By Molly Chamness
This issue of NASET’s Classroom Management Series was written by Molly Chamness. It focuses on 3 research studies involving different types of behavioral management interventions used within middle school classrooms. Middle school studies on classroom management are few and far between and are newer to being examined. The review explores several topics such as CW-FIT model altered to fit the middle school form, CW-FIT with the addition of self-management, and examining the importance of stakeholder voice.
Abstract
This literature review is on 3 research studies involving different types of behavioral management interventions used within middle school classrooms. Middle school studies on classroom management are few and far between and are newer to being examined. The review explores several topics such as CW-FIT model altered to fit the middle school form, CW-FIT with the addition of self-management, and examining the importance of stakeholder voice.
The studies read in this literature review on the effects of behavioral intervention and supports on classroom behavior and management in middle school classrooms are as follows: Middle School Classroom Management (Wills 2019), Multi-Tiered Classroom Management Intervention in a Middle School Classroom (Chen, et al 2022), Effects of Middle School Teachers’ Praise-to-Reprimand Ratios (Caldarella, Larsen, Williams, Wills, 2021), and Examining the Social Validity of a Universal Intervention for Reducing Exclusionary Discipline Through Stakeholder Voice (Furjanc et al 2021). The search engine used to find these articles was ERIC.ed, filtered to where the full available text was available on the website.
As stated in Wills et al (2021) on middle school classroom management, middle school is the cornerstone of success in high school. Despite this, there has been little research done on the effects of behavior within the middle school environment. Particularly, the effects of behavioral interventions and supports on behavior within the classroom. While there have been many models put into place at the elementary level, higher levels of education are not as well explored (Freeman, et al, 2019).
Behavior within the middle school classroom is something that affects not only the student, but their peers and the teachers as well. From loss of instructional time, to grades being affected, there are a plethora of reasons that behavioral interventions need to be implemented with fidelity and consistency.
Lack of Middle School Research
Class-wide function-related intervention teams is a form of tier one intervention that has been proven to be successfully implemented at the elementary level (Wills, et al 2010). According to Wills and Kamp (2016), results within the elementary setting have consistently shown improvements in on task behavior for students and also an increase in recognition from the teacher. In addition, a decrease of disruptive behaviors has also been documented.
Much research on behaviors within the classroom, classroom management on behaviors and all the implications on this has been done within the elementary school setting. While this is all valuable research, it is important to note that behaviors within the elementary classroom and the middle school setting can present vastly different reasons, such as: age, expectations, classroom set up and differences within each teacher they see during the school day. Using the models made within the elementary school settings could be ineffective in the middle school setting because of these potential differences. Therefore, studies within the middle school setting needed to be conducted.
CW-FIT was designed originally as an elementary intervention, however it was adapted in a study done in 2021 by Wills et al for middle school, Middle School Classroom Management. Modifications were made to the CW-FIT to allow for a better fit for the middle school setting, such as the way the classroom rules are taught, the number of lessons the students are given, and the frequency at which they get acknowledged (Wills et al, 2021).
Wills et al (2021) found that just like in elementary school, there was an increase in both productivity and on task behavior, in addition to there being a decrease in disruptive behavior. Wills’ study particularly focused on students that were at risk of having some form of emotional behavioral disability, and within these parameters they found that not only were they able to model the elementary school results, but that there was an improvement in the student-teacher relationship.
The CW-FIT has become a model more frequently used as a tier one intervention, and as long as it is used with fidelity the success of it has been replicated in several studies, such as in Chen et al (2022). However, in this particular study they were looking to expand past the tier one model. While CW-FIT has proven successful, it is not meant to be the sole thing that meets the needs of all students. According to Chen et al (2022), those who do not respond to the CW-FIT model are the most likely to be disengaged and have difficult student-teacher relationships.
In their study, Multi-Tiered Classroom Management Intervention in a Middle School Classroom, they aimed to add in a tier two intervention called self-management. This allowed the students that were not responding well to the tier one CW-FIT intervention to add on an additional tracking method of their behavior which involved self-monitoring and fidelity. The students were rewarded for their honesty in their tracking, and also for their improvement in behavior. The tracking worked similarly to the CW-FIT model, something they were already familiar with, which helped ease them into the process.
Caldarella et al (2021) looked at the effects of PRR (praise to reprimand ratio) in their study Effects of Middle School Teachers’ Praise-to-Reprimand Ratios, looking to see what the change in ratio can do to student behavior, as well as seeing if there is a threshold at which praise will stop being effective.
