The purpose of this study was to empirically evaluate the effects of a positive peer reporting package, namely the “Duck, Duck Tootle Intervention Program” on on-task behavior of target students and classwide on-task behavior. An ABAB withdrawal design was used to evaluate the effects of the tootling package on classwide and target students’ rates of positive peer reporting and on-task behavior. Cluster sampling was employed to select a total of 10 classes for this study. Five intact regular education elementary classrooms were chosen across grade levels to serve as the experimental group. Two target students identified by each classroom teacher as having behavior and/or academic difficulties were participants in the study. This 21-day intervention was implemented in a Chapter I elementary school, located within a low-income suburb in a large metropolitan area in the southwestern United States. The students were in kindergarten through fourth grade and ranged in age from 5 to 9.6 years. Specific target behaviors were identified for each participant (e.g. out-of-place behavior, inappropriate noise). The collected data for each of the 10 elementary school target students in this study included (a) percentage of on-task behavior, (b) percentage of target behavior, and (c) individual tootle counts. Also included in data collection were classwide tootle counts. Teacher procedural integrity data was also obtained. Results revealed that during the tootling intervention phase, in which group contingency and feedback procedures were implemented, on-task behavior increased and the mean number of individual and classwide tootles increased. Decreases in on-task behavior and mean tootles were observed during the second baseline phase. Limitations associated with the current study, implications for implementation in alternative education settings and future research are discussed.

Methods for promoting prosocial behavior in educational settings are many and varied. This literature review presents a context for defining and understanding prosocial behavior, including comparisons and contrasts with other behavioral concepts and terms. Understanding peer factors in the development of prosocial behavior can enhance the development and implementation of peer-based interventions. The four main types of peer-based interventions discussed are cooperative-learning groups, group-contingency plans, peer helpers, and positive peer reporting. Each of these interventions has a place in educational settings and should be utilized with social context and individual student characteristics in mind. Behavioral interventions that improve the overall classroom learning environment and are simple to implement and maintain are highly desirable for large general education settings. The accompanying study investigated the effects of a positive peer reporting (PPR) intervention on the social interactions of a group of 2nd grade general education students by using a modified replication of methods from the Grieger, Kaufman, and Grieger (1976) study. This study evaluated the effects of a peer reporting intervention on students’ social interactions. A withdrawal design was used to evaluate the changes in the level of students’ prosocial interactions across baseline and intervention phases. Visual analysis of the data across phases indicated that the percentage of intervals in which students engaged in prosocial interactions increased during the intervention phases, most notably after the initial implementation of the PPR intervention. Social validity data gathered from the participating teacher, students, and parents, indicated positive attitudes about the intervention and its impact on student behavior. These results add to the existing body of literature which demonstrates the success of PPR interventions for increasing students’ level of prosocial behaviors.

Social competence is needed for interaction among peers, teachers, and families in order for children to be successful in school. Children enter school with various levels of social competence. Social skills training is an effective method for building social skills; however, many programs fail to generalize these skills across settings and time. This study investigated the effects of a social skills training intervention for first and second grade students with emotional and behavioral problems. The intervention blended direct instruction, role-plays, and children's literature, with peers supporting both the acquisition and generalization of the social skills through positive peer reporting (PPR) in other school settings. Results indicate that four students, with or at-risk for emotional and behavioral disorder, in the first and second grade, produced an increased rate of the acquisition and generalization of the skills, How to Follow Directions, How to Ignore Distractions, and How to Ask for Help across various settings with the support of the social skills instruction paired with PPR. This demonstrates that elements of bibliotherapy paired with positive peer reporting may be effective in increasing the acquisition and generalization of social skills across multiple settings.

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