Implementing Positive Behavior Support in Preschools: An Exploratory Study of CW-FIT Tier 1
Jolstead, Krystine A.; Caldarella, Paul; Hansen, Blake; Korth, Byran B.; Williams, Leslie; Kamps, Debra (2017). Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, v19 n1 p48-60. Retrieved from: https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1123735
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examining55Students, gradePK
Class-Wide Function-Related Intervention Teams (CW-FIT) Intervention Report
Review Details
Reviewed: January 2023
- Single Case Design
- Meets WWC standards with reservations because it is a SCD design where the independent variable is manipulated by the researcher, each outcome is measured systematically over time by multiple assessors with a sufficient number of assessment points and inter-assessor agreement, but there are an insufficient number of phases and/or assessments per phase to meet without reservations.
This review may not reflect the full body of research evidence for this intervention.
Evidence Tier rating based solely on this study. This intervention may achieve a higher tier when combined with the full body of evidence.
Please see the WWC summary of evidence for Class-Wide Function-Related Intervention Teams (CW-FIT).
Findings
To view more detailed information about the study findings from this review, please see Class-Wide Function-Related Intervention Teams (CW-FIT) Intervention Report (289 KB)
Evidence Tier rating based solely on this study. This intervention may achieve a higher tier when combined with the full body of evidence.
Sample Characteristics
Characteristics of study sample as reported by study author.
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51% English language learners -
Female: 38%
Male: 62% -
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Utah
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Race Black 2% Other or unknown 62% Pacific Islander 2% White 35% -
Ethnicity Hispanic 62% Not Hispanic or Latino 38% -
Eligible for Free and Reduced Price Lunch Other or unknown 100%
Study Details
Setting
The study took place in four preschool classrooms across two Title 1 elementary schools located in suburban Utah.
Study sample
Participants included 55 preschool students in four classrooms in two elementary schools. The students were taught by three teachers. Across the four classrooms, 35% of the students were White, 2% were Black, 2% were Pacific Islander, and 62% were Hispanic or Latino. More than half of the students (51%) were English learners, 62% of students were male, and none of the students had a disability.
Intervention Group
Class-Wide Function-Related Intervention Teams (CW-FIT) is a classroom management system designed to improve student behavior. The program includes establishing classroom rules and appropriate behaviors, playing a team-based game to reinforce appropriate behaviors, minimizing social attention to inappropriate behaviors, and providing self-management tools to individual students who need extra support. In this study, teachers grouped students into teams of three or four based on their seating arrangement. During the first several sessions, teachers described and modeled expectations for student behavior using 10-minuted scripted lessons to show students several skills: how to get attention, follow directions, and ignore other students' inappropriate behaviors. Teachers asked students to role-play the skills and then provided feedback. The target skills were posted in the classrooms, along with visuals and specific steps students should follow. During each session, teachers reviewed the skills and then observed and scored each group every 1.5 to 3 minutes. Teachers provided praise and points if every student on the team displayed the desired skills. Teachers provided feedback to the teams that did not receive points. Teachers set a point goal at the beginning of each day, and teams reaching the goal received a reward at the end of each session, which included extra recess time, stickers, games, dancing, and candy. Sessions took place during 20-minute whole-group instructional periods or 60-minute center-based activities such as learning the alphabet or creating art.
Comparison Group
There is no comparison group in single case designs. In the baseline and withdrawal phases of the single case designs, teachers used their normal classroom routines and did not provide rewards to students for good behavior. Sessions took place during whole-group instructional periods or center-based activities such as learning the alphabet or creating art.
Support for implementation
Researchers provided each teacher with a 2-hour training session where they described CW-FIT and allowed teachers to practice each component using scripted lessons. Researchers provided feedback to teachers and shared videos of teachers modeling the intervention. The researchers provided additional coaching and feedback to teachers for the first 1 to 2 weeks of implementation.
Additional Sources
In the case of multiple manuscripts that report on one study, the WWC selects one manuscript as the primary citation and lists other manuscripts that describe the study as additional sources.
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Jolstead, K.A. (2015). The effects of Classwide Function-Related Intervention Teams on preschool behavior. [Postgraduate thesis, Brigham Young University]. BYU ScholarsArchive. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/5863/.
An indicator of the effect of the intervention, the improvement index can be interpreted as the expected change in percentile rank for an average comparison group student if that student had received the intervention.
For more, please see the WWC Glossary entry for improvement index.
An outcome is the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that are attained as a result of an activity. An outcome measures is an instrument, device, or method that provides data on the outcome.
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The sample on which the analysis was conducted.
The group to which the intervention group is compared, which may include a different intervention, business as usual, or no services.
The timing of the post-intervention outcome measure.
The number of students included in the analysis.
The mean score of students in the intervention group.
The mean score of students in the comparison group.
The WWC considers a finding to be statistically significant if the likelihood that the finding is due to chance alone, rather than a real difference, is less than five percent.
The WWC reviews studies for WWC products, Department of Education grant competitions, and IES performance measures.
The name and version of the document used to guide the review of the study.
The version of the WWC design standards used to guide the review of the study.
The result of the WWC assessment of the study. The rating is based on the strength of evidence of the effectiveness of the intervention. Studies are given a rating of Meets WWC Design Standards without Reservations, Meets WWC Design Standards with Reservations, or >Does Not Meet WWC Design Standards.
A related publication that was reviewed alongside the main study of interest.
Study findings for this report.
Based on the direction, magnitude, and statistical significance of the findings within a domain, the WWC characterizes the findings from a study as one of the following: statistically significant positive effects, substantively important positive effects, indeterminate effects, substantively important negative effects, and statistically significant negative effects. For more, please see the WWC Handbook.
The WWC may review studies for multiple purposes, including different reports and re-reviews using updated standards. Each WWC review of this study is listed in the dropdown. Details on any review may be accessed by making a selection from the drop down list.
Tier 1 Strong indicates strong evidence of effectiveness,
Tier 2 Moderate indicates moderate evidence of effectiveness, and
Tier 3 Promising indicates promising evidence of effectiveness,
as defined in the
non-regulatory guidance for ESSA
and the regulations for ED discretionary grants (EDGAR Part 77).