- Email: [email protected]
Behavior improvement program
282
Journal o f School P s y c h o l o g y
administered, (3) directions for most of the items are easily understood by the children, (4) the items are relevant to success in school, (5) the items involve everyday situations and objects, (7) the directions for the large muscle tasks were sometimes misunderstood (the child would frequently think he was being asked to do a broad jump instead of a hop), and (8) the auditory discrimination tasks are structured in an awkward manner (asking the child to turn around and listen was often distracting). Analysis of the scores for this group of children reveals the Basic Information subtest was not useful because they had not been taught all of the information requested. The Identification of Body Parts subtest was useless because nearly every child attained the highest possible score. Scores from the memory subtests were difficult to analyze because there are not enough items in any area measured (one item only). Three of the children received very low scores and were not admitted to the kindergarten. Thirteen more of the children received low scores on one or more of the subtests and their parents were notified that they might experience difficulty in the kindergarten (seven of these children received special assistance throughout the school year). Two of the children were withdrawn from the program between the testing and the start of school. Teachers reported no false positive and only two false negative predictions of the children's performance during the school year. The Cognitive Skills Assessment Battery is an effective, criterion-referenced instrument for use in surveying the developmental level of a large number of children. It can be administered and analyzed by trained teachers. The results obtained for this review indicate that with the population sampled the CSAB is a valid measure of the important cognitive skills needed for performance in school. The test would be most useful in an educational setting which has an explicit program for working with children who are experiencing perceptual problems. The test does not identify children who are experiencing emotional problems and should therefore be used with other tests for a more comprehensive survey of a child's readiness for school. I am of the opinion that the Cognitive Skills Assessment Battery is a valid survey type test and encourage school personnel to use it. Charles M. Clark Psychological Service Center Corpus Christi, Texas 78404
Buckalter, G. A., Presbie, R. J., & Brown, P. L. Behavior improvement program. Chicago: Science Research Associates, 1975. Package, $240.75
The Behavior Improvement Program (BIP) is a completely individualized staff development kit for the application of behavior modification techniques in the schools. It presents a number of intervention strategies for use with individuals and groups of students. The neatly packaged materials include an administrator's guide, three filmstrips, 17 cassettes, and accompanying handbooks, charts, and counting stickers. The cassettes explain the procedures for pinpointing target behaviors, tabulating a frequency count, and employing an intervention strategy. The handbooks are synchrotfized with the cassettes, providing visual examples of the behaviors or procedures being described. The BIP is intended for the use of classroom teachers under the supervision of a behavioral consultant. The user is guided through a series of programmed steps. First, a target behavior is selected and then pinpointed in a handbook of photographs depicting typical classroom behavior. The user is then directed to a cassette which explains the appropriate method for obtaining a frequency count. Next, this frequency data is analyzed and the user is directed to another cassette which explains appropriate behavior change procedures to be employed. After implementation of the procedure a final evaluative frequency count is used to assess the success of the program. Should the initial procedure be unsuccessful, the user is directed to other procedures that involve increasingly powerful techniques.
aEditor's note: We are grateful to Dr. Clark for basing his review on direct use of these materials.
