The Effect of Token Economies on Student Behavior in the Preschool Classroom: A Meta-Analysis

There has been a recent push in the literature to identify and use more evidence-based practices for positive behavioral supports for challenging student behaviors in the classroom environment. Further, interest in targeting early education environments such as preschool has been growing given the persistence of behavioral difficulties in the absence of early and effective intervention (Campbell & Ewing, 1990; Kazdin, 1987; Powell et al., 2006; Stormont, 2002). Two previous meta-analyses (Maggin et al., 2011; Soares et al., 2016) provided some initial support for effectiveness of token economies with challenging student behavior; however, the inclusion of the preschool setting was limited and both studies used older versions of design standards to evaluate the quality of studies in the literature. The present study served to extend those meta-analyses by targeting preschool classrooms. Further, the current study included the most recent What Works Clearinghouse Design Standards to evaluate whether token economies meet criteria as an evidence-based practice. Ten studies were included in the final analyses. Two sets of effect sizes were calculated: Baseline-Corrected Tau and Hedge’s g. An omnibus effect size showed an overall large effect; however, similar to previous meta-analyses, several methodological concerns were identified. Moderator analyses for several variables were conducted; however, no moderator analyses were significant. Limitations and future directions were discussed

Extended School Year Services: Prediction, Description, and Impact of Judicial Precedence

The central purpose of this study was to determine the impact of Armstrong v. Kline (1978) and other critical court cases on the provision of extended school year (ESY) services to children with disabilities within local education agencies (LEAs). LEAs from the 5th and 10th Federal Judicial Circuits responded to the Extended School Year Survey providing information regarding local ESY programming. A prediction model was developed suggesting that LEA student enrollment and Federal Judicial Circuit membership accounted for the greatest amount of variance in the provision of ESY services at the local level. Additional information concerning eligibility criteria, disability categories most likely eligible for services, regression/recoupment, and percentage of children by disability category ruled eligible for ESY is presented

Time-in/Time-out as a Response to Noncompliance and Inappropriate Behavior with Children with Developmental Disabilities: Two Case Studies

Time-in and time-out were used to treat inappropriate and noncompliant behaviors in a child with severe language disabilities and a child with a moderate mental disability and cerebral palsy. The target behaviors for Jeremy were compliance with first-time presented teacher instructions, elopement and aggression. Prior to intervention, archival baseline data for Jeremy suggested a compliance rate with teacher directives of approximately 9% and a high frequency of elopement and aggression. Following implementation of a compliance training package, compliance to teacher directives increased to 97% within the first week of intervention and minimal instances of elopement and aggression. Two, 24, and 40-week follow-up compliance checks yielded mean rates of 98%, 99%, and 98% respectively and no elopement or aggression. Reduction in object tossing behaviors was targeted for Jenny. Archival baseline, indicated through parent report, suggested tossing rates of 80% of me times objects were in hand. Frequency of object tossing behavior decreased to a near-zero level during intervention. The use of this intervention package with children in an effort to deter future chronic noncompliance and inappropriate behavior is discussed. (C) 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc

Listening Previewing in Reading to Read: Relative Effects on Oral Reading Fluency

An intervention designed to increase oral reading fluency (Reading to Read; RTR) as well as the additional component of listening previewing (PRV) was evaluated in an alternating treatments design with 3 African-American male elementary students (9, 10, and 12 years of age; 2 fourth grade and 1 third grade) who were reading 2 to 3 years below their current grade placement. Considering the relatively brief amount of time spent during intervention (4 to 9 weeks; 2 to 3 30-minute sessions per week), results evidenced substantial increases for all 3 students on correct words per minute and percent comprehension accuracy, and substantial decreases in mean number of errors. The PRV condition yielded higher correct words per minute rates and lower error rates for 2 of the students, whereas the third student\u27s performance was superior with the regular RTR intervention without PRV. The efficacy of PRV within RTR is discussed with regard to factors related to students\u27 attentional problems

The Sequential Introduction of Compliance Training Components With Elementary-Aged Children in General Education Classroom Settings

Using a multiple baseline design across subjects, the present study evaluated the sequential introduction of compliance training components on the instruction-following of four elementary school students in a general education classroom setting. The components included effective instruction delivery with reinforcement for compliance (EID), time in (TI), and time out (TO). EID alone resulted in increases in compliance of 21%, 30%, 43%, and 44% above baseline levels for the four students, respectively. Additional increases of 17%, 13%, 12%, and 18%, respectively, resulted when TI was added to EID. An EID/TI/TO phase resulted in additional increases of 24%, 19%, 7% and 0%, respectively. Compliance levels were maintained, with minimal decreases, at 1- and 4-month follow-up for all four students. Results are discussed in terms of achieving compliance objectives through the use of exclusively positive procedures

The Sequential Introduction of Positive Antecedent and Consequent Components in a Compliance Training Package With Elementary Students

We evaluated the separate and combined effects of the antecedent manipulations of effective instruction delivery and time-in, as well as the effects of the addition of the consequent manipulation of contingent praise in a compliance training package for four elementary students displaying low levels of compliance. Four teachers were trained to introduce these components sequentially in multiple baseline across-participants designs for each of two pairs of students. All students increased compliance from below 40% during baseline to between 84% and 96% in the final treatment phase. Support was demonstrated for the separate and independent effects of the positive antecedent components of effective instruction delivery and time-in, when used alone and in combination. The addition of contingent praise either increased compliance slightly or maintained it at already high levels. Treatment integrity and implications for practitioners and school personnel are discussed, including the effectiveness and simplicity of these procedures, while also offering positive, non-coercive approaches to increasing student compliance

A Comparison of Immediate and Post-Session Feedback With Behavioral Skills Training to Improve Interview Skills In College Students

Successful interviewing skills help maximize the probability that a job candidate will make a positive impression upon a prospective employer. Previous research described a method to increase appropriate interview skills using Behavioral Skills Training (BST) with post-session feedback. Immediate feedback has been shown as an effective method that may improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the training package described by previous research. The purpose of this study was to replicate past studies using BST to improve interview skills of college students and extend the study by comparing post-session and immediate feedback. All participants demonstrated improvements in interview skills, thus replicating previous findings. More specifically, BST with immediate feedback showed greater acquisition, maintenance, and generalization, with fewer training minutes required to meet mastery criteria compared to BST with post-session feedback