While Caldarella’s study left out different parts, such as specific students’ PRR or percentage grades, they did find that there was an obvious link between PRR, student behavior and grades. In addition, it was also informative in finding that while there had been many numbers formerly thrown out as to what an appropriate PRR is, Caldarella found that a 1:1 ratio will find 60% on target behavior with no other interventions in place.
Furjanic et al (2021) found in their study Examining the Social Validity of a Universal Intervention for Reducing Exclusionary Discipline Through Stakeholder Voice that within the middle and high school levels, teachers and administrators are less likely than their elementary counterparts to consistently continue with the interventions they are being provided with. This means that ensuring the interventions that are being put into place within the classroom are the most effective is of the utmost importance in the upper levels of education.
Furjanic et al (2021) looked to emphasize the importance of stakeholders voice, particularly the students and teachers involved in giving and receiving the interventions. The goal was to reduce the number of exclusionary disciplinary practices within the school by providing productive alternatives. A goal was to upkeep fidelity within the middle school setting.
Importance of Behavior
Caldarella et al (2021) found that within the CW-FIT MS studies, including the Wills et al (2021) study included in this literature review, Praise-to-Reprimand ratio more than doubled, and there was an increase of 25% when compared to the baseline levels. While Wills (2021) did not seek to specifically look at PRR, Caldarella wanted to delve deeper into optimal ratios, and how effective PRR could be within classroom management.
In addition, Chen’s study (2022) looked at adding a tier two intervention to where CW-FIT MS was already having a mostly successful integration within the classroom management model. Students were chosen from classrooms that were not experiencing success with CW-FIT MS that allowed them to monitor their own behavior. When the self-monitoring of behavior was put into place, the on-task behavior for all four students being monitored increased, showing immediate improvement, which demonstrates the importance of behavior management and regulation within the classroom.
Chen et al (2022) helped to build off of a model that had already shown consistent success in the middle school setting by adding in a smaller piece of the puzzle that allowed students to not only become more self-aware of their behavior, but also to take ownership of it.
Implications
For the classroom perspective, it is clear to see that there is a direct correlation between student behavior and classroom management. When students are in a classroom environment where they feel welcome, and there is a high PRR, on-task behavior is higher and students tend to have higher grades (Caldarella et al, 2021).
In addition, when there is a tier one intervention present, such as CW-FIT MS, teachers tend to naturally increase their PRR as demonstrated in Wills et al (2021) and Chen et al (2022). Wills et al also found through a student and teacher relationship survey given at the beginning of the study and at the end that there was an improvement in the relationships between students that were at risk of EBD. With this improvement came higher rates of on task behavior, a decrease in disruptive behavior, and a decrease in teacher reprimands.
From a teacher perspective, it allows for an increase in instructional time and for kids to get as much learning done within a class period as possible. Classroom management consists of many different types of skills, but oftentimes kids with more severe behavioral issues are considered too difficult to manage and are left to be dealt with reactively instead of proactively. With these interventions and supports, these research studies have shown proven successes within the classroom setting that allows the students to participate in keeping themselves on task.
However, it is important to note that in Furjanic et al (2021) it was shown that middle school teachers are less likely than elementary teachers to implement their behavior interventions consistently with fidelity. Within this study, they tracked the fidelity over the span of two years, and they saw an increase in fidelity. However, the study states that exclusionary discipline is still a common practice despite the negative effects, and though there was an increase in fidelity, it was still quite low.
References
Caldarella, P., Larsen, R. A. A., Williams, L., & Wills, H. P. (2021). Effects of PRR on classroom behavior.
Chen, P.-Y., Scheibel, G. A., Henley, V. M., & Wills, H. P. (2021). Multi-tiered classroom management intervention in a middle school classroom: Initial investigation of CW-FIT-Middle School Tier 1 and self-management.
Furjanic, D., Mannan, I., Hamilton, J. C., Nese, J. F. T., Austin, S., Izzard, S., & Nese, R. N. T. (2021). Examining the social validity of a universal intervention for reducing exclusionary discipline through stakeholder voice.
Wills, H. P., Caldarella, P., Williams, L., Fleming, K., & Chen, P.-Y. (2021). Middle school classroom management: A randomized control trial of class-wide function-related intervention teams for middle schools (CW-FIT MS).
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