Dependent Group-Oriented Contingency

Level Systems

Point and level systems are designed to be an organizational framework for managing student behavior where students earn more privileges and responsibilities as they demonstrate more control over their behavior. Point and level systems mirror real life due to the fact that in our society, privileges are given or removed based on our behavior. Take speeding, for example. If an adult is caught speeding, he or she might first receive a warning. If this person continues speeding and is caught again, he or she may be fined. If the speeding continues, this person may lose his or her license, and therefore the privilege of driving, but have the opportunity to earn it back for good behavior.

Point and level systems work in a similar way, with clearly defined behavioral expectations linked to rewards, privileges, and consequences. There are specific criteria for advancement to the next level, where the student enjoys more freedom and privileges. The intention is that students who proceed through the levels are better able to self-manage and capable of handling more responsibility, and therefore enjoy greater independence.

There are many examples of point and level systems that have been used to manage challenging student behavior in a variety of settings.² We describe in detail several examples of systems that we have used with individual or small groups of students.

Structured Behavioral Skills Program: Daily Level System

We developed this point and level system in the program we taught in together and used it for over fifteen years in various elementary programs for students with behavioral challenges in the public school setting. We know from anecdotal reports that it has been used or adapted in several other school districts at all grade levels, with reported effectiveness.

Students have a daily target behavior sheet, and their performance on the sheet determines how their "reward" or "preferred activity" time is structured for the last twenty minutes of the school day. No student receives an undesirable consequence during reward time. Rather, the activities and privileges they have access to during that time are based on how much they demonstrated that day that they could be trusted to make good choices and get along with others.

Level 1

Students who earn 90 percent of their daily points can choose from activities on level 1 during reward time. These activities are generally the most desirable (for example, computer games, playing with the class pet) and can be individualized based on student preference. Students who demonstrated that day that they could be trusted to get along with others are allowed to go to other areas of the school with supervision (playground, computer lab) and can interact with other students and adult staff. We sometimes used this time as an opportunity to invite a friend from another classroom to play to provide some appropriate peer modeling and practice various social skills that the student had been working on.

Level 2

Students who earn 80 to 90 percent of their daily points can choose from activities that are still reinforcing but somewhat less so than those on level 1. Because they demonstrated some difficulty making good choices during the day, the trust level is lower than with students on level 1, so students on level 2must stay in the classroom under the supervision of the lead teacher and play alone. However, they can be out of their seats and move about the classroom freely.

Level 3

Due to the fact that they experienced quite a bit of difficulty making good choices during the day, students who earn less than 80 percent of their daily points are allowed to choose only from activities that can be done at their desk where they are in close proximity to the teacher and can be highly supervised. These activities are still reinforcing and are generally things like drawing, reading, or putting together a puzzle.

Climbing the Ladder of Success

We have used this system or variations of it successfully in situations where the student's teachers had difficulty with the idea of providing him with extra reinforcers for behaving appropriately. We got the teachers to agree to using a level system by structuring the reinforcing privileges that the student enjoyed as a natural part of his school day (recess and reduced adult supervision), and making his access to them contingent on appropriate behavioral choices.

In this system, the student's behavior is tracked by a target behavior sheet throughout all environments daily. Once a week, the average daily percentage of points earned is calculated, and determines what level of privileges the student will enjoy for the next week. If the average is over 90 percent, the student moves up a level; if the average is between 80 and 90 percent, the student stays on the same level; and if the average is below 80 percent, the student moves down a level. If any extreme behaviors occur that would be against the law for adults (referred to as red or level 5 behaviors, which we discuss in more detail in Chapter Thirteen), the student immediately is moved to the bottom or red (for stop!) level.

Students always have the option of earning something from their daily reinforcement menu at the end of the day, so they never feel that they have nothing to work for regardless of their level. Students can design their own way to visually track their level. We have had students laminate their school picture and attach it to the ladder with Velcro, moving their picture up a ladder with each level being a different color. Examples of visuals that can be used in Climbing the Ladder of Success are provided in Figures 11.3 and 11.4.

A Warning About Using Point and Level Systems

The primary advantage of level systems is that they specify a hierarchy of skills that are needed to be successful in the educational setting. Teachers generally have found these systems to be effective in increasing appropriate behavior and decreasing problem behavior. Our experience supports the conclusion that level systems can be effective. However, there is little evidence that the use of these systems results in the generalization and maintenance of behavior changes independent of external teacher control. In addition, concern has been raised that level systems may violate the basic principles of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act when implemented in a uniform, standardized fashion for all students in a given classroom or school.

Although we recommend the use of point and level systems as one tool of effective behavioral management, teachers should be careful to design the system to accommodate the individual needs and specific goals of each student with regard to initial level placement, use of reinforcement and undesirable consequences, and criteria for progressing through the system.