In the real world, contracts are everywhere – from housing agreements to employment offers. Being able to understand, follow, and benefit from contracts is an essential life skill for success in college, careers, and beyond. Some students benefit from structured practice in learning how their behaviors align with expectations – a skill that translates directly into real-world contracts. Behavior contracts help by making those expectations explicit and rewarding students for meeting them.
What Is a Behavior Contract?
A behavior contract is an agreement that spells out:
- Specific, observable behaviors to increase or decrease
- Achievable goals linked to those behaviors
- Positive reinforcement that matches the student’s preferences
- Clear conditions for earning rewards
- Signatures from student, teacher, and sometimes parents to confirm commitment
This structure not only sets expectations but also gives students ownership of their behavior plan. Because students help design the contract, they’re more likely to be motivated to follow through.
Why Behavior Contracts Work
- Clarity: Everyone knows what’s expected and how success will be measured.
- Student voice: Students are more invested when they help choose their goals and rewards.
- Consistency: Reinforcement is tied directly to behavior, helping students connect their choices to outcomes.
- Preparation for the future: By practicing how to develop and follow contracts in school, students are building employability skills they’ll use in the workplace.
- Scalability: Contracts can be used across grade levels and settings, from preschool classrooms to high school study halls.
- Strengthen Relationships: Creating the contract with the student builds trust and shows adults believe in their success.
Download our free Behavior Contract Template
Examples Across K–12
Pre-K/Elementary
- Context: Henry often struggles to keep his hands to himself during recess.
- Goal: If Henry earns 5 points on his Hands To Myself chart during recess, he meets the contract goal.
- Outcome: At the end of the day, Henry gets to play a game with a friend for 10 minutes.
Middle School
- Context: Sam’s teacher wanted to increase her class participation in History.
- Goal: Sam will raise her hand to participate at least once per class for 4 out of 5 days.
- Outcome: When she meets this goal, Sam earns a homework pass.
High School
- Context: Talia had several missing assignments and needed structured support to get caught up.
- Goal: Each week that Talia completes one overdue assignment, she earns special time to meet and spend with her counselor. If she completes at least 4 out of 6 weeks successfully, she meets the long-term goal.
- Outcome: Talia’s immediate reward is an extra weekly connection with her counselor. At the end of the contract, she earns an extended activity with her counselor, such as going for a walk during the school day or working together on job applications.
Steps for Implementation
- Identify Target Behaviors
Frame goals in positive, observable terms (e.g., “Raise hand before speaking” instead of “Don’t call out”).
- Set Achievable Goals
Start with something the student can realistically meet. Success builds momentum.
- Choose Reinforcers
Rewards should be directly aligned with individual student preferences. Don’t jump straight to tangible rewards like toys, trinkets, or iPad/tech-time, if that’s not what motivates the student. For some, the most powerful reinforcement is connection – like playing Connect Four with a favorite teacher, or having lunch with a peer in the classroom while playing a game of Magic.
- Define Conditions
Be clear about how and when reinforcement is earned, and specify what will happen—or what will not be earned—if the student does not meet the goal.
- Sign the Contract
Include student, teacher, and (if appropriate) parent signatures to strengthen accountability.
- Review and Adjust
If the contract isn’t working, revisit goals or reinforcers with the student to improve buy-in.
Tips for Success
- Keep contracts short and simple, especially for younger students.
- Build the contract for “progress” NOT “perfection.”
- Focus on one routine to start, or one behavior to improve.
- Review progress daily to maintain motivation.
- Create short-term and long-term goals.
- Use contracts not just for challenging behaviors but also to increase positive participation (e.g., completing work, helping peers, engaging in class).
- Expand contracts beyond the classroom to include lunch, recess, or special subjects if consistent challenges arise.
- If appropriate, consider linking school behaviors with home-based rewards.
✅ Key Takeaway: Behavior contracts give students ownership in shaping their behavior while creating a clear path to reinforcement for their efforts. When rewards reflect what truly motivates each student – and when students see contracts as a real-world skill connected to future employability – the impact extends far beyond the classroom.
