Check-in/check-out: a systematic evaluation and component analysis.
You can usually drop teacher feedback and the point card from check-in/check-out and still keep the behavior wins.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Baranek et al. (2011) tested check-in/check-out in a regular Grade 2 classroom.
They used an ABAB reversal design to see which parts of the package kids really needed.
First students got the full plan: morning check-in, teacher feedback, point card, afternoon check-out.
Later they dropped the teacher feedback and the point card to learn if behavior held up.
What they found
Problem behavior dropped and academic engagement rose while the full plan was in place.
When the team removed teacher feedback and the point card, most kids kept their gains.
The study shows you can often cut the adult feedback part and still keep the good results.
How this fits with other research
Zentall et al. (1975) did the opposite: they added public posting and praise to a feedback system and saw work output double.
Baranek et al. (2011) later asked which pieces you can drop, building on that earlier work.
Bohan et al. (2022) also thinned a classroom game, stretching reinforcement to every five minutes without losing effect.
Together the three studies give a clear rule: start rich, then trim until you hit the leanest plan that still works.
Why it matters
You can save precious staff minutes by skipping daily teacher feedback in check-in/check-out.
Keep the brief morning and afternoon student check-ins; drop the mid-day teacher review if time is tight.
Test the lean version with one student first, watch the data, and scale only if gains hold.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Tier 2 interventions are implemented similarly across students and thus serve as an efficient and cost-effective method of behavior support in school settings. Check-in/check-out is a Tier 2 intervention with documented effectiveness (e.g., Hawken & Horner, 2003; Todd, Campbell, Meyer, & Horner, 2008). Key features of the intervention include brief morning and afternoon meetings with the intervention coordinator, use of a point card on which the teacher monitors student behavior, and teacher feedback at predetermined times. The present study sought to add to the literature by examining the relative contributions of the teacher-feedback components of check-in/check-out via the use of a component analysis. Working with 4 children in a general education setting, we first evaluated the effectiveness of the procedure using reversal designs. Next, we systematically removed teacher-feedback components to assess effects on problem behavior and academic engagement. For 3 of 4 participants, we were able to remove all teacher-feedback sessions and the point card; for the 4th participant, we removed only 2 of 3 teacher-feedback sessions due to time constraints.
Journal of applied behavior analysis, 2011 · doi:10.1901/jaba.2011.44-315