The "Power of Choice" Behavior Management Program
Author: Jennifer Bolaños (with Tom McIntyre "Dr. Mac")

*This page describes the behavior management system used in the New York City school system in it's self-contained programs for students with behavior disorders.


Philosophy

    In this system, inappropriate and irresponsible behaviors must be corrected, not just punished.  It is a system of interventions or corrections that are meant to be instructional, not merely punitive.  Behavior intervention provides the student with the opportunity to think about and/or write a plan for improving his/her future behavior when confronted again with similar stimuli or circumstances.  Successful interventions are those which enable students to describe and implement alternative behaviors to the ones they previously demonstrated.  If students are able to think about their choices and the consequences before they act, and choose a safe, acceptable behavior, then the optimal outcome of the corrective process will have been achieved. Interventions provide a student with an opportunity to identify, control, and resolve inappropriate behavior; and then plan alternative, productive strategies that enable a successful return to classroom activities.



Creation

The Power of Choice behavior program was created so that students would be empowered with the qualities to make good behavior decisions.  The program, based on Reality Therapy by William Glasser, was created by the administration and teachers of P. 4, an inclusion elementary school in Queens, New York.  The program’s success at that school ed to the use of the program at other special education schools throughout New York City.    

 
   
Program Components
The program is comprised of a daily point sheet for each individual student, the reward of weekly club meetings, the penalty of detention in place of club meetings, a crisis intervention room, and identified levels of achievement that can be earned.



Point System
The Power of Choice Program is a very structured program that requires cooperation between administration, teachers, staff, and parents in order to promote positive behavior change in students.  The program monitor student behavior and uses accumulation of points to determine the level of privileges for each student.

A student who is in crisis and must use the crisis intervention room loses his/her points and begins the accumulation process again upon return.
   
The amount of points each student earns on a daily basis is logged onto a weekly point sheet.  Students can earn a total of 56 points a day during the eight academic period day (this total can be modified depending on the school’s schedule).  Students earn up to 5 points for each positive behavior (identified on their cards) displayed during a class period, up to 3 points for appropriateness of  behavior during arrival to the classroom at the beginning of the day (bus & entry into school), 2 points for appropriate behavior during dismissal (preparing to exit the school), up to 4 points for submission of homework, and up to 5 points for transitioning well between classes.
  
The totals described above are the maximum number of points a student can earn from the start of one period to the start of the next.  Students may earn partial points for behaving appropriately for part of a lesson depending on whether or not the class work was completed.  Students might earn no points if they misbehaved for the entire period and did not complete any assignments.  A student who behaves well on a particular identified behavior during a lesson, but does not complete the assignment, might earn 3 points for the class period.  The weighting of the points for various behaviors can be altered to fit the needs of individual students and which behaviors they are trying to improve.

The points are logged onto the students' daily point sheets by the teacher or paraprofessional at the end of each period, and are totaled at the end of the day.  Students are required to have their point sheet signed by their parents daily in order to promote communication between school and home.  

At the end of the week, students earning at least 235 of the possible points may attend a club meeting.  Clubs are directed by staff members and might consist of activities such as art, physical education, dance, game room, and science.  Students select their first, second and third choice of clubs.  Students, in descending order by number of points accumulated, select the club they wish to attend.  Once a club roster is "full", that club is removed from the selection list.  

Those students earning less than the required number of points needed to attend a club meeting must write a reflection paper about why they did not earn enough points, and devise a plan to improve their behavior during the coming week.  A new daily point sheet is implements on Fridays.  The students' point totals reflect their behavior from Friday to Thursday since club privileges take place during part of Friday.
  
Teachers and paraprofessionals are not required to meet with each individual student after each class period.  They typically assign the points during the transition to the next class.  However, they are encouraged to keep students informed of the number of points that they are earning and to encourage them to do better when they are losing points.  Students may also ask to see their point sheet during the day to monitor how many points he/she may be earning.  Often though, teachers will meet with students during the last few minutes of class to ask them how they believe that they performed with regard to the behavior categories.  The teacher makes the final judgment on number of points, explaining why his/her assessment differed from that of the student.



Levels of Achievement
    One’s "Achievement Level" is based on the number of points earned.  The number of point earning days is the total number of days the students have to earn points to achieve the next level.  For example, at Level 1, students have 10 days to earn at least 70% of a possible 560 points.  Having done so, they are then considered to be at Level 1, and can participate in the Level 1 privileges.  The following table shows the breakdown of levels:

Level	Number of  Point-Earning Days	Maximum Number of Points	% of Total Necessary to Advance To Next Level	Number of Points Necessary to Advance
1	10	560	70	392
2	20	1680	80	1344
3	30	3360	90	3024
4	40	4960	95	4712

A student failing to earn the required number of points for their level, still has the earned points place in a "bank".  They may be used in the future toward privileges.