R e v i e w s of School Psychological Materials
283
The assumed effectiveness and applicability of the BIP is based on the fact that it employs the principles of behavior modification, rather than a specific rationale for using this particular program. Since behavior modification is an effective tool in the classroom, it is assumed that a program employing these principles will also be successful. This logic, in itself, is not convincing evidence of the feasibility and practicality of this particular package. Some other rationale, fu'mly based on extensive field testing, is essential to establish the usefulness of this program. There are several potential advantages in using this kit: (I) Previous training or knowledge of behavioral theory or techniques is not essential for its use; (2) there is a logical organization to the materials and the program provides a basic structure to follow, with separate procedures and activities detailed; (3) since teachers can work on their own with a minimal amount of outside consultation, the long-term use of the BIP may make it both time and money saving; (4) the program is self-paced and individualized according to needs, and can therefore be a nonthreatening way for teachers to learn the techniques of behavior modification. However, there are several problems with the BIP, some related to the nature of such programs in general, and others unique to this package. Such multimedia packages require extra equipment such as projectors and tape recorders and a place to use them, both of which are not always easily available. With the large variety and amount of material involved in the kit's use, the possibility that teachers may not stick with the task and complete the program is always present. At times the BIP's materials can be confusing and hard to follow, making the task somewhat complex. Furthermore, there is frequently unnecessary repetition of material and redundancy of information, making the listening somewhat tedious. Two minor but nevertheless potentially troublesome problems are a confusing synchronization between cassettes and handbooks at the start of the tapes and the lack of a separate teachers guide that can be takert back to the classroom for use during program implementation. There is a lack of theoretical clarity in the program, in that the need for replacement behaviors is not explicitly stated. Although the program provides strategies for both the increase and decrease of behaviors, it does not clearly state that replacing an inappropriate behavior with a more appropriate one should be simultaneous processes. The BIP is deserving of consideration by schools desiring greater exposure to behavioral techniques in the classroom. The program is based on a sound theoretical position and, in spite of some technical difficulties, it can be adequately employed. However, all users of the program are encouraged to completely familarize themselves with the organization of the materials before using them. School psychologists may find in the BIP a useful training procedure and adjunct to consultation with school personnel. Timothy S. Hartshome Lee R. Walker Gary W. Weibly University of Texas Austin, Texas 78712
Clarizio, H. F. & McCoy, G. F. Behavior disorders in children. 2nd Ed. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell, 1976. Pp. xii + 596, $13.75, cloth. The first edition of this book appeared in 1970, prowding a valuable synthesis of information on the incidence, characteristics, and treatment of a variety of childhood disorders. The authors were thorough, resourceful, and responsive to the real problems encountered by those who work with behavior disordered children. This new edition updates the earlier one and adds further perspectives on both milder disorders and treatment. This edition again reveals the conceptual breadth and practical perspectives of these two authors. A developmental perspective pervades the book, and prevention is discussed seriously. Also, the typography and binding of the second edition are far superior esthetically to those of the fhst edition. I tried out the first edition with entering graduate students some years back in a course on problem behaviors encountered among school-aged children. My students were uninformly enthusiastic in their responses to the book's approach and wealth of information. The new edition's
Journal o f School P s y c h o l o g y
administered, (3) directions for most of the items are easily understood by the children, (4) the items are relevant to success in school, (5) the items involve everyday situations and objects, (7) the directions for the large muscle tasks were sometimes misunderstood (the child would frequently think he was being asked to do a broad jump instead of a hop), and (8) the auditory discrimination tasks are structured in an awkward manner (asking the child to turn around and listen was often distracting). Analysis of the scores for this group of children reveals the Basic Information subtest was not useful because they had not been taught all of the information requested. The Identification of Body Parts subtest was useless because nearly every child attained the highest possible score. Scores from the memory subtests were difficult to analyze because there are not enough items in any area measured (one item only). Three of the children received very low scores and were not admitted to the kindergarten. Thirteen more of the children received low scores on one or more of the subtests and their parents were notified that they might experience difficulty in the kindergarten (seven of these children received special assistance throughout the school year). Two of the children were withdrawn from the program between the testing and the start of school. Teachers reported no false positive and only two false negative predictions of the children's performance during the school year. The Cognitive Skills Assessment Battery is an effective, criterion-referenced instrument for use in surveying the developmental level of a large number of children. It can be administered and analyzed by trained teachers. The results obtained for this review indicate that with the population sampled the CSAB is a valid measure of the important cognitive skills needed for performance in school. The test would be most useful in an educational setting which has an explicit program for working with children who are experiencing perceptual problems. The test does not identify children who are experiencing emotional problems and should therefore be used with other tests for a more comprehensive survey of a child's readiness for school. I am of the opinion that the Cognitive Skills Assessment Battery is a valid survey type test and encourage school personnel to use it. Charles M. Clark Psychological Service Center Corpus Christi, Texas 78404
Buckalter, G. A., Presbie, R. J., & Brown, P. L. Behavior improvement program. Chicago: Science Research Associates, 1975. Package, $240.75
The Behavior Improvement Program (BIP) is a completely individualized staff development kit for the application of behavior modification techniques in the schools. It presents a number of intervention strategies for use with individuals and groups of students. The neatly packaged materials include an administrator's guide, three filmstrips, 17 cassettes, and accompanying handbooks, charts, and counting stickers. The cassettes explain the procedures for pinpointing target behaviors, tabulating a frequency count, and employing an intervention strategy. The handbooks are synchrotfized with the cassettes, providing visual examples of the behaviors or procedures being described. The BIP is intended for the use of classroom teachers under the supervision of a behavioral consultant. The user is guided through a series of programmed steps. First, a target behavior is selected and then pinpointed in a handbook of photographs depicting typical classroom behavior. The user is then directed to a cassette which explains the appropriate method for obtaining a frequency count. Next, this frequency data is analyzed and the user is directed to another cassette which explains appropriate behavior change procedures to be employed. After implementation of the procedure a final evaluative frequency count is used to assess the success of the program. Should the initial procedure be unsuccessful, the user is directed to other procedures that involve increasingly powerful techniques.
