. Just as supervisors provide feedback to supervisees, supervisees should have the opportunity to provide feedback on the supervision process. The reciprocal process strengthens the relationship and fosters continuous professional growth for both the supervisee and supervisor. (Find the BCBA Supervision Form here.)
Finally, the supervisee should generally feel respected, supported, and more competent, yet constructively challenged. After meeting with the supervisor, there should be clarity. Supervision should not leave you feeling confused, belittled, or isolated, but confident in moving forward as you make critical decisions within the realm of behavior analysis. (Find the Supervision Feedback Form here.)
In a public school setting, the right BCBA won’t simply help you complete supervised fieldwork hours; they will foster professional growth and challenge you to develop the competencies to become an independent behavior analyst to support school teams, families, and students. As you evaluate your supervision experience, ask yourself: Am I becoming more confident and more independent because of supervision? If you answer yes, then your supervision is doing exactly what it was designed to do.
“In a public school setting, the right BCBA won’t simply help you complete supervised fieldwork hours; they will foster professional growth and challenge you to develop the competencies to become an independent behavior analyst to support school teams, families, and students.”
Note: The supervision forms and templates referenced in this article were developed by the author to support ethical, organized, and competency-based BCBA supervision within a public school setting.
