The Effects of a Class-wide Behavior Intervention for Students with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

Class-wide interventions have strong empirical support for improving behavior in general education classes but are rarely tested in special education classes. The present study examined the effects of the Class-wide Function-related Intervention Team (CW-FIT) program, a group contingency intervention, on the on-task behavior of six elementary school children with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) in a self-contained, urban classroom. Using an ABAB design with brief withdrawals of the independent variable, the class-wide component of CW-FIT was implemented during a 20-min reading and spelling period 1-3 days per week. Procedures included teaching attending skills, setting a goal and awarding points for appropriate behavior, and providing differential reinforcement. Implementing the class-wide component of CW-FIT resulted in increased on-task behavior for students with EBD, with concomitant increases in teacher praise and reductions in teacher reprimands.