Each ascending level of achievement contains more and better rewards and privileges than the previous one.  Some privileges such as "free time" (one can engage in a preferred activity approved by the teacher) can be awarded weekly (if the student attains the required total for the week).  Other privileges are provided on a less frequent basis (celebrations during which the principal distributes certificates and then the students engage in a pizza party; ice cream party; field trip).  The privileges allowed are dependent on the student's level of achievement. The following is a listing of the rewards for the various achievement levels:

Level 1
•    participation in "free time", clubs, and activities
•    name displayed on the bulletin board that explains the behavior program
•    certificate of achievement received

Level 2
•    participation in "free time", clubs, and activities
•    photograph displayed on the Program bulletin board
•    program key chain
•    certificate of achievement

Level 3
•    participation in "free time", clubs, and activities
•    photograph with a friend displayed on the Program bulletin board
•    achievement party and certificate of achievement
•    program T-shirt
•    pizza party

Level 4
•    participation in "free time", clubs, and activities
•    photograph with a friend displayed on the Program bulletin board
•    achievement party and certificate of achievement
•    program T-shirt
•    ice cream party
•    field trip
•    shopping at the school store, using points to purchase desired objects




Staff Language

    Students earn their points based upon their behavior choices.  Therefore, the staff is encouraged to remind the students that THEY (the students) are earning or failing to earn the points.  The point total is dependent on their performance, not the whims of a teacher who gives or takes away points.  Emphasis should be placed on the idea that students EARN or Fail to Earn points, rather than LOSE them.  The following are some other things that teachers and staff should keep in mind:

•    Use personal pronouns, e.g., “I care enough about you to be involved.”  Spend a few seconds each day reinforcing student involvement in the program

•    Awareness of a behavior is the first step in modifying it.  Avoid reference to past actions and behavior patterns, i.e. “There you go again.”  Emphasize observable behavior.  Identify the current behavior as being appropriate or inappropriate.  If it is inappropriate, point out the recommended replacement behavior.  

•    Ask students to evaluate their own behaviors, e.g., “Is you behavior responsible?”

•    Work with the student to formulate alternatives for inappropriate behaviors.  Keep the plan simple, and build success into it.

•    Make sure to be consistent and predictable with the plan.  Give positive reinforcement as often as possible.

•    Do not accept excuses for inappropriate behavior. Rather, focus on corrective actions that can be taken.

•    Do not implement consequences as "Punishment".  Punishment moves the responsibility for a behavior from the student to you.  Students should be aware of which rewards or consequences accompany THEIR behavior choices.  




Crisis Intervention

    "Time out" is used when a student is persistently misbehaving.  The first time out occurs at the student's desk.  The second takes place in a location inside the classroom, but removed from the activity area.  During each time-out, the student is required to complete a self-reflection form which asks him/her to identify the incorrect behavior and why it was displayed.  No points are earned for that class period.  

The crisis intervention room is the next step in the process (if needed).  It is located outside of the classroom.  The crisis intervention room is referred to as being "Time-out 3", but might be used earlier if students were engaged in a physical or verbal confrontation outside of the classroom environment.  The crisis room provides students with a opportunity to calm down after an incident.  Together, the crisis intervention teacher and student complete a form containing questions that help to determine why the student is there, and what should now be done.  The crisis intervention teacher fills out his/her own incident report and files it with any other reports pertaining to that student.  

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Jennifer's Views on the Program
    I have implemented the Power of Choice Program with students identified as having emotional and behavioral disorders.  I have been using the program for about three years with the same group of students.  In their younger years, the students were very involved with the program.  They made sure that they earned their points, and became upset if they did not earn enough points to make it to the club meetings at the end of the week.  Since my students have gotten older however, now 7th & 8th graders, their interest in the program has lessened.  They are still concerned with earning points, but the level of motivation has dropped.  They know that they can engage in preferred activities when they get home if they do not make it to clubs.  The program appears to work better with the younger students.

The program was difficult to manage at first because I was doing the majority of the daily point documenting.  However, it is now much easier to utilize as I have the assistance of a paraprofessional who knows the program well and understands the behavioral expectations.  I have found that it is very important for all staff to understand the expectations and procedures of the program so that there is consistency and balance throughout the school.