Systems theory analysis of a school's functional behavioral assessment

Systems Theory Lens

The analysis of the case study clearly indicates that the school eh cycle of production at the school begins with a child getting enrolled into the school at any grade level and ends with the student leaving the school after completion of his/her studies. The input systems and the throughout systems in the organization or the educational institution, in this case, has an input system that sustains the system and these inputs are provided by everyone in the hierarchy of the institution (Morgan, 2006). The production inputs for the educational institution include the suggestions that are sought into the system of intervention, in accordance with the case study, are the vital advice from the functional behavioral assessment (FSB) committee.

This is important as the committee comprises of experts and noted people from all walks of life and includes counselors, faculty, and department heads as well as a member from the principal level of organization. The student -- James, and his family members -- parents and guardians are also included in the committee. The committee yields productive outcome through an efficient assessment, review, and decision-making and in the process of data gathering. This is also the throughput system of the organization that transforms the material or the energy -- the advice from the committee is transformed into actions (Staber, 2013). The output is the effective intervention of the student in a manner that it proves helpful for James.

The organization clearly uses the transformation model where the input is transformed into the system. In the case of James, the system is the system of hierarchy reporting where each of the divisions headed by a leader or a teacher collectively reports to the principal level. Also the system includes the functional behavioral assessment committee which comprises of members from various levels of the organization as well as those related closely to the case -- parents of the student and counselors, the teachers -- who regularly interact with the student and other members of the organization who are in touch with the student on a regular basis. Hence the system of the school helps transform the inputs from these committee members into actions (Staber, 2013).

Since the organization follows an open system and with scope for direct communication, the organization allow for feedback, even negative feedback into the system. This can help the process of intervention to get back to status quo and reconsider the intervention process and adopt measures to better it. Since the system of the organization is such that it allows for clear and direct communication -- often in the written form up the hierarchy of the system, it leaves little chance for uncertainty and ambiguity and hence equivocality. Also, the problem that James is suffering from is complex and multidimensional and is hence would require some complex solutions. For example, the problem analysis and suggestions from a counselor can be somewhat complex for a layman to understand but the system helps to address the complex input with a complex process (Morgan, 2006).