Awarding Points, Using Levels to Help Children Improve Behavior

Abstract

p r e s e n t s a n i n t e r d i s c i p l i n a r y g r a d u a t e p r o g r a m i n Early Intervention in Deaf EducationWith mandatory newborn screening and early identification of hearing loss in children, skilled professionals are needed to work with young children and their families. Fontbonne College seeks full-time graduate students for Summer, 2001. The college, in partnership with St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf, has 40 years of experience in deaf education.Students with an undergraduate degree in deaf education, eariy childhood education, special education or speech language pathotogy may apply Full-tuition scholarships are available.

Life skills instruction for children with developmental disabilities

“…When desirable behavior occurred, teachers provided descriptive praise. When problem behavior occurred, the teachers implemented consequences according to a school‐wide level system (Barbetta, ; Cruz & Cullinan, ). The level system consisted of three colored cups (blue, green, and red) in which popsicle sticks with the participants' names were placed.…”

Effects of a Dependent Group Contingency on the Verbal Interactions of Middle School Students with Emotional Disturbance

“…During the remaining 15 minutes of the class, students pursued independent activities such as playing checkers or chess, drawing, coloring, chatting with other students, or reading. The classroom management system was based on a points and level system (Cruz & Cullinan, 2001) in which students earned privileges or restrictions based on their behavior. A low classroom rating resulted in increased restrictions with few privileges.…”

Effects of Performance Feedback on Treatment Integrity of a Class-Wide Level System for Secondary Students With Emotional Disturbance

“…During the second day of training, we emphasized the application of these principles to a level system. More specifically, we presented examples of the different types of level systems incorporating ABA strategies in the literature (e.g., Cruz & Cullinan, 2001; Mastropieri et al, 1998) and then outlined the specific components of the level system to be implemented. These components were based on Cancio and Johnson’s (2007) seven features of a point/level system: identifying target behaviors (e.g., behavioral expectations), determining point values for behaviors, determining opportunities to earn bonus points, deriving a continuum of levels (backup reinforcers) students can earn on a daily basis (see Table 1 for an example of level privileges developed in training), determining whether to employ another type of backup reinforcer (e.g., fun Friday), determining how to communicate points/levels with parents, and designing a method for monitoring student progress.…”