Good Behavior Game Professional Development Study

The Good Behavior Game is a team-based classroom behavior management strategy which helps children master the role of student and be successful at the key demands of the classroom including sitting still, paying attention, and completing school work. It has been shown to have both short-term and long-term benefits. In GBG classrooms there is less off-task behavior and less aggressive, disruptive behavior; teachers can dedicate more time to instruction. Students who play the GBG also showed improved behavioral and mental health outcomes when they are followed-up on in adulthood.

An important consideration in bringing the GBG into the classroom is the level of support teachers and school districts need to effectively implement the game. The Good Behavior Game Professional Development Study combines scientific rigor with an understanding of how schools operate and what schools are currently doing to provide classrooms environments conducive to teaching and learning. Funding for the study is from the Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education and the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

AIR has partnered with Houston Independent School district to provide GBG professional development (training and coaching) to its teachers. The study will compare varying conditions of GBG professional development to determine the optimal approach to GBG training. Additionally, participating HISD classrooms include both English and bilingual English/Spanish instruction. More information about the project is available upon request.