Taking Effective School Violence Prevention to Scale

RAND, partnering with the American Institutes for Research (AIR) and the Nebraska Department of Education propose to scale-up the Good Behavior Game (GBG) – an evidence-based classroom behavior management approach emphasizing positive reinforcement.

The applicant proposes to conduct a randomized controlled experiment of various implementation models in 30 schools in Nebraska to test their impacts on implementation fidelity. The proposed study also includes a national survey of elementary school teachers to understand readiness for program implementation.

GBG has been rigorously tested in multiple settings. Outcomes include improved teamwork, self-regulation and reduced aggression for students. Long term outcomes stretch into adulthood and include reduced rates of violence, antisocial personality disorder, substance use, and high risk sexual behaviors.

The Washington State Institute for Public Policy estimates that GBG costs only a few hundred dollars to implement and results in over $10,000 of savings per student, making it the most cost-effective universal prevention programs they have reviewed.

Note: This project contains a research and/or development component, as defined in the applicable law, and complies with Part 200 Uniform Requirements – 2 CFR 200.210(a) (14). ca/ncf