This paper is designed to provide school social workers with a conceptual framework that will help guide their participation in state and local level planning for implementing functional behavioral assessments (FBAs) and behavioral intervention plans (BIPs) for students which school personnel propose to suspend for more than 10 days in any school year. The paper begins by identifying the following guiding principles for the implementation of FBAs and BIPs: (1) behavior should be assessed systemically; (2) the term functional modifies the terms behavior and assessment; (3) BIPs should emphasize the use of positives, inclusive, and least instructive approaches; (4) for students requiring special education, functional assessment of the need for social, emotional, and behavioral supports should be conducted across all aspects of programming, including initial identification, initial Individualized Education Program (IEP) development and implementation, ongoing review and revision of the IEP, and at the time when students' behavior prompts disciplinary action; (5) parents should be actively encouraged to participate; and (6) the implementation of FBAs and BIPs is not intended to rely on the use of a single theoretical framework or on the expertise of any one profession. The paper then identifies essential elements of FBAs and BIPs. (CR)