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Behavior support in schools is increasingly viewed as a three-tier prevention effort in which universal interventions are used for primary prevention, targeted interventions are used for secondary prevention, and intensive interventions are used for tertiary prevention. A growing body of research has demonstrated the effectiveness of targeted interventions in decreasing the frequency of problem behaviors. The Check In-Check Out Program (CICO) is becoming a recognized targeted intervention. The present study examines if there is a functional relation between the implementation of CICO and a reduction in problem behaviors. Results indicate that implementation of CICO with four elementary school-age boys was functionally related to a reduction in problem behavior. Clinical and conceptual implications of these results, methodological limitations, and future research directions are reviewed.
Keywords: check in-check out; behavior education program; targeted intervention; secondary intervention; check and connect; school-wide interventions; challenging behaviors; elementary school students
School-wide positive behavior support (SWPBS) is a systems-level approach to building the social culture and behavioral supports needed for schools to be effective learning environments for all students. The approach builds on the three-tiered community health prevention model proposed by Walker et al. (1996), with (a) universal behavior support systems for all students, (b) secondary or targeted levels of support for students at risk of succeeding without additional support, and (c) tertiary support that includes function-based support for individualized, intensive interventions. Schoolwide PBS is a welldocumented strategy for establishing a positive school culture at the universal level (Horner, Sugai, Todd, & Lewis-Palmer, 2005; Walker et al., 1996). To date, research has emphasized the impact of universal and intensive interventions (Nelson, Martella, & Marchand-Martella, 2002; Metzler, Biglan, & Rusby, 2001; Todd, Horner, Sugai, & Sprague, 1999; Todd, Horner, Sugai, & Colvin, 1999; Walker et al., 1996). Recently, however, the value of targeted interventions has gained more attention as educators search for highly efficient strategies for preventing and addressing problem behavior (Crone, Horner, & Hawken, 2003; Fairbanks, Sugai, Guardino, & Lathrop, in press; Filter et al., in press; Hawken & Horner, 2003; Lewis & Sugai, 1999; March & Horner, 2002).
Targeted interventions may include strategies such as social skills training, check in-check out systems, First Step to Success, peer mentors, or homework clubs (Crone et al., 2003; Hawken & Horner, 2003; Lewis...