A CASE STUDY OF A SCHOOL-WIDE DATA-BASED BEHAVIOR MANAGEMENT LEVEL SYSTEM FOR SEVERELY EMOTIONALLY DISTURBED ADOLESCENTS

The current case study provides a unique contribution to the field of special education by presenting a detailed analysis of an innovative school-wide behavior management level system for emotionally disturbed adolescents. The 36 students enrolled in the Bridge Schools, a Montgomery County, Maryland Public Schools program for emotionally disturbed adolescents, during the 1984-85 school year were the subjects for this case study. The various steps involved in developing the program; training staff, students, and parents in its use; and a description of its essential components were provided. More than half a million behavioral observations were collected to form the data base for the study. An analysis of the data-based outcomes; the impact of student variables on progress; and changes in personality attributes, as a result of participation in the Behavioral Management Level System, were also presented. Training phase outcomes were utilized as baseline data for initial level placement. In the training phase, 42% of students had successful day averages which fell in the Level 1 range. Levels 2, 3, and 4 represented 14%, 25%, and 19% of the student population, respectively. Results from the implementation phase indicated that 71% of the population progressed one or more levels and/or maintained Level 3 or 4 status. No significant effects were found between student variables and pre-post level change scores. This finding reflects the usefulness of the Behavior Management Level System as a tool in motivating a wide range of emotionally disturbed adolescents to improve their behavior. Pre-post implementation phase testing with the Million Adolescent Personality Inventory did not reveal significant improvement in the following personality attributes: impulse control, social conformity, scholastic achievement, and attendance consistency. Formative evaluation results generated from the Evaluation Questionnaire were favorable. Response rates for each questionnaire category ranged from 42% to 85%. Student behavior management preference votes revealed a tendency for students who had experienced success in the Behavior Management Level System to prefer it.