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The Effects of a Token Economy System Specifically Targeting Academic Performance
for Students with Severe Behavior Disorders

Joseph P. Traywick, Edward Langford, Candace A. McGarry, Patricia Rivera, Ph.D., and Matthew L. Israel, Ph.D.

Judge Rotenberg Educational Center
240 Turnpike St.
Canton, MA 02021
(781) 828-2202

Based on a poster presented at Association for Behavior Analysis Conference, May 2005, Chicago, IL

1) Introduction 

The Judge Rotenberg Educational Center (JRC) operates day and residential programs for children and adults with behavior problems, including conduct disorders, emotional problems, brain injury, psychosis, autism and developmental disabilities. The basic approach taken in all of JRC's programs is the use of behavioral psychology and its various technological applications, such as behavioral education, programmed instruction, precision teaching, behavior modification, behavior therapy and behavioral counseling.  From JRC's inception, its basic philosophy has always included the following principles: a willingness to accept students with the most difficult behavioral problems and a refusal to reject or expel any student because of the difficulty of his or her presenting behaviors; the use of a highly structured, consistent application of behavioral psychology to both the education and treatment of its students; a minimization of the use of psychotropic medication; and the use of the most effective behavioral education and treatment procedures available.

2) Method

This study examined the effectiveness of a specific token economy system, based on points, on students’ academic and behavioral progress.  Token economies are efficient behavioral change systems that provide opportunities for consequation of a number of behavior changes targets by a variety of reinforcers.  The token economy has been widely used in residential behavior treatment of adolescents labeled delinquent (Gordan, Jurkovic & Arbuthnot, 1998).  All students attended the Judge Rotenberg Educational Center.  Baseline data was collected using a general token economy system with a daily limit of 200 points allocating 30% for academic objectives, 50% for passing DRO contracts (absence of inappropriate behaviors), 10% for completing self-management projects, and 10% for programmed learning opportunities. Students lost points for not passing their contracts or not completing their academics and/or self management projects. All students were switched to a specific token economy system where all points were earned for completing academic assignments. When students earned points for their academics they were eligible to purchase rewards outlined in various DRO contracts which again targeted the absence of negative behavior.  Point Systems also provide a convenient means of identifying and recording pro-social behaviors (Fleischman, Horne and Arthur, 1983).  The number of curriculum steps passed pre- and post-intervention was measured.  Weekly Standard Celeration Charts also showed results of this specific token economy system on the students’ inappropriate behaviors.

Students in this study included one female and two males who were admitted to the Judge Rotenberg Center because they exhibited severe inappropriate behaviors.  These students’ behaviors significantly interfered with their educational and social development and resulted in expulsion from several other less restrictive educational settings.  All of the students were 14 years of age and tested significantly below grade level in comparison to similar age peers in a battery of scores on the Kaufmann Test of Educational Achievement – Comprehensive Form.

Student 1:

-Male

-Diagnosis history includes: Depressive Disorder NOS

-FSIQ 91

Student 2:

-Male

-Diagnosis history includes: Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Conduct

 Disorder and Learning Disability

-FSIQ 78

Student 3:

            -Female

            -Diagnosis history includes: Schizoaffective Disorder, Oppositional Defiant

 Disorder

-FSIQ 82

During the four week baseline phase all students were placed on a token economy system with partial reinforcement for academic success.  Students received the majority of their points for passing various DRO contracts targeting the absence of negative behavior.  The DRO contracts and the token economy system were maintained both at the school and residences.  Behaviors were tallied at all times, both in the school building and while at the residences.  Thirty percent of the fixed daily limit of 200 points was earned through small achievements in academic progress, often measured by beating a small goal set for the day by their classroom teacher.  Students would lose all points for dangerous or disruptive behaviors and a smaller set amount of points for distracting or interfering behaviors.  In addition, fines were in place for any failure to meet that day’s small academic goal.  Each student was assessed on their academic performance through the number of academic curriculum steps passed each week.

During the intervention phase, all students were switched to a specific token economy system with 100% of the reinforcement targeting academic success.  DRO contracts and the token economy system continued to be implemented at the residence during this phase (i.e. students would continue to be fined for exhibiting inappropriate behaviors throughout the day but only earned points for passing specific academic criteria).  More specifically, students earned points for each curriculum step they passed.  Students could now earn an unlimited number of points daily based upon their progression through each step.  When students passed certain DRO behavior contracts targeting the absence of negative behaviors, they could purchase rewards using their points earned through academics.  The number of lessons passed was plotted on a Weekly Standard Celeration Chart for each student for the four week baseline and intervention phases.  In addition, the total number of inappropriate behaviors, both dangerous/disruptive and distracting/interfering, was plotted for each of these weeks as well.

3) Results

The switch to a token economy system specifically targeting academic performance resulted in a significant increase in weekly academic performance for all students.   Figure 1 showed that during the baseline period, all students were completing 3-4 curriculum steps per week.  During the intervention phase where the students were only earning their points through completion of academic assignments, all of the students completed 15-20 curriculum steps per week.  This was a times 5 increase in academic progress.  Subsequently, students One and Two showed an initial jump up in the frequency of their inappropriate behaviors with an eventual sharp turn down in the last two-three weeks of the intervention stage.  Student Three showed an overall deceleration in her inappropriate behaviors in conjunction with her increase in academic performance.

4) Discussion

Results from this study indicated that a token economy system specifically targeting academic performance could actually enhance academic progress for students in a residential school setting.  Data suggested that although this type of specific token economy system may increase academic progress it may also interfere with behavioral improvement.   Data showed an improving trend for inappropriate behavior over the last two weeks of the intervention stage indicating that it may be useful to continue this stage for more weeks to possibly show sustained behavioral improvement.  Other limitations of this study included the number of participants as well as the design.  Future research using more students and using an ABA type design could possibly show even stronger results.