Taking a Look at Behavior Contracts Lane, K. L., Menzies, H. M., Bruhn, A.L., & Crnobori, M. (2011). Managing Challenging Behaviors in Schools: Research-Based Strategies That Work. New York, NY: Guilford Press.

Agenda Comprehensive, Integrated, Three-Tiered (CI3T) Models of Prevention A Look at Behavior Contracts –What are behavior contracts? –Why are behavior contracts effective? –What does the supporting research for behavior contracts say? –What are the benefits and challenges? –How do I implement behavior contracts in classroom? Checklist for Success –How well is it working? Examining the Effects

Goal: Reverse Harm Specialized Group Systems for Students At-Risk Goal: Prevent Harm School/Classroom-Wide Systems for All Students, Staff, & Settings AcademicBehavioral Social Comprehensive, Integrated, Three-Tiered Model of Prevention (Lane, Kalberg, & Menzies, 2009) Tertiary Prevention (Tier 3) Secondary Prevention (Tier 2) Primary Prevention (Tier 1) ≈ ≈ ≈ PBIS Framework Validated Curricula Goal: Reduce Harm Specialized Individual Systems for Students with High-Risk

Comprehensive, Integrative, Three-tiered (CI3T) Models of Support Assess, Design, Implement, and Evaluate Basic Classroom Management Effective Instruction Low Intensity Strategies Behavior Contracts Self-Monitoring - Functional Assessment-Based Interventions Schoolwide Positive Behavior Support Low Intensity Strategies Higher Intensity Strategies Assessment

Monitoring Progress How well did this support work for this student? Experimental Design What do stakeholders think about the goals, procedures, and outcomes? Social Validity Is it happening? Treatment Integrity

A Look at: Behavior Contracts

What are Behavior Contracts? Behavior Contracts (contingency contract): a written agreement between at least two individuals in which one or both individuals agree to demonstrate certain behaviors. Specifies a contingent relationship between the completion of a specified behavior and access to, or delivery of, a specified reward. (Cooper Heron, & Heward, 2007, p. 551).

What are Behavior Contracts? Increase desired behaviors Decrease undesired behaviors Goals of behavior contracts Behavior Reward Recording Sheet Key Components

Behavior Contracts: Specifying the Behavior Who Refers to the people involved in the contract (i.e. teacher, paraprofessional, parent, student) What Refers to the specific behavior to be performed When Refers to the day and time the task must be completed How Well Refers to the specific level of performance or standard desired (Cooper et al., 2007)

Example I, Nathan will complete my algebra honors portfolio by Sunday at noon with all equations, illustrations, and checked for accuracy by a parent before submitting it on-line to his teacher. (Who?) (What?) (How well?) (When?)

Behavior Contracts: Specifying the Reward Who Refers to the person who determines whether or not the reward is to be delivered What Refers to the reward itself When Refers to the time that the reward will be delivered Amount Refers to how much time the reward will be available to the person (dosage) (Cooper et al., 2007)

Example Nathan’s father will allow Jordan to come (who?) (what?) over to play Nintendo and jump on the trampoline on Sunday afternoon for (when?) three hours. (amount?)

The reward choices include: 1.Jordan can come over to my house from 2 to 4 P.M. on Sunday. 2.I can play video games from 2 to 3 P.M. on Sunday 3.Mom will take me to the library to check out a book at 2 P.M. on Sunday. Example

Grandma’s rule First you eat your vegetables (complete the task component of the contract) and then you eat your dessert (receive the reward specified in the reward component of the contract; Cooper et al., 2007 ).

Offer Reward Choices Allow students to make choices for their rewards Access (to get) or Avoid (to get out of): Adult and/or peer attention Sensory experience Tangibles/ Activities Choices also ensure that the contract is not breeched because the reinforcer is not available (extra recess chosen but there is a thunderstorm).

