What is Check-In/Check-Out?
Check-in/Check-Out is a research-based intervention designed to manage problem behaviors. According to Intervention Central, students can be motivated to improve classroom behaviors if they have a clear roadmap of the teacher's behavioral expectations and incentives to work toward those behavioral goals. Intervention Central describes a modified version of Check-In/Check-Out (CI/CO) that is a simple behavioral intervention package designed for use during a single 30- to 90-minute classroom period. The CI/CO intervention involves the teacher checking in with the student to set behavioral goals at the beginning of the period, then checking out with the student at the end of the period to rate that student's conduct and award points or other incentives earned for attaining behavioral goals. This intervention provides students with frequent feedback and positive behavior reinforcement to prevent future problems.
Preparation:
Procedure:
1. Check-In
At the beginning of the class, meet briefly with the student to review behavioral goals on the BRC and provide encouragement. Prompt the student to set a behavioral goal on at least one of the target behaviors, such as "I will not leave my seat without permission."
2. Monitoring/Evaluation
Observe the student's behaviors during the class. Rate the student's behaviors on the BRC at the end of the session.
3. Check-Out
Meet briefly with the student at the end of the class session. The student reports on whether he or she was able to attain the behavioral goals discussed at the check-in. The teacher then shares the BRC ratings. Award earned rewards if student has attained one and praise the student. Provide encouragement about future success if the student fails to earn the reward.
Preparation:
- Select 3-4 targeted behaviors. These should be stated positively as DO behaviors ("quietly follow directions," for example) rather than DON'T behaviors ("don't talk out of turn," for example).
- Create a Behavior Report Card (BRC) that incorporates the 3-4 targeted behaviors. The BRC is a rating scale used to rate the student's behavior at the end of the class session or evaluation period. Generic BRC's can be used or teachers can create customized BRC's.
- Decide on a daily reward or incentive that the student will earn if successful in displaying positive behaviors (extra free time minutes, for example).
- Set a minimum rating on the BRC items that the student must attain to earn the selected reward or incentive.
- Meet with the student to explain the CI/CO intervention, review behavioral expectations, demonstrate how the BRC is to be filled out, and explain how the student can earn a daily reward.
Procedure:
1. Check-In
At the beginning of the class, meet briefly with the student to review behavioral goals on the BRC and provide encouragement. Prompt the student to set a behavioral goal on at least one of the target behaviors, such as "I will not leave my seat without permission."
2. Monitoring/Evaluation
Observe the student's behaviors during the class. Rate the student's behaviors on the BRC at the end of the session.
3. Check-Out
Meet briefly with the student at the end of the class session. The student reports on whether he or she was able to attain the behavioral goals discussed at the check-in. The teacher then shares the BRC ratings. Award earned rewards if student has attained one and praise the student. Provide encouragement about future success if the student fails to earn the reward.
Student Profile
In my third grade field experience classroom, I have a student who often does not know what is expected of her when it comes to classroom behavior. Because of this, she usually displays inappropriate behavior during instruction. Her behaviors range from poking a classmate sitting near her to crossing out questions she does not understand on math worksheets. This student's behavior tends to worsen after she has had a difficult start to her day or if something at home is bothering her. The Check-In/Check-Out intervention would benefit this student because she would have the opportunity to review behavioral goals during check-in and focus on a target behavior to improve, such as raising her hand for help or before speaking. This student would receive individualized attention that is targeted towards improving her personal behaviors through observation and evaluation. During check-out, this student would self-reflect on whether or not she was able to attain the behavioral goals. Instructors can find out the "why" behind particular students' behavior using this intervention and praise or reward them for their success.
Visual Representations
The image above is an example of a Check-In/Check-Out Behavior Report Card. The teacher gives the student a rating of 1-9 based on their behaviors in different categories. These ratings are given at the end of the day. Daily comments about the student's behavior can be noted on the bottom or back of the sheet.
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The image above is an example of a progress monitoring chart that goes along with the Behavior Report Card (BRC) to the left. Daily teacher DBRC ratings are plotted on this chart and teacher comments are also noted to track behaviors.
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Content Area Examples
Check-In/Check-Out (CI/CO) intervention is designed to be implemented in all content areas. A student's behavior can be rated and recorded using the Behavior Report Card and Monitoring Chart (above) by any teacher or specialist. Any teacher who works with the student throughout the day can also write comments about the student's behavior on the BRC charts to effectively monitor progress in all classes and content areas, rather than tracking behaviors solely in the student's general classroom.