References: Tough Kid Social Skills, Skillstreaming Curricula

1. The CW-FIT Program: An Effective Way to Manage Student BehaviorLeslie Gunter, Ed.S., Paul Caldarella, Ph.D., K. Richard Young, Ph.D., Blake D. Hansen, Ph.D. Brigham Young University AWARD: R324A120344 Question 3: Do Tier 2 interventions provide additional improvement for students who are at-risk for EBD? Yes. Teachers chose to implement self-management with approximately 75% of students identified as at-risk for EBD, as students enjoyed having the privilege and responsibility of track their own behavior. Their behavior when using CW-FIT Tier 2 improved more than with CW-FIT alone: 1.5 fewer disruptions per hour and an increase of 4.12 percentage points per 15 minute observation. • Question 1: Does CW-FIT improve class-wide outcomes relative to a control group? • Yes. Students’ class-wide on-task • behavior increased by 18.96 • percentage points in the treatment • classrooms compared to 8.87 • percentage points in the control • classrooms during 20 minute • observation sessions. • The amount of teacher-delivered praise in the treatment classrooms increased from a rate of 7.64 to 25.68 praise statements per 20 minute sessions, while the rate in the control classrooms decreased from 9.19 to 3.68. • In the treatment classrooms, • teacher-delivered reprimands • decreased from 9.64 statements • to 3.51 and decreased from 6.81 • to 2.22 in the control classrooms. What is CW-FIT? Class-wide Function Related Intervention Teams (CW-FIT) is a behavior management program that has been used in elementary school classrooms. It emphasizes the proactive teaching of social skills, increased teacher praise, and the use of group contingencies. Though considered a universal intervention, additional components can be added for more individualized interventions. The use of CW-FIT has helped teachers effectively manage student behavior and improve classroom environments. The present study was conducted as part of a multi-site efficacy trial to determine whether CW-FIT would be similarly effective with schools in UT, TN, and MO. The data presented represents data from year one at the UT site. CW-FIT Tier 1 Lessons: Explicitly taught social skills Student Teams: Group contingencies Behavior Goals: Set daily Points & Praise: Awarded for use of skills at set intervals Group Rewards: Reinforcing for students, feasible for teachers CW-FIT Tier 2 Help Cards: Addresses function of escape/avoidance; for students who need additional academic help Self-Management: Addresses function of attention seeking; introduced as a privilege • Measures: • Multiple Option Observation System for Experimental Studies (MOOSES) • Group on-task record forms • Treatmentfidelity observations • Teacher/student satisfaction forms • Demographics: • Title I school in suburban Utah • 200 student participants • 70% Free/reduced price lunch • 82% Caucasian • Teachers nominated 29 students as at-risk for emotional/behavioral disorders (EBD) • Procedures: • Randomized control trial • Baseline data collected • Random assignment of classrooms • 9 general education classrooms • 5 Treatment, 4 Control • CW-FIT implemented in treatment classrooms • For students considered “nonresponsive” to CW-FIT Tier 1, Tier 2 was implemented Methods Question 4: Can teachers implement CW-FIT with high levels of fidelity? Yes. 95.74% of CW-FIT procedures were fully implemented. Most frequently omitted was the immediate delivery of rewards, though teachers typically provided rewards later the same day. Question 2: Does CW-FIT improve individual outcomes for students identified as at-risk for EBD? Yes. Total engagement levels for students identified as at-risk improved by 10.44 percentage points for students in treatment classrooms but only 3.02 percentage points for the control classrooms. Disruptive behavior for at-risk students decreased by 50.98 disruptions per hour in the treatment classrooms but only by 18.94 disruptions in the control classrooms. • Question 5: Do teachers and students view the CW-FIT program as socially valid? • Yes. Four out of five teachers enjoyed being a CW-FIT intervention teacher and would recommend the program to colleagues. 93.41% of students liked using CW-FIT during the school day and 95.60% would recommend it to peers. • Teacher comments: • “Students are more on-task.” • “Students desire and try to be good.” • Student comments: • “It helps me behave and others too.” • “You learn to be quiet and follow directions the first time.” • “I like to be a self-monitor…track my points and get a prize.” This project was done in collaboration with: Howard Wills & Debra Kamps, University of Kansas Joseph Wehby, Vanderbilt University References: Tough Kid Social Skills,SkillstreamingCurricula