Glossary

Self-assessment

Good Behavior Game

The Good Behavior Game (GBG) is classroom management strategy that teachers use to help students develop skills, including teamwork and self-regulation. The programme aims to reduce early risk factors such as aggressive and disruptive classroom behaviour, that can lead to later problem behaviours such as criminal/delinquent activity and substance use.

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Usability Rating

3

Supports Rating

3

Evidence Rating

4+

Fit Rating

NYR

Capacity Rating

NYR

Need Rating

NYR

The Hexagon: An Exploration Tool

The Hexagon can be used as a planning tool to guide selection and evaluate potential programs and practice for use.

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Evidence

4+

Fit

NYR

Capacity

NYR

Supports

3

Usability

3

Need

NYR

Usability - Rating: 3

Core Components

The Good Behavior Game is a universal preventative classroom-based intervention for primary school children that is designed to be played with all students but is particularly beneficial for male students already showing signs of aggressive/disruptive behaviour when they enter school. The intervention seeks to build resilience and confidence and reduce early risk factors such as aggressive and disruptive classroom behaviour that can lead to later problem behaviours such as criminal/delinquent activity and substance abuse. The game is based on a set of classroom-wide rules encouraging and rewarding good behaviour and discouraging aggressive or disruptive behaviour. The game is delivered by trained teachers, for approximately 10 minutes, three times a week at the beginning of the school year, and daily for up to 30 or 40 minutes toward the end of the year. It is designed to be integrated into a regular classroom routine and delivered to small gender balanced groups of 4-7 pupils.

The Good Behaviour Game has three implementation phases:

The introduction phase - children and teachers become familiar with the game for short periods of 10 minutes.
The expansion phase - teachers expand the duration and settings in which the game is played and target behaviours.
The generalization phase - teachers introduce the game with no warning and children are encouraged to apply the principles of the game outside the context of the game so that students continue to monitor their behaviour and conform with classroom expectations.

The game is built upon 4 core elements (1) Classroom Rules (2) Team Membership (3) Monitoring Behaviour and, (4) Positive Reinforcement. It is operationalised by teachers commencing the game by clearly outlining disruptive behaviours which if displayed results in the student’s team receiving a checkmark on the board, for example verbal and physical disruptions and noncompliance. Team members are encouraged to support each other's efforts for appropriate behaviour. By the end of the game, teams that have not exceeded the maximum number of marks are rewarded, while teams that exceed this standard receive no rewards. Rewards change over the course of the year from being tangible such as stickers or erasers to being more intrinsically related to the classroom setting, such as having additional quiet time to read during the school day.

The intervention is manualized with clear guidance for teachers which is covered in training. Supporting materials are also provided.

Fidelity

In order to maintain fidelity to the intervention, the following are provided for implementing agencies/schools.

Standardised face to face and online training
Training manual and printable and on-line materials
Evaluation tools

Modifiable Components

The Good Behavior Game is required to be delivered as instructed in the manual. However, the location, frequency and duration of playing the game can be adjusted over time.

The programme is available in English and the game and materials have been translated into Spanish, French, Portuguese and Polish.

Supports - Rating: 3

Support for Organisation / Practice

The Good Behavior Game is supported by the American Institutes for Research (AIR) who deliver training and support to implementing sites.

Implementation Support

AIR provides implementation support to schools and GBG teachers that includes:

On-site training to introduce the model and an on-site readiness assessment
Ongoing coaching and support to help teachers integrate GBG into their existing practices
Train-the-trainer sessions to build expertise in the district or school and ensure that GBG is sustainable
Classroom materials to support teachers as they implement GBG in their classrooms
Technical assistance by phone or email during delivery from the GBG trainer.

Licence Requirements

Use of the Good Behavior Game training materials requires a license, but no license is required for teachers to play the game.

Start-up Costs

To deliver the Good Behavior Game requires the purchase of training for teachers and coaching costs which are negotiated directly with the programme developer dependent upon local factors. Classroom materials per teacher cost $150.

Building Staff Competency

Qualifications Required

To become a GBG teacher to deliver GBG in the classroom requires a teacher who is trained and has completed the 3-day training programme. To become a GBG coach requires a master’s degree or higher in an education related field, have five or more years of experience as a teacher and two years’ experience as a teacher leader, school coach or mentor is required.

Training Requirements

GBG training for teachers to deliver the programme in class is a requirement which is 3 days of face-to-face training with on-going coaching from a GBG coach throughout the school year.

