The 20 behavior management interventions that included a focus on appropriate classroom behavior showed greater improvements in participants’ self-regulation than those that did not include this focus.

Youth who have limited self-regulation skills often have difficulty managing themselves and their behavior in school. They may become frustrated more easily and lack the healthy self-regulation skills needed to avoid aggressive or disruptive behavior. Moreover, students with disruptive behaviors are often removed from class, interrupting their learning and exacerbating their academic difficulties.

Behavior management interventions that focus specifically on the norms and expectations of behavior in school show stronger effects on self-regulation than those that do not. Many of these programs incorporated specific mechanisms for emphasizing behavior in the classroom, such as behavioral contracts or daily report cards. These tools typically list a child-specific group of behaviors and goals to improve them, with frequent feedback on progress and room for improvement. In addition, several interventions in this group featured additional program supports from teachers, parents, or other staff in the school. These supportive components helped to reinforce the specific content of the intervention provided to the youth to sustain its effects in other domains and over time.

Assess Feasibility

Current intervention focus.
Assess the extent to which your program already focuses on classroom behavior. Are there opportunities to integrate or expand such a focus?
Resources.
Review current resources. What resources might need to be added or shifted to accommodate content changes? Would you need to hire additional staff? Negotiate with current funders or identify additional resources?
Resources.
What resources would need to be added or shifted to accommodate format changes? Would you need additional staff to continue serving the same numbers of youth?
Funding requirements.
Are there funding constraints on what content must be delivered? Is there flexibility to modify content?
Program content.
Assess whether there is room to add this content to your curriculum or program guidance. Where would it fit? What would need to change? For example, would you need to add sessions? Increase time spent on this content relative to other areas?
Staffing.
Evaluate whether staff have adequate and appropriate training to deliver lessons on classroom behavior. If not, can you identify resources available to provide ongoing training and support?

Take Action

Consider any of the following depending on the results of your feasibility assessment:

Add new or revise existing lessons plans, staff training content or internal program guidance to ensure emphasis on appropriate classroom behaviors.
Train staff on ways to include classroom behavior skills training in their work and suggest activities that provide these opportunities.
Support appropriate classroom behavior throughout your school or organization. Identify a teacher or school staff person who believes in your program and can help reinforce the goals and activities of your program. Use staff meetings, educational support staff, and organizational leaders to emphasize appropriate classroom behavior organization-wide.
Identify Resources. Review current resources. What might need to be added or shifted to accommodate content changes?

Breadcrumb

Emphasize appropriate classroom behavior

Outcome

Self-Regulation

Intervention Family

Behavior Management Interventions

Emphasize Appropriate Classroom Behavior

Evidence

Assess Feasibility

Take Action

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