Clocklight behavior studied at USU
The Center for the School of the Future offers school systems an innovative tool in behavior management.
Richard West, director of the Center for the School of the Future, said a tool education researchers have been working on since the ’70s, Clocklight Behavior Management, now offers teachers and administrators an effective way to manage disruptive behaviors in both classrooms and large lunchrooms.
West said the more advanced Clocklight Behavior Management tool consists of a traffic signal connected to a sound-level monitor. When room noise reaches a certain level, the traffic light goes from green to yellow. If the noise continues, the light changes to red. Once the sound level drops below the criterion for the day, the light again turns green. When the traffic light is green, the connected classroom or lunchroom clock accumulates time toward earning rewards, such as an ice cream party.
West said the tool was built to help students be able to monitor their own behavior. During the first study in the ’70s, on-task behavior jumped from 10 percent to 80 percent.
“If you can get kids to be on task and focused on their work, then learning should increase,” West said.
He said studies proved “teachers got through material more efficiently and test scores became higher.”
West said one of the amazing things about it is “you can put it together with things that could commonly be found in a hardware store.
“We’re not in the business of selling or manufacturing for schools, that’s why we tried to come up with a low-cost solution,” he said.
West said music can be added to the Clocklight for use during independent seat work or activity. When the light is on green, music hooked up to a radio or stereo will play.
Two years ago, students researching the Clocklight Behavior Management tool conducted a study in the Edith Bowen School lunchroom, West said. When the noise level exceeded the predetermined decibel for five seconds, the light would turn to yellow and so on. But as long as the noise level was under control, music would play, he said.
The study was conducted with two separate groups. The first group was kindergarten to second grade and the other group was third to fifth grades, West said.
“[In both groups] we were significantly able to improve the noise level in the lunchroom,” he said.
West said before setting the decibel level for the school lunchroom, they assessed a nice restaurant noise level to determine an acceptable level.
“The students were overwhelmingly in favor of the system. They liked the fact that the noise level was a lot less,” West said.
He said after accumulating 20 minutes of green-light time for 12 days, the kids were rewarded with an ice cream party.
West said this could certainly work anywhere classroom behavior is inappropriate.