Increasing academic performance through home-managed contingency programs

Sixteen pupils in three, second-grade classes were performing below grade achievement level in arithmetic. To increase their performance, parents were instructed to present contingent consequences at home. Three methods were used for instructing parents in program management: parents of 5 pupils attended two one-hour conferences, parents of 6 received a 15-minute conference, and instructions were mailed to parents of the other 5. All three methods resulted in increases in pupils' percent correct, but no substantial difference was observed as a function of mode of parent instruction. Parents receiving two hours' instruction later applied contingency management to additional child behaviors.