aEditor's note: We are grateful to Dr. Clark for basing his review on direct use of these materials.
R e v i e w s of School Psychological Materials
283
The assumed effectiveness and applicability of the BIP is based on the fact that it employs the principles of behavior modification, rather than a specific rationale for using this particular program. Since behavior modification is an effective tool in the classroom, it is assumed that a program employing these principles will also be successful. This logic, in itself, is not convincing evidence of the feasibility and practicality of this particular package. Some other rationale, fu'mly based on extensive field testing, is essential to establish the usefulness of this program. There are several potential advantages in using this kit: (I) Previous training or knowledge of behavioral theory or techniques is not essential for its use; (2) there is a logical organization to the materials and the program provides a basic structure to follow, with separate procedures and activities detailed; (3) since teachers can work on their own with a minimal amount of outside consultation, the long-term use of the BIP may make it both time and money saving; (4) the program is self-paced and individualized according to needs, and can therefore be a nonthreatening way for teachers to learn the techniques of behavior modification. However, there are several problems with the BIP, some related to the nature of such programs in general, and others unique to this package. Such multimedia packages require extra equipment such as projectors and tape recorders and a place to use them, both of which are not always easily available. With the large variety and amount of material involved in the kit's use, the possibility that teachers may not stick with the task and complete the program is always present. At times the BIP's materials can be confusing and hard to follow, making the task somewhat complex. Furthermore, there is frequently unnecessary repetition of material and redundancy of information, making the listening somewhat tedious. Two minor but nevertheless potentially troublesome problems are a confusing synchronization between cassettes and handbooks at the start of the tapes and the lack of a separate teachers guide that can be takert back to the classroom for use during program implementation. There is a lack of theoretical clarity in the program, in that the need for replacement behaviors is not explicitly stated. Although the program provides strategies for both the increase and decrease of behaviors, it does not clearly state that replacing an inappropriate behavior with a more appropriate one should be simultaneous processes. The BIP is deserving of consideration by schools desiring greater exposure to behavioral techniques in the classroom. The program is based on a sound theoretical position and, in spite of some technical difficulties, it can be adequately employed. However, all users of the program are encouraged to completely familarize themselves with the organization of the materials before using them. School psychologists may find in the BIP a useful training procedure and adjunct to consultation with school personnel. Timothy S. Hartshome Lee R. Walker Gary W. Weibly University of Texas Austin, Texas 78712
Clarizio, H. F. & McCoy, G. F. Behavior disorders in children. 2nd Ed. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell, 1976. Pp. xii + 596, $13.75, cloth. The first edition of this book appeared in 1970, prowding a valuable synthesis of information on the incidence, characteristics, and treatment of a variety of childhood disorders. The authors were thorough, resourceful, and responsive to the real problems encountered by those who work with behavior disordered children. This new edition updates the earlier one and adds further perspectives on both milder disorders and treatment. This edition again reveals the conceptual breadth and practical perspectives of these two authors. A developmental perspective pervades the book, and prevention is discussed seriously. Also, the typography and binding of the second edition are far superior esthetically to those of the fhst edition. I tried out the first edition with entering graduate students some years back in a course on problem behaviors encountered among school-aged children. My students were uninformly enthusiastic in their responses to the book's approach and wealth of information. The new edition's