Examples: One Party Contract Unilateral or self-contract (Kirschenbaum & Flanery, 1984; Cooper et al., 2007) Individual desires to change his or her own behavior Individual arranges reinforcement or punishment contingencies with a contingency manager Contingency manager is responsible for implementing the behavior contract with fidelity Should be someone with training in ABA and who does not personally gain benefits from the client or student’s change

Example of One-Party Contract  Lulu procrastinates and wants a plan to decrease this behavior  Her advisor was willing to meet with her weekly to go over goals and timeline  Lulu made an outline of deadlines as well as a definition for what each page would look like

Example: One-Party Contract I, Lulu Menzies, agree to write three pages of my term paper each week beginning the 3 rd week of the semester (9/12/2010) and ending the 12th week of the semester (11/27/2010). A page is defined as one 8 ½” x 11” paper, typed using APA format (12-point font, Times New Roman, double spaced). I will bring the three new pages each week to my weekly meeting with Aiden Crnobori (my advisor) each Friday at 11 A.M. in his office. If I do not bring the three new pages of the term paper to Dr. Crnobori at the weekly meeting, Dr. Crnobori will deduct 5 points from my final grade for the term paper. _______________________________ Lulu Menies, Student Aiden Crnobori, Advisor

Two-Party Contracts Bilaterial Contract (Kirschenbaum & Flanery, 1984; Cooper et al., 2007) Written between 2 parties, each focused on changing a given behavior One of the more widely used contracts Typically some level of concern from each party involved Can also be written between more than 2 parties (teacher, student, and parent)

Two Party Contracts: Quid Pro Quo Both parties agree to change at least one of their behaviors Designed so that one person’s behavior change is the reinforcer for another person’s behavior change (Miltenberger, 2004)

Example: Quid Pro Quo Contract I, Nathan Lane, will: Complete my Algebra II portfolio assignment by 12:00pm on Sunday Submit my Algebra II portfolio online by 12:00 pm on Sunday Nathan’s signatureDate I, Kathleen Lane, will: Avoid making any comments and asking any questions to Nathan regarding completion of his Algebra II portfolio until 12:00pm on Sunday Kathleen’s signatureDate

Two Party Contracts: Parallel Contracts Both parties arrange rewards for their respective behaviors that are not contingent upon the other party’s performance. Each person agrees to implement a behavior change desired by the other person in the contract Example: involving parent, teacher, and student Can be written for more than 2 parties

Example: Parallel Contract I, Nathan Lane, will:  Complete my Algebra II portfolio assignment by 12:00pm on Sunday  Submit my Algebra II portfolio online by 12:00 pm on Sunday If I complete and submit my portfolio on time, I can choose to (a) invite Jordon over for 2 hours, (b) play e-rated video games for an hour, or (c) go to the library to check out books Nathan’s signature Date I, Kathleen Lane, will:  Avoid making any comments and asking any questions to Nathan regarding completion of his Algebra II portfolio until 12:00pm on Sunday. If I avoid making comments and asking questions to Nathan about his assignment for the said amount of time, I will treat myself to dinner with my friend, Terri Kathleen’s signatureDate

Three Party Contract Roles and Responsibilities Student: Keyshawn will complete one page of his research paper per night for the next 5 nights. He will also check in with his dad when he has completed the page. Finally, he will bring his completed page and signed chart to Mrs. Hernandez each day for the next 5 days. If he completes the page, he will be allowed to watch 1 hour of television. If he does not complete the page, he will not be allowed to watch any television. Parent: Keyshawn’s dad, Mr. Harris, will check in with Keyshawn each night for the next 5 nights to make sure his son has completed one page of his research paper each night. Mr. Harris will read Keyshawn’s page and then sign Keyshawn’s chart each night indicating they met and Keyshawn completed his work. Mr. Harris will allow Keyshawn to watch 1 hour of television if his page is complete. Teacher: Mrs. Hernandez will meet with Keyshawn each day for the next 5 days to see if he completed his page and had his chart signed by his dad. Mrs. Hernandez will also sign his chart. If Keyshawn has completed a page and his dad has signed his chart, Mrs. Hernandez will add 1 extra point to his research paper grade for each day Keyshawn meets the objective. Thus, Keyshawn has an opportunity to earn 5 extra points on his research paper Student Signature Date Parent signature Date Teacher Signature Date Number of pages completed by student Parent SignatureBonus Points Earned Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday TOTAL BONUS POINTS EARNED:

