Examining the effects of teacher and self-evaluation of disruptive behavior via school-home notes for two young children in kindergarten.

Abstract

Abstract This study replicates and extends previous research in the area of managing the disruptive classroom behavior of young children. The effectiveness of teacher and self-evaluation through school-home notes was explored. A combination self-evaluation and school-home note procedure was implemented with two kindergarten boys. A single-subject reversal design was used to analyze direct observations of disruptive behavior. Results indicated a decrease in disruptive behavior associated with the intervention. The intervention procedures were also found to be acceptable by the teacher. The gap between evidence-based interventions and practice was addressed by implementing a combination of efficacious interventions in the participants' natural environment. Implications for practice and further research are presented. Keywords: Self-evaluation, school-home notes, classroom intervention, early childhood. ********** Children entering kindergarten are expected to be ready to learn. Teachers anticipate that children have readiness skills such as reciting the alphabet, knowing their name, and counting to at least 10. In addition, children entering kindergarten are expected to display age-appropriate social skills and appropriate classroom behavior. This includes paying attention to the teacher, sitting in their seat, and negotiating social situations with other young children. Young children with disruptive classroom behavior fail to meet the goal of entering school ready to learn. Inattention, impulsivity, aggression, noncompliance, and hyperactivity may impede the learning process for the child with disruptive behavior. Additionally, disruptive behavior may create an atmosphere that interferes with the learning of other children, and these behaviors often frustrate the classroom teacher (DuPaul, McGoey, Eckert, & Van Brakle, 2001). It is estimated that 3-5% of elementary age children are diagnosed with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, and many children with ADHD exhibit disruptive behavior in the classroom (ADHD; Barkley, 1998). Behavior management procedures have empirical support for children with ADHD and emotional and behavior disorders (DuPaul & Eckert, 1997; Pelham, Wheeler, & Chronis, 1998); however, these interventions have been primarily implemented with older elementary age children or adolescents and are often underutilized in practice (McGoey, Eckert, & DuPaul, 2000). Literature examining interventions to manage disruptive behavior of young children in the classroom have been limited in scope. Positive reinforcement, response cost, self-monitoring, and school-home note procedures have been implemented with young children, but the literature is lacking empirical support due to small sample sizes and limited replications (McGoey, et al., 2000). In addition, the interventions that have been shown to be efficacious in the scholarly literature are not always found to be as effective in classrooms (Kratochwill & Stoiber, 1999; Stoiber & Kratochwill, 1999). Therefore, applied investigations must explore the efficacy and effectiveness of classroom-based interventions (Kratochwill & Stoiber; Stoiber & Kratochwill). This lack of effective interventions for young children with disruptive behavior adds to the void between scientific research and educational practice. This study attempts to address the research to practice gap by implementing a multi-component intervention including teacher and self-evaluation via a school-home note in a kindergarten classroom. Self-management interventions have been implemented to successfully decrease disruptive behavior and increase prosocial behavior of children with emotional and behavior disorders (EBD) (DuPaul & Stoner, 2003; Mooney, Ryan, Uhingm Reid, & Epstein, 2005). Self-management techniques often require students to evaluate their own behavior, rate it on a continuum, compare that rating to the rating of the teacher, and access reinforcers for behavior meeting a pre-specified criterion. …