Boys Town Specialized Classroom Management

One way we provide support is through the use of a school-wide behavior system.  The Specialized Classroom Management (SCM) model from Boys Town is a school-based intervention strategy that focuses on managing behavior, building relationships, and teaching social skills. It emphasizes preventive and proactive practices, rather than reactive responses, to deal with student behavior. Key components of this model are:

• A curriculum of specific life skills taught as expectations in the classroom

• Teaching methods that support the life skills curriculum – specific ways to teach the life skills to students

• Administrative intervention – a method for dealing with students who are referred to the office from the classroom because of disruptive behavior

• Focus on student competencies – creating a positive classroom environment by encouraging teachers to see the value of developing a positive relationship with each student and praising students’ positive behaviors and successes

• Token Economy and Level System to motivate and reward students for positive behaviors, as well as, to hold students accountable for their behaviors and teach positive replacement skills for negative behaviors.

There are 3 levels in the SCM model. All students begin on the Daily Points level. At this level, students receive high levels of support and predictable reinforcers. As students skills improve, they can move to the Progress Points level. On this level, students gain more privileges and the process of fading the motivation system begins. Students begin to utilize self guided corrections and begin to be motivated by internal things rather than external items. The Merit Points level is the last level in SCM. At this level, students are mastering skills and connecting with levels of motivation that are more internal.