Contract Selection Think about the various types of contracts. Discuss the type that may best suit you and your student. ContractDefinition One-party One party to change behavior. The behavior change is managed by a “contingency manager” who delivers the reinforcement (or punishment). Quid Pro Quo Two parties agree to change a behavior. Each person’s behavior change becomes the reinforcer for the other person’s behavior change. Parallel Two parties agree to change a behavior. Reinforcement is delivered to each party separately, so it is not contingent upon the other person’s completion of the behavior.

Why are Behavior Contracts Effective? The science behind the method A behavior contract is an intervention package composed of multiple behavioral principles (Cooper et al., 2007) Rule governed behaviorPublic commitmentPositive reinforcementNegative reinforcement

Evidence of effectiveness with a variety of behaviors: –Increased on-task behavior (Allen, Howard, Sweeney,& McLaughlin, 1993; Miller & Kelley, 1994) –Decreased disruptive behaviors (De-Martini- Scully, Bray, & Kehle, 2000) –Increased work accuracy (Miller & Kelly, 1994) What Does the Supporting Research for Behavior Contracting Say? Elementary level

Evidence of effectiveness with a variety of behaviors: –Increased academic productivity (Kelly & Stokes, 1982) –Increased work completion, increase in grades, and decreased disruptive behavior (White-Blackburn, Semb, & Semb, 1977) What Does the Supporting Research for Behavior Contracting Say? Middle/High School

Summary of Research Behavior contracts proven effective with… Elementary, middle, and high school students A variety of students (including those with disabilities) In a variety of settings (general education classrooms, self-contained classrooms, playgrounds, alternative schools, parochial schools, etc.) Behavior contracts and student outcomes Behavior contracting more effective in reducing inappropriate behaviors than increasing appropriate behaviors Academic outcomes are positively affected by behavior contracting (Brownman-Perrot, Burke, Marin, Zhang, & Davis, 2015)

Supporting Research See “Behavior Contracts Resource Guide” for additional supporting research and information.

What are the Benefits and Challenges? Consider the following: –The types of deficits for which this strategy is appropriate Performance deficits (won’t do problems) and fluency deficits (trouble doing problems) Not appropriate for acquisition deficits (can’t do problems) –The student’s developmental level Age, intellectual capacity, reading ability, etc. –The appropriateness of various measurement systems Self-report vs. permanent product Covert behaviors (vs. readily observable) –What to do if one of the parties does not wish to participate Other strategies (e.g., self-monitoring) What are the Benefits and Challenges?

How do I implement behavior contracting in my classroom? Checklist for Success Identify the target behavior. Meet with the stakeholders. Discuss the student’s strengths and areas of concern. Write behavioral objectives and/or tasks. Step 2 Step 3 Step 4 Step 1

How do I implement behavior contracting in my classroom? Checklist for Success Identify rewards and consequences. Determine the evaluation process. Sign the contract. Step 6 Step 7 Step 5

Implementing Self-Monitoring in Your Classroom: Implementation Checklist  Step 1: Identify the target behavior  Step 2: Meet with stakeholders  Step 3: Identify student’s strengths and areas of concern.  Step 4: Write behavioral objectives  Step 5: Identify rewards and consequences  Step 6: Determine the evaluation process  Step 7: Sign in agreement of the contract terms See “Behavior Contracts Implementation Checklist ”

Determining Student Eligibility 1.Is the behavior… …able to be clearly defined? …readily observable? 2.Has the student been nonresponsive to other behavior management strategies (e.g., proximity, precorrection)? 3.Is the student capable of controlling the behavior and performing the desired behavior? 4.Is the student at a developmental level that will allow him or her to understand the terms of the contract? If not, consider including visuals or other supports or selecting an intervention that is more developmentally appropriate. 5.Is the student willing to participate in the behavioral contract (e.g., social validity, pre)? If not, consider a different intervention (e.g., self-monitoring, functional assessment based interventions).