GBG coaches are hired by the district/local education agency through which the game is being implemented and are supported by AIR during the first year of implementation. After the first year, coaches can be trained to become GBG trainers and are required to partner with AIR for additional individualised training. A train-the-trainer session is designed to build expertise in the district or school and to ensure that GBG is sustainable.

Supervision Requirements

Supervision for teachers delivering GBG in the classroom includes ongoing coaching throughout the school year undertaken by a GBG AIR trained coach.

Evidence - Rating: 4+

Theory of Change

The Good Behavior Game is grounded in two theories (1) Life Course / Social Field Theory and, (2) Behaviour Theory which serve as the foundation for the game and the programme’s effectiveness. The short-term outcomes of the game focus on reduction in aggressive and disruptive behaviour and, reduction in off-task behaviour. Mid-term outcomes focus on continued behavioural improvements, lower rates of use of school-based services and intensive interventions and, reduction in rates of tobacco use and long-term outcomes focus on increased graduation rates, reduction in rates of drug and alcohol abuse, lower incarceration rates and, lower rates of diagnosis for antisocial personality disorder.

Primary school: 6 to 12 years - Rating: 4+

Research Design & Number of Studies

The best evidence identified, for children in the 6-12 age range, comes from two Randomized Controlled Trials (RCT), one undertaken by the programme developer (Kellam et al., 2008) and one undertaken externally (van Lier et al., 2009). The first trial population included children commencing the intervention aged 6 to 7 years with two years exposure, followed up in young adulthood aged 19 to 21 years, across 19 schools (n=1196 children) and the second trial population included children aged 7 to 9 years (n=666 children) with assessments of substance use from age 10 to 13 years (n=477 children) across 13 schools.

Outcomes Achieved

Child Outcomes

At the 14 year follow-up point (young adulthood), significant and substantial impact across all of the externalizing behaviours was found particularly in males in first grade who were more aggressive, disruptive, in reduced drug and alcohol abuse/dependence disorders, regular smoking, and antisocial personality disorder compared with participants in the control group (Kellam et al., 2008).
Children who participated in the GBG treatment had a lower probability of onset of tobacco use from age 10 to 13 years, this effect remained significant while controlling for male gender and pre-intervention levels of aggressive behaviour (van Lier et al., 2009).

Parent Outcomes

No parent outcomes were identified.

Key References

Kellam, S.G., Hendricks Brown, C., Poduska, J.M., Ialongo, N.S., Wang, W., Toyinbo, P., Petras, H., Ford, C., Windham, A., & Wilcox, H.C. (2008) Effects of a Universal Classroom Behavior Management Program in First and Second Grades on Young Adult Behavioral, Psychiatric, and Social Outcomes. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 95S (1), S5–S28.

van Lier, P.A., Huizink, A., & Crijnen, A. (2009) Impact of a preventive intervention targeting childhood disruptive behavior problems on tobacco and alcohol initiation from age 10 to 13 years. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 100 (3), pp. 228–233.

Capacity

Workforce

To deliver the Good Behavior Game, which is integrated into class time, requires a trained teacher who has completed the 3-day training programme and participates in on-going coaching.

Do you have enough qualified teachers available to commit to undertake training and on-going coaching?

Do you have enough qualified teachers available to commit to delivering the full extent of this game?

Technology Support

To implement the Good Behavior Game requires access to the online components of the game, implementation / teaching resources, and streaming media, therefore access to an appropriate device and internet access is required.

Do you have access to adequate technology to support teachers to effectively deliver the technological components of the programme?

Administrative Support

Minimal administrative support is required to deliver the Good Behavior Game however, some support may be required to collect evaluation data and feedback and print off materials along with co-ordinating and booking of venues, hospitality, transport.

Do you have enough administrative capacity and systems to meet these administrative needs?

Financial Support

Do you have the finances to purchase the training and coaching for teachers and materials?

Capacity Score

Self-assessment

Good Behavior Game

Compare

Usability Rating

3

Supports Rating

3

Evidence Rating

4+

Fit Rating

NYR

Capacity Rating

NYR

Need Rating

NYR

The Hexagon: An Exploration Tool

The Hexagon can be used as a planning tool to guide selection and evaluate potential programs and practice for use.

Evidence

4+

Fit

NYR

Capacity

NYR

Supports

3

Usability

3

Need

NYR

Primary school: 6 to 12 years - Rating: 4+

Need

Fit

Capacity

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