1. Classroom Management: Group Contingency Plan
Concordia University Texas
EDAD 5351
Karen Deleon
Dr. Wendy Schulze

2. Have you noticed any of these scenarios in your classroom?
Visiting with others
Passing notes
Being out of seat
Throwing objects
Eating in class
Sleeping in class
Cheating
No homework
Gossiping / Bullying

3. Common Teacher Responses
Verbal Warning
Conference with student
Mark conduct card
Conference with parent
Detention
Send to Office / Referral
On-Campus Suspension
Teacher’s responses brings attention and reinforcement to the undesirable conduct / behaviors.

4. Alternative Behavior Plan: Group Contingency
Class-wide Function-Based Intervention Teams
(CW-FIT)
According to the National Center of Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (2013), School-wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (SWPBIS) is a decision-making framework that guides the selection, integration, and implementation of evidence-based academic and behavioral practices to improve student academic outcomes. It is a three-tiered approach with Tier 1 supports that are universal and available to all students because it does allow for individualized adaptations to meet specific student needs.
A Group Contingency Plan is peer-oriented and focuses on preventing problem behavior by reinforcing appropriate behavior. Group contingencies rely on teams of students to support behaviors. Peers act as role models of appropriate behavior and can provide prompts to students within the group. This promotes cooperation, prevents singling out students, and does not provide attention or reinforcement to the undesirable conduct / behavior.

5. Class-wide Function-Based Intervention Teams Benefits:
Adaptable to match the needs of the classroom
Supports all students in the classroom
Allows for individual student-specific modifications within classwide intervention
Provides verbal praise and points to teams exhibiting the desired behaviors at prechosen intervals.
Rewards teams that have met the predetermined point goal at the end of the game session.

6. The Seven Step Design Step One: Choose Target Behaviors
Example: 1. Use Kind Words
2. Keep your hands, feet, and objects to yourself
3. Raise your hand to ask a question
4. To get teacher’s attention, say:
“Excuse me Mr. / Mrs. _______,” and then wait patiently
to be called upon.
1. Target behaviors (expectations) are positively stated
2. Post target behaviors in classroom. Include a specific rule that addresses the behavioral goals in the IEP of the student with a disability.
3. Teach & Reteach Target behaviors
a. Model desired behaviors
b. Practice desired behaviors as a group

7. Seven Step Design continued…
Step Two: Choose student groups 1. Similarly sized teams based on proximity 2. According to seating arrangements 3. According to instructional groups*
If all students in the group struggle with behavior, they may not be able to support one another. You may need to set up student teams of one. This provides students with more individualized attention when meeting expectations.

8. Seven Step Design continued…
Step Three: 3 Ways to Determine How Groups (Teams) Earn Points 1. Interdependently = Everyone in group must exhibit desired behavior for team to earn points. 2. Dependently = Only certain members (even if one 1 person) of the team must exhibit desired behavior for team to earn points. 3. Independently* = Individual students must exhibit desired behavior to earn points.
* Independent group contingencies are useful when some students sabotage progress of a group / team or when an individual student’s IEP addresses behavioral needs.

9. Seven Step Design continued…
Step Four: Decide how you will award points
1. Response Reward System = teams earn points when they exhibit desired behaviors.
2. Response Cost System = teams lose points for exhibiting undesired behaviors.
1. Response Reward System = Provides recognition & reinforcement for the desired behaviors. Start with an easier / reachable goal. Students need to experience success at the beginning. Teachers might need to use a student’s Functional Behavioral Assessment to set a class goal so that the student with the disability has an opportunity to meet the goal.
2. Response Cost System = Can be useful when students are engaging in more severe problem behaviors. It does however provide attention and reinforcement to the behavior you are trying to eliminate; So, it is best not to take away points away even when students break rules.

10. Seven Step Design continued…
Step Five: Choose who awards the points 1. The teacher monitors 2. Student groups / teams self-monitor
Teachers often monitor and decide if each team has earned the point (s). Teachers can also utilize support personnel (e.g. paraprofessionals, parent volunteers, student teachers) to keep track of awarding points.
Once students understand the program and behaviors needed to earn points, the group contingency plan can transition into a self-monitoring program. The self-monitoring approach is affective when students can be trusted and respond well to other members of the team.

11. Seven Step Design continued…
Step Six: 3 Component to Determine a Schedule 1. Length of Contingency = Has a specific start and end time 2. Frequency of Awarding Points* 3. When Students Access Their Reward = Immediate is preferred
Can take place during a particularly challenging transition, small group instruction, or a specific time of the day. When first implementing the group contingency, the amount of time should be shorter so that the students can access their reward more quickly. You can then extend the length later on.
Frequency Options of Awarding Points:
a. Stop and award points after a specific amount of time during a lesson (e.g. when transitioning to new stations).
b. After a specific interval of time. Use a timer.
*The length of time between awarding points can vary according to student needs and when it best fits the lesson.
Immediate access to the reward is preferred over waiting until later in the day or week. Be certain to clearly state which teams won the reward and when the reward will be given. For example, the reward would be given during lunch or before morning announcements.

12. Seven Step Design continued…
Step Seven: Select Rewards 1. Do not have to be large or expensive 2. Administer a student preference activity assessment 3. Teacher lists possible rewards & selects one randomly 4. Students work toward a “Surprise Reward”
Reminder that since “all” teams can potentially win, a large number of rewards might need to be provided.
Reward examples may include watching YouTube videos, having a 3-minute dance party, using a colorful pen to do classwork, taking shoes off
during the next activity
Preference assessments can be given individually or as a group. It can be oral or written.
Note: Some students may have a very specific interest and may need a personalized reward different from that of the group. A personalized reward would be more
reinforcing to a student with a disability than a group reward.
Make sure that students and teams who don’t earn the reward have something to work on while other receive the reward. Remind them that they can earn a
reward the next day by following the rules.

13. Helpful Tips for Potential Pitfalls
What to do when students don’t respond or seem disinterested: 1. Check to see if student has an individualized behavior support plan. 2. Praise a student nearby the misbehaving student. 3. Use bonus points between normal point intervals to remind groups of what they should be doing. 4. Revisit your reward. Make sure they are desirable. 5. Revisit goal. An easier, more obtainable goal can provide students more opportunity to experience success. 6. Consider frequency of awarding points. Awarding points more frequently provides more opportunities to reinforce the desired behavior.

14. Let’s revisit these scenarios.
Visiting with others
Passing notes
Being out of seat
Throwing objects
Eating in class
The majority of the undesirable conduct / behaviors can be redirected with the group contingency plan.
The other scenarios may require additional teacher inquiry or assistance (e.g. student conference, parent / teacher conference, counselor referral).
Sleeping in class
Cheating
No homework
Gossiping / Bullying

15. Reference
Chow, J.C., & Gilmour, A.F. (2016). Designing and Implementing Group Contingencies in the Classroom: A teacher’s Guide. TEACHING Exceptional Children, 48(3), Retrieved from