Designing a Behavior Contract See “Designing a behavior contract ”

Examples: Behavior Contracts Two-Party Parallel Behavior Contract Template “Two-Party Quid Pro Quo Behavior Contract Template” One-Party Behavior Contract Template

Choose a behavior you want to change 1.Identify the Target Behavior 2.Operationally define the behavior 3.Provide examples of the behavior 4.Provide non-examples Will you please ….

How well is it working? Examining the Effects How well did this support work for this student? Experimental Design What do stakeholders think about the goals, procedures, and outcomes? Social Validity Is it happening? Treatment Integrity

Have structures in place to monitor whether behavior contracting is carried out as intended: Treatment integrity checklist Example questions: 1.Did said party fulfill the obligations of the contract? 2.Was reinforcement provided for meeting the contract terms? 3.Delivery of reinforcement was timely See: “Behavior Contract TI Checklist ”

What do they think about it? IRP-15 Completed by the teacher and/or parent participating in the intervention at two time points: Pre and post intervention See “Social Validity Adapted IRP15_Pre/ Post_ Teacher ”

What do they think about it? CIRP Completed by the student participating in the intervention at two time points: Pre and Post Intervention Pre and Post Versions See “Social Validity Adapted CIRP_Pre/Post_Student ”

SupportDescription School-wide Data: Entry Criteria Data to Monitor Progress Exit Criteria Behavior Contract A written agreement between two parties used to specify the contingent relationship between the completion of a behavior and access to - or delivery of - a specific reward. The target behavior can be an academic (e.g., work completion, rate of oral reading fluency), behavioral (e.g., on task), or social (e.g., participate in a group). Contract may involve administrator, teacher, parent, and student. Examples of potential target behaviors defined in contract Behavior:  SRSS-E7 score: Moderate (4-8)  SRSS-I5 score: Moderate (2-3) or  SRSS-E7 score: High (9-21)  SRSS-I5 score: High (4-15) or  2 or more office discipline referrals (ODR) Academic: Progress report: 1 or more course failures or  Progress report: 2 or more missing assignments or  Progress report: Targeted for Growth for academic learning behaviors or AIMSweb: intensive or strategic level (math or reading) Target behavior defined in the behavior contract (e.g., % of assignments completed, rate of oral reading fluency) Passing grades on progress reports Social Validity: Teacher: IRP-15 Student: CIRP Treatment Integrity: Implementation Checklist & Treatment integrity checklist Successful completion of Behavior contract SRSS-E7 score: Low (1-3) SRSS-I5 score: Low (1-2) Passing grade on progress report or report card in the academic area of concern (or target behavior named in the behavior contract) Sample Elementary Intervention Grid

Expanding Your Tool Kit

Recommended Resources Questions: Thank you!

Lane, K. L., Menzies, H. M., Bruhn, A.L., & Crnobori, M. (2011). Managing Challenging Behaviors in Schools: Research-Based Strategies That Work. New York, NY: Guilford Press. Lane, K. L., Menzies, H. M., Ennis, R. P., & Oakes, W. P. (2015). Supporting behavior for school success: A step- by-step guide to key strategies. New York, NY: Guilford Press.

Designing, Implementing, and Evaluating Comprehensive, Integrated, Three-Tiered (CI3T) Models of Prevention: Step by Step Guide (2014). A special issue of Preventing School Failure, volume 58, issue 3 Umbreit, J., Ferro, J. B., Liaupsin, C. J., & Lane, K. L. (2007). Functional behavioral assessment and function-based intervention: An effective, practical approach. New York, NY: Pearson.