Can Effective Classroom Behavior Management Increase Student Achievement in Middle School? Findings from a Group Randomized Trial
Keith C. Herman; Wendy M. Reinke; Nianbo Dong; Catherine P. Bradshaw (2022). Journal of Educational Psychology, v114 n1 p144-160 Jan 2022. Retrieved from: https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1324980
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examining1,244Students, grades6-8
Single Study Review
Review Details
Reviewed: December 2024
- Single Study Review (findings for CHAMPS)
- Randomized Controlled Trial
- Meets WWC standards without reservations because it is a cluster randomized controlled trial with low cluster-level attrition and individual-level non-response.
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.
Findings
|
Outcome measure |
Comparison | Period | Sample |
Intervention mean |
Comparison mean |
Significant? |
Improvement index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Missouri Assessment Program |
CHAMPS vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
-0.22 |
-0.36 |
Yes |
|
|
Outcome measure |
Comparison | Period | Sample |
Intervention mean |
Comparison mean |
Significant? |
Improvement index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Missouri Assessment Program Mathematics Achievement |
CHAMPS vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
-0.11 |
-0.42 |
No |
-- |
|
Outcome measure |
Comparison | Period | Sample |
Intervention mean |
Comparison mean |
Significant? |
Improvement index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Teacher Observation of Classroom Adaptation-Checklist (TOCA-C): emotional dysregulation |
CHAMPS vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
2.32 |
2.38 |
No |
-- |
|
Outcome measure |
Comparison | Period | Sample |
Intervention mean |
Comparison mean |
Significant? |
Improvement index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Teacher Observation of Classroom Adaptation-Checklist (TOCA-C): disruptive behavior |
CHAMPS vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
1.78 |
1.89 |
No |
-- |
|
Student Teacher-Classroom Interaction Observation (ST-CIO) |
CHAMPS vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
N/A |
N/A |
Yes |
|
|
Teacher Observation of Classroom Adaptation-Checklist (TOCA-C): concentration problems |
CHAMPS vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
2.93 |
3.02 |
Yes |
|
|
Teacher Observation of Classroom Adaptation-Checklist (TOCA-C): prosocial behaviors |
CHAMPS vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
4.55 |
4.48 |
No |
-- |
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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Female: 51%
Male: 49% -
Urban
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Midwest
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Race Black 78% Other or unknown 4% White 18% -
Ethnicity Other or unknown 100% -
Eligible for Free and Reduced Price Lunch Free or reduced price lunch (FRPL) 70% No FRPL 30%
Study Details
Setting
The study took place in middle schools in two urban school districts in the Midwestern United States and involved English or math classrooms.
Study sample
The researchers randomly assigned 51 teachers and 719 students to the intervention group and 51 teachers and 731 students to the comparison group. A total of 101 teachers and 1,244 students (and 607 intervention and 634 comparison) in grades 6 through 8 were included in the study. Approximately 51% of the students were female, 70% were eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, and 6% received special education services. Approximately 78% were Black, 18% were White, and 4% did not report race. The authors did not report ethnicity of the sample.
Intervention Group
CHAMPS is a classroom behavior management and relationship skills training program offered to middle school teachers. The CHAMPS program aims to support teachers to teach students how to behave responsibly in the classroom. CHAMPS also aims to help teachers acknowledge responsible student behavior instead of correcting misbehavior and prepares teachers to plan brief, calm, and consistent responses to misbehavior. CHAMPS includes six dimensions: Conversation, Help, Activity, Movement, Participation, and Signal and uses STOIC principles which include structure classrooms, teach expectations, observe and supervise, interact positively, and correct fluently. As part of the program, teachers received training and materials on the CHAMPS program and individualized coaching for implementing the program.
Comparison Group
Students in the comparison group received business-as-usual middle school English and math instruction. Comparison teachers may have participated in business-as-usual training and professional development offered by their schools or school districts. Teachers in the comparison group were compensated for their time and effort to complete surveys about students during the study and comparison group teachers were offered the CHAMPS intervention immediately after the study ended.
Support for implementation
All CHAMPS teachers received two full days of training prior to implementing CHAMPS. Additionally, teachers were expected to attend three group training workshops on STOIC principles during the school year; 92 to 100% of intervention teachers attended each workshop. Between workshops, teachers met with a CHAMPS coach. The coach observed teachers in their classroom and met with them individually for up to an hour on a weekly basis. Teachers met with the coach at least four times during the school year. On average, coaches spent 147 minutes with teachers outside of classroom observations. During coaching sessions, coaches reviewed the workshop materials and provided teachers with guidance on implementing the CHAMPS program based on their observations. Additionally, teachers received companion books, a teacher planner, and a “Making Every Second Count” DVD series.
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.
A finding that is included in the effectiveness rating. Excluded findings may include subgroups and subscales.
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.
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A related publication that was reviewed alongside the main study of interest.
Study findings